MXPA97005857A - Molded cable, template to make it and metodopara your factory - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a molded cable, characterized in that it comprises a plurality of conductors forming said cable, said conductors being placed in separate relation to each other, and a plastic-type molding compound molded in a band around said conductor.

Description

MOLDED CABLE, TEMPLATE PORO MAKE IT AND METHOD FOR ITS MANUFACTURE FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention is directed to a molded cable, a method for its manufacture and a template for use in the method of manufacturing the molded cable.

ANTECEDENT TECHNIQUE Electrical cables are found in a variety of shapes, types of conductors, number of conductors, insulation, and configurations. The electric cables can be as simple as an individual conductor with a simple insulator on the outside of the conductor, or they can be very complex having multiple conductors of different sizes and different types with terminations that go or with exit points along the length. The cable may also have several termination devices at the ends of the conductors or may remain unarmed, depending on the particular application. Electrical cables of some kind are used practically in any device that incorporates any electronic or electronic devices. It is required that the cable is tied in the electricity supply to the electronics and that it sends and transfers electronic signals to another electronic device, to gauges, meters, lights or other visual indicators, to allow communication between the devices and coordination of activities. At any time that any type of signal or electronic current must be sent or must be transferred from one device to another, electric cables are usually used. Typically, when multiple signals or currents are being transmitted between the devices in most modern machines or machines, a custom wire is made that has multiple conductors and multiple terminations. Custom-made electrical cables are used in automobiles, trucks, airplanes, jet planes, rockets, other types of military equipment, computers, televisions, some telephones, telephones, and virtually any other imaginable device that employs any type of electronics . In the past, electrical cables have been made by several different configurations and methods. Typically, multiple conductors are found within a shield or cover. The protection can be wrapped or molded by several different types of methods known in the art. The molding techniques result in a cable having multiple conductors surrounded by some kind of compound "molding. The cable can be in one of several different configurations. The cable can be a flat ribbon, or round in most common configurations. The multiple conductors may run parallel to each other or may be wrapped around each other in some kind of woven pattern, depending on the particular application and the types of conductors. In one example of the prior art, the electrical conductors are woven in a particular pattern, so that the primary signal wire has non-signal wrapped wires wrapped around it. This provides protection from the interference of other signals. The wires without signal can be conductors carrying current or ground conductors. The woven wires are then surrounded by an insulating material in many cases. Particular applications that have cable made to the media often have conductors that enter and exit the cable in different locations, each having some kind of termination device. These types of cables are often prepared in some kind of support designed specifically for the particular application. The wires are installed individually or in particular groups along the support. Each wire or group is added to the cable at particular locations leaving a sufficient length extending from the cable to a termination device and to allow the termination device to connect to an electrical device. Once all the wires are in place, the cable is wrapped with an insulating material or subjected to a molding process where the cable is coated in the insulating material. The insulating material in the last completely completely fills all gaps between the wire and completely surrounds the wires forming an outer insulating material around the cable. The cable of the prior art has several disadvantages. Once multiple drivers are included within a cable, it is very difficult to make a repair for an individual driver. Typically, the insulating material extruded from the cable has to be removed over a significant length to locate the problem and must be removed completely from one end to the other and the conductor has to be replaced. If the conductors are included in any kind of woven pattern, an individual conductor can not typically be removed or repaired. If the driver is included in any type of molded protection, it may be impossible to remove or repair an individual conductor without destroying the integrity of the cable. Another disadvantage is the weight of the insulating material used to make the cable. The weight of the insulating material in some cases can actually exceed the weight of the conductors in the cable. Some applications where electrical cable is used can be very critical. This is particularly true in cases where the apparatus where the cable is used has some kind of movement or locomotion, such as in automobiles, aircraft, spacecraft, and other military and non-military applications to name a few. The patent of E.U.fi. No. 5,331,115, Ysbrand describes a molded cable and a production method that overcomes the disadvantages noted above. In this patent, a molded woven cable is produced using injection molding techniques. That is, a plurality of wires or conductors are placed in a mold followed by an injection molding step that forms a wiring around the conductors and the molded cable. One of the disadvantages associated with this method is that the conductors or cables used during injection molding can be adversely affected by the injection molding step. As such, a need has been developed to provide an improved molding technique for making these types of molded cables. In response to this need, the present invention, in one aspect thereof, provides a new and improved molding method using a template that can be subsequently removed for the insertion of the desired conductors. In another aspect, the present invention provides an improved cabling structure for the molded cable.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a molded cable and a production method that is adapted to produce an electrical cable that overcomes several disadvantages of the prior art. Another object of the present invention is to provide a molded cable that is constructed to provide a cable where the overall weight of the cable is significantly reduced compared to similar cables known in the art today. Another object of the present invention is to provide a molded cable where a single conductor of the cable can be removed, repaired or replaced without compromising the integrity of the entire cable. Still another object of the present invention is to provide a molded cable having a greater degree of flexibility. Still another object of the present invention is to provide an improved method for making the molded cable using a jig. Another object of the present invention is to provide a molded cable that uses a diamond shaped bantja as the cable wiring. Other objects and disadvantages of the present invention will become apparent as the description thereof proceeds. In satisfaction of the above objects and advantages, the present invention comprises a molded cable having a plurality of conductors forming the cable, the conductors being connected in spaced relation to each other. The conductors are surrounded by * a plastic molding compound molded in a band. Alternatively, the band may be made with a series of channels therethrough to receive the conductors after the band has been manufactured. The band preferably comprises opposite end portions and side portions with a band portion extending therebetween. The band portion further comprises a plurality of threads, the threads extending between the opposite end portions and intersecting each other to form diamond-shaped openings. At each intersection of a pair of wires there is a channel that allows the passage of at least one conductor through them. In another aspect of the invention, a method for forming the molded cabl includes the steps of providing a template that simulates a plurality of conductors, providing a mold having molding surfaces to receive the template and forming a web pattern. A molding compound is applied to the mold to form a molded cable wiring that surrounds the template. The template can then be removed from the molded cable wiring, the removal of the template leaving a series of channels aligned longitudinally on the band for the insertion of the conductor. The jig is preferably made from a material that does not adhere to the molding compound when the cable cabling is molded, such as polyurethane or silicon from wiring that varies.

