Multiple-conductor flat cable

• US 9,340,049 B2
• Filed: 03/12/2014
• Issued: 05/17/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Hayashi, Ryuichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Chau N
• Assistant Examiner(s): VARGHESE, ROSHN K
• Application Number:
  US14/207,379
• Publication Number:
  US 20140262429A1
• Time in Patent Office: 797 Days
• Field of Search: 174/117.F, 174/117.FF
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 19/005 Cable or belt constructions for driving print, type or paper-carriages, e.g. attachment, tensioning means
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 29/393 Devices for controlling or analysing the entire machine ; Controlling or analysing mechanical parameters involving printing of test patterns

Abstract

A multiple-conductor flat cable includes: an analog cable portion formed such that ground signal lines and analog signal lines are alternately arranged side by side across a signal transmission direction and each adjacent pair of the ground signal lines and the analog signal lines are joined while being electrically insulated from each other; and a digital cable portion joined with the analog cable portion while being placed adjacent to the digital cable portion and formed such that digital signal lines are arranged side by side across the signal transmission direction and each adjacent pair of the digital signal lines are joined while being electrically insulated from each other.

Claims

1. A multiple-conductor flat cable comprising:

an analog cable portion formed such that ground signal lines and analog signal lines are alternately arranged side by side across a signal transmission direction and each adjacent pair of the ground signal lines and the analog signal lines are joined while being electrically insulated from each other; and

a digital cable portion joined with the analog cable portion while being placed adjacent to the digital cable portion and formed such that digital signal lines are arranged side by side across the signal transmission direction and each adjacent pair of the digital signal lines are joined while being electrically insulated from each other, wherein

the digital cable portion is placed inside the analog cable portion, and the analog cable portion surrounds the digital cable portion from every direction or almost every direction.

2. The multiple-conductor flat cable according to claim 1, wherein the multiple-conductor flat cable is formed such that the analog cable portion is rolled up so as to wrap the digital cable portion that is rolled up in a direction across the signal transmission direction.

3. The multiple-conductor flat cable according to claim 2, wherein

the multiple-conductor flat cable includes a plurality of multiple-conductor flat cable pieces, each of which is formed such that the analog cable portion is rolled up so as to wrap the digital cable portion that is rolled up in the direction across the signal transmission direction, with the digital cable portion placed inside, and

the plurality of multiple-conductor flat cable pieces are adjacent to each other.

4. The multiple-conductor flat cable according to claim 1, wherein the multiple-conductor flat cable is formed such that the digital cable portion is folded in a direction across the signal transmission direction and the analog cable portion is folded in a direction across the signal transmission direction so as to cover the digital cable portion that is folded in the direction across the signal transmission direction.

5. The multiple-conductor flat cable according to claim 4, wherein

the multiple-conductor flat cable includes a plurality of multiple-conductor flat cable pieces, each of which is formed such that the analog cable portion is folded in the direction across the signal transmission direction so as to cover the digital cable portion that is folded in the direction across the signal transmission direction, with the digital cable portion placed inside, and

the plurality of multiple-conductor flat cable pieces are adjacent to each other.

6. The multiple-conductor flat cable according to claim 1, wherein

the ground signal lines and the analog signal lines of the analog cable portion are physically separated from one another near a connector, and

the digital signal lines of the digital cable portion are physically separated from one another near the connector.