JP2002515631A - Electrical signal line cable assembly - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) Abstract The present invention relates to an electrical signal cable assembly (10) having sub-cable assemblies (40, 60) arranged cylindrically about a central axis (15). The sub-cable assembly (40,60) comprises a plurality of flat cables (45), each of which is housed in a flat cable insulation (120) and separated by a pitch distance (a) from each other. It has electrical signal conductors on the same plane. The flat cables (45) are cylindrically braided or cylindrically wound around the central axis (15) and are separated from one another by separating shields (50, 70). The flat cable insulation (120) comprises, in a preferred embodiment of the invention, an upper insulation (120a) laminated to a lower insulation (120b) and is made from expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE).

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to electrical signal cable assemblies. 2. Description of the Related Art An electric signal line is, for example, a European patent application EP-EP of Hewlett-Packard Company.
A-0735544 (Cartier et al.). This patent application describes an ultrasound system with a transducer cable for providing an electrical connection between the transducer and a display processor. A third aspect of the converter cable in this application is a 3rd aspect of the present invention wherein the shielded conductors comprise thin strips of bare copper.
Use a layer extruded ribbon assembly. A stack of ribbon assembly and shield conductor is extruded with the ribbon jacket to form a desired length of transducer cable.

[0002] Amphenol Corporation, US Pat. No. 4,847,443 (Basconi) teaches another example of an electrical signal line cable comprising a plurality of substantially flat electrical signal line segments superimposed on one another in an interlocking relationship. Each electrical signal line segment of this prior art cable comprises at least one signal conductor surrounded on one side by a ground conductor. The plurality of ground conductors effectively form a ground plane that suppresses crosstalk between adjacent signal conductors. Insulation with the conductors disposed therein is extruded over the individual signal conductors.

[0003] The European Patent EP-B-0605600 of 3M (Springer et al.) Teaches ribbon cables and lamination methods for producing them. The manufactured ribbon cable comprises a plurality of evenly spaced flexible conductors surrounded by an insulator which is microporous polypropylene. U.S. Pat. No. 4,847,443 to W. Luergore & Associates (C
Rawley et al. teach a multi-conductor flat ribbon cable having a plurality of conductors disposed within an insulator consisting of expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE).

[0004] PCT patent application WO-A-91 / 09406 (Ritchie et al.) Discloses a long strip laminated between opposing layers of an insulating film using an adhesive to secure the foil strip between the laminating films. Of the invention comprises a conductive wire foil strip. German patent application DE-A-24244422 to Siemens teaches a cable assembly with a plurality of flat cables laminated between insulating films.

[0005] PCT patent application WO-A-80 of Square D Company (Palatine, Illinois)
/ 00389 (Clarke) is the input /
The output data cable is taught. This cable has a ground conductor, a logic level voltage conductor, and a number of signal tracks. The conductors are arranged in a particular manner on two or three layers of flexible plastic material, giving high immunity to interference and low induction losses. The layers are joined together to form a laminate structure.

[0006] The W. Goel & Associates (Phoenix, Ariz.) Sells round cables as part number 02-07605, which includes a tinned copper braided shield and a PVC jacket tube. It has 132 small coaxial cables housed in the inside. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved electrical signal cable assembly.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an easily terminated electrical signal cable assembly. It is another object of the present invention to provide a lightweight electrical signal cable assembly that can be attached to a handheld sensor device, such as an ultrasound probe, for easy handling.

[0008] Another object of the present invention is to provide an electrical signal cable assembly having a long flex life. It is another object of the present invention to provide an electrical signal cable assembly suitable for high sensitivity applications such as ultrasound probes, with sufficiently low crosstalk between individual signal conductors in the assembly.

[0009] These and other objects of the present invention are achieved by providing an electrical signal cable assembly comprising at least one sub-cable assembly disposed cylindrically about a central axis, wherein at least One sub-cable assembly comprises a plurality of flat cables, each of which has a plurality of electrical signal conductors housed in a flat cable insulation and thereby separated by a pitch distance a. The cylindrical arrangement of the flat cable around the central axis of the assembly allows the assembly to bend easily in multiple directions, so that sensor devices such as ultrasonic probes are easily inserted into place by the operator. Can be. The cylindrical arrangement of the flat cable is
Stresses within the assembly are distributed throughout the assembly rather than being concentrated on a particular longitudinal surface, thus ensuring a high flex life.

