Cut-resistant cable structures and systems and methods for making the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9322131-B2
Application number	US-201414299351-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 9, 2014
Priority date	Dec 31, 2013
Publication date	Apr 26, 2016
Grant date	Apr 26, 2016

Abstract

Cable structures of security systems may include multiple subassemblies having different cut-resistant characteristics. One system includes, inter alia, a portable article, a support, and a length of a cable assembly extending between a first cable end coupled to the portable article and a second cable end coupled to the support, where the cable assembly includes a first cable subassembly extending along at least a portion of the length of the cable assembly, and a second cable subassembly extending along at least the portion of the length of the cable assembly and adjacent to the first cable subassembly, and where the first cable subassembly includes a first cut resistant characteristic and the second cable subassembly includes a second cut resistant characteristic that is different than the first cut resistant characteristic.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a portable article;
a support; and
a length of a cable assembly extending between a first cable end coupled to the portable article and a second cable end coupled to the support, the cable assembly comprising:
a first cable subassembly extending along at least a portion of the length of the cable assembly; and
a second cable subassembly extending along at least the portion of the length of the cable assembly and adjacent to the first cable subassembly, wherein:
the first cable subassembly comprises a first cut-resistant characteristic; and
the second cable subassembly comprises a second cut-resistant characteristic that is different than the first cut-resistant characteristic.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the first cut-resistant characteristic is more resistant to a shear cutter than the second cut-resistant characteristic is to the shear cutter; and
the shear cutter comprises blades that slide against each other to cut through an object.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the first cut-resistant characteristic is less resistant to a precision cutter than the second cut-resistant characteristic is to the precision cutter; and
the precision cutter comprises blades that abut each other to cut through an object.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the first cable subassembly comprises a plurality of fibers extending along the portion of the length of the cable assembly;
each fiber of the plurality of fibers comprises a first cross-sectional thickness;
the second cable subassembly comprises at least one wire extending along the portion of the length of the cable assembly; and
each wire of the at least one wire comprises a second cross-sectional thickness that is greater than the first cross-sectional thickness.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein:
the first cross-sectional thickness of each fiber of the plurality of fibers is between 0.01 millimeters and 0.02 millimeters; and
the second cross-sectional thickness of the at least one wire is between 0.15 millimeters and 0.25 millimeters.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein:
the plurality of fibers comprises a third cross-sectional thickness; and
the third cross-sectional thickness is between 0.13 millimeters and 0.33 millimeters.

7. The system of claim 4 , wherein:
each fiber of the plurality of fibers comprises an aramid fiber; and
each wire of the at least one wire comprises a steel wire.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein:
each fiber of the plurality of fibers comprises a para-aramid fiber; and
each wire of the at least one wire comprises a carbon steel wire.

9. The system of claim 4 , wherein:
the first cable subassembly comprises a plurality of fiber bundles;
the plurality of fiber bundles defines a cross-sectional outer periphery of the first cable subassembly;
each fiber bundle of the plurality of fiber bundles comprises a sub-plurality of fibers of the plurality of fibers;
the at least one wire comprises a plurality of wires;
each wire of the plurality of wires extends along the portion of the length of the cable assembly and adjacent to the cross-sectional outer periphery of the first cable subassembly; and
the plurality of wires surrounds the cross-sectional outer periphery of the first cable subassembly.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein:
each sub-plurality of fibers of each fiber bundle of the plurality of fiber bundles is twisted in a first lay direction along a longitudinal axis of that fiber bundle; and
each wire of the plurality of wires is twisted in a second lay direction along a longitudinal axis of the first cable subassembly.

11. The system of claim 9 , wherein:
the plurality of wires of the second cable subassembly defines a cross-sectional outer periphery of the second cable subassembly;
the cable assembly further comprises a third cable subassembly extending along at least the portion of the length of the cable assembly and adjacent to the second cable subassembly;
the third cable subassembly comprises a plurality of wire bundles;
each wire bundle of the plurality of wire bundles comprises a plurality of bundled wires;
each wire bundle of the plurality of wire bundles extends along the portion of the length of the cable assembly and adjacent to the cross-sectional outer periphery of the second cable subassembly; and
the plurality of wire bundles surrounds the cross-sectional outer periphery of the second cable subassembly.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein:
each sub-plurality of fibers of each fiber bundle of the plurality of fiber bundles is twisted in a first lay direction along a longitudinal axis of that fiber bundle;
each wire of the plurality of wires of the second cable subassembly is twisted in a second lay direction along a longitudinal axis of the first cable subassembly; and
each plurality of bundled wires of each wire bundle of the plurality of wire bundles is twisted in a third lay direction along a longitudinal axis of that wire bundle.

13. The system of claim 4 , wherein:
the at least one wire of the second cable subassembly comprises a plurality of wires;
the plurality of wires of the second cable subassembly comprises a plurality of sub-plurality of wires;
the first cable subassembly comprises a plurality of fiber bundles;
each fiber bundle of the plurality of fiber bundles comprises a sub-plurality of fibers of the plurality of fibers;
each sub-plurality of wires of the plurality of wires of the second cable subassembly surrounds a cross-sectional outer periphery of a respective fiber bundle of the plurality of fiber bundles of the first cable subassembly; and
each wire of a particular sub-plurality of wires extends along the portion of the length of the cable assembly and adjacent to the cross-sectional outer periphery of its respective fiber bundle.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein:
the cable assembly further comprises a third cable subassembly extending along at least the portion of the length of the cable assembly and adjacent to the second cable subassembly;
the third cable subassembly comprises a plurality of wire bundles;
each wire bundle of the plurality of wire bundles comprises a plurality of bundled wires;
each wire bundle of the plurality of wire bundles extends along the portion of the length of the cable assembly and adjacent to a cross-sectional outer periphery of the second cable subassembly; and
the plurality of wire bundles surrounds the cross-sectional outer periphery of the second cable subassembly.

15. The system of claim 4 , wherein:
the first cable subassembly comprises a plurality of fiber bundles;
each fiber bundle of the plurality of fiber bundles comprises a sub-plurality of fibers of the plurality of fibers;
the at least one wire comprises a plurality of wires;
the plurality of wires comprises a plurality of wire bundles;
each wire bundle of the plurality of wire bundles comprises a sub-plurality of wires of the plurality of wires;
each wire bundle of the plurality of wire bundles extends along the portion of the length of the cable assembly and adjacent to a cross-sectional outer periphery of the first cable subassembly; and
the plurality of wire bundles surrounds the cross-sectional outer periphery of the first cable subassembly.

16. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first cable subassembly comprises a plurality of aramid fibers.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the second cable subassembly comprises at least one high-carbon steel wire.

18. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
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Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Chuang Brian L
• Kim Min Chul
• Weidner Andrew M
• Ruggiero Adrianne M

Classifications

• D07B2205/2096

  Poly-p-phenylenebenzo-bisoxazole [PBO] · CPC title

• D07B2205/205

  Aramides · CPC title

• D07B2201/2061

  resulting in a twisted structure · CPC title

• D07B2201/2057

  resulting in a twisted structure · CPC title

• D07B2201/1068

  having the same lay direction · CPC title