Composite and nanowire conduit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10177471-B2
Application number	US-201414542442-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 14, 2014
Priority date	Nov 14, 2014
Publication date	Jan 8, 2019
Grant date	Jan 8, 2019

Abstract

An electrical wiring system comprises a plurality of electrical conduits, each of which comprises a plurality of electrically conductive wires, a carrier encapsulating and electrically insulating the wires from each other, the carrier being composed of a rigid material, and at least connector carried by the carrier in electrical communication with the wires. The electrical wiring system further comprises a junction box comprising a plurality of interconnecting wires and a plurality of connectors electrically coupled together by the interconnecting wires. The plurality of connectors of the junction box are coupled to the plurality connectors of the electrical conduits.

First claim

I claim:

1. An electrical wiring system, comprising:
an electrical conduit comprising:
a plurality of electrically conductive wires, wherein the wires are nanowires;
a carrier encapsulating and electrically insulating the wires from each other, the carrier being composed of a rigid material; and
a pair of connectors located at opposite ends of the carrier, wherein each of the connectors comprises a plurality of receptacles in electrical communication with the plurality of nanowires; and

a junction box comprising a plurality of interconnecting wires and a plurality of connectors electrically coupled together by the interconnecting wires, one of the connectors of the junction box being coupled to at least one of the connectors of the electrical conduit,
wherein each of the connectors of the junction box comprises a plurality of pins and an actuator to translate the pins into the receptacles of at least one of the connectors of the electrical conduit.

2. The electrical wiring system of claim 1 , wherein the rigid material has a modulus of elasticity greater than 1 gigapascal (GPa).

3. The electrical wiring system of claim 2 , wherein the modulus of elasticity of the material is greater than 2 GPa.

4. The electrical wiring system of claim 1 , wherein the rigid material is a composite material.

5. The electrical wiring system of claim 1 , wherein the carrier is planar, and the wires are arranged relative to each other in a single rectilinear plane.

6. The electrical wiring system of claim 1 , wherein the carrier is cylindrical, and the wires are arranged relative to each other in three-dimensional space.

7. The electrical wiring system of claim 1 , wherein the electrical conduit is entirely solid.

8. The electrical wiring system of claim 1 , wherein the connectors are mounted to the ends of the carrier and are electrically coupled to the wires.

9. The electrical wiring system of claim claim 1 , wherein the nanowires are synthesized from at least one of a metal, a semiconductor, or carbon nanotubes.

10. The electrical wiring system of claim 1 , further comprising a pair of slots extending along opposing sides of the carrier at the end of the carrier.

11. The electrical wiring system of claim 1 , further comprising a slot formed along a length of the carrier.

12. A method of manufacturing the electrical conduit of claim 1 , comprising:
disposing an electrically insulative material in an elongated mold having a length;
suspending the wires in the electrically insulative material along the length of the mold;
curing the electrically insulative material in the mold to form the carrier and integrate the wires in the mold; and
removing the integrated carrier and wires from the elongated mold.

13. A method of manufacturing the electrical conduit of claim 1 , comprising:
forming lumens through a length of the carrier; and
growing the wires inside of the lumens.

14. The electrical wiring system of claim 1 , wherein the material is a carbon-fiber polymer composite material.

15. The electrical wiring system of claim 1 , wherein the interconnecting wires of the junction box are nanowires.

16. The electrical wiring system of claim 1 , wherein the electrical conduit is planar, and the wires are arranged relative to each other in a single rectilinear plane.

17. A method of manufacturing the electrical conduit of claim 1 , comprising:
disposing a first portion of a liquefied electrically insulative material in an elongated mold having a length;
at least partially curing the first portion of the liquefied electrically insulative material in the elongated mold;
disposing the wires on top of the at least partially cured portion of the electrically insulative material along the length of the mold;
disposing a second portion of the liquefied electrically insulative material over the at least partially cured portion of the electrically insulative material in the elongated mold;
completely curing the electrically insulative material in the mold to form the carrier and integrate the wires between the first and second portions of the completely cured electrically insulative material; and
removing the integrated carrier and wires from the elongated mold.

18. A method of manufacturing the electrical conduit of claim 1 , comprising:
extruding an liquid insulative material, wherein the wires are embedded in the liquid insulative material during the extrusion; and
curing the liquid insulative material to form the carrier.

19. The electrical wiring system of claim 1 , wherein the electrical conduit is cylindrical, and the wires are arranged relative to each other in three-dimensional space.

20. The electrical wiring system of claim 1 , wherein the electrical conduit has a thickness of less than one-quarter inch.

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Emrys Jonathan

Classifications

• H05K3/101

  by casting or moulding of conductive material · CPC title

• H01B7/0045 Primary

  Cable-harnesses · CPC title

• H01R43/26

  for engaging or disengaging the two parts of a coupling device (structural association with two-part coupling device H01R13/629) · CPC title

• B29C70/865

  completely encapsulated · CPC title

• H05K5/0247

  Electrical details of casings, e.g. terminals, passages for cables or wiring · CPC title