In one aspect of the invention, the flat cable is braided cylindrically about a central axis, and in another aspect of the invention, the flat cable is cylindrically wound around a central axis. Or wound. An outer shield is placed around the at least one sub-cable assembly to ensure that signal conductors in the assembly are shielded from disturbing magnetic fields.

[0011] A plurality of the at least one sub-cable assembly may be arranged cylindrically about a central axis, in which case they are preferably separated from each other by a separating cylindrical shield. The use of multiple flat cables in an assembly, each with a limited number of signal conductors, would improve the flex life and handling of the cables because each of the flat cables has the freedom to move through the assembly. Has advantages. Separating cylindrical shields are used to shield the sub-cable assemblies from each other so that stray electromagnetic fields created by the signals on the individual signal conductors of one sub-cable assembly cause the individual signal conductors of the other sub-cable assembly to Do not disturb the signal. Further, the separating cylindrical shield functions as a reference impedance potential.

A tubular spacer is disposed within the at least one sub-cable assembly, around which the flat cable can function as a filler or stabilizer in a cylindrical configuration. The tubular spacer is composed of a solid material or a strand material, or is in the form of a hollow tube. In the latter case, the inside of the tubular spacer may contain fluid or additional electrical leads for control signals or power. Preferably, an inner cylindrical shield is arranged between the tubular spacer and the at least one sub-cable assembly, such that if the inside of the tubular spacer includes additional electrical leads and also acts as a reference ground potential, Give further protection against

[0013] In another aspect of the invention, an outer cylindrical shield is disposed between an outer one of the at least one sub-cable assembly and an outer ground shield;
It is separated from the outer ground shield by the first insulating layer. A second insulating layer is further disposed between the outer ground shield and the jacket. These shields, insulation layers,
And the outer jacket protects the interior of the assembly from mechanical damage and even external disturbing magnetic fields.

[0014] The flat cables of the assembly consist of an upper insulation attached to a lower insulation, which are laminated together in a preferred embodiment of the invention. In another aspect of the invention, the upper insulation is adhered to the lower insulation by an adhesive selected from the group of thermoplastic adhesives such as polyester and polyurethane. Also, coatings of adhesion promoters made from fluorinated copolymers such as fluorinated ethylene / propylene and perfluoroalkoxy, epoxy resin adhesives, amino resin adhesives, phenolic resin adhesives, or silicone adhesives can be used to form layers with each other. Can be used to adhere.

The insulator is made from a group of insulators consisting of polyester, perfluoroalkoxy, fluoroethylene-propylene, polyolefins such as polyethylene and polypropylene, polymethylpentene, polytetrafluoroethylene, or expanded polytetrafluoroethylene. . Preferably, a fluoropolymer is used, and most preferably, the upper and lower insulators are made from expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE). Expanded PTFE has a very low dielectric constant and is lightweight. This ensures that the electrical properties of the assembly are very good, and that the assembly constructed using ePTFE dielectric material is lightweight and allows for easy handling of the cable. Moreover, ePTFE
Is known to have good flex life characteristics, so that assemblies constructed using this dielectric material also have good flex life characteristics. The assembly can also be constructed using an extruded or foamed polymer. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION FIGS. 1 a and 1 b show a cylindrical electrical signal cable assembly 10 according to the invention having a central axis 15. The term “cylindrical” in this application does not imply that the assembly is a geometrically accurate cylinder. Rather, assemblies 10 whose dimensions are substantially cylindrical are also included. Such an assembly 10 can be created when an external force exerts pressure on the surface of the assembly 10 to "crush" one face of the assembly 10 to form an assembly 10 having an oval cross section. In all figures, the same reference numbers are used to designate similar elements.

The assembly 10 includes an optional tubular spacer 20 that forms the central core of the assembly 10. The tubular spacer 20, if present, is surrounded by a cylindrically disposed inner cylindrical shield 30, upon which the first sub-cable assembly 40 is disposed. The structure of the sub-cable assembly 40 will be described later. Tubular spacer 20 is made of breathable ePTFE, PTFE, polyamide, polyurethane, version, or any other suitable material. The tubular spacer 20 can be solid or have a hollow interior to carry cooling fluid, electrical control lines, power lines, gases, and the like. Also, the tubular spacer 20 can be made from a braided material.

