JP2006351322A - Cable - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a cable having a high tensile strength, excellent environment resistance, bending resistance, and electromagnetic wave shielding performance. <P>SOLUTION: The cable 10 is provided with an alternately woven braided layer 13 in which a plurality of metal wire rods 17 and fiber materials 18 are alternately woven and braided on the outer circumference of a conductor core 11 having insulating layers 23, 29, and a sheath layer 15 constituted of a rubber material is provided on the outer circumference of the alternately woven braided layer 13. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a cable that is used in an automobile or the like and requires good tensile properties.

  Various cables are used in automobiles. In recent automobiles, electrification is progressing, and various types of inverters and many electronic information devices are mounted. Therefore, there are various noise sources (devices) inside the automobile. Electromagnetic noise generated from these noise sources is radiated (radiated) through the cable, which may adversely affect various electronic information devices or control devices. Conversely, electromagnetic noise may enter various electronic information devices or control devices via cables, causing malfunction of these devices.

  Therefore, a shield layer is provided on the cable as a countermeasure against electromagnetic wave noise of the cable. As shown in FIG. 3, for example, a cable 30 having a shield layer includes a covering layer (around a conductor core in which an insulating layer 32 is provided on the outer periphery of an inner conductor 31 made of a plurality of metal wires (core wires). It has a shield layer 33 and a sheath layer 35). The insulating layer 32 and the sheath layer 35 are each made of a material having excellent insulation properties such as a synthetic resin, and the shield layer 33 is made of a braid of metal strands. In addition, various types of shielded cables have been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

  By using the shielded cable 30 having such a structure and connecting the shield layer 33 to the ground potential, mixing of electromagnetic noise from the outside into the internal conductor 31 is suppressed and prevented, and via the shielded cable 30. Emission of electromagnetic noise is suppressed and prevented.

JP 2002-313144 A

  By the way, the cable used in the unsprung part of the automobile (hereinafter referred to as the unsprung cable) has severe usage conditions, so the sheath layer has heat resistance, trauma resistance, water resistance, oil resistance, In addition, various environmental resistances such as ozone resistance are required. Further, since the unsprung cable is subjected to swinging as the suspension is driven, high reliability is required for bending resistance and the like. Conventionally, a rubber material having good mechanical properties has been used as a sheath material that meets these requirements.

  However, when an unexpected excessive tensile load is applied to a cable using a rubber material as a sheath material, the rubber material has a low elastic modulus, and thus the rubber sheath is greatly stretched. As a result, for example, the position of the metal fitting for fixing the cable may be shifted, and the cable arrangement may be shifted. As a result, the cable and the devices (hereinafter referred to as peripheral devices) arranged around the cable come into contact with each other and the sheath is damaged, or an unexpected excessive stress is applied to the core wire (insulated conductor) inside the cable. There is a risk of disconnection.

  Therefore, there is a demand for a cable that has good environmental resistance, flex resistance, and tensile properties, and that has good electromagnetic shielding properties.

  An object of the present invention, which was created in view of the above circumstances, is to provide a cable having high tensile strength, excellent environmental resistance, flex resistance, and electromagnetic wave shielding.

  In order to achieve the above object, a cable according to the present invention is provided with an unwoven braided layer formed by alternately weaving and braiding a plurality of metal wires and fiber materials on the outer periphery of a conductor core having an insulating layer. A sheath layer made of a rubber material is provided on the outer periphery. Further, the cable according to the present invention is provided with an unwoven braid layer formed by alternately weaving a plurality of metal wires and fiber materials on the outer periphery of a conductor core formed by twisting a plurality of insulated conductors. A sheath layer made of a rubber material is provided on the outer periphery of the layer.

  Here, it is preferable that the inner peripheral surface layer portion of the sheath layer bites into the surface mesh portion of the union braid layer, and the union braid layer and the sheath layer are integrally provided.

  The fiber material constituting the union braided layer is a natural fiber material or an artificial fiber material. The artificial fiber material is preferably a polyvinyl alcohol fiber material, a polyethylene terephthalate fiber material, or a polyethylene-2,6-naphthalate fiber material.

  The rubber material constituting the sheath layer is preferably ethylene propylene diene rubber, styrene butadiene rubber, butyl rubber, nitrile rubber, or chloroprene rubber.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to obtain an excellent effect that a cable having a coating layer thickness equivalent to that of a conventional shielded cable, high tensile strength, and excellent environmental resistance, bending resistance, and electromagnetic wave shielding properties can be obtained. Demonstrate.

  DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of the invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  The present applicants previously filed a patent application for the cable 40 having the structure shown in FIG. 4 (Japanese Patent Application No. 2005-97473). This cable 40 has a coating layer on the outer periphery of a stranded wire core 41 formed by twisting a plurality of wire cores, and the coating layer is formed by weaving a shield layer 43 provided in order from the inner layer side and a plurality of fiber materials. The reinforcing braid layer 44 and the sheath layer 45 are configured by the braid.

  The cable 40 has a high tensile strength secured by the reinforcing braid layer 44. Moreover, since this cable 40 is made of a rubber material for a brake hose whose sheath layer 45 has been used for many years, it has environmental resistance such as heat resistance, cold resistance, ozone resistance, and oil resistance. It is good and has excellent bending resistance. Furthermore, when the sheath layer 45 is covered, a rubber material is digged into the surface mesh portion of the reinforcing braid layer 44, and the reinforcing braid layer 44 and the sheath layer 45 are integrated, thereby ensuring a higher tensile strength. That is, the cable 40 has high reliability in environmental resistance, bending resistance, tensile characteristics, and electromagnetic wave shielding properties.

  However, since this cable 40 has a three-layer coating layer, the thickness of the coating layer is inevitably increased, leading to an increase in the diameter of the cable. In the unsprung state of an automobile, in order to prevent interference between the cable and peripheral devices, a restriction is imposed on the cable arrangement space (arrangement space). For this reason, in the case of a large-diameter cable, there is a possibility that the cable cannot be arranged depending on the arrangement of peripheral devices. Therefore, there is a demand to make the outer diameter of the cable as small as possible.

  Therefore, as a result of intensive studies by the present inventors, the outer diameter of the cable is provided on the outer periphery of the conductor core so that the outer diameter of the cable is reduced and the same resistance as that of the cable 40 is achieved. It has been found that a cable having environmental properties, flex resistance, tensile properties, and electromagnetic shielding properties can be obtained.

  FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a cable according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the cable 10 according to the present embodiment has a two-layer coating layer provided on the outer periphery of a conductor core 11 having an insulating layer. This covering layer is composed of a union braided layer 13 formed by alternately weaving and knitting a plurality of metal wires and fiber materials, and a sheath layer 15 made of a rubber material provided on the outer periphery of the union braided layer 13. The inner peripheral surface layer portion 15a of the sheath layer 15 bites into the surface mesh portion 19 of the union braid layer 13, and the union braid layer 13 and the sheath layer 15 are provided integrally. An intervening M is provided in the gap between the conductor core 11 and the union braided layer 13.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the conductor core 11 is formed by twisting a plurality of power lines (power lines) 21 (two are shown in FIG. 2) and a plurality of signal lines 25 (two are shown in FIG. 2). Combined. Each power supply line 21 is formed by covering a conductor 22 with an insulating layer 23. Each signal line 25 is formed by twisting two strands 26 formed by covering a conductor 27 with an insulating layer 28 and covering a pair of twisted lines with a braided shield 29. As a constituent material of the conductors 22 and 27, for example, Sn-containing copper alloy (Cu-0.15-0.7 wt% Sn alloy), and as a constituent material of the insulating layers 23 and 28, for example, cross-linked polyethylene can be cited.

  The metal wire constituting the unwoven braided layer 13 is composed of a single wire of metal strands or a bundle of metal strands. As the metal strand, any wire conventionally used as a constituent material of the shield layer can be applied and is not particularly limited, but examples thereof include a Sn plated copper wire and an alloy copper wire. . The cross-sectional shape of the metal wire is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include a circular shape, an elliptical shape, and a rectangular shape.

The fiber material constituting the union braided layer 13 may be either a natural fiber material (for example, cotton yarn, silk thread, etc.) or an artificial fiber material, but an artificial fiber material with less material variation than the natural fiber material. Is preferred. As an artificial fiber material, considering the tensile strength, flex resistance, environment resistance, etc. of the cable 10, a material having a proven record as a material for a brake hose, for example,
Polyvinyl alcohol,
polyethylene terephthalate,
Or polyethylene-2,6-naphthalate,
And particularly preferably polyvinyl alcohol. The cross-sectional shape of the fiber material is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include a circular shape, an elliptical shape, and a rectangular shape. The cross-sectional shapes and sizes of the metal wire and the fiber material are preferably the same when considering the workability of weaving and weaving.

The constituent material of the sheath layer 15 is preferably a material having good heat resistance, weather resistance, and oil resistance. For example, a material conventionally used as a rubber material for a brake hose can be used. As a rubber material for brake hose, for example,
Ethylene propylene diene rubber,
Styrene butadiene rubber,
Butyl rubber,
Nitrile rubber,
Or chloroprene rubber,
And ethylene propylene diene rubber is preferable.