In still another aspect of the invention, a template for use in the manufacture of molded cables of the invention is described. The jig comprises a plurality of threads, each thread having a specific length and diameter. A wire connector is also provided which is fixed, preferably transversely to the longitudinal orientation of the wires. In one embodiment, the wire connector is molded to the wires so as to surround them, the wire connector being disposed near one end of the wires. In use, the template is placed in the mold before molding the cable wiring. The cable wiring is molded around it. Once the cable wiring has been cured and the mold cooled to room temperature, the wiring / cable template is removed from the mold and the template is removed from the hollow tunnels to receive the desired conductors. In order to achieve these and other objects of this invention, molded cable and a production method and more particularly a cable for electrical conductors are provided wherein a plastic type material is molded in place around the individual conductors. The objects and other objects mentioned above and features of the present invention will be better understood and appreciated from the detailed description of the main embodiment thereof, selected for the purposes of illustration and shown in the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Reference is now made to the drawings of the invention wherein: Figure 1 is a top view of a molded cable showing a plurality of conductors with conductors emerging from the cable at different locations. Figure 2 is a bottom view of the beginning of the molded cable. Figure 3 is a sectional view of the molded cable. Figure 4 is a representation of a mold holding a molded cable. Figure 5 is an illustration of a mold used to produce a molded cable of this invention. Figure S is a perspective view of another embodiment of the invention showing a molded cable using a band leg. Figures 7 to 9 are cross-sectional views along the lines VTI-VII, VIII-VITI and TX-TX of Figure 6. Figure 10 is a top view of an exemplary template of the invention. Figure 11 is a top view of another embodiment of the molded cable using a band pattern.