In the embodiment of the present invention shown in FIGS. 1a and 1b, a first sub-cable assembly
40 is disposed within the second sub-cable assembly 60 and includes a separating cylindrical shield 50.
Thus, it is separated from the second sub-cable assembly 60. The second sub-cable assembly 60 has the same structure as the first sub-cable assembly 40. Embodiments of the invention in which no additional sub-cable assembly is present can also be envisaged. Also,
An additional sub-cable assembly is disposed around the second sub-cable assembly 60 and is provided by an additional separating cylindrical shield.
It is also possible to envisage aspects that are separated from

An outer cylindrical shield 70 is disposed around the outermost sub-cable assemblies 40, 60. In the embodiment of FIG. 1, an outer cylindrical shield 70 is disposed around the second sub-cable assembly 60. The first insulating layer 80 is the outer cylindrical shield 70
, Around which the outer shield 90 is placed. Outer shield 90 is grounded and shields sub-cable assemblies 40, 60 in assembly 10 from disturbing electromagnetic fields. A second insulating layer 100 is placed around the outer ground shield 90, and then the assembly 10 is placed in a jacket 110.

The first insulating layer 80 and the second insulating layer 100 are made of, for example, PTFE, ePTFE, FEP,
Or it consists of polyester. Preferably, the first insulating layer 80 and the second insulating layer 100 are made of sintered GORE-TEX, available from W.G.
(TM) tape and wound around assembly 10 using known wire winding techniques.

The inner cylindrical shield 30 and the separating cylindrical shield 50 may be made of copper, aluminum, tinned copper, silver plated copper, nickel plated copper, alloy, or metalized fabric such as aluminum Braids, foils, weaves, fabrics, or wire shields made from metals or metallized polymers, such as metallized polyester. The latter embodiment of the invention describes an embodiment in which the inner cylindrical shield 30 or the separating cylindrical shield 50 is not present.

The outer ground shield 90 may be made of a metal such as copper, aluminum, tinned copper, silver plated copper, nickel plated copper, alloy, or a metallized fabric such as aluminized polyester. Or a braid, foil, or wire shield made from a metallized polymer. In one embodiment of the invention, outer ground shield 90 comprises a copper braid having a braid angle of about 35 °. In some applications, the outer ground shield 90 can be omitted.

The jacket 110 may be made of silicone, a polyolefin such as polyethylene, polypropylene, or polyethylpentene, a fluorinated polymer such as fluorinated ethylene / propylene (FEP), or a fluorinated alkoxy polymer such as perfluoro (alkoxy) alkylane such as TFE. And perfluoropolyvinyl ether (PFA) copolymer, polyurethane (PU), polyvinyl chloride (PVC),
Silicone, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), or expanded PTFE
Created from In one embodiment of the invention, jacket 110 comprises PVC. In another embodiment of the present invention, the jacket 110 comprises ePTFE reinforced with silicone.

As can be seen by taking a closer look at FIG. 1a, the first sub-cable assembly 40 and the second sub-cable assembly 60 are, in a first aspect of the invention, a plurality of flat cables 45 braided together. Become. Braiding techniques are known in the art and suitable machines are available from Latera (Manresa, Spain), SPIRKA Maschinenbau
GmbH (Alfeld (Rhine), Germany), Magnatech International (Sinking Springs, USA), Steeger GmbH & Co. (Wuppertal, Germany).

In the second embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 1b, the first sub-cable assembly 40
And the second sub-cable assembly 60 comprises two layers 42a and 42b, 62a and 62, respectively.
b. Each of the two layers 42a and 42b, 62a and 62b comprises one or more flat cables 45 wound or wound in opposite directions around the electrical signal cable assembly 10. Winding the flat cable 45 in the opposite direction has the advantage that crosstalk between the individual signal conductors 130 in different flat cables 45 is suppressed. The first one of the layers 42a, 62a is wound in a first direction. layer
A second one of 42b, 62b is wound in the second direction, as shown. Winding techniques are known in the art and suitable machines are available from Ridgeway & Co. (Leicester, UK)
Roblon (Denmark), Innocable (France), Stolberger (Germany).