  The rubber material is a reinforcing agent, a filler, a plasticizer, a softening agent, a processing aid, an activator, a scorch inhibitor, and an anti-aging agent as long as the purpose and function of the sheath layer 15 in the present embodiment are not impaired. A compounding agent such as an agent may be included as appropriate. Furthermore, the rubber material may be a material obtained by adding and blending other polymers within a range that does not impair the purpose and function of the sheath layer 15 in the present embodiment.

  Next, the operation of the present embodiment will be described.

  Since the rubber material constituting the sheath layer 15 has good heat resistance, weather resistance, and oil resistance, the sheath layer 15 is excellent in environmental resistance. However, since the rubber material constituting the sheath layer 15 has a low elastic modulus and low tensile strength, if the sheath layer 15 is the only coating layer provided on the outer periphery of the conductor core 11, when a tensile load is applied to the cable from the outside, The sheath layer 15 extends.

  Therefore, in the cable 10 according to the present embodiment, a layer (union braided layer 13) serving as a shield layer and a reinforcing layer is provided inside the sheath layer 15 to form a covering layer having a two-layer structure. Thus, since the coating layer has a two-layer structure, the cable 10 has the same layer thickness (or the same cable outer diameter) as the conventional cable 30 shown in FIG. Regardless, good electromagnetic shielding properties and high tensile strength can be obtained. In other words, the cable 10 according to the present embodiment can significantly reduce the outer diameter of the cable while maintaining the same electromagnetic shielding performance and high tensile strength as the cable 40 shown in FIG. As a result, when the cable 10 according to the present embodiment is wired and arranged under the spring of an automobile, the flexibility of the cable layout (the degree of freedom in cable design) is improved as compared with the cable 40.

  Further, by disposing and covering the sheath layer 15 on the outer side of the union braid layer 13, a part of the rubber material bites into the surface mesh portion 19 of the union braid layer 13 when the sheath layer 15 is covered, and the union braid layer 13. And the sheath layer 15 are combined and integrated. As a result, even if a tensile stress or a bending stress is applied to the cable 10 from the outside, the elongation or bending in the longitudinal direction in the coating layer of the cable 10 is inhibited, and the tensile strength and resistance to bending are increased. Therefore, the strength and bending resistance (durability) of the coating layer are increased, and thus the cable 10 is highly reliable.

  Furthermore, in the cable 10 according to the present embodiment, even if tensile stress is applied from the outside, the covering layer does not stretch in the longitudinal direction, so that the position of the metal fitting that fixes the cable 10 is shifted. There is no possibility that the cable 10 is displaced. As a result, there is no possibility that the cable 10 and the peripheral device come into contact with each other and the covering layer is damaged, or excessive stress is unexpectedly applied to the conductor core 11 inside the cable and the conductors 22 and 27 are disconnected.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, by providing the union braided layer 13 combined and integrated with the sheath layer 15 inside the sheath layer 15, the environment resistance, the tensile strength, the bending resistance, and the electromagnetic wave The cable 10 having good shielding properties and high reliability can be obtained. The cable 10 according to the present embodiment is suitable as a cable for supplying power to unsprung electrical components and transmitting signals, for example, an ABS cable or an electric brake cable. All are applicable to cables that require environmental performance, tensile strength, and bending resistance.

  As described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and it goes without saying that various other things are assumed.

  Next, although this invention is demonstrated based on an Example, this invention is not limited to this Example.

Example 1
A cable 10 having the structure shown in FIG. 2 was produced. Here, the outer diameter of the conductor core was set to φ2.6 mm and φ0.8 mm. The metal wire of the union braided layer was an Sn plated copper wire having an outer diameter of φ0.12 mm. The fiber material of the union braided layer was a polyvinyl alcohol fiber material. The layer thickness of the union braided layer was 0.25 mm, and the layer thickness of the sheath layer (ethylene propylene diene rubber layer) was 1.5 mm.

(Comparative Example 1)
A cable 50 having the structure shown in FIG. 5 was produced. In FIG. 5, the same members as those in FIGS. 1 and 4 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description of these members is omitted.

  Here, the structure and outer diameter of the conductor core and the layer thickness of the sheath layer were the same as those in Example 1. The layer thickness of the shield layer was 0.25 mm, and the layer thickness of the reinforcing braid layer was 1 mm.

(Conventional example 1)
What was generally used as a brake hose for automobiles was used.

