JPS612205A - Electric conductor assembly - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] For shaku, 11! This invention relates generally to electrical conductor assemblies and more particularly to improved flexible electrical supply cables.

The recent deregulation of the electric utility industry has led to a growing number of other names entering the residential and commercial telephone cable and equipment market. As a result of the government's "individual pricing" for telephone equipment and services, the cost of new building B equipment is likely to be prohibited due to the loss of supporting business income from public works projects. It is anticipated that the company may disclaim responsibility for the installation and maintenance of the telephone. It is expected that this gap will be filled by electrical contractors.

Now, cable television and data services (CATV/
As OATΔ) is being expanded to become available throughout the United States, it is highly desirable and, if available, to install additional cable installations at appropriate times during new home construction. will probably be specified as a condition at the start of construction of most new homes. Officially trained electricians can provide regular power supply services as well as electrical and CATV/D services, provided they have the appropriate personnel.
→ It should be possible to install the nursing care facility.

Traditionally, outlet boxes have been available that facilitate single-point outlets for power and other services, such as telephone service, but such schemes typically utilize separate cables for each service. ing.

The default electrical code is salt 111 due to voltage! Because of accidents, it is generally prohibited to have power supply conductors and electrical conductors for providing other unrelated services, such as telephone service, within a common insulating jacket. If a nail or staple is accidentally driven into the jacket, it may strike a normally live power supply conductor or one of the conductors associated with another service, such as a telephone service. Once in contact, the telephone screw conductor will pick up the high voltage potential of the power supply.

As a result, telephone setting F? Persons or users may be subject to serious electrical shock caused by the voltage.

It is a general object of this invention to provide an improved flexible strippable electrical cable assembly containing electrical conductors associated with power supply conductors and other unrelated services within a common jacket. The object of the present invention is to provide one that overcomes, or at least substantially minimizes, the problems normally associated with.

A more specific object of the invention is to enable the simultaneous installation of electrical conductors for supplying a plurality of unrelated services, and to enable storage on reels without kinking the individual conductors that make up the cable. It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved electrical conductor assembly or cable that can be modified and adapted to the enclosure according to the particular conditions encountered during cable installation.

1 Group L11 According to the invention, the electrical cable comprises a first group, a second group and a third group, each group consisting of at least one electrical conductor.
A flexible electrical conductor elongated in the axial direction of a plurality of groups including the group. Each group of conductors is housed within an integral flexible axially elongated jacket of dielectric material that separates and insulates it from the other group of conductors. This jacket 1- has a first tubular portion accommodating the first group of conductors, a second tubular portion
There are distinct axially elongated tubular sections including a second tubular section that accommodates the group of conductors and a third tubular section that accommodates the third group of conductors. A plurality of integral axially elongate web portions hingely connect each tubular portion for mutual movement between first and second positions, the web portions generally being The first and second web portions are integrally connected to the first tubular portion at an angularly spaced connection point J3 about the center of the tubular portion. A web hingedly connects the second tubular section to the first tubular section.A second web hingedly connects the third tubular section to the first tubular section. When each tubular portion is in the first position, the first, second and third groups of conductors are disposed toward the - direction of a plane passing through each connection point, and the second group of conductors is Place it on the opposite side of the plane.

When each tubular portion is in the second position, the conductors of each group are disposed in generally side-by-side relationship toward the same side of the plane.

Now look at the drawing, code 10 embodies this invention.
The axially elongated IC four-bamboo electrical conductor assembly, shown generally in Figure 1, consists of a composite cable with 94F6 components to provide power, CATV/DATA, and telephone service. The illustrated cable 10 is of a free-stripping type specifically constructed to facilitate the simultaneous installation of electrical conductors necessary for the provision of such services, and is designated generally at 12, 14, and 16. It has three components consisting of groups of electrical conductors. 1
A directional dielectric insulation jacket, shown generally at 7, separates and insulates the electrical conductors comprising each of the conductor groups from the conductors of the others of the conductor group.

The insulating jacket 17 is preferably made of an elastomeric material and includes three distinct, free-peelable tubular sections, each having a generally circular cross section.

A first portion of the jacket, designated 18, substantially coaxially surrounds the electrical conductors making up the first group of conductors 12. This conductor is particularly suitable for providing telephone services. A second portion of the jacket, designated 20, substantially coaxially surrounds the conductors of the second group 14 forming the power supply conductors. A third portion of the jacket, designated 22, coaxially surrounds a third group 16 comprising a coaxial cable installation for CATV/DATA services.

The second part 2 of the jacket 1 is connected to the first part 18 by an integral longitudinally extending nib 24 along its length. A similar web 26 connects the first portion 18 and the third portion 22. Note particularly in FIG. 2 that the webs 24 and 264;L.

