Electricity: conductors and insulators – Conduits – cables or conductors – Insulated
Reexamination Certificate
2001-08-10
2003-08-26
Mayo, III, William H (Department: 2831)
Electricity: conductors and insulators
Conduits, cables or conductors
Insulated
C174S036000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06610932
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The instant invention relates generally to precluding fluid wicking within an interior of a cable and, in particular, to precluding fluid wicking within an interior of a cable connected at one end to a sensor strategically deployed on assets including machinery to be monitored and operatively coupled at an opposing end to a processing unit.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A wide variety of applications in the industry of monitoring plant assets including machinery require an internal mounting arrangement of at least one transducer or sensor. For example, a mounting bracket may be used to strategically mount the transducer within a machine case and route a cable associated with the transducer out of the machine case. The routing of the cable through the machine case is usually through an adapter which includes some type of rubber grommet. The rubber grommet functions as, inter alia, a means for preventing fluid leakage through the case via an outer surface of the cable.
A junction box is typically mounted on or near the exterior of the machine case and encloses the electrical connections between the transducer cable and an extension cable that is used to route the output of the transducer to a processing unit.
As noted, the rubber grommet adequately prevents fluid from exiting through the machine case via the outer surface of the cable.
However, a long felt problem in the industry still exists in that the fluid permeates through cuts and cracks in an outer jacket of the cable and is wicked up by the interior and particularly the underlying braiding of the cable and is thus allowed to flow into the junction box and/or onto a plant floor. This not only causes a safety hazard, but an environmental hazard as well. Consequently, the junction box must be periodically drained of fluid and/or the plant floor cleaned.
Furthermore, fluid may penetrate to the interior of the cable by way of a transition area between the transducer and one end of the cable. Moreover, the transducer itself may become damaged and allow fluid ingression to be wicked up by the braiding of the cable such that fluid is drawn from within the interior of the machine case to an outside environment.
A need therefore exists for providing a cable which precludes fluid wicking within the interior of the cable such that the fluid is not drawn from within an interior of an asset including machinery being monitored to an outside environment. In addition, there is a need for a cable which precludes fluid wicking while remaining flexible so that it can be easily routed through machinery and conduit. Furthermore, there is a need for a cable which precludes fluid wicking while retaining its original ability to be readily electrically connectable to a transducer or sensor on at least one end.
The following prior art reflects the state of the art of which applicant is aware and is included herewith to discharge applicant's acknowledged duty to disclose relevant prior art. It is stipulated, however, that none of these references teach singly nor render obvious when considered in any conceivable combination the nexus of the instant invention as disclosed in greater detail hereinafter and as particularly claimed.
PATENT NO.
ISSUE DATE
INVENTOR
252,249
Jan. 10, 1882
Philips
1,769,524
Jul. 1, 1930
Maple
2,782,248
Feb. 19, 1957
Clark
3,180,926
Apr. 27, 1965
Trill
3,532,575
Oct. 6, 1970
Nagata, et al.
3,639,201
Feb. 1, 1972
Humphries
3,739,073
Jun. 12, 1973
Schneider, et al.
3,789,099
Jan. 29, 1974
Garrett, et al.
3,836,695
Sep. 17, 1974
Strecker, et al.
3,885,380
May 27, 1975
Hacker
4,177,097
Dec. 4, 1979
Hudson, Jr., et al.
4,227,043
Oct. 7, 1980
Stö{umlaut over (h)}{umlaut over (r)}, et al.
4,317,002
Feb. 23, 1982
Spicer
4,385,203
May 24, 1983
Faranetta, et al.
4,599,487
Jul. 8, 1986
Blank, et al.
4,746,281
May 24, 1988
Laugs, et al.
4,845,309
Jul. 4, 1989
Vincent, et al.
5,041,950
Aug. 20, 1991
Tyson
5,072,073
Dec. 10, 1991
Becker, et al.
5,151,143
Sep. 29, 1992
Downie
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The instant invention is distinguished over the known prior art in a multiplicity of ways. For one thing, the instant invention provides a communication cable which includes multiple degrees of control of fluid wicking propensity within an interior of the cable such that fluid is prevented from being drawn from within an interior of an asset such as a machine being monitored to an outside environment. In addition, the instant invention provides a communication cable for precluding fluid wicking which substantially retains its original flexibility after being impregnated with a sealing composition thereby allowing the communication cable of the instant invention to make sharp angle bends and be easily routed through machinery and conduit. Furthermore, the instant invention provides a communication cable which is impregnated with a sealing composition such that it retains its original ability to be readily electrically connectable to a transducer or sensor on at least one end.
In one embodiment of the instant invention, the communication cable is in a form of a triaxial cable. The triaxial cable includes a central strata, a penultimate strata and an ultimate strata concentrically disposed. The central strata includes a central signal transmission medium separated from the penultimate strata by a central insulator or dielectric. The penultimate strata includes a braided conductor circumscribing the dielectric and an inner jacket surrounding the braided conductor thereby forming a coaxial assembly. The ultimate strata includes a braided sheath surrounding the inner jacket and an outer jacket circumscribing the braided sheath thereby forming the triaxial cable.
The penultimate strata further includes at least one axially and radially extending zone of sealing composition or sealant which is disposed within the braided conductor and bonded to an etched exterior surface of the central dielectric. The sealant also bonds to an interior surface of the inner jacket. The ultimate strata includes axially and radially extending zone of sealing composition disposed within the braided sheath and bonded to an etched exterior surface of the inner jacket.
In one embodiment, the communication cable may be manufactured in the form of the triaxial cable which is multiple meters in length. The manufacturing process may include the step of providing the central signal transmission medium or a central conductor which longitudinally extends from a first end to a second end and covering or extruding the dielectric over the central conductor. Next, the exterior surface of the dielectric is etched, by preferable running it through a chemical liquid etching bath.
The next step is to draw or wrap the braided conductor over the etched exterior surface of the dielectric wherein the braided conductor is formed from a plurality of braided wire strands including interstices defined by spaces interposed between the wire strands forming the braided conductor.
The next step is to form a plurality of zones of sealing composition intermittently disposed along the axial length of the braided conductor. The zones are formed by intermittently extruding sealing composition through a die and under pressure for forcing the uncured sealing composition through the braided wire strands and into contact with the exterior surface of the dielectric wherein the sealing composition bonds therewith for filling in areas of tangency between the dielectric and the braided conductor at spaced apart intervals. In addition, the intermittently extruded sealing composition covers an exterior of the braided conductor and fills in the interstices defined by the spaces interposed between the wire strands of the braided conductor at spaced apart intervals. Thus, the communication cable is preferably formed to include a plurality of axial lengths of braided conductor which are substantially void of sealing composition and a plurality axial lengths of the braided conductor which are ensconced with the sealing composition. Thus, the step of alternating between an axial length of the bra
Eldridge Thomas
Evans Robert Scott
Van Den Berg David C.
Bently Neveda, LLC
DeBoo Dennis A.
Mayo, III William H
LandOfFree
Cable and method for precluding fluid wicking does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Cable and method for precluding fluid wicking, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Cable and method for precluding fluid wicking will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3076499