FIG. 2 shows a cross-sectional view of the flat cable 45. The flat cable 45 is composed of a plurality of individual signal conductors 130 arranged in a parallel plane and surrounded by an upper insulating layer 120a and a lower insulating layer 120b. In this example, 16 individual signal conductors 130 have 0
. It is shown separated by a pitch distance a of 35 mm. Here, this does not limit the present invention, and various pitch distances a and the number of the individual signal conductors 130 can be used. The upper insulating layer 120a and the lower insulating layer 120b are laminated together, as described below. In this embodiment, the flat cable 45 is shown laminated, but uses extrusion techniques, such as polyurethane, FEP
The individual signal conductors 130 can also be extruded into a layer based on or a layer of polyester. Alternatively, foamed or solid polyethylene can be used. Further, the upper insulating layer 120a and the lower insulating layer 120b can be bonded together using a thermoplastic adhesive such as polyester or polyurethane.

The individual signal conductors 130 can be any conductive material such as copper, nickel-plated copper, tin-plated copper, silver-plated copper, tin-plated alloy, silver-plated alloy, or copper alloy. It can be made of a conductive material. The individual signal conductors 130 can be lacquered. Preferably, the individual signal conductor used in the present invention comprises a round alloy wire. Also, a flat conductor can be used. The number of individual signal conductors 130 shown in FIG. 2 does not limit the present invention. The axes of the individual signal conductors 130 are separated by a first pitch distance a in the range of 0.1 to 1 mm. The upper insulating layer 120a and the lower insulating layer 120b may be made of any insulating dielectric material such as polyethylene, polyester, perfluoroalkoxy, fluoroethylene-propylene, polypropylene,
It can be made from polymethylpentene, polytetrafluoroethylene, or expanded polytetrafluoroethylene. Preferably, US Pat.
Expanded polytetrafluoroethylene as described in U.S. Pat. No. 556, U.S. Pat. No. 4,187,390, or U.S. Pat. No. 4,443,657 is used.

The manufacture of a flat cable 45 in which the upper insulating layer 120a and the lower insulating layer 120b are made of expanded PTFE is illustrated in FIG. This method is disclosed in US Pat.
No. 292 (Gore). Multiple individual signal conductors 13
0, the upper insulator 120a located above the plurality of individual signal conductors 130, and the lower insulator 120b located below the plurality of individual signal conductors 130 are the lower insulator 120b and the upper insulator 120a.
Are passed together between two heated counter-rotating pressure rollers 400a and 400b at a lamination temperature sufficient to obtain a bond between, for example, 327C and 410C. Thereby, the flat cable 45 is created. To this end, the upper pressure roller 400a is provided with a number of upper peripheral grooves 410a, each of which is separated by upper peripheral ribs 420a that are aligned at a distance from each other along the circumference of the pressure roller 400a. Similarly, the lower pressure roller 400b is provided with a number of lower peripheral grooves 410b, each of which is aligned with a lower peripheral rib 42 at a distance from one another along the circumference of the pressure roller 400b.
Separated by 0b. Each upper peripheral groove 410a of the upper pressure roller 400a is adjacent to the adjacent lower peripheral rib of the lower pressure roller 400b together with the adjacent upper peripheral rib 420a.
Aligns with one of the lower peripheral grooves 410b having 420b and forms a passage channel for one of the electrical signal conductors 130. Two pressure rollers 400a, 400b and peripheral grooves 410a, 410b
Is a distance a between one pair of one of the upper peripheral grooves 410a and one of the lower peripheral grooves 410b, and one conductor 410, the upper insulator 420a, and the lower insulator 420b pass continuously. It is designed with such dimensions. Because the upper and lower peripheral ribs 420a and 420b are slightly spaced apart from each other, the upper and lower insulators 420a and 420b are firmly pressed together at these locations to provide an intermediate zone for the flat cable 45. Form 440.

For the purpose of improving the adhesion between the lower insulator 420b and the individual signal conductor 130 of the upper insulator 420a and the mutual adhesion in the flat cable 45, the flat cable 45 is led into a firing device. In it, the flat cable 45 is heated and gains a tight junction in the middle zone 140 of the flat cable 45. If the upper insulator 420a and the lower insulator 420b are made of PTFE, a firing temperature in the range of 327-410C is used.