17 at connection points 27 and 29 angularly spaced about the central axis of the first tubular socket portion 18 and located on one side of an axial plane 28 containing the axis of the first portion 18.
It is connected to the butt 1 to the first portion 18. Webs 24 and 26 provide flexible hinge connections and areas of weakness between each component of cable 10, for purposes that will become more apparent below.

Considering the various components of cable 12 in more detail, conductor group 1 is particularly suitable for providing telephone services.
2 are four untwisted, individually insulated and color-coded single-wire communication conductors 32.32, number AW024.
It is desirable that the

The power supply section making up group 14 is particularly suitable for residential power supply and consists of two insulated and colour-coded 14/11 wire conductors 34, 34 and an uninsulated, bare conductor. A metal ground conductor 36 is housed within a generally cylindrical dielectric sheath defined by jacket portion 20. Insulated conductors 34.34 and bare metal conductors 36
The metal is surrounded by a <38 helical wrap. The metal foil is preferably copper and constitutes a flexible axial sleeve surrounding the conductors of group 14;
It is housed within a dielectric insulating sheath 20 and is in direct or intermittently electrical connection with a bare metal conductor 36 along most of its length for purposes that will become more apparent below.

CATV/DATA section 16 conforms to current industry standards and consists of a single A W G No. 20 solid conductor coaxially surrounded by a generally cylindrical layer of foamed dielectric material 42 . A generally cylindrical flexible shield 44, preferably formed by a spiral wrap of aluminum foil, coaxially surrounds the dielectric layer 42. Another flexible cylindrical shield 46 , preferably made of 60% aluminum braided wire, connects shield 44 within the insulating sheath formed by generally cylindrical jacket portion 22 .
coaxially surrounds.

The web portions 24 and 26 extend parallel to the cable's longitudinal axis k (J) along the length of the cable 10 and form a flexible hinge between the component portions 12.14 and 16;
The three components are therefore arranged with their respective conductors generally side by side and in an I:1 alignment as shown in FIG. 2 to provide a substantially flat cable arrangement, in this case telephone section 12. generally includes the power supply section 14 and the CATV
/DATA portion 16. In the latter position all of the conductors making up the cable 10 are
As shown in the second @, it is indicated by 48 passing through the connection points 21 and 29 and is located towards the same side of the IC plane.

This juxtaposed arrangement of the various conductors facilitates winding of the cable 10 onto a reel (not shown) which substantially eliminates the risk of kinking. The configuration of the hinged web connections between the various components allows the hinged surfaces of components 14 and 16 to each other and to component 12 at the J-branches 24 and 26 to connect the hinged web connections to each other and to component 12 once the cable 10 has been withdrawn from the associated reel. The bending causes the cable 10 to be formed from the cross-sectional configuration shown in FIG. 2 to the cross-sectional configuration shown in FIG. When the cable components are arranged in a generally triangular configuration as shown in FIG. The conductors housed therein are arranged towards one side of the plane 48 and the first
The conductors forming group 12 are arranged on opposite sides of plane 48.

Three components12. ' 14 and 16 are within the boundary line of the virtual circle indicated by the broken line in FIG. This arrangement of the components makes it possible to reduce the main cross-sectional dimensions of the cable, so that the cable can pass freely through a circular opening of given dimensions without experiencing almost any frictional resistance. 10 is particularly suited for residential installations, where the frictional resistance', r < can pass freely through, or can be dimensioned to pass through, an industrial standard cylindrical hole. .

In addition to shielding the telephone section 12 and the CATV/DATA section 16 from electromagnetic interference, the power supply section 14
The shield 38 in conjunction with the bare metal ground shield 38 also provides an important safety feature. During building construction work, for example,
If a metal nail or staple is inadvertently driven into a power supply and contacts a normally live conductor,
, 1. The nail or staple is a grounding conductor or wire 3
Since it passes through the metal shield 38 which is grounded by 6, it becomes the ground potential. However, a live conductor immediately shorts to ground. If this condition occurs during construction and before the cable is connected to the power supply, the system will be shorted when the cable is connected to the power supply.

If the cable is properly handled, this arrangement should make it inevitable that the telephone section or the CATV/DATA section will be inadvertently energized by the power supply section when the cable is installed.

If desired, additional metal sleeves (not shown) may be provided within the insulating sheath 18 in the telephone service section 12 to generally coaxially surround the conductors 32,32 to address conducted and radiated noise disturbances. Furthermore, a shield can be applied.

The connecting web portions 24 and 26 constitute weakened regions of the insulation jacket 11, so that the various free-tearable components 12.14 and 1G can be easily selectively separated from each other. That is, component part 14
and 16, one or both of the three components 12.14
and 16 can be easily separated from component 17 by applying tearing force to the ends of the appropriate two. This tearing force is of course applied in both directions laterally to the longitudinal axis of the conductor assembly 10.