Figure 12 is a perspective view of a molded cable portion of the enlarged figure 6 for more details.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED MODALITIES Referring now to the drawings, FIGS. 1 to 3, there is shown a preferred embodiment that shows the main features for the molded cable of the present invention. The molded cable 10 of this invention generally consists of a plurality of conductors 12 maintained in a separate relationship by a woven plastic composite 28. The preferred embodiment and the best contemplated mode of the molded cable and a method of production of the present invention. However, it should be understood that the best mode for carrying out the invention described hereinafter is offered by way of illustration and not by way of limitation. It is desired that the scope of the invention include all modifications that incorporate its main design features. There may be as little as three conductors up to an almost unlimited number of conductors included in the molded woven cable 10 of this invention. In general, the more conductors are included, the more complex the woven pattern becomes, especially if more than one layer is required. The conductors 12 can generally be referred to as a first conductor 14, second conductor 16, and thus continuing to a last conductor 18. The conductors 12 are held in a spaced-apart relationship by the plastic type compound 24 interlaced with the conductors 12 in a woven pattern 30. Preferably, the plastic type compound 24 is a molding compound that can be used in the molten state or can be a two-part compound such as polyurethane with a curing agent. For descriptive purposes, the woven pattern 30 of the plastic type composite is described as a narrow strip 28 of the plastic type composite 24. However, in the preferred embodiment, the narrow strips 28 are actually formed by a molding compound injected into a mold forming the woven pattern 30 along the entire length almost simultaneously First, the plastic type compound 24 forms a starter base around the conductors 12 near the start end 20 of the molded woven cable 10. This ensures that all the ends 20 of the conductors 12 are in a separate relationship. The narrow strip 28 is then woven on the first conductor 14, ba or the second conductor 16, on the third conductor and continuing in this woven pattern until the last conductor 18. The narrow strip 28 is then woven around the last conductor 18 and woven once again on the conductors 12 in the opposite way to the first conductor 14 which weaves the conductors together and secures them in a separate relationship. The knitted pattern is repeated to an end position 32. The narrow strip 28 then forms a final base 34 around the conductors 12 which end near the end position 32. The starting base 26 and the final base 34 ensure all the conductors together to keep the relationship separated from each other at the beginning and end of the molded cable 10. Without bases 26 and 34, the conductors 12 would be free to move laterally downwardly to the first woven strip of the plastic composite. This would result in a weakening of the molded cable structure in these locations. There are actually non-limited configurations that can be made using the molded cable 10 of this invention and then the production method. As illustrated in Figures 1 and 4, there is an individual start 20 and three separate end locations 22. The exact configuration of the cable, the number and location of the beginnings and endings, and the type of terminations are determined by the particular application. The description and illustrations should not limit the scope and application of this invention. There can be multiple inputs and multiple outputs in any given application. In addition, there may be multiple cables all configured differently in one device. Significant advantages are achieved by the molded cable 10 of this invention. This includes greater flexibility, weight reduction, and repair of conductors within the cable, to name a few of the most obvious. Because drivers are not insured and fully insured within a protection, either wrapped or molded, drivers have the freedom to move. The conductors 12 can slide between the narrow strip 28 within the woven pattern 30. This allows the cable a greater amount of flexibility than another type of cable known in the art. Because the plastic type material covers only about half of the outer surfaces of the conductors 12 and the gap areas between the conductors are not filled, only about half or less of material is needed. Since only half of the material is used, the weight is significantly reduced. The repair of the conductors 12 within the molded cable 10 is possible. This is due to the fact that the conductors 12 within the cable 10 are free to slide within the woven pattern 30 and approximately half of the outer surface can be observed. of the drivers 12. Therefore, you can observe and have access to the problem area promptly. An individual conductor, or more, can be pulled from the woven pattern 30 and replaced once more in the fabric without destroying the integrity of the cable. This is typically not possible in the cable currently known in the art. Typically, in the current technique, protection has to be removed or divided in order to observe and have access to a driver contained within it. Therefore, in most cases, the total cable is replaced instead of repaired. As indicated above, the plastic type compound 24 is a molding compound in the preferred embodiment. As shown in Figure 4, the woven pattern 30, in the preferred embodiment, is formed by a molding process, although other suitable molding methods can be used. A primary injection port is represented by the reference numeral 36. The molding compound is injected into the primary injection port 36 and flows through an injection channel 38 to the individual injection ports 40. In the preferred embodiment as shown, each individual injection port 40 forms 2 narrow strips 28 of the plastic type composite. In the design, all individual injection ports 40, must inject the molding compound into the woven pattern 30 at the same time. Therefore, all narrow strips 28 should be formed approximately at the same time. The excess molding compound exits through the outlet ports 42 on the opposite side of the molded cable 10 from the individual injection ports 40. The molded cable 10 must not be complete unless there is an excess output of the molded cable. all output ports 42. This ensures that all narrow strips 28 are fully formed before removing the mold 50.

