Electrical wire and method of fabricating the electrical wire

• US 7,217,884 B2
• Filed: 05/19/2006
• Issued: 05/15/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Southwire Company
• Original Assignee: Southwire Company
• Inventors: Sexton, Robert J., Martin, Fred Lane, Garris, Charles Alexander III
• Primary Examiner(s): Mayo, III; William H.
• Application Number:
  US11/437,992
• Publication Number:
  US 20060207779A1
• Time in Patent Office: 361 Days
• Field of Search: 174/36, 174/110.R, 174/113.R, 174/117.F, 174/117.FF, 174/32
• US Class Current: 174/36
• CPC Class Codes: H01B 7/0216 Two layers
• CPC Class Codes: H01B 9/006 Constructional features relating to the conductors
• CPC Class Codes: H01B 9/04 Concentric cables

Abstract

An electrical wire includes at least one electrifiable conductor, and first and second return conductors which are respectively formed on opposing sides of the at least one electrifiable conductor, such that the at least one electrifiable conductor is at least substantially entrapped by said first and second return conductors.

Claims

1. An electrical wire comprising:

at least one electrifiable conductor for delivering electrical power;

first and second insulating layers formed on opposing sides of said at least one electrifiable conductor;

first and second return conductors formed on said first and second insulating layers, respectively, such that said at least one electrifiable conductor is at least substantially entrapped by said first and second return conductors;

third and fourth insulating layers formed on said first and second return conductors, respectively;

first and second grounding conductors formed on said third and fourth insulating layers, respectively; and

fifth and sixth insulating layers formed on said first and second grounding conductors, respectively;

wherein said at least one electrifiable conductor comprises a thickness which is in a range from approximately 0.0004 inches to approximately 0.020 inches.

2. The electrical wire according to claim 1, wherein said first and second return conductors are treated by at least one of a mechanical, chemical and thermal treatment to form a protective longitudinal edge of said electrical wire, said protective edge inhibiting a foreign object from penetrating said electrical wire and contacting said at least one electrifiable conductor without contacting one of said first and second return conductors.

3. The electrical wire according to claim 1, wherein an area between said first and second return conductors forms a hot zone, said at least one electrifiable conductor being disposed within said hot zone.

4. The electrical wire according to claim 3, wherein said at least one electrifiable conductor comprises a plurality of electrifiable conductors which are formed in said hot zone and comprise a plurality of horizontal segments across a width of said wire and a plurality of vertical segments across a thickness of said wire.

5. The electrical wire according to claim 4, wherein at least one segment in said plurality of horizontal segments of said electrifiable conductors is used to transmit a communication signal, and

wherein at least one segment in said plurality of horizontal segments of said electrifiable conductors is used to supply one of AC and DC electrical power.

6. The electrical wire according to claim 5, wherein said communication signal comprises one of a voice communication signal and a data communication signal.

7. The electrical wire according to claim 1, wherein a capacitance formed between said at least one electrifiable conductor and said first and second return conductors is given as C=1.5*W*L*ε

/d, where W is the width of the return and electrifiable conductors, L is the length of the return and electrifiable conductors, ε

is the dielectric constant for the first and second insulating layers, and d is the distance between each of the return and electrifiable conductors.

8. The electrical wire according to claim 1, further comprising:

an adhesive for bonding adjacent insulation layers and conductors in said electrical wire.

9. The electrical wire according to claim 1, wherein an object penetrating an outer surface of said electrical wire contacts one of said first and second grounding conductors and one of said first and second return conductors, before contacting said at least one electrifiable conductor.

10. The electrical wire according to claim 1, wherein said first and second grounding conductors inhibit power transmission signals and load-generated electrical noise from being emitted from said electrical wire.

11. The electrical wire according to claim 1, wherein said first and second return conductors and said first and second grounding conductors comprise a rate of heat dissipation which is greater than a rate of heat dissipation for an round conductor, for a given cross-sectional area.

12. The electrical wire according to claim 1, wherein said electrical wire comprises one of alternating current (AC) electrical wire and direct current (DC) electrical wire for supplying an electrical current having potential of greater than 0V.

13. The electrical wire according to claim 1, wherein said electrical wire comprises surface-mountable electrical wire.

14. The electrical wire according to claim 1, wherein said first and second return conductors each have a thickness T_G, and said first and second grounding conductors each have a thickness T_N, and said at least one electrifiable conductor has a thickness T_H, such that a ratio of thicknesses R=(T_G+T_N)/T_H is at least 1.00.

15. The electrical wire according to claim 1, wherein said at least one electrifiable conductor, said first and second return conductors, and said first and second grounding conductors comprise substantially flat conductive layers having a stacked arrangement.