Referring now to FIG. 4, another electrical conductor assembly or cable embodying the present invention is shown generally at 10a.
is shown. This cable 10a is similar in many respects to the previously described cable 10, and therefore sections of cable 10a that correspond to sections of cable 10 are identified by the same reference numerals followed by the letter ral suffix. The essential differences between the cable 10a and the previously described cable 10 are the configuration of the power supply section, the telephone section and the C^TV/D
and its arrangement relative to the ATA moiety, which are explained below.

Cable 10a is provided with a directional dielectric insulation jacket, indicated generally at 17a, which includes distinct first, second and third, respectively 18a, 2
The jacket 1 sections designated 0a and 22a are comprised of webs 24a which provide flexible hinge connections between the various jacket sections as previously explained. and 26a. The illustrated cable 10a is of a free-stripping type, in that the various individual tubular sections of the jacket 17a are not bonded to the components housed therein.

That is, when the ends of the tubular jacket portions are removed, the electrical conductors contained therein are exposed and can be easily separated from each other and from the surrounding portions of the jacket. 'The first jacket section 18a accommodates the power supply section consisting of the two insulated color-coded single-wire conductors 34a, 34a that comprised the conductor group 14a and the uninsulated or bare metal ground conductor 36a. are doing. An axially elongated insulating spacer 50, preferably a flexible elongated extrusion of a plastic dielectric material, is also disposed within the jacket first portion 18a and extends from the conductor 34a.
, 34a and 36a in a generally predetermined spaced position from each other. As shown, the spacer 5o has an axially extending arcuate groove 52.52 for receiving and holding the conductors 34a, 34a and another arcuate groove 54 for receiving and accommodating the bare conductor 36a. It is equipped with A helical wrap of metal beam 38a, preferably copper, is disposed within jacket portion 18a to surround the conductors making up conductor group 14. It is desirable to tightly surround the jacket portion 18a. In this way, the tubular jacket 1 to portion 38a cooperates with the spacer 5o to maintain the conductors constituting the power supply portion 14a at a predetermined distance from each other. Additionally, jacket portion 18a cooperates with the spacer to maintain bare gold maQ body 36a in continuous electrical contact with flexible metal shield 38a along most of its length.

In the illustrated embodiment 10a, the second jacket portion 20a
contains the telephone portion 12a, which as shown is comprised of eight individually insulated communication conductors 32a32a. The illustrated jacket 1 portion 20a also contains a flexible metal shield 56 formed by a metal foil wrap surrounding one of the conductors 32a, 32a. However, shield 56 may be omitted if desired. The third socket part 22a is the component part 1 of the book.
It houses a C^TV/DATA section 16a that is substantially the same as 6.

Webs 24a and 26a are connected to jacket portion 18a at connection points designated 27a and 29a.

Jacket portion 18, designated by the letter A in FIG.
Connection points 27a and 29a, measured around the central axis of a
The included angle between which is at least 60 degrees, but 100 degrees
It is desirable that the temperature be below 30 degrees. Jaken 1~Part 18
It is desirable that the length of each web, measured between the point of connection of each web to a and the point of connection of that web to the associated jacket portion, be as short as possible, but the solid and dashed portions of FIG. It must be possible to aim the hinges of the component parts between them.

The outer jacket 17a is preferably comprised of an extruded plastic material, preferably extruded into the shape shown in solid lines in FIG. 4, with the three service parts maintaining a triangular cross-sectional configuration relative to each other. . At this position of the solid line, the three components lie within an imaginary circle as indicated by the dashed line in FIG. It may be assumed that C represents 1. When cable 10a is in the position shown in FIG.
The virtual plane 718a passing through is placed on the - side of the virtual plane 718a. The conductors constituting the first group 14a are on this plane 48a.
is placed on the opposite side. Jackets 18a and 2
When 2a is bent around webs 24a and 26a to their respective dashed positions in FIG. 4, all of the conductors making up the first, second and third groups are generally on the same side of plane 48a. h, and generally in juxtaposed or aligned relationship with phase U, the cable 10a is placed on a -L, such as a reel (not shown), with each conductor having approximately the same 2+' diameter as the other conductors. can be wound around the scale, thus minimizing the risk of kinks in the scale conductors.

The cables of this invention facilitate inexpensive installation of power, video/computer and telephone service wiring. The telephone section facilitates the installation of many circuits for miscellaneous control, monitoring or audio equipment as required.