An example of an embodiment of a baking apparatus in the form of a baking oven 150 equipped with a salt bath is illustrated in a simplified form in FIG. In this example, the flat cable 45 is
It is continuously passed through a baking oven 150. The measurement of the flex life is performed using an apparatus as shown in FIG. A one meter long sample of the electrical signal cable assembly 10 to be tested is mounted on a movable fixture 520 and a 500 g weight 540 is hung. The movable fixture 520 has a first 30 cm length of the electrical signal cable assembly 10 at an angle of ± 90 ° as indicated by the arrow in FIG.
The end 525 can be swung. The bending radius is 50 mm. Using the cycle counter 530, the number of cycles the first end 525 of the electrical signal cable assembly 10 has swung, i.e., from a vertical position of zero to +90 degrees, back to the zero position, and -90 degrees.
Count the number of cycles to position and back to zero position. Fixtures 510a, 510b
Prevents the other end of the electrical signal cable assembly 10 from swinging. The measurement of the ohmic resistance of the individual signal conductors 130 in the electrical signal cable assembly 10 is performed by connecting 16 individual signal conductors 130 in one flat cable 45 parallel to each other. Eight flat cables 45 are connected in series with each other. The total ohm resistance of the electrical signal cable assembly 10 with eight flat cables 45 each having 16 individual signal conductors 130 is measured at the beginning of the measurement cycle and then the measurements taken until the ohmic resistance increases by 10%. The number of cycles is counted. Here, a maximum of 180,000 cycles are performed, and the results obtained after the measurement are plotted.
The number of cycles required for a 10% increase in ohmic resistance was calculated by plotting a curve on the graph. This measurement is performed at a temperature of 22 ± 2 ° C. More details on this test can be found in "German National Standard DIN 0472 603 test F". -Example-Example 1 This was configured as shown in Figure 1a. The tubular spacer 20 was made of a polyurethane tube and had an outer diameter of 4.0 mm. The inner cylindrical shield 30 (outer diameter 4.4 mm), the separating cylindrical shield 50 (outer diameter 6.0 mm), and the outer cylindrical shield 70 (outer diameter 7.6 mm) were sold under the trademark KASSEL by Statex (Br).
emen, Germany). The first sub cable assembly 40 (outer diameter 5.6 mm) and the second sub cable assembly 60 (
AWG4007 consisting of PD135 alloy from Fhelps Dodge (Irvine, CA) with a pitch distance of 0.35 mm laminated between ePTFE having a dielectric constant of 1.3, both having an outer diameter of 7.2 mm. (American wire gauge No. 4007) 16 flat signal cables 130 each having 16 individual signal conductors 130. These were braided at a braid angle of 20-22 °. The first insulator 80 (outside diameter 7.7 mm) and the second insulation 100 (outside diameter 8.2 mm) were obtained by using GORE-TEX of ePTFE obtained from W. Goluer & Associates.
Made from binder. The outer shield 90 is 10 strokes / inch (2.54 cm
) Was made from a braided bare alloy wire composed of braid angles of about 40 ° using a 36 bobbin having a holding number of 8; Jacket 110 was made from PVC and had an outer diameter of 10.0 mm.

A flex life test was performed on the electrical signal cable array and only 6000-600
It showed a 10% increase in ohmic resistance after 00 cycles. This was attributed to the extremely sharp braid angle of the sub-cable assemblies 40 and 60. Example 2 This was configured as shown in FIG. 1b. Tubular spacer 20 was obtained from 4.0 gram from W. Goluer & Associates (Putzbrunn, Germany).
It was made from an ePTFE joint sealant filler (JSF50) having an outer diameter of m. Inner cylindrical shield 30 (outer diameter 4.4 mm), cylindrical shield 50 for separation
(Outer diameter 6.0 mm) and outer cylindrical shield 70 (outer diameter 7.6 mm)
It was made from copper-plated polyamide fabric supplied by Statex (Bremen, Germany) as ASSEL. First sub-cable assembly 40 (outer diameter 5.6 mm
) And a second sub-cable assembly 60 (7.2 mm OD) with a 0.35 mm pitch distance laminated between ePTFE having a dielectric constant of 1.3.
It was made from two flat cables 45 each having 32 individual signal conductors 130 of AWG4207 made of 135 alloy. The first layers 42a and 62a of the first and second sub-cable assemblies 40 and 60 were made from one of the flat cables 45. The second layers 42b and 62b of the first and second sub-cable assemblies 40 and 60 were made from the other one of the flat cables 45. These were wound at a winding angle of 40 °. The first insulator 80 (outside diameter 7.7 mm) and the second insulation 100 (outside diameter 8.2 mm) are made of GORE-TEX of ePTFE available from W. Goel & Associates.
(TM) binder. Outer shield 90 (outer diameter 8.1 mm) is 40
It was made from braided bare alloy wire with a braid angle of °. Jacket 110 is a trademark of S.L.L. from W.L.G. and Associates (Phoenix, Ariz.)
Silicone reinforced ePTF with outer diameter of 10.5 mm available as KORE
Created from E.