The first step in the production of the molded cable 10 of this invention is to create the mold 50, illustrated in Figure 5. The mold 50 can be produced by any of the various methods known in the art. The mold 50 will have slots 52, a woven pattern 30, injection ports 40 and exit ports 42. The slots 52 correspond to the size, number and desired configuration of the conductors 12 and the final cable 10 to be produced. The mold 50 will also have a primary injection port 36 for receiving the molding compound. In the preferred embodiment, there will be a primary injection port 36 which leads to an injection channel 38. The individual injection ports 40 from the injection channel 38 will feed the woven pattern 30 at various points along the length. Typically, the points will correspond to each other fabric of the woven cloth. There will also be a cutting area 44 for the starting base 26 and cutting area 46 for the final base 34. Once the molds are complete, the next step should be to install the conductors 12 in the slots 52 and complete the assembly the molds 52 with the conductors 12 having ready the assembly for the injection of the molding compound. The molding compound will then be injected into the primary injection port 35 using any of the injection procedures known in the art. The molding compound will flow through the injection channel 38 into the individual injection ports 40 and the woven pattern 30. Once the woven pattern 30 is completely filled, the excess molding compound would exit the 42 exit ports. , depending on the particular molding compound, a cure cycle may be initiated to allow the molding compound to be properly adjusted and hardened. Once the mold 50 is properly cured, it can be removed by leaving a molded wire 10. The excess and any reinforcement should be cleaned to provide the finished and finished product. With reference to Figure 6, another mode of the molded cable of the invention is usually designated by reference numeral 60 and includes a cable wiring that can house one or more conductors as will be described hereinafter. The cable wiring 61 has opposite outer portions 61 having opposed end portions 53 and opposite side portions 65. A band portion 67 is disposed within the periphery formed by the end and side portions. The wiring 61 may also have ap > end? ce 71 q? e facilitates the molding of the wiring for a given application. Other appendage configurations may be used depending on the desired end use, the appendages being placed anywhere in the wiring. With reference to Figures 5 to 9, the end portions 63 of the wiring include separate channels 73 that are sized to receive one or more wire conductors in each channel. Referring now to Figures 6 and 12, the band portion 67 is made of a series of wires 75 that extend into the periphery of the wiring 61. Each wire 75 extends between a p > extreme orc and a side portion. The wires 75 are at an angle with respect to each and the end and side portions 63 and 65 to form diamond-shaped openings 77. Along with the formation of the diamond-shaped openings 77, the wires 75 form intersecting portions. as designated by reference numeral 79. In each of these intersecting portions there is a channel 31 which is formed during the molding process and is made to size to receive the wire conductors for the finished molded cable. Because of the angular formation of the yarns 75 to form the diamond-shaped openings 77, each yarn comprises a short segment 83 between the adjacent intersecting portions 79 or one of the end or side portions of the wiring 61. The views in FIG. cross section of the wiring of the invention in Figures 7 to 9 show the relationship between the segments 83, channels 81 and intersecting portions 79. Within the scope of the present invention, openings 77 may have other configurations instead of diamond shapes, eg, oval, square or the like. The channels 81 in the intersecting portions 79 and the channels 73 in the end portion 63 are aligned to provide longitudinal passages 85 through the wiring 61 for one or more wire conductors. As described above, the cable wiring 61 can be fabricated with the wire conductors already in the passages 85 or, alternatively, as will be described in more detail hereinafter, fabricated with a template followed by the removal of the template and insertion of the wire conductor. Figure 11 illustrates an alternative configuration of the molded cable designated as reference number 60 '. This configuration shows that different configurations or types of the end portions 63 'or appendices 71' can be used with the molded cable of the invention depending on the desired end use. The molded cable 60 'shown in Figure 11 is also an example of the configuration of the mold surface used during the manufacture of the molded cable. That is, the mold surface follows a generally circular path to form the molded cable 60 '. When the molded cable 60 is manufactured with the conductors in s? Instead, the molding