Flexible cable with structurally enhanced conductors

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11145433-B2
Application number	US-201916442874-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 17, 2019
Priority date	Jun 2, 2010
Publication date	Oct 12, 2021
Grant date	Oct 12, 2021

Abstract

In an electrical cable of the type having an outer sheath enclosing a conductor assembly comprising a plurality of insulated conductors disposed within a binder, the binder having a crush resistance for protecting the insulated conductors, an improvement in which a strength enhancer is applied such that the binder can be removed without decreasing a crush resistance of the electrical cable.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electrical cable having a metallic outermost sheath, the electrical cable comprising:
a conductor assembly including an insulated conductor disposed within the metallic outermost sheath; and
a grounding conductor disposed adjacent to and contacting at least a portion of the conductor assembly;
the insulated conductor consisting of an outermost surrounding layer without an additional protective covering about the outermost surrounding layer, the outermost surrounding layer having a lubricant, the outermost surrounding layer being in direct contact with the metallic outermost sheath substantially along the length of the insulated conductor and the metallic outermost sheath;
wherein the lubricant is included in an amount such that the combination of the outermost surrounding layer and the lubricant maintains the crush and impact resistance as required by UL 1569 second edition, revision of Sep. 10, 1998 without the electrical cable having a further protective covering between the insulated conductor and the metallic outermost sheath.

2. The electrical cable of claim 1 , wherein the outermost surrounding layer comprises an extruded nylon polymer.

3. The electrical cable of claim 1 , wherein the lubricant is mixed within the outermost surrounding layer.

4. The electrical cable of claim 1 , wherein the grounding conductor is bare.

5. The electrical cable of claim 1 , wherein the lubricant includes 0.25-0.85% of erucamide and a stearyl erucamide.

6. The electrical cable of claim 1 , wherein the lubricant comprises a high molecular weight silicone oil having a concentration by weight of at least 9%.

7. An electrical cable having a metallic outermost sheath, the electrical cable comprising:
a grounding conductor and a conductor assembly including an insulated conductor, the grounding conductor positioned adjacent to and in contact with at least a portion of the insulated conductor, the grounding conductor and the conductor assembly disposed within the metallic outermost sheath;
wherein the insulated conductor includes an outermost surrounding layer comprising a strength enhancer, the strength enhancer including 0.25-0.85% of erucamide and a stearyl erucamide, the outermost surrounding layer being in direct contact with the metallic outermost sheath substantially along the length of the conductor and the metallic outermost sheath;
wherein the outermost surrounding layer comprising the strength enhancer is formed to maintain the crush and impact resistance as required by UL 1569 second edition, revision of Sep. 10, 1998; and
the electrical cable does not comprise a further protective covering between the insulated conductor and the metallic outermost sheath.

8. The electrical cable of claim 7 , wherein the grounding conductor is bare.

9. An electrical cable comprising:
a metallic outer sheath conductively contacting a bare grounding conductor disposed within the metallic outer sheath;
an insulated conductor consisting of an outer layer comprising a lubricant, the outer layer of the insulated conductor remaining in direct contact with the metallic outer sheath, and substantially along the length of the insulated conductor and the metallic outer sheath,
the lubricant comprising 0.25-0.85% of erucamide and a stearyl erucamide;
wherein:
the electrical cable does not have an additional protective covering between the outer layer and the metallic outer sheath; and
the electrical cable meets the crush and impact resistance requirements of UL 1569 second edition, revision of Sep. 10, 1998.

10. The electrical cable of claim 9 , wherein the outer layer comprises an outer region and an inner region, the outer region having the lubricant mixed therein.

11. The electrical cable of claim 9 , wherein the lubricant is applied on the outer layer of the insulated conductor.

12. The electrical cable of claim 11 , wherein the lubricant comprises a silicone oil.

13. An apparatus for protecting an electrical cable assembly including one or more insulated conductors, each insulated conductor consisting of a single outer surrounding layer, the apparatus comprising: an outermost metallic sheath surrounding the electrical cable assembly; the one or more insulated conductors, in which each single outer surrounding layer is in direct contact with the outermost metallic sheath substantially along the length of the electrical cable assembly and the outermost metallic sheath; a grounding conductor contacting at least a portion of the one or more insulated conductors; and a strength enhancer formed of a high molecular weight silicone oil having a concentration by weight of at least 9% or a lubricant material including 0.25-0.85% of erucamide and a stearyl erucamide, the strength enhancer applied such that the outermost metallic sheath and the electrical cable assembly meet the crush and impact resistance requirements in UL 1569 second edition, revision of Sep. 10, 1998 without any additional layer between the insulated conductors and the outermost metallic sheath.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the grounding conductor is a bare grounding conductor in direct contact with the outermost metallic sheath.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the strength enhancer is applied to the single outer surrounding layer of the one or more insulated conductors.

16. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the strength enhancer is mixed in the one or more insulated conductors.

17. An electrical cable having a metallic outer sheath, the electrical cable comprising a conductor assembly including a bare grounding conductor and an electrically insulated conductor disposed adjacent to and contacting at least a portion of the bare grounding conductor, the electrically insulated conductor being a Type XHHW consisting of a surrounding layer consisting of a cross-linked polyethylene material having a strength enhancer comprising a lubricant to maintain a crush and impact resistance of the conductor assembly when surrounded by the metallic outer sheath meeting the requirements of UL 1569 second edition, revision of Sep. 10, 1998 without requiring an additional protective covering between the surrounding layer and the metallic outer sheath,
wherein the surrounding layer comprises the cross-linked polyethylene material and the strength enhancer being in direct contact with the metallic outer sheath and substantially along the length of the electrically insulated conductor and the metallic outer sheath.

18. The electrical cable of claim 17 , wherein the strength enhancer comprises an erucamide and the erucamide is applied to the surrounding layer.

19. The electrical cable of claim 17 , wherein the strength enhancer comprises a silicone oil and the silicone oil is applied to the surrounding layer.

20. An electrical cable having a metallic outer sheath, the electrical cable comprising:
a conductor assembly, including a bare grounding conductor and an electrically insulated conductor contacting the bare grounding conductor, the electrically insulated conductor being a Type THHN consisting of a surrounding layer, the surrounding layer consisting of an outer portion of a nylon material around an inner portion of a polyvinylchloride material, and
the outer portion having strength enhancer comprising a lubricant in an amount to maintain a crush and impact resistance of the conductor assembly when surrounded by the metallic outer sheath meeting the requirements of UL 1569 second edition, revision of Sep. 10, 1998 without requiring an additional protective co

Assignees

• Southwire Co Llc

Inventors

• Temblador Richard

Classifications

• H02G1/1217

  making a longitudinal cut · CPC title

• H02G1/1297

  Removing armouring from cables · CPC title

• H02G1/1239

  the cutting element being a disc or a circular saw · CPC title

• H02G1/005

  for cutting cables or wires, or splicing · CPC title

• H01B9/028

  with screen grounding means, e.g. drain wires · CPC title