(Conventional example 2)
A cable 30 having the structure shown in FIG. 3 was produced. Here, the structure and outer diameter of the conductor core and the layer thickness of the sheath layer were the same as those in Example 1. The layer thickness of the shield layer was 0.25 mm.

  Table 1 shows the outer diameter (mm) of each cable of Example 1 and Comparative Example 1 and the brake hose of Conventional Example 1.

  As shown in Table 1, the cable of Comparative Example 1 had a three-layer coating layer, so the outer diameter was large and the outer diameter was 10.5 mm. On the other hand, since the cable of Example 1 has a two-layer coating layer, the outer diameter is reduced to about 80% compared to the cable of Comparative Example 1, and the outer diameter is 8.2 mm. It was. That is, the cable of Example 1 is approximately the same diameter as a general brake hose outer diameter of 8.0 mm, and compared with the cable of Comparative Example 1 when the outer diameter of the conductor core and the layer thickness of the sheath layer are the same. It was confirmed that the diameter was small.

  Next, Table 2 shows the tensile strength (N) of each cable of Example 1 and Conventional Example 2 and the brake hose of Conventional Example 1.

  As shown in Table 2, the tensile strength of the cable of Example 1 and the brake hose of Conventional Example 1 was 500 N or more, and the tensile strength of the cable of Conventional Example 2 was 200 N. That is, the tensile characteristics of the cable of Example 1 were more than twice that of the cable of Conventional Example 2, and were equivalent to a general brake hose. Further, when measuring the tensile strength, in the brake hose of the conventional example 1, the sheath layer was stretched so as not to be elastically recovered, but in the cable of the example 1, the sheath layer was not stretched.

  Next, Table 3 shows the shielding performance (dB) of electromagnetic noise in each cable of Example 1 and Comparative Example 1. The shielding performance was measured when the frequency of electromagnetic noise was 0.1, 1, 10, and 30 (MHz). The target shield performance was set to 22 dB or more.

  As shown in Table 3, the shield performance of the cable of Example 1 was 31 to 75 dB, and the shield performance of the cable of Comparative Example 1 was 49 to 78 dB. When the frequency of electromagnetic noise is 0.1 MHz, the shielding performance of both cables is equivalent, but when the frequency of electromagnetic noise increases, the shielding performance of the cable of Example 1 is about 10-20 dB ( About 15-37%). However, the cable of Example 1 satisfied the target shield performance at any frequency. In other words, it was confirmed that the cable of Example 1 had the electromagnetic shielding properties required for a general automotive shield cable, and there was no problem in practical use.

1 is a perspective view of a cable according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. It is a cross-sectional view of the cable of FIG. It is a perspective view of the conventional cable. It is a perspective view of the cable which has a reinforcement layer between a shield layer and a sheath layer. It is a cross-sectional view which shows an example of the cable of FIG.

Explanation of symbols

10 Cable 11 Conductor Core 13 Interwoven Braided Layer 15 Sheath Layer 17 Metal Wire 18 Fiber Material 23, 29 Insulating Layer

Claims (13)

  On the outer periphery of the conductor core having the insulating layer, a plurality of metal wires and fiber materials are alternately woven, a woven braided layer is provided, and a sheath layer made of a rubber material is provided on the outer periphery of the woven braided layer. A cable characterized by that.   On the outer periphery of a conductor core formed by twisting a plurality of insulated conductors, a plurality of metal wires and fiber materials are alternately woven, and a woven braided layer is provided by knitting. A cable comprising a sheath layer.   The cable according to claim 1 or 2, wherein an inner peripheral surface layer portion of the sheath layer bites into a surface mesh portion of the union braid layer, and the union braid layer and the sheath layer are integrally provided.   The cable according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the fiber material constituting the union braided layer is a natural fiber material.   The cable according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the fiber material constituting the union braided layer is an artificial fiber material.   The cable according to claim 5, wherein the artificial fiber material is a polyvinyl alcohol fiber material.   The cable according to claim 5, wherein the artificial fiber material is a polyethylene terephthalate fiber material.   The cable according to claim 5, wherein the artificial fiber material is a polyethylene-2,6-naphthalate fiber material.   The cable according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the rubber material constituting the sheath layer is ethylene propylene diene rubber.   The cable according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the rubber material constituting the sheath layer is styrene butadiene rubber.   The cable according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the rubber material constituting the sheath layer is butyl rubber.   The cable according to claim 1, wherein the rubber material constituting the sheath layer is nitrile rubber. The cable according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the rubber material constituting the sheath layer is chloroprene rubber.

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