Securing electrical conductors
First Claim
1. An elongated electrical cable comprising:
- at least two electrical conductors extending longitudinally along the cable; and
an insulating body encompassing and electrically isolating the conductors from one another, the insulating body including an exposed surface having an array of fastener elements extending therefrom, the fastener elements arranged and constructed to engage mating fastener elements associated with a supporting surface to selectively secure the cable to the supporting surface.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An elongated electrical cable or flexible circuit board includes an electrically conductive path and an insulating body encompassing and electrically isolating the conductive path, the insulating body including an exposed surface having an array of fastener elements extending therefrom, the fastener elements arranged and constructed to engage mating fastener elements associated with a supporting surface to selectively secure the cable or flexible circuit board to the supporting surface. The fastener elements can be loop-engageable fasteners and/or loops. Such a cable or flexible circuit board is continuously formed by introducing an electrical insulating material including a thermoplastic resin into a gap formed adjacent a peripheral surface of a rotating mold roll, the mold roll defining an array of cavities therein, the insulating material being introduced under pressure and temperature conditions selected to cause the insulating material to at least partially fill the cavities to form fastener element stems integrally with and extending from one broad side of a strip of said insulation material; while introducing conductive wires and/or a conductive path formed on or within a substrate to the gap so as to cause the insulating material to envelop and electrically isolate the conductive path and/or to cause the conductive path to become an integral part of the strip of insulation material from which the fastener element stems extend.
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Citations
67 Claims
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1. An elongated electrical cable comprising:
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at least two electrical conductors extending longitudinally along the cable; and
an insulating body encompassing and electrically isolating the conductors from one another, the insulating body including an exposed surface having an array of fastener elements extending therefrom, the fastener elements arranged and constructed to engage mating fastener elements associated with a supporting surface to selectively secure the cable to the supporting surface. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A releasably securable ribbon cable extending to define a longitudinal direction, the cable comprising:
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a plurality of longitudinally extending electrical conductors;
an insulating body encompassing and electrically isolating the plurality of conductors from one another; and
a strip of loop-engageable fastener elements formed of thermoplastic resin, the strip extending longitudinally along the ribbon cable and being permanently attached to a surface of the insulating body such that said fastener elements are exposed for engagement with a loop material.
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18. A method of continuously forming an electrical cable, the method comprising:
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introducing an electrical insulating material comprising a thermoplastic resin into a gap formed adjacent a peripheral surface of a rotating mold roll, the mold roll defining an array of cavities therein, the insulating material being introduced under pressure and temperature conditions selected to cause the insulating material to at least partially fill the cavities to form fastener element stems integrally with and extending from one broad surface of a strip of said insulation material;
whileintroducing at least two longitudinally continuous and spaced apart electrical conductors to the gap so as to cause the insulating material to envelop and electrically isolate the conductors and cause the conductors to become an integral part of the strip of insulation material from which the fastener element stems extend. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A method of continuously forming an electrical cable, the method comprising:
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introducing molten resin into a gap formed adjacent a rotating mold roll, the mold roll having a peripheral surface defining an array of molding cavities therein, under pressure and temperature conditions selected to cause the resin to fill the mold cavities and form an array of fastener element stems integrally molded with and extending from a broad strip of resin;
whilesimultaneously introducing a preformed electrical ribbon-type cable to the nip adjacent the pressure roll, such that the broad strip of resin becomes permanently bonded to a broad side of the ribbon-type cable such that the fastener element stems are exposed.
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27. A method of continuously forming an electrical cable, the method comprising:
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providing a fastener tape of continuous length, the fastener tape comprising a base and an array of loop-engageable fastener elements, the base being of thermoplastic resin and defining a first and a second, opposite, broad surface, the array of loop engageable fastener elements comprising protrusions of the thermoplastic resin of the first surface;
arranging a backing film of continuous length adjacent the fastener tape, the backing film defining a broad surface, the broad surface of the backing film being arranged to face the second broad surface of the fastener tape;
disposing a plurality of spaced apart electrical conductors of continuous length between the second broad surface of the fastener tape and the broad surface of the backing film; and
permanently attaching the fastener tape to the backing film with the plurality of conductors enveloped therebetween, the conductors being electrically isolated from one another. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29)
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30. A method of forming an electrical cable, the method comprising:
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introducing a strip of molten electrical insulation material into a gap formed adjacent a peripheral surface of a rotating roll;
whileintroducing a continuous strip of loop material having hook-engageable fiber portion to the gap along the surface of the roll, under conditions selected to cause the loop material to become at least partially embedded in the electrical insulation material to permanently bond the loop material to the resin while leaving the hook-engageable fiber portions exposed for engagement; and
introducing at least two longitudinally continuous and spaced apart electrical conductors to the gap so as to cause the insulating material to envelop and electrically isolate the conductors in the gap to form a multi-conductor electrical cable having engageable loops extending from an outer surface thereof.
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31. A flexible circuit board comprising:
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a substrate having first and second, opposite broad surfaces, and a through-hole surface extending from the first to the second broad surface defining a passage between the first and second broad surfaces, the substrate further having an array of hook fastener elements extending from the first broad surface, the first broad surface and the array of hook fastener elements being formed integrally of a thermoplastic resin; and
a pattern of electrically conductive material attached to the thermoplastic substrate, the pattern encompassing at least a portion of the through-hole surface. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35)
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36. An electrical cable comprising:
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a strip-form substrate having first and second, opposite broad surfaces and an array of hook fastener elements extending from the first broad surface, the first broad surface and the array of hook fastener elements being formed integrally of a thermoplastic resin; and
a continuous conductive path attached to one of the first and second broad surfaces, the continuous strip being longitudinally coextensive with the strip-form substrate. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42)
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43. A method of forming an electrically conductive hook tape, the method comprising:
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providing a substrate having first and second, opposite broad surfaces and an array of hook fastener elements extending from the first broad surface, the first broad surface and the array of hook fastener elements being formed integrally of a thermoplastic resin;
applying a sensitizer to an exterior surface of the substrate; and
applying a solution comprising a conductive material to the exterior surface at least to a portion of an area where the sensitizer was applied, to produce a chemical reduction reaction between the conductive material and the sensitizer wherein the conductive material attaches to the exterior surface of the substrate. - View Dependent Claims (44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53)
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54. A method of forming a flexible circuit board with integral hook fastener elements, the method comprising:
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introducing an elongated flexible circuit including a substrate and at least one electrically conductive path to a gap adjacent a peripheral surface of a mold roll, the mold roll having hook fastener element stem forming cavities extending inwardly from said peripheral surface, while simultaneously, introducing a thermoplastic resin into said gap directly adjacent said peripheral surface under temperature and pressure conditions causing said thermoplastic resin to at least partially fill said stem forming cavities and to permanently bond to said substrate; and
stripping the permanently joined thermoplastic resin and substrate from said mold roll to expose said fastener element stems. - View Dependent Claims (55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61)
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62. A securable flexible circuit comprising:
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a carrier substrate of thermoplastic resin having a first broad surface and a second broad surface, the first broad surface being exposed and having an array of hook fastener elements protruding therefrom, the hook fastener elements comprising raised projections of the thermoplastic resin of the first broad surface; and
an electrically conductive path disposed on said second broad surface. - View Dependent Claims (63, 64, 65, 66, 67)
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Specification