Forming electrical cables

• US 7,670,639 B2
• Filed: 11/22/2005
• Issued: 03/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Velcro IP Holdings LLC
• Original Assignee: Velcro Industries BV (Chartwell Industries Ltd)
• Inventors: Labrecque, Michel, Demain, John, Gallant, Christopher M., Clarner, Mark A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Talbot; Brian K
• Application Number:
  US11/286,532
• Publication Number:
  US 20060078732A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,561 Days
• Field of Search: 427/117, 264/145, 264/272.14, 264/279.1
• US Class Current: 427/117
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2043/465 having one or more cavities, e.g. for forming distinct products
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 43/222 characterised by the shape of the surface
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 43/28 incorporating preformed parts or layers, e.g. compression moulding around inserts or for coating articles
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/729 Hook and loop-type fasteners
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/0207 Wire harnesses
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/0215 Protecting, fastening and routing means therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H01B 7/08 Flat or ribbon cables
• CPC Class Codes: H01B 7/40 with arrangements for facilitating mounting or securing
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0393 Flexible materials H05K1/038 takes precedence; specific organic compositions are classified in H05K1/0313 and subgroups
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/09118 Moulded substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/209 Auto-mechanical connection between a component and a PCB or between two PCBs
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2203/0113 Female die used for patterning or transferring, e.g. temporary substrate having recessed pattern
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2203/0143 Using a roller; Specific shape thereof; Providing locally adhesive portions thereon
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2203/1545 Continuous processing, i.e. involving rolls moving a band-like or solid carrier along a continuous production path
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/0014 Shaping of the substrate, e.g. by moulding
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/0058 Laminating printed circuit boards onto other substrates, e.g. metallic substrates H05K1/0281 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/202 using self-supporting metal foil pattern
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/326 the printed circuit having integral resilient or deformable parts, e.g. tabs or parts of flexible circuits H05K3/365 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/365 by abutting, i.e. without alloying process
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2933 Coated or with bond, impregnation or core

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.

Claims

1. A method of continuously forming an electrical cable, the method comprising:

extruding thermoplastic resin about spaced-apart electrical conductors to form a base having longitudinally continuous rails extending from the base, the rails having fastener-shaped profiles, the extruded resin forming an electrical insulation about the conductors;

cutting the rails at intervals to form each rail into separate rail portions, while leaving the electrical conductors longitudinally continuous; and

then

stretching the base longitudinally to create space between the separate portions of each rail.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising stretching the electrical conductors.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising feeding the electrical conductors through a guide plate with individual guide sleeves.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising forcing molten thermoplastic resin into a die which comprises the guide plate.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the electrical conductors are wires.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the electrical conductors are woven conductors.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising attaching loop material to the base on a side opposite the rails.