Round/flat woven multi-conductor cable

• US 4,229,615 A
• Filed: 07/13/1978
• Issued: 10/21/1980
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/1978
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Barclaysamerican/Business Credit Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Southern Weaving Company (Engineered Textile Group, Inc.)
• Inventors: Orr, Lawrence W. Jr., Ross, Edgar A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kucia, Richard R.
• Application Number:
  US05/924,366
• Time in Patent Office: 831 Days
• Field of Search: 174/72 A, 174/117 M, 174/116, 174/117 F, 174/117 R
• US Class Current: 174/117.00M
• CPC Class Codes: H01B 7/083 Parallel wires, incorporated in a fabric
• CPC Class Codes: H01B 7/182 comprising synthetic filaments

Abstract

A woven electrical multi-conductor cable is disclosed having alternating longitudinal sections having generally flat and round configurations wherein the flat section affords binding of the conductors in fixed locations for convenient termination and uni-directional routing and wherein conductors are harnessed in the round section in random order for gimbal flexibility affording omni-directional routing of the cable in the round section.

Claims

1. A woven electrically conductive cable comprising:

a plurality of elongated conductors arranged longitudinally extending in said cable;

a continuous fill strand woven about said conductors;

a plurality of warp strands interwoven with said fill strand;

a first longitudinal section of said cable including said warp strands interwoven with said fill strands forming a cover loosely and randomly harnessing said conductors affording a high degree of flexibility for omni-directional routing of said cable in said first section; and

a second longitudinal section of said cable being continuously woven from said first section and having a generally flat configuration with said fill strand woven across the top and bottom thereof in alternating runs including at least a portion of said warp strands of said first section interwoven as warp binders between top and bottom runs of said fill strand and between conductors fixing the location of said conductors and binding said second section in said flat configuration and affording unidirectional flexibility.

2. The structure of claim 1 wherein said portion of said warp strands interwoven as warp binders in said second section includes all of said plurality of said warp strands in said first section.

3. A woven electrically condutive cable comprising:

a plurality of elongated conductors arranged longitudinally extending in said cable;

a continuous fill strand woven about said conductors;

a plurality of warp strands interwoven with said fill strand and said conductors;

a first longitudinal section of said cable including said warp strands interwoven with said fill strand forming a substantially solid outer cover loosely and randomly harnessing said conductors disposed in a random arrangement affording a high degree of omnidirectional flexibility for routing of said cable;

a second longitudinal section of said cable wherein said conductors are disposed in a generally side-by-side arrangement;

said second section being continuously woven from said first section and having a generally flat configuration with said fill strand passing across the top and bottom thereof in alternating picks being interwoven with a number of said warp strands which form said cover of said first section;

said number of said warp strands and said fill strand forming a substantially solid outer cover surrounding said conductors in said second section; and

a remainder of said warp strands which form said first section cover being woven between said top and bottom picks of said fill strand and between adjacent conductors in said second section binding and fixing the location of said conductors therein.

4. A woven electrically conductive cable comprising:

a plurality of elongated conductors arranged in a longitudinally extending manner;

a continuous fill strand woven about said conductors;

a first section of said cable having a generally tubular configuration wherein said fill strand is woven around said conductors maintaining said conductors bound in a generally loose configuration relative to one another and randomly located affording gambal flexing of said cable in said first section for omni-directional routing of said cable;

a second section of said cable being continuously woven from said first section and having a generally flat configuration wherein said fill strand is interwoven with said cnductors binding said conductors in a generally side-by-side configuration, said conductors having an essentially fixed location in said first section, said first section having mainly uni-directional flexibility; and

said cable having alternating first and second sections and terminating in one or the other for making desired terminal connections.