Hinge-line multilayer cable and method

Claim 1

A woven electrical transmission cable having a plurality of electrical conductors for programmed termination in either a single layer or multilayer configuration, comprising: (a) a plurality of woven longitudinal hinged cable sections which include longitudinal electrical conductors extending in a warp direction woven with warp and weft yarns in a prescribed weave pattern; (b) a hinge-line woven between each of said woven sections about which adjacent woven sections may be folded generally flat upon each other in a superposed position to form a stacked multilayer cable; and (c) a plurality of conductor branches broken out from said woven sections at successive selected lengths of said cable in which said longitudinal conductors are unbound with said warp and weft yarns for making programmed termination, and said warp and weft yarns continuing to be woven in the other of said woven sections at successive selected lengths of said cable.

Claim 9

A method of constructing a woven electrical transmission cable having a plurality of electrical conductors for programmed termination in either a single layer or multilayer configuration, comprising: (a) weaving warp and weft yarns in a prescribed weave pattern to bind a plurality of electrical conductors extending in a warp direction to create a plurality of woven cable sections in said cable; (b) weaving a plurality of individual woven cable sections which are discrete across the width of said cable and extend longitudinally in said cable; (c) weaving weft and warp yarns in adjacent sections 180 degrees out of phase with respect to each other so that one section is weaving while an adjacent section is not weaving; (d) criss-crossing top and bottom picks of said weft yarn between adjacent sections to form a hinge-line; and (e) forming conductor branches by breaking out the electrical conductors from each woven cable section at successive lengths of said cable in a generally unbound configuration in which they are not woven with said warp and weft yarns while continuing to weave said warp and weft yarns in the other of said cable sections at successive lengths of said cable.

Claim 10

A method of constructing a woven electrical transmission cable having a plurality of electrical conductors for programmed termination in either a single layer or multilayer configuration, comprising: (a) weaving warp and weft yarns in a prescribed weave pattern to bind a plurality of electrical conductors extending in a warp direction to create a plurality of woven cable sections in said cable; (b) weaving a plurality of individual woven cable sections which are discrete across the width of said cable and extend longitudinally in said cable; (c) weaving weft and warp yarns in adjacent sections 180 degrees out of phase with respect to each other so that one section is weaving while an adjacent section is not weaving; (d) criss-crossing top and bottom picks of said weft yarn between adjacent sections to form a hinge-line; and (e) forming conductor branches by breaking out the electrical conductors from each woven cable section at successive lengths of said cable in a generally unbound configuration in which they are not woven with said warp and weft yarns while continuing to weave said warp and weft yarns in the other of said cable sections at successive lengths of said cable.

Claim 15

A method of weaving a multilayer woven electrical transmission cable comprising: (a) weaving a plurality of longitudinally extending woven cable sections forming a cable which include a plurality of elongated electrical conductors extending in the warp direction bound with warp and weft yarns in a prescribed weave pattern; (b) crossing said weft yarn alternately over and under next adjacent cable sections on each pick of said weft yarn to form a hinge-line between adjacent woven cable sections to facilitate folding of said woven sections on top of each other; and (c) breaking out conductors from said woven cable sections at successive lengths of said cable which include electrical conductors from said cable sections being unwoven while continuing to weave said warp and weft yarns in the other of said cable sections at successive lengths of said cable.

Claim 16

A method of weaving a multilayer woven electrical transmission cable comprising: (a) weaving a plurality of longitudinally extending woven cable sections forming a cable which include a plurality of elongated electrical conductors extending in the warp direction bound with warp and weft yarns in a prescribed weave pattern; (b) crossing said weft yarn alternately over and under next adjacent cable sections on each pick of said weft yarn to form a hinge-line between adjacent woven cable sections to facilitate folding of said woven sections on top of each other; and (c) breaking out conductors from said woven cable sections at successive lengths of said cable which include electrical conductors from said cable sections being unwoven while continuing to weave said warp and weft yarns in the other of said cable sections at successive lengths of said cable.

Claim 17

A method of weaving a multilayer woven electrical transmission cable comprising: (a) forming a plurality of woven cable sections by weaving a plurality of warp yarns and a weft yarn together with longitudinal electrical conductors extending in a warp direction in a prescribed weave pattern to form a cable; (b) weaving a first woven cable section containing a first number of said plurality of electrical conductors; (c) breaking out said first number of elongated electrical conductors from said first woven cable section into a first conductor branch in which said electrical conductors are not woven with said warp and weft strands; (d) weaving a second woven cable section containing a second number of said plurality of electrical conductors woven with said warp and weft yarns after breaking out said first number of electrical conductors; (e) breaking out the second number of electrical conductors from said second cable section into a second conductor branch in which said second number of elongated conductors are generally unbound with said warp and weft yarns; (f) weaving a third woven cable section containing a third number of said plurality of electrical conductors woven with said warp and weft yarns after breaking out said second number of electrical conductors; (g) breaking out the third number of electrical conductors of said third woven cable section into a third branch section in which said electrical conductors are generally unbound with said warp and weft strands; and (h) weaving said first, second, and third woven section 180 degrees out of phase with respect to each other wherein said first and third sections are woven while said second section is not woven.

Claim 18

A method of weaving a multilayer woven electrical transmission cable comprising: (a) forming a plurality of woven cable sections by weaving a plurality of warp yarns and a weft yarn together with longitudinal electrical conductors extending in a warp direction in a prescribed weave pattern to form a cable; (b) weaving a first woven cable section containing a first number of said plurality of electrical conductors; (c) breaking out said first number of elongated electrical conductors from said first woven cable section into a first conductor branch in which said electrical conductors are not woven with said warp and weft strands; (d) weaving a second woven cable section containing a second number of said plurality of electrical conductors woven with said warp and weft yarns after breaking out said first number of electrical conductors; (e) breaking out the second number of electrical conductors from said second cable section into a second conductor branch in which said second number of elongated conductors are generally unbound with said warp and weft yarns; (f) weaving a third woven cable section containing a third number of said plurality of electrical conductors woven with said warp and weft yarns after breaking out said second number of electrical conductors; (g) breaking out the third number of electrical conductors of said third woven cable section into a third branch section in which said electrical conductors are generally unbound with said warp and weft strands; and (h) weaving said first, second, and third woven section 180 degrees out of phase with respect to each other wherein said first and third sections are woven while said second section is not woven.