A flex life test was performed on the electric signal cable array, and
It showed a 10% increase in ohmic resistance after 00 cycles. Individual signal conductor 13
The capacitance between one of the zeros and the outer shield 90 was 57 pF / m. Example 3 This was configured as shown in FIG. This example has a first sub-cable assembly 40 that is the same as the first sub-cable assembly of Example 2 and has an outer diameter of 5.6 mm. Here, this example is an AWG4207 laminated in the same manner as the flat cable 45 of Example 2 and separated by an additional cylindrical separating shield 50 '.
Each having a flat cable 45 with 48 individual signal conductors 130
The outer diameter of the first of the second sub-cable assemblies 60 'has an outer diameter of 7.4 mm and the second of the second sub-cable assemblies 60' and 60 ". The outer diameter of the thing has an outer diameter of 9.0 mm. The additional cylindrical separating shield 50 'has an outer diameter of 7.8 mm.

As a result of incorporating the two second sub-cable assemblies 60 ′ and 60 ″, the outer diameter of a portion of the outer layer of the electrical signal cable assembly 10 has changed as follows. The first insulator 80 has an outer diameter of 9.5 mm,
The second insulator 100 has an outer diameter of 9.9 mm, while the outer diameter of the outer shield 90 is 9.9 mm.
It was 8 mm. Finally, jacket 110 had an outer diameter of 11.4 mm.

In this example, an electrical signal cable assembly 10 having 256 individual signal conductors 130 was obtained. Example 4 This was configured as shown in FIG. EPTF having an outer diameter of 4.0 mm, available from W. Goel & Associates, Inc.
It was made from an E joint sealant filler (JSF50). Unlike Example 1, the inner cylindrical shield 30, the separating cylindrical shield 50, and the outer cylindrical shield 70
Did not exist. Both the first sub-cable assembly 40 'and the two second sub-cable assemblies 60' and 60 "are mounted on an AWG4207 PD135 with a pitch distance of 0.35 mm laminated between ePTFE having a dielectric constant of 1.3. 4 flat cables 45 each with 16 individual signal conductors 130 made of alloy
Created from. These were braided at a braid angle of about 40 °. The sub-cable assemblies 40 ', 60', and 60 "had outer diameters of 5.2 mm, 6.4 mm, and 7.6 mm, respectively. The outer shield 90 had an outer diameter of 8.0 mm and was manufactured by Fhelps Dodge. The jacket was made from AWG4001 braided PD135 alloy wire from Irvine, Calif. And braided using a 36 bobbin with a braid angle of about 35 ° and a holding 8 of 10 strokes / inch (2.54 cm). 110 is a trademark of SILKO, a trademark of W. El Gore & Associates (Phoenix, Ariz.)
Made from reinforced ePTFE with a wall thickness of about 1 mm, sold as RE, 10.5
mm. The sub-cable assemblies 40 ', 60', 60 "formed a core with the outer shield, which was drawn into the jacket 110.

The ground between the individual signal conductors 130 in this example is obtained by using every second individual signal conductor 130 as the ground conductor 130. Flex life tests performed on this electrical signal cable array showed that the increase in ohmic resistance after 180000 cycles was well below 10%, at which point the flex life test was stopped. Example 5 This example is the same as Example 1 except that a flat cable 45 made from individual signal conductors of AWG4207 (0.07 mm diameter) made of PD135 alloy was braided at an angle of 20 ° and the tubular spacer 20 was made of polyurethane. Is the same as Example 6 This example is the same as Example 4 except that the flat cable 45 is braided at an angle of 20 ° and an individual signal conductor 130 of AWG4007 (0.08 mm diameter) made of PD135 alloy is used.

The flex life test performed on the electric signal cable array 10 was 240,000.
The flex life test was stopped at this point, indicating that the increase in ohmic resistance after cycling was well below 10%. Example 7 This example differs from Example 4 in that, instead of the braid, a flat cable 45 was wound horizontally or wound at an angle of 20 ° and an individual signal conductor 130 of AWG4007 (diameter 0.08 mm) made of PD135 alloy was used. I assumed the same. A polyurethane tube was used as the tubular spacer 20.