process can be followed to make the woven rope described above. That is, the molded cable 60 is formed with the conductors in place. Alternatively, the cable cabling 61 can be fabricated using a jig as shown in FIG. 10. In this method, the cable cabling 61 is first formed by molding with the jig. The template can then be removed and replaced with the desired number of conductors to form the molded cable. With reference to Figure 10, a template example is generally designated by the reference numeral 100 and includes a plurality of template yarns 101. The yarns of the template are longitudinally aligned and joined by a yarn connector 103. Wire connector 103 is preferably injection molded directly to the threads of the template 101 when the template is manufactured. The template 100 is preferably molded from a molding compound such as a plastic, for example polyurethane of different hardness, or a silicon of different hardness. Alternatively, the template 100 may be a metallic material such as stainless steel with the wire connector being metallic or non-metallic and fixed using conventional means. Likewise, the wire connector can be metallic and the wires being non-metallic. The wire connector 103 may include recesses 105 therein that facilitate the placement of the template when it is used to form the cable wiring 61. It should be understood that the wire connector 103 may assume any shape or configuration and be located at any point. along the lengths of the thread. As shown in Figure 10, the yarns may increase successively in length, so that when the stencil 100 is used on a mold as illustrated in Figure 11, the ends 107 of the stencil yarn will end up being difficult to align with. an end portion of the molded cable 60 '. The LOO template is preferably injection molded and can be molded so that the wires are longitudinally aligned or, alternatively, formed in a circle similar to the configuration shown in Figure 11. In a method for forming the cable wiring 61, it is first place a template 100 in the mold. Preferably, the mold comprises two mold halves with the template arranged in a microwane mold half. The other half of the mold is placed in the same, the two halves held together and injection molded with a molding compound such as polyurethane. After filling the mold, the mold is placed in a high temperature oven to cure. After curing and cooling the mole at ambient temperatures, the mold opens and the combination of the cable wiring and the template is removed. The template is then removed from the cable wiring, this removal step leaving tunnels or hollow channels in the band portion 67 of the wiring 61, see figure 12. The desired electrical conductors are then inserted into the hollow channels to create the molded cable comprising cable wiring and electrical conductors. With the electrical conductors in the wiring, the wires are kept in the zero voltage position and have not been exposed to any high temperature since the jig has been used during the mold curing step. In this way, the wires have an extensive life. In addition, as described above, each and every wire can be completely replaced by removing the cable wiring followed by the replacement of another wire or wires. During the molding process, if necessary, a starting compound can be used to ensure separation of the template from the cable wiring once the product has been removed from the mold. It should also be understood that the web pattern formed in the molding process may have different cross-sectional shapes for the threads thereof. For example, the threads can be oval, circular or square shaped or rectangular as shown in Figure 12. The dimensions of the band pattern can also be altered depending on the desired end use and the type of conductors used. in the molded cable. For example, large diameter conductors would require enough band dimensions to form the channels to receive the conductors. Also, small diameter conductors can be accommodated with smaller dimension bands. In addition, any number of conductors can be used with the molding cord of the invention and manufacturing method. The z >; z > The template can also accommodate any number of wires to match the desired number of drivers for a given application. The embodiment illustrated in Figures 6 to 12 may incorporate any feature described above for Figures 1 to 5. As such, an invention has been described in terms of the preferred embodiments thereof that comply with each and every object of the present invention. as set forth above and will provide new and improved molded cable, method for manufacturing and template for use with the method of the invention. Of course, various changes, modifications and alterations can be contemplated from the teachings of the present invention by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and desired scope of the same. Accordingly, it is desired that the present invention be limited only by the terms of the appended claims.