16. The electrical wire according to claim 1, wherein a distance between said at least one electrifiable conductor and each of said first and second return conductors is no greater than approximately 0.030 inches.

17. The electrical wire according to claim 1, wherein a total thickness of the electrical wire is no more than approximately 0.050 inches.

18. The electrical wire according to claim 1, wherein said electrical wire comprises AC electrical wire for delivering AC electrical power.

19. The electrical wire according to claim 1, wherein said electrical wire comprises one of 120V AC electrical wire and 240V AC electrical wire.

20. The electrical wire according to claim 1, wherein said at least one electrifiable conductor comprises a cross-sectional area which is substantially equal to a cross-sectional area of at least one of said first and second return conductors.

21. The electrical wire according to claim 1, wherein said electrical wire is a flexible wire.

22. An electrical wire comprising:

at least one electrifiable conductor for delivering electrical power;

first and second insulating layers formed on opposing sides of said at least one electrifiable conductor;

first and second return conductors formed on said first and second insulating layers, respectively, such that said at least one electrifiable conductor is at least substantially entrapped by said first and second return conductors;

third and fourth insulating layers formed on said first and second return conductors, respectively;

first and second grounding conductors formed on said third and fourth insulating layers, respectively; and

fifth and sixth insulating layers formed on said first and second grounding conductors, respectively;

wherein the electrical wire is a flexible wire.

23. The electrical wire according to claim 22, wherein the width of said at least one electrifiable conductor is substantially the same as the width of said first and second return conductors.

24. The electrical wire according to claim 22, wherein said first and second return conductors are treated by at least one of a mechanical, chemical and thermal treatment to form a protective longitudinal edge of said electrical wire, said protective edge inhibiting a foreign object from penetrating said electrical wire and contacting said at least one electrifiable conductor without contacting one of said first and second return conductors.

25. The electrical wire according to claim 22, wherein an area between said first and second return conductors forms a hot zone, said at least one electrifiable conductor being disposed within said hot zone.

26. The electrical wire according to claim 25, wherein at least one segment in said plurality of horizontal segments of said electrifiable conductors is used to transmit a communication signal, and

wherein at least one segment in said plurality of horizontal segments of said electrifiable conductors is used to supply one of AC and DC electrical power.

27. The electrical wire according to claim 24, wherein said at least one electrifiable conductor comprises a plurality of electrifiable conductors which are formed in said hot zone and comprise a plurality of horizontal segments across a width of said wire and a plurality of vertical segments across a thickness of said wire.

28. The electrical wire according to claim 27, wherein said communication signal comprises one of a voice communication signal and a data communication signal.

29. The electrical wire according to claim 22, wherein a capacitance formed between said at least one electrifiable conductor and said first and second return conductors is given as C=1.5*W*L*ε

/d, where W is the width of the return and electrifiable conductors, L is the length of the return and electrifiable conductors, ε

is the dielectric constant for the first and second insulating layers, and d is the distance between each of the return and electrifiable conductors.

30. The electrical wire according to claim 22, further comprising:

an adhesive for bonding adjacent insulation layers and conductors in said electrical wire.

31. The electrical wire according to claim 22, wherein an object penetrating an outer surface of said electrical wire contacts one of said first and second grounding conductors and one of said first and second return conductors, before contacting said at least one electrifiable conductor.

32. The electrical wire according to claim 22, wherein said first and second grounding conductors inhibit power transmission signals and load-generated electrical noise from being emitted from said electrical wire.

33. The electrical wire according to claim 22, wherein said first and second return conductors and said first and second grounding conductors comprise a rate of heat dissipation which is greater than a rate of heat dissipation for an round conductor, for a given cross-sectional area.

34. The electrical wire according to claim 22, wherein said electrical wire comprises one of alternating current (AC) electrical wire and direct current (DC) electrical wire for supplying an electrical current having potential of greater than 0V.

35. The electrical wire according to claim 22, wherein said electrical wire comprises surface-mountable electrical wire.

36. The electrical wire according to claim 22, wherein said first and second return conductors each have a thickness T_G, and said first and second grounding conductors each have a thickness T_N, and said at least one electrifiable conductor has a thickness T_H, such that a ratio of thicknesses R=(T_G+T_N)/T_H is at least 1.00.

37. The electrical wire according to claim 22, wherein said at least one electrifiable conductor, said first and second return conductors, and said first and second grounding conductors comprise substantially flat conductive layers having a stacked arrangement.

38. The electrical wire according to claim 22, wherein a distance between said at least one electrifiable conductor and each of said first and second return conductors is no greater than approximately 0.030 inches.

39. The electrical wire according to claim 22, wherein a total thickness of the electrical wire is no more than approximately 0.050 inches.

40. The electrical wire according to claim 22, wherein said electrical wire comprises AC electrical wire for delivering AC electrical power.