The flex life test performed on the electric signal cable array 10 was 240,000.
The flex life test was stopped at this point, indicating that the increase in ohmic resistance after cycling was well below 10%. Example 8 This example was the same as Example 2 except that an AWG4007 (0.08 mm diameter) individual signal conductor 130 made of PD135 alloy was used and a polyurethane tube was used as the tubular spacer 20.

The flex life test performed on the electric signal cable array 10 was 180,000.
The flex life test was stopped at this point, indicating that the increase in ohmic resistance after cycling was well below 10%. Example 9 This example is shown in FIG. Use tubular spacer 20
EPTFE joint sealant filler obtained from Associates (JSF5
0). The first sub-cable assembly 40 has a dielectric constant of 1.3 e.
Labeled as L1, L2, L3, and L4, each with 16 individual signal conductors 130 of AWG4007 (0.08mm diameter) made of PD135 alloy with a 0.35mm pitch distance laminated between PTFE. It consisted of four flat cables 45. The outer cylindrical shield 70 was made from a KASSEL type foil obtained from Statex (Bremen, Germany). The first insulating layer 80 is made of ePTFE G available from W. Goluer & Associates (Putzbrunn, Germany).
Made from ORE-TEX binder. Example 10 This example was the same as Example 2 except that a polyurethane tube was used as the tubular spacer 20 and the jacket was made from PVC.

The flex life test performed on this electrical signal cable array showed that the increase in ohmic resistance after 180000 cycles was well below 10%, at which point the flex life test was stopped. Example 11 This example is the same as Example 2 except that the individual signal conductors consist of AWG4007 wires and the jacket consists of PVC.

The flex life test performed on this electric signal cable array showed that the ohmic resistance was 1
The flex life test was stopped at this point, indicating that the increase after 80000 cycles was well below 10%. Additional Examples Using Different Dielectric Materials Additional examples were made using the structure taught above, but using different dielectric materials having different dielectric constants. These required different thicknesses of the upper insulating layer 120a and the lower insulating layer 120b when the pitch distance was 0.35 mm. Table 1 illustrates a case where the impedance of the electric signal cable assembly 10 is designed to be 80Ω. Table 2 illustrates a case where the impedance of the electric signal cable assembly 10 is designed to be 50Ω.

[0040]

[Table 1]

[0041]

[Table 2]

Experimental Results The impedance and capacitance of the electrical signal cable assembly 10 were measured. Individual signal conductors 130 for signal propagation and cylindrical shield 30 for separation joined together
, 50, 70, and between the individual signal conductor 130 carrying the signal and the individual signal conductor 130 functioning as the ground conductor.

[0043]

[Table 3]

Crosstalk (dB / m) Crosstalk measurements were also made and are shown in the table below. In this table, S indicates an individual signal conductor 130 that carries a signal, and G indicates an individual signal conductor 130 that functions as a ground conductor in the same flat cable 45. x indicates the individual signal conductors 130 separating the individual signal conductors 130 on which the measurements are made. The last six entries in the table show measurements of crosstalk made between the individual signal conductors 130 on different layers in the flat cable 45. The first three of these descriptions are the individual signal conductors of another flat cable layer (L1-L2, L1-L3, L1-L4) where the separating cylindrical shield is at ground potential.
Shows crosstalk between 130. The last three of these descriptions are the individual signal conductors 13
Another flat cable layer (L1-L2, L1-L3,
L1-L4) shows crosstalk between the individual signal conductors 130. In Examples 1, 2, 5, 8, and 9, the separating cylindrical shield is also at ground potential.

[0045]

[Table 4]

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1a shows an electrical signal cable assembly of the present invention.

FIG. 1b shows another embodiment of the electrical signal cable assembly of the present invention.

FIG. 2 shows a cross section of a flat cable used in the electrical signal cable assembly of the present invention.

FIG. 3 illustrates a method of manufacturing a plurality of sub-cable assemblies for an electrical signal cable assembly of the present invention.

FIG. 4 shows a firing apparatus used to manufacture a sub-cable assembly.

FIG. 5 shows a diagram of an apparatus for testing the flex life of an electrical signal cable assembly.

FIG. 6 illustrates another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 illustrates another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 illustrates another embodiment of the present invention.