Claims (26)

NOVELTY OF THE INVENTION CLAIMS

1. - A molded cable comprising a plurality of conductors forming said cable, said conductors being placed in spaced relation to each other; and a plastic type molding compound in a band around said conductors.

2. The molded cable according to claim 1, further characterized in that said molding compound is silicone.

3. The molded cable according to claim 1, further characterized in that said molding compound is polyurethane.

4. The molded cable according to claim 1, further characterized in that said band comprises a) opposite end portions; b) opposite side portions; and c) a band portion extending between said opposite end and side portions and around said conductors.

5. The molded cable according to claim 4, further characterized in that said opposite end portion has holes therethrough for passage of at least one of said conductors.

6. The molded cable according to claim 4, further characterized in that said band portion comprises a plurality of yarns, said yarns extending between said opposite end and side portions and intersecting between ei to form openings, each intersection of a pair of said wires including a peer-to-through channel of at least one of said conductors therethrough.

7. The molded cable according to claim 4, further characterized in that said plastic type molding compound is a silicone or polyuret no.

8. A template for use in the manufacture of molded cables comprising: a) a plurality of threads of the template, each thread of the template having a specific length and diameter; b)? a fixed wire connector a and transversely surrounding said plurality of threads of the template, said thread connector disposed near one end of the plurality of threads of the template; and e) wherein said plurality of yarns of the insole and said yarn connector are made from a metallic or non-metallic material.

9. ~ The template in accordance with the claim 8, further characterized in that said plurality of yarns of the template increases in length across a width of said yarn connector.

10. The template according to claim 8, further characterized in that said thread connector includes means for coupling said mold to make said thread. molded cables.

11. The template according to claim 10, further characterized in that said means for coupling comprise at least one gap in said wire connector to receive a protrusion of said mold.

12. The template according to claim 8, further characterized in that it is made from a metallic material.

13. A method for forming a molded cable comprising: a) providing a template that simulates a plurality of conductors; b) providing a mold having a first molding surface for receiving said jig and a second molding surface to form a web pattern with said first molding surface; and c) applying a compound to said mold to form a molded cable wiring surrounding said template; d) wherein said template can be removed from said molded cable wiring and replaced with a plurality of conductors to form said molded cable.

14. The method according to claim 13, further characterized in that said step to provide the template comprises providing a template q? E has a) a plurality of halos of the template, each thread of the template having a length and specific diameter; b) a molded wire connector for said plurality of yarns of the template, said yarn connector arranged near one end of the plurality of yarn of the template; and c) wherein said plurality of yarns of the insole and said yarn connector are made from a metallic or non-metallic aterial. 15.- The method according to the claim 12, further characterized in that said application step comprises injection molding. 16. The method according to the claim 13, further characterized in that said jig is removed from said wiring to form longitudinally aligned channels in said molded cable wiring to receive said conductors. 17. The method according to claim 16, further characterized in that the conductors are inserted in said channels to form said molded cable. 18. A molded cable wiring comprising a band having opposite end portions, opposite side portions and a band portion extending between said opposite side portions and opposite ends, said band portions having a plurality of longitudinally aligned channels through them to receive the conductors, said band made of a plastic type molding compound. 19. The molded cable according to claim 18, further characterized in that said opposite end portion has holes therethrough for passage of at least one of said conductors. 20. The molded cable according to claim 18, further characterized in that said plastic type molding compound is a silicone or polyurethane. 21. The molded cable wiring according to claim 18, further characterized in that it comprises a template, a portion of said template arranged in said longitudinally aligned channels. 22. The molded cable wiring according to claim 21, further characterized in that said jig comprises: a) a plurality of threads of the jig, each jig of the jig having a specific length and diameter; b) a molded wire connector for said plurality of threads of the template, said wire connector arranged near the end of the plurality of threads of the template; and e) wherein said plurality of yarns of the insole and said yarn connector are made from a metallic or non-metallic material and wherein each yarn of the insole is in a respective channel of said longitudinally aligned channels. 23. A method for the production of a molded cable comprising the steps of: creating a mold having grooves corresponding to a plurality of conductors in a predetermined configuration, and having a band pattern perpendicular to said grooves, and having a plurality of injection ports for injection of a molding compound in said band pattern, installing a plurality of conductors in said slots in said mold, said conductors being a first conductor, second conductor and continuing until a last conductor, by injecting molding compound into said injection ports so that said molding compound flows in said strip pattern in said mold, allowing the proper cure of said molding compound, and removing said molding compound and combination of conductors of said mold. 24.- The method of compliance with the claim 23, further characterized in that said band pattern provides diamond-shaped openings between the threads q and intersect, the intersection of said threads occurring where a portion of said band pattern surrounds said conductor. 25. The template according to claim 8, further characterized in that it is made of a metallic material. 26. The molded cable wiring according to claim 22, further characterized in that said metallic material is stainless steel and said metallic material is silicone or polyurethane.