Electrical cable with shielded conductors

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016343474-A1
Application number	US-201514716121-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 19, 2015
Priority date	May 19, 2015
Publication date	Nov 24, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

An electrical cable includes at least one conductor assembly. Each conductor assembly includes at least one inner conductor that extends along a length, an insulator, and a shield layer. The insulator engages and surrounds a surface of the at least one inner conductor. The insulator is composed of a dielectric material. The shield layer engages and surrounds an outer perimeter of the insulator. The shield layer is formed of a conductive plastic material to provide electrical shielding for the at least one inner conductor and flexibility.

First claim

1 . An electrical cable comprising:
multiple conductor assemblies collectively surrounded by an outer jacket, each conductor assembly comprising: at least one inner conductor that extends along a length; an insulator engaging and surrounding a surface of the at least one inner conductor, the insulator being composed of a dielectric material; and a shield layer engaging and fully circumferentially surrounding an outer perimeter of the insulator, the shield layer being formed of a conductive plastic material to provide electrical shielding for the at least one inner conductor and flexibility, wherein the shield layer of a first conductor assembly of the multiple conductor assemblies engages the shield layer of a second conductor assembly of the multiple conductor assemblies to electrically common the respective shield layers of the first and second conductor assemblies.

2 . The electrical cable of claim 1 , wherein the shield layer has a uniform radial thickness around the outer perimeter of the insulator.

3 . The electrical cable of claim 1 , wherein a cross-sectional shape of an outer perimeter of the shield layer is geometrically similar to a cross-sectional shape of the outer perimeter of the insulator.

4 . The electrical cable of claim 1 , wherein the shield layer has an integral, one-piece molded body.

5 . The electrical cable of claim 1 , wherein the conductive plastic material of the shield layer includes a plastic base and metal particles dispersed throughout the plastic base.

6 . (canceled)

7 . The electrical cable of claim 1 , wherein the insulator of the first conductor assembly does not engage the insulator of the second conductor assembly.

8 . The electrical cable of claim 1 , wherein the at least one inner conductor of the first conductor assembly is shielded from the at least one inner conductor of the second conductor assembly by the respective shield layers of the first and second conductor assemblies that extend between the at least one inner conductor of the first conductor assembly and the at least one inner conductor of the second conductor assembly.

9 . (canceled)

10 . The electrical cable of claim 1 , wherein each conductor assembly includes two inner conductors, an intermediate portion of the insulator extending between the two inner conductors such that the two inner conductors are spaced apart from one another and do not engage one another.

11 . The electrical cable of claim 1 , wherein the electrical cable further comprises a non-insulated ground conductor within the outer jacket, the ground conductor engaging an outer surface of the shield layer of at least one of the first and second conductor assemblies.

12 . The electrical cable of claim 1 , wherein the conductive plastic material of the shield layer includes a plastic base and metal particles dispersed throughout the plastic base, the plastic base being composed at least partially of at least one of polyethylene, polypropylene, or polytetrafluoroethylene, the metal particles being composed of one or more of copper, aluminum, silver, chromium, or nickel.

13 . An electrical cable comprising:
an outer jacket; and a bundle of plural conductor assemblies, the bundle being surrounded by the outer jacket, the bundle including at least a first conductor assembly and a second conductor assembly, the first and second conductor assemblies each comprising:
at least one inner conductor that extends along a length;
an insulator engaging and surrounding a surface of the at least one inner conductor, the insulator being composed of a dielectric material; and
a shield layer engaging and fully circumferentially surrounding an outer perimeter of the insulator, the shield layer being formed of a conductive plastic material to provide electrical shielding for the at least one inner conductor and flexibility;
wherein the shield layer of the first conductor assembly engages the shield layer of the second conductor assembly to electrically common the respective shield layers of the first and second conductor assemblies, the shield layers of the first and second conductor assemblies extending between the insulators of the first and second conductor assemblies to separate the insulators within the outer jacket.

14 . The electrical cable of claim 13 , wherein the conductive plastic material of the shield layer of each of the first and second conductor assemblies includes a plastic base and metal particles dispersed throughout the plastic base.

15 . The electrical cable of claim 14 , wherein the metal particles are in the form of at least one of powder, flakes, or fibers.

16 . The electrical cable of claim 13 , wherein the shield layer of each of the first and second conductor assemblies has a uniform radial thickness around the outer perimeter of the respective insulator.

17 . The electrical cable of claim 13 , wherein the insulator of the first conductor assembly does not engage the insulator of the second conductor assembly.

18 . The electrical cable of claim 13 , wherein each conductor assembly includes a pair of inner conductors, the pair of inner conductors of the first conductor assembly shielded from the pair of inner conductors of the second conductor assembly by the respective shield layers of the first and second conductor assemblies that extend between the two pairs of inner conductors.

19 . The electrical cable of claim 13 , wherein the electrical cable further comprises a non-insulated ground conductor engaging the shield layer of at least one of the first conductor assembly or the second conductor assembly.

20 . The electrical cable of claim 13 , wherein the shield layer of each of the first conductor assembly and the second conductor assembly has an integral, one-piece molded body.

21 . The electrical cable of claim 1 , wherein the shield layers of the first and second conductor assemblies extend between the insulators of the first and second conductor assemblies to separate the insulators within the outer jacket.

22 . The electrical cable of claim 11 , wherein the ground conductor is disposed between the first and second conductor assemblies and engages the outer surface of the shield layer of both the first and second conductor assemblies.

Assignees

• Tyco Electronics Corp

Inventors

• Nichols Robert Paul

Classifications

• H01B11/002 Primary

  Pair constructions · CPC title

• H01B1/22

  the conductive material comprising metals or alloys · CPC title

• H05K9/0098

  for shielding electrical cables · CPC title

• H01B11/1878

  Special measures in order to improve the flexibility · CPC title

• H01B11/1891

  comprising auxiliary conductors · CPC title