Automated assembly sensor cable
First Claim
1. An automated assembly sensor cable having a flat elongated body and a registration feature generally traversing the length of the body so as to identify the relative locations of conductors within the body for ease of automated attachment of connectors and circuit assemblies to lengths of the sensor cable, the automated assembly sensor cable comprising:
- an elongate body having a flat surface;
a conductor set of linearly arranged insulated wires, the conductor set comprising at least a pair of emitter wires and a pair of detector wires;
a conductive inner jacket directly surrounding each emitter wire of the pair of emitter wires and each detector wire of the pair of detector wires, and containing an embedded conductive drain line; and
an outer jacket generally surrounding the inner jacket.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An automated assembly sensor cable has a generally wide and flat elongated body and a registration feature generally traversing the length of the body so as to identify the relative locations of conductors within the body. This cable configuration facilitates the automated attachment of the cable to an optical sensor circuit and corresponding connector. In various embodiments, the automated assembly sensor cable has a conductor set of insulated wires, a conductive inner jacket generally surrounding the conductor set, an outer jacket generally surrounding the inner jacket and a registration feature disposed along the surface of the outer jacket and a conductive drain line is embedded within the inner jacket. A strength member may be embedded within the inner jacket.
929 Citations
20 Claims
-
1. An automated assembly sensor cable having a flat elongated body and a registration feature generally traversing the length of the body so as to identify the relative locations of conductors within the body for ease of automated attachment of connectors and circuit assemblies to lengths of the sensor cable, the automated assembly sensor cable comprising:
-
an elongate body having a flat surface; a conductor set of linearly arranged insulated wires, the conductor set comprising at least a pair of emitter wires and a pair of detector wires; a conductive inner jacket directly surrounding each emitter wire of the pair of emitter wires and each detector wire of the pair of detector wires, and containing an embedded conductive drain line; and an outer jacket generally surrounding the inner jacket. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
-
-
10. A sensor cable automated assembly method comprising:
-
providing a generally wide and flat elongated cable having a plurality of linearly-aligned, regularly-spaced insulated conductors, the plurality of linearly-aligned regularly-spaced insulated conductors comprising at least a detector pair of insulated conductors and an emitter pair of insulated conductors, and wherein the the insulated conductors of detector pair and insulated conductors of the emitter pair are directly surrounded at least by a conductive inner jacket containing an embedded conductive drain line, and wherein the inner jacket is surrounded by an outer jacket; cutting the cable to a length compatible with an optical sensor circuit; preparing at least one end of the cable so as to expose ends of the conductors; detecting a registration feature on the cable, the registration feature uniquely identifying a single side of an outer jacket in order to aid in identifying cable orientation, the registration feature disposed along the length of the cable relative to the location of at least a particular one of the conductors within the cable; positioning the exposed conductors relative to a plurality of contacts of the optical sensor circuit according to the registration feature; and attaching the conductors to the contacts so as to provide electrical communications between the conductors and a plurality of optical components mounted on the optical sensor circuit. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
-
-
16. An automated assembly sensor cable comprising:
-
a generally wide and flat elongated body; a conductor set means disposed within the body for transmitting drive currents to sensor LEDs and for receiving currents from sensor photodiodes, the conductor set means comprising at least a plurality of insulated emitter conductors and a plurality of insulated detector conductors, the plurality of emitter conductors and plurality of detector conductors being linearly arranged; an inner jacket means containing an embedded conductive drain line, for mechanically surrounding and electrically shielding the conductor set means, such that the plurality of insulated emitter conductors and the plurality of insulated detector conductors are directly surrounded by the inner jacket means; and the outer jacket means for enclosing and protecting the body generally surrounding the inner jacket means. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
-
Specification