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

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9677223-B2
Application number	US-201615093479-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 7, 2016
Priority date	Dec 31, 2013
Publication date	Jun 13, 2017
Grant date	Jun 13, 2017

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 cable assembly comprising:
a cable structure comprising:
a first cable subassembly extending along at least a portion of a length of the cable structure; and
a second cable subassembly extending along at least the portion of the length of the cable structure; and

a jacket extending around an outer periphery of the cable structure along at least the portion of the length of the cable structure, 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 cable assembly 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 cable assembly of claim 2 , 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 cable assembly 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.

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

6. The cable assembly 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 cable assembly of claim 5 , 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 cable assembly of claim 5 , 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 structure 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.

9. The cable assembly of claim 8 , wherein:
at least one sub-plurality of fibers of at least one fiber bundle of the plurality of fiber bundles is twisted in a first lay direction along a longitudinal axis of that fiber bundle; and
at least one wire of the plurality of wires is twisted in a second lay direction along a longitudinal axis of the first cable subassembly.

10. The cable assembly of claim 8 , wherein:
the plurality of wires of the second cable subassembly defines a cross-sectional outer periphery of the second cable subassembly;
the cable structure further comprises a third cable subassembly extending along at least the portion of the length of the cable structure;
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 structure 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.

11. The cable assembly of claim 10 , wherein:
at least one sub-plurality of fibers of at least one fiber bundle of the plurality of fiber bundles is twisted in a first lay direction along a longitudinal axis of that fiber bundle;
at least one 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
at least one plurality of bundled wires of at least one wire bundle of the plurality of wire bundles is twisted in a third lay direction along a longitudinal axis of that wire bundle.

12. The cable assembly of claim 10 , 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 cable assembly of claim 8 , 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.

14. The cable assembly of claim 5 , 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;
at least one fiber bundle of the plurality of fiber bundles comprises a sub-plurality of fibers of the plurality of fibers;
at least one 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
at least one wire of a particular sub-plurality of wires extends along the portion of the length of the cable structure and adjacent to the cross-sectional outer periphery of its respective fiber bundle.

15. The cable assembly of claim 14 , wherein:
the cable structure further comprises a third cable subassembly extending along at least the portion of the length of the cable structure;
the third cable subassembly comprises a plurality of wire bundles;
at least one wire bundle of the plurality of wire bundles comprises a plurality of bundled wires;
the at least one wire bundle of the plurality of wire bundles extends along the portion of the length of the cable structure 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.

16. The cable assembly of claim 14 , wherein:
the cable structure further comprises a third cable subassembly extending along at least the portion of the length of the cable structure;
the third cable subassembly comprises a plurality of wire bundles;
each wire bundle of the plu

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

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

Classifications

• D07B1/147

  comprising electric conductors or elements for information transfer (D07B1/145 takes precedence) · CPC title

• D07B1/16

  Ropes or cables with an enveloping sheathing or inlays of rubber or plastics (D07B1/04, D07B1/10 take precedence) · CPC title

• D07B2201/2061

  resulting in a twisted structure · CPC title

• H01B7/041

  attached to mobile objects, e.g. portable tools, elevators, mining equipment, hoisting cables · CPC title

• D07B1/0686

  characterised by the core design · CPC title