41. The electrical wire according to claim 22, wherein said electrical wire comprises one of 120V AC electrical wire and 240V AC electrical wire.

42. The electrical wire according to claim 22, wherein said at least one electrifiable conductor comprises a cross-sectional area which is substantially equal to a cross-sectional area of at least one of said first and second return conductors.

43. The electrical wire according to claim 22, wherein said at least one electrifiable conductor comprises a thickness which is in a range from approximately 0.0004 inches to approximately 0.020 inches.

44. An electrical wire comprising:

at least one electrifiable conductor for delivering electrical power;

first and second insulating layers formed on opposing sides of said at least one electrifiable conductor;

first and second return conductors formed on said first and second insulating layers, respectively, such that said at least one electrifiable conductor is at least substantially entrapped by said first and second return conductors;

third and fourth insulating layers formed on said first and second return conductors, respectively;

first and second grounding conductors formed on said third and fourth insulating layers, respectively; and

fifth and sixth insulating layers formed on said first and second grounding conductors, respectively;

wherein said electrical wire comprises one of 120V AC electrical wire and 240V AC electrical wire.

45. The electrical wire according to claim 44, wherein the width of said at least one electrifiable conductor is substantially the same as the width of said first and second return conductors.

46. The electrical wire according to claim 44, wherein said first and second return conductors are treated by at least one of a mechanical, chemical and thermal treatment to form a protective longitudinal edge of said electrical wire, said protective edge inhibiting a foreign object from penetrating said electrical wire and contacting said at least one electrifiable conductor without contacting one of said first and second return conductors.

47. The electrical wire according to claim 44, wherein an area between said first and second return conductors forms a hot zone, said at least one electrifiable conductor being disposed within said hot zone.

48. The electrical wire according to claim 47, wherein said at least one electrifiable conductor comprises a plurality of electrifiable conductors which are formed in said hot zone and comprise a plurality of horizontal segments across a width of said wire and a plurality of vertical segments across a thickness of said wire.

49. The electrical wire according to claim 48, wherein at least one segment in said plurality of horizontal segments of said electrifiable conductors is used to transmit a communication signal, and

wherein at least one segment in said plurality of horizontal segments of said electrifiable conductors is used to supply one of AC and DC electrical power.

50. The electrical wire according to claim 49, wherein said communication signal comprises one of a voice communication signal and a data communication signal.

51. The electrical wire according to claim 44, wherein a capacitance formed between said at least one electrifiable conductor and said first and second return conductors is given as C=1 .5*W*L*c/d, where W is the width of the return and electrifiable conductors, L is the length of the return and electrifiable conductors, c is the dielectric constant for the first and second insulating layers, and d is the distance between each of the return and electrifiable conductors.

52. The electrical wire according to claim 44, further comprising:

an adhesive for bonding adjacent insulation layers and conductors in said electrical wire.

53. The electrical wire according to claim 44, wherein an object penetrating an outer surface of said electrical wire contacts one of said first and second grounding conductors and one of said first and second return conductors, before contacting said at least one electrifiable conductor.

54. The electrical wire according to claim 44, wherein said first and second grounding conductors inhibit power transmission signals and load-generated electrical noise from being emitted from said electrical wire.

55. The electrical wire according to claim 44, wherein said first and second return conductors and said first and second grounding conductors comprise a rate of heat dissipation which is greater than a rate of heat dissipation for an round conductor, for a given cross-sectional area.

56. The electrical wire according to claim 44, wherein said electrical wire comprises surface-mountable electrical wire.

57. The electrical wire according to claim 44, wherein said first and second return conductors each have a thickness T_G, and said first and second grounding conductors each have a thickness T_N, and said at least one electrifiable conductor has a thickness T_H, such that a ratio of thicknesses R=(T_G+T_N)/T_H is at least 1.00.

58. The electrical wire according to claim 44, wherein said at least one electrifiable conductor, said first and second return conductors, and said first and second grounding conductors comprise substantially flat conductive layers having a stacked arrangement.

59. The electrical wire according to claim 44, wherein a distance between said at least one electrifiable conductor and each of said first and second return conductors is no greater than approximately 0.030 inches.

60. The electrical wire according to claim 44, wherein a total thickness of the electrical wire is no more than approximately 0.050 inches.

61. The electrical wire according to claim 44, wherein said at least one electrifiable conductor comprises a cross-sectional area which is substantially equal to a cross-sectional area of at least one of said first and second return conductors.

62. The electrical wire according to claim 44, wherein said at least one electrifiable conductor comprises a thickness which is in a range from approximately 0.0004 inches to approximately 0.020 inches.

63. The electrical wire according to claim 44, wherein the electrical wire is a flexible wire.