Electrical conductor coils and methods of making same

• US 6,449,834 B1
• Filed: 03/26/1998
• Issued: 09/17/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: General Science Technology Corporation
• Original Assignee: Scilogy Corporation
• Inventors: Avellanet, Francisco, Bales, Thomas O. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Young, Lee
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chang, Rick Kiltae
• Application Number:
  US09/048,775
• Time in Patent Office: 1,636 Days
• Field of Search: 298/28, 298/68, 298/72, 298/25, 297/45, 298/19, 296/05, 228/257, 228/173.5
• US Class Current: 29/825
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/09075 having a core without a coil possibly combined with a sheath
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/09191 made of twisted wires
• CPC Class Codes: B21C 37/045 Manufacture of wire or bars with particular section or properties
• CPC Class Codes: D07B 2201/2019 pressed to shape
• CPC Class Codes: D07B 5/007 comprising postformed and thereby radially plastically deformed elements
• CPC Class Codes: D07B 7/027 Postforming of ropes or strands
• CPC Class Codes: H01B 13/0292 After-treatment
• CPC Class Codes: H01B 5/10 stranded around a space, insulating material, or dissimilar conducting material
• CPC Class Codes: H01B 7/0009 Details relating to the conductive cores
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49117 Conductor or circuit manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49123 Co-axial cable
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49194 Assembling elongated conductors, e.g., splicing, etc.
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/532 Conductor

Abstract

Methods of making electrical conductors by twisting a plurality of strands to form a bundle, winding the bundle to form a coil, fusing some of the strands together, optionally drawing the bundle prior to winding and fusing utilising materials and coatings disclosed.

Claims

1. A method of making an electrical conductor, comprising the steps of:

twisting a plurality of strands to form a bundle;

drawing the bundle through a die or swaging the bundle to form a conductive cable having a substantially circular cross section;

then winding the cable to form a coil; and

then

fusing at least some of the strands in the coil to each other with a conductive material.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

said plurality of strands includes at least three strands; and

each of the strands is fused to at least two other strands.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

said step of fusing includes coating at least some of the strands with a meltable material and heating the coil.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

said step of fusing includes coating at least some of the strands with a eutectic alloy and heating the coil.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

said step of fusing includes choosing at least some of said strands to be made of materials which make a eutectic mixture when heated.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

covering the bundle with insulating material before winding.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

said plurality of strands includes a center strand and a plurality of outer strands around said center strand, and said fusing comprises fusing each outer strand to at least said center strand and at least one other outer strand.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

said plurality of strands includes a plurality of outer strands without a center strand.