Flat power-distribution cable

Claim 2

A cable for distributing electrical power, comprising: a plurality of conductor assemblies extending in a longitudinal direction, each said assembly including a thin flat conductive strip extending in said longitudinal direction, a first pliable insulative strip immediately and nonadheringly overlying said conductive strip and having a plurality of edge regions extending outwardly beyond the edges of said conductive strip in a direction transverse to said longitudinal direction, and a second flat pliable insulative strip immediately and nonadheringly underlying said conductive strip and having a plurality of edge regions bonded only to corresponding ones of said first-named edge regions so as to allow said conductive strip to move in said longitudinal direction relative to each of said insulative stripS; and restraining means holding said conductor assemblies one on top of another so as to prevent substantial relative movement thereamong in said transverse direction while permitting relative movement thereamong in a direction perpendicular to said transverse direction.

Claim 3

A cable according to claim 1 wherein said edge regions of said second insulative strip of each assembly extend outwardly beyond the edges of said conductive strip in said transverse direction, said conductor and said strips of each assembly defining a pair of interior, substantially triangular spaces enclosed by the edges of said conductor and the bonded edge regions of said strips, each said space having one relative small acute angle and two relatively large angles.

Claim 4

A cable according to claim 2 wherein said restraining means comprises a plurality of binding means disposed at spaced locations along said longitudinal direction for preventing, at said locations, substantial relative movement among said strips in a direction perpendicular to both said longitudinal and said transverse directions, and for permitting relative movement in said perpendicular direction at other than said locations upon flexure of said cable assembly.

Claim 5

A cable according to claim 2 wherein the aspect ratio of each of said conductors is greater than about 25:1.

Claim 6

A cable according to claim 4 wherein the thickness of each of said conductors is less than approximately 30 mils.

Claim 7

A cable according to claim 5 wherein the thickness of each of said conductors is less than or equal to approximately 12 mils and the width of at least one of said conductors is equal to or greater than approximately 1000 mils.

Claim 8

A flat cable for distributing electrical power, comprising: first and second lengthwise electrical conductors, each of said conductors being of a substantially rectangular cross section and having a width substantially exceeding a thickness thereof; insulating means having a plurality of pliable insulating layers immediately adjacent and slidably encasing each of said conductors so as to permit lengthwise relative motion between said conductors and said layers, each of said layers having a width exceeding the width of said conductors associated therewith, at least two of said layers encasing each conductor being edge-bonded to each other; and means supporting said first conductor on top of said second conductor so as to restrain relative movement therebetween in the direction of said conductor width while permitting relative movement therebetween in a direction perpendicular to said conductor width.

Claim 9

A flat cable for distributing electrical power, comprising: first and second lengthwise electrical conductors, each of said conductors being of a substantially rectangular cross section and having a width substantially exceeding a thickness thereof; insulating means having a plurality of pliable insulating layers immediately adjacent and slidably encasing each of said conductors so as to permit lengthwise relative motion between said conductors and said layers, each of said layers having a width exceeding the width of said conductors associated therewith, at least two of said layers encasing each conductor being edge-bonded to each other; and means supporting said first conductor on top of said second conductor so as to restrain relative movement therebetween in the direction of said conductor width while permitting relative movement therebetween in a direction perpendicular to said conductor width.

Claim 10

A cable according to claim 7 wherein said conductors are slidably encased by said insulating layers, said conductors and said layers defining a plurality of substantially triangular spaces, each said space having one relatively small acute angle and two relatively large angles.

Claim 11

A cable according to claim 8 wherein said insulating means comprises a first pair of mutually edge-bonded insulating layers encasing said first conductor and a second pair of mutually edge-bonded insulating layers encasing said second conductor.

Claim 12

A cable according to claim 9 wherein said supporting means encircles said conductors and both of said pairs of layers.

Claim 13

A cable according to claim 10 wherein said supporting means comprises a lengthwise pliable insulative sheath loosely encasing said layers and said conductors so as to permit lengthwise relative movement between said layers and said sheath.

Claim 14

A cable according to claim 10 wherein said supporting means comprises a plurality of spaced insulative binding means, each of said binding means bonded to a plurality of said layers so as to restrict lengthwise relative movement between said layers and said binding means at the locations of said binding means, but so as to permit relative movement between said locations.

Claim 15

A cable according to claim 9 further comprising: a third lengthwise elEctrical conductor, said third conductor being of a substantially rectangular cross section and having a width substantially exceeding a thickness thereof; a third pair of mutually edge-bonded insulative layers encasing said third conductor; and wherein said supporting means is constructed and arranged for holding said third conductor beside said first conductor so as to permit relative movement between said second and said third conductors in a direction perpendicular to that of said conductor widths.

Claim 16

A cable according to claim 13 further comprising: a fourth lengthwise electrical conductor, said fourth conductor being of a substantially rectangular cross section and having a width substantially exceeding a thickness thereof; a fourth pair of mutually edge-bonded insulative layers encasing said third conductor; and wherein said supporting means is constructed and arranged for holding said fourth conductor beside said second conductor so as to permit relative movement between said third and said fourth conductors in a direction perpendicular to said conductor widths.

Claim 17

A cable distributing electrical power, comprising: a plurality of conductor assemblies extending in a longitudinal direction, each said assembly including a thin flat conductive strip extending in said longitudinal direction, a first pliable insulative strip immediately and nonadheringly overlying said conductive strip and having a plurality of edge regions extending outwardly beyond the edges of said conductive strip in a direction transverse to said longitudinal direction, and a second flat pliable insulative strip immediately and nonadheringly underlying said conductive strip and having a plurality of edge regions extending outwardly beyond the edges of said conductive strip in said transverse direction and bonded to corresponding ones of said first-named edge regions so as to allow said conductive strip to move in said longitudinal direction relative to each of said insulative strips, said conductor and said strips of each assembly defining a pair of interior, substantially triangular spaces enclosed by the edges of said conductor and the bonded edge regions of said strips, each said space having one relatively small acute angle and two relatively large angles; and restraining means comprising an insulative casing loosely disposed about said assemblies for holding said conductor assemblies one on top of another so as to permit relative movement thereamong in said longitudinal direction while preventing substantial relative movement thereamong in said transverse direction and in the direction perpendicular to both said longitudinal and said transverse directions.

Claim 18

A cable distributing electrical power, comprising: a plurality of conductor assemblies extending in a longitudinal direction, each said assembly including a thin flat conductive strip extending in said longitudinal direction, a first pliable insulative strip immediately and nonadheringly overlying said conductive strip and having a plurality of edge regions extending outwardly beyond the edges of said conductive strip in a direction transverse to said longitudinal direction, and a second flat pliable insulative strip immediately and nonadheringly underlying said conductive strip and having a plurality of edge regions extending outwardly beyond the edges of said conductive strip in said transverse direction and bonded to corresponding ones of said first-named edge regions so as to allow said conductive strip to move in said longitudinal direction relative to each of said insulative strips, said conductor and said strips of each assembly defining a pair of interior, substantially triangular spaces enclosed by the edges of said conductor and the bonded edge regions of said strips, each said space having one relatively small acute angle and two relatively large angles; and restraining means comprising an insulative casing loosely disposed about said assemblies for holding said conductor assemblies one on top of another so as to permit relative movement thereamong in said longitudinal direction while preventing substantial relative movement thereamong in said transverse direction and in the direction perpendicular to both said longitudinal and said transverse directions.