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Claims (24)

[Claims] An electrical signal cable assembly (10) comprising a plurality of sub-cable assemblies (40,60) arranged cylindrically about a central axis (15), said sub-cable assemblies (40,60). 60) each comprise a plurality of flat cables (45), each of which is housed in a flat cable insulation (120) and separated by a pitch distance (a) from each other. And the plurality of sub-cable assemblies (40, 60) are separated by a cylindrical shield (50, 70).
), Separated from each other by an electrical signal cable assembly (10). 2. The electrical signal cable assembly (10) according to claim 1, wherein the flat cable (45) is braided cylindrically about a central axis (15). 3. The electrical signal cable assembly (10) according to claim 1, wherein the flat cable (45) is cylindrically wound around a central axis (15). 4. The electrical signal cable assembly (10) according to claim 1, wherein the outer shield (90) is disposed around the at least one sub-cable assembly (40,60). 5. The electrical signal cable assembly (10) according to claim 1, wherein the tubular spacer (20) is disposed within the at least one sub-cable assembly (40,60). 6. The electrical signal cable assembly (10) according to claim 5, wherein the tubular spacer (20) is comprised of a solid material. 7. The electrical signal cable assembly according to claim 5, wherein said tubular spacer is in the form of a hollow tube. 8. The electrical signal cable assembly according to claim 5, wherein said tubular spacer comprises a strand material. 9. An inner cylindrical shield (30) having a tubular spacer (20).
An electrical signal cable assembly (10) according to claim 5, arranged between the at least one sub-cable assembly (40, 60). 10. An electrical signal cable assembly (10) according to claim 1, wherein the inner cylindrical shield (30) is disposed within the at least one sub-cable assembly (40,60). 11. The electrical system according to claim 1, wherein an outer cylindrical shield (70) is disposed between an outer one of the at least one sub-cable assembly (40, 60) and the outer shield (90). Signal cable assembly (10). 12. The electrical signal cable assembly (10) of claim 11, wherein the outer cylindrical shield (70) is separated from the ground shield (90) by a first insulating layer (80). 13. The electrical signal cable assembly according to claim 1, wherein the second insulating layer (100) is disposed between the outer ground shield (90) and the jacket (110).
(Ten). 14. The flat cable insulation (120) comprises a lower insulation (120b).
The electrical signal cable assembly (10) of claim 1, further comprising an upper insulation (120a) attached to the cable. 15. The flat cable insulation (120) comprises a lower insulation (120b).
An electrical signal cable assembly (10) according to claim 14, comprising an upper insulation (120a) laminated to the cable. 16. The electrical signal cable assembly (10) according to claim 14, wherein the flat cable insulation (120) comprises an upper insulation (120a) bonded to the lower insulation (120b) by an adhesive. ). 17. The electrical signal cable assembly (10) according to claim 16, wherein said adhesive is selected from the group of thermoplastic adhesives comprising polyester, polyurethane, or fluorinated ethylene / propylene. 18. The electrical signal cable of claim 14, wherein said flat cable insulation (120) comprises an upper insulation (120a) attached to the lower insulation (120b) using an adhesion promoter. Assembly (10). 19. The electrical signal cable assembly according to claim 18, wherein said adhesion promoter is selected from the group of fluorinated copolymers comprising fluorinated ethylene propylene and perfluoroalkoxy. 20. The upper insulating material (120a) and the lower insulating material (120b) are made of perfluoroalkoxy, fluoroethylene-propylene, polyester, polyolefin (including polyethylene and polypropylene), polymethylpentene, polytetrafluoroethylene. 15. The electrical signal cable assembly (10) of claim 14, wherein the electrical signal cable assembly (10) is formed from a group of insulating materials comprising or expanded polytetrafluoroethylene. 21. The electrical signal cable assembly (10) of claim 20, wherein the upper insulation (120a) and the lower insulation (120b) are formed from expanded polytetrafluoroethylene. 22. The electrical signal cable assembly (10) of claim 1, wherein the flat cable insulation (120) comprises an extruded polymer. 23. The electrical signal cable assembly (10) of claim 22, wherein the flat cable insulation (120) comprises a foamed polymer. 24. A jacket (110) having an electrical signal cable assembly (1).
The electrical signal cable assembly (1) according to claim 1, which is arranged around the outside of the (0).
0).