FLEXIBLE AND LIGHTWEIGHT SEAT-TO-SEAT CABIN CABLE SYSTEM AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING SAME

• US 20070074891A1
• Filed: 09/19/2006
• Published: 04/05/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Astronics Connectivity Systems & Certification Corp. (Astronics Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Telefonix Incorporated (Astronics Corporation)
• Inventors: Burke, Paul
• Granted Patent: US 7,692,099 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 174/113.R
• CPC Class Codes: H01B 7/0045 Cable-harnesses
• CPC Class Codes: H01B 7/0266 comprising one or more braided layers of insulation
• CPC Class Codes: H01B 7/06 Extensible conductors or cables, e.g. self-coiling cords
• CPC Class Codes: H01B 9/003 including electrical control or communication wires

Abstract

A seat-to-seat cable system for transmitting data and for power that is flexible and lightweight and a method for manufacturing the same. The cable system includes one or more bundles of conductive wire comprising multiple strands that are individually coated with an insulation layer. The bundles of conductive wire are covered by wire jacketing material and are further covered by a nylon braiding material. The cable is preferably made by coating individual wire strands with an insulating material, and then forming wire strands into wire. A thin insulating material may then be extruded over the bundles of wire strands, which are then twisted and/or shielded into cables forming a subassembly. The group of wires is formed into cables. A thin insulating material may be extruded over the cable subassemblies as a jacketing layer before the cable is cut to the desired length and braided or jacketed.

Claims

1. A cable comprising:

one or more bundles of conductive wire comprising multiple strands;

each of the strands of the conductive wires being individually coated with an insulation layer;

said bundles of conductive wire being covered by a layer of wire jacketing material; and

said one or more bundles of cable being further covered by a nylon braiding material.

2. The cable of claim 1 wherein said insulation layer comprises a Teflon coat.

3. The cable of claim 1 wherein said jacketing material comprises a Teflon coat.

4. The cable of claim 1 wherein said conductive wires are color coated.

5. The cable of claim 1 wherein said conductive wires comprise Litz wire.

6. The cable of claim 1 further comprising a conductive shield surrounding at least one of said one or more bundles.

7. The cable of claim 1 wherein said cable comprises a power cable comprising five bundles of 16AWG conductors and one bundle of 24AWG conductors.

8. The cable of claim 7 wherein said 16AWG conductors comprise different colors selected from the set of black, red, blue, yellow and green.

9. The cable of claim 8 wherein said 24AWG conductor is white.

10. The cable of claim 1 wherein said conductive wires are selected from the group consisting of bare copper wires, coated copper wires and silver wires.

11. The cable of claim 1 wherein said cable comprises a bundle data cable, five stranded wire conductors and one 24AWG wire conductor.

12. The cable of claim 1 wherein said bundles of conductive wires comprises a data cable bundle and a power cable bundle.

13. The cable of claim 12 wherein said data cable bundle is separable from said power cable bundle.

14. The cable of claim 1 wherein said braiding comprises nylon braiding.

14-1. A method for manufacturing a cable comprising:

forming individual wire strands from flexible wire cable;

coating said individual wire strands with insulating material;

forming multiple wire strands into wire of desired sizes;

extruding very thin insulating material over bundles of wire strands;

twisting and/or shielding the wires into cable subassemblies;

forming groups of wires into cables;

coating the cables with a jacketing layer;

measuring and cutting the cable to length and preparing for braiding or other final outer jacket material; and

covering prepared cables with braiding or other outer jacket material.

16. The method of claim 15 which further comprises the steps of:

preparing ends of individual wires for connectorization;

connectorizing individual wires with terminals; and

placing terminals into appropriate locations in connector housings.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein said flexible wire cable is selected from the group consisting of:

Litz wire, bare copper wires, coated copper wires and silver wires.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein said jacketing layer comprises Teflon.

19. The method of claim 15 wherein said insulating material comprises Teflon.

20. The method of claim 15 wherein said cables comprise a power cable.

21. The method of claim 15 wherein said cable comprises a power and data harness cable.