Flexible and lightweight seat-to-seat cabin cable system and method of manufacturing same

• US 7,692,099 B2
• Filed: 09/19/2006
• Issued: 04/06/2010
• 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 C
• Primary Examiner(s): Mayo, III; William H
• Application Number:
  US11/533,292
• Publication Number:
  US 20070074891A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,295 Days
• Field of Search: 174/110.R, 174/113.R, 174/120.R, 174/120.C, 174/36, 174/120.AR, 174/120.SR
• US Class Current: 174/113.00R
• 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 cable system includes one or more bundles of conductive wire having multiple thin strands of flexible wire cable 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 light-weight, flexible power and data cable for the interior of a commercial aircraft comprising:

one or more bundles of conductive wire comprising multiple thin strands of flexible wire cable;

each of the strands of the conductive wires being individually coated with an insulation layer to maximize flexibility and minimize weight;

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, so as to provide a tight bend radii for facilitated installation in tight spaces.

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. A method for manufacturing a light-weight, flexible power and data cable for the interior of a commercial aircraft comprising:

forming individual wire strands from flexible wire cable;

coating said individual wire strands with insulating material to maximize flexibility and minimize weight;

forming multiple wire strands into wire of desired sizes;

extruding very thin insulating material over bundles of wire strands;

twisting 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 a nylon braiding material so as to provide a tight bend radii for facilitated installation in tight spaces.

15. The method of claim 14 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.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein said jacketing layer comprises Teflon.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein said insulating material comprises Teflon.

18. The method of claim 14 wherein said cables comprise a power cable.

19. The method of claim 14 wherein said cable comprises a power and data harness cable.