Although this invention has been illustrated with respect to a cable assembly with a particular arrangement of electrical conductors, it is understood, however, that the size, number, and type of electrical conductors that make up the various cable sections may vary, and that other variations may be possible. It should be understood that cables are contemplated within the scope of this invention.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a partial plan view of an electric cable embodying the invention. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 2--2 of FIG. FIG. 3 is similar to FIG. 2, but shows the components forming the cable in different locations. FIG. 4 is similar to FIG. 2, but shows another electrical cable embodying the invention. In these figures, 10.10a is a cable (electrical conductor assembly), 12.12a is a first group of electrical conductors,
14.14a is the second electric conductor group, 16.16a is the third electric η body group, 17.17a is the insulating dielectric I7 socket, 18°1
8a is its first part, 20.20a is its second part, 2
2, 22a is the third part thereof, 24.24a is the web, 2
6゜26a is the web, 27.27a is the connection point, 29.2
9a is a connection point, 32.32a is a conductor, 34.34a is a conductor, 36° 36a is a ground conductor, 38.38a is a metal foil, 48.488 is a plane, and 50 is an insulating spacer. Procedural amendment (formality) 1. Display of the case Showa year 1999 Talent Permission No. Length θ Yu/7 No. 11 Ton etc. Rice Assembly 6, Person making the amendment Relationship to the case Application Person address %Q q”Ran F”-Leh/7-mata・〃ノGuzu-4 Contents of agent Z amendment

Claims (9)

[Claims] (1) a plurality of groups of axially elongated flexible electrical conductors, each group comprising at least one conductor, a first group, a second group, and a third group; and said conductors of each said group. an integral flexible axially elongated jacket (17) of dielectric material separating and insulating said conductor of another of said group;
) a first tubular portion (18, 18a) accommodating said conductors of said first group, a second tubular portion (20, 20a) accommodating said conductors of said second group; a third tubular portion (22, 22a) accommodating said conductors of said third group;
a plurality of integral axially elongated web portions (
24, 24a and 26, 26a) hingedly connect each said tubular portion for mutual movement between a first position and a second position and said plurality of web portions generally Angularly spaced connection points (27, 27a and 29, 29) about the central axis of the first tubular portion (18, 18a)
a) a first web portion (24, 24a) and a second web portion (26, 26a) integrally connected to said first tubular portion (18, 18a); A web portion (24, 24a) connects said second tubular portion (20, 20a) to said first tubular portion (18, 18).
a) is hingedly connected to the second web portion (
26, 26a) is said third tubular portion (22, 22a)
are hingedly connected to said first tubular portions (18, 18a), and when each said tubular portion is in said first position, said second and third groups of said tubular portions Conductors are arranged towards one side of a plane (48, 48a) passing through said connection points (21, 27a and 29, 29a) and said conductors of said first group are arranged towards one side of said plane (48, 48a) ), and when each of said tubular portions is in said second position said conductors of said first, second and third groups are arranged opposite said planes (48, 48a ), said first and second web portions (24, 24a and 26, 26a) being arranged towards the same side of said respective tubular portions when said respective tubular portions are in said second position. Said first tubular portion (18, 18a) cooperates with said second tubular portion (2) to maintain each said tubular portion in a generally juxtaposed relationship with each other.
0, 20a) and said third tubular part (22, 22a) and said second tubular part (20, 20a).
) and said third tubular portion (22, 22a) are brought into adjacent contact with said first tubular portion (18, 18a). (2) at least one of said groups comprises a plurality of electrical conductors, and said electrical cable comprises an associated one of said tubular portions containing said at least one group (14, 14a) of conductors; an axially elongate spacer (50) housed in the spacer, said spacer (50) cooperating with said associated tubular portion to space said at least one group of conductors from one another; 2. An electrical cable according to claim 1, adapted to be held in a fixed relationship. (3) an axially elongated flexible metal sleeve (3) housed within the associated tubular portion of said electrical cable;
8, 38a), the sleeve containing said spacer and said at least one group of conductors. (4) at least one of the conductors in said one group comprises a bare metal conductor (36) and said spacer and said associated tubular section cooperate to form said one bare metal conductor (36); 36, 36a) in general contact with said metal sleeve (38, 38a) along a substantial part of their length.
Electrical cables as described in Section. 5. An electrical cable according to claim 3, wherein said sleeve comprises a helical wrapping of copper foil (38, 38a). (6) comprising another flexible metal sleeve (46, 46a) housed within another of said tubular portions for accommodating conductors of another of said groups; Claim 3, wherein another metal sleeve (46, 46a) surrounds said further group of conductors generally coaxially.
Electrical cables as described in Section. (7) Connection points (27, 2
The electrical cable according to claim 1, wherein the included angle (A) between 7a and 29, 29a) is greater than or equal to 60 degrees and less than or equal to 100 degrees. (8) The electrical cable according to claim 7, wherein said included angle (A) is approximately 60 degrees. (9) Said web (24, 24a and 26, 26a)
2. The electrical cable of claim 1, wherein said tubular portion normally maintains said tubular portion in said first position.