ADDITIVE COMMUNICATION CABLE AND AD HOC HARNESSES

• US 20150187467A1
• Filed: 01/02/2014
• Published: 07/02/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/02/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Raytheon Company (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Raytheon Company (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Woida-O'Brien, Rigel Q.
• Granted Patent: US 9,837,191 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/112 using individual droplets, e.g. from jetting heads
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/386 Data acquisition or data processing for additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2995/0006 Dielectric
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2995/0007 Insulating
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/3462 Cables
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/707 Cables, i.e. two or more filaments combined together, e.g. ropes, cords, strings, yarns filamentary material B29L2031/731, electric cables B29L2031/3462, optical cables B29L2011/0075
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 10/00 Processes of additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 80/00 Products made by additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: H01B 13/00 Apparatus or processes specially adapted for manufacturing conductors or cables
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/147 at least one of the printed circuits being bent or folded, e.g. by using a flexible printed circuit H05K1/148 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10189 Non-printed connector

Abstract

Embodiments are directed to a method for manufacturing a product comprising: establishing, by a computing device comprising a processor, at least one parameter of a particular instance of a component to be used in the product, adapting, by the computing device, a baseline model of the component based on the at least one parameter to accommodate use of the particular instance of the component, growing a structure based on the adapted model to accommodate the particular instance of the component using an additive manufacturing technique, coupling the structure to the particular instance of the component, growing an electrical harness by using additive printing to establish an electrical cable, and assembling the product by coupling the electrical harness to the particular instance of the component.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a product, comprising:

establishing, by a computing device comprising a processor, at least one parameter of a particular instance of a component to be used in the product;

adapting, by the computing device, a baseline model of the component based on the at least one parameter to accommodate use of the particular instance of the component;

growing a structure based on the adapted model to accommodate the particular instance of the component using an additive manufacturing technique;

coupling the structure to the particular instance of the component;

growing an electrical harness by using additive printing to establish an electrical cable; and

assembling the product by coupling the electrical harness to the particular instance of the component.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the electrical cable is configured to support a conveyance of data.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the electrical cable is configured to support the conveyance of data in accordance with at least one of the following:

USB, Ethernet, Firewire, HDMI, Coax, RS-232, RS-485, and RS-422.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the electrical cable comprises a twisted pair of wires created in a three-dimensional (3D) fashion.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the electrical harness is grown so as to wrap around at least one curved surface associated with the structure.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one parameter comprises at least one of:

a mechanical dimension, weight, center-of-gravity, and an electrical interface.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the electrical harness comprises a connector configured to couple the electrical cable and the component.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the electrical cable comprises a plurality of dielectric layers overlaid on top of a plurality of layers of leads.

9. A method comprising:

establishing connecting pins for an electrical cable by sintering;

creating wiring in the cable by using ink printing to connect the pins, wherein at least a portion of the wiring is configured to convey data;

creating shielding atop the wiring using ink printing; and

creating a mechanical protection and interface for the cable using three-dimensional (3D) printing.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the cable is configured to support a conveyance of data.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the cable is configured to support the conveyance of data in accordance with at least one of the following:

USB, Ethernet, Firewire, HDMI, Coax, RS-232, RS-485, and RS-422.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the cable comprises a twisted pair of wires created in a three-dimensional (3D) fashion.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

growing the cable so that the cable is configured to wrap around at least one curved surface associated with a structure.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

manufacturing the cable to accommodate at least one variation in a parameter associated with a specific instance of a component; and

coupling the cable to the component.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

coupling the cable to a connector using pins printed on the cable.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the cable comprises a plurality of dielectric layers overlaid on top of a plurality of layers of printed silver leads, and wherein at least a first portion of leads included in a first of the layers of leads is one-hundred eighty degrees out of phase with respect to a second portion of leads included in a second of the layers of leads.

17. An electrical cable comprising:

connecting pins established by ether sintering;

wiring connecting the pins established by ink printing, wherein at least a portion of the wiring is configured to convey data;

shielding atop the wiring established by ink printing; and

mechanical protection for the wiring established by three-dimensional (3D) printing.

18. The electrical cable of claim 17, wherein the electrical cable is grown directly on top of a product structure.

19. The electrical cable of claim 17, wherein the wiring is configured to support the conveyance of data in accordance with at least one of the following:

USB, Ethernet, Firewire, HDMI, Coax, RS-232, RS-485, and RS-422.

20. The electrical cable of claim 17, wherein the electrical cable comprises a twisted pair of wires created in a three-dimensional (3D) fashion.