US4941843A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Electrical trunkline system
Assignee: JOHANNESBURG CONSTRUCTION CORP Pty Ltd
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Filing: 1989-11-13
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Granted: 1990-07-17
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Expires: 2009-11-13
Abstract
Abstract A trunkline has a multi-core ribbon cable with electronic modules mounted thereon at spaced intervals. The modules have pins which pass through preformed holes in the cable to make contact with the cores. The modules further have housings which seat in apertures in the cable. The modules are each retained in position by two clamping members which clip together with the module and adjacent ribbon sandwiched between them. Load devices, such as detonators are connected to the trunkline at desired positions therealong by connectors having staples that pierce the cable to make contact with the cores. Each staple is electrically connected to a core of a connecting wire by clamping the core against a base portion of the staple utilizing two plastic parts that clip together. One of these parts, in turn, is hinged to a further member which clips with the parts to clamp the cable between the parts and the further member.
Inventors
- 👤 Immo E. Bock
- 👤 Philip L. Nathan
- 👤 Peter O. Malpage
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-30 23:45
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01R; H01R12/00; H01R12/70; H01R12/77; H01R12/771; H01R12/775
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 22
Claim 1
Independent Claim
135 words
A method of manufacturing an electrical trunkline, which includes providing a flat, ribbon-like cable having a plurality of conducting cores arranged next to and spaced from one another in a substantially planar manner with an electrically insulating material covering the cores and filling the spaces between them; forming groups of holes at spaced positions along the length of the cable, each group comprising a plurality of holes each of which passes through a core and insulating material on one side thereof; placing an electronic module having a plurality of pins on the cable at each position, with its pins in at least some of the holes such that the pins are in electrical contact with the cores; and retaining each of the modules on the cable with its pins in electrical contact with the cores.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
135 words
A method of manufacturing an electrical trunkline, which includes providing a flat, ribbon-like cable having a plurality of conducting cores arranged next to and spaced from one another in a substantially planar manner with an electrically insulating material covering the cores and filling the spaces between them; forming groups of holes at spaced positions along the length of the cable, each group comprising a plurality of holes each of which passes through a core and insulating material on one side thereof; placing an electronic module having a plurality of pins on the cable at each position, with its pins in at least some of the holes such that the pins are in electrical contact with the cores; and retaining each of the modules on the cable with its pins in electrical contact with the cores.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
13 words
The method of claim 1, in which the holes are formed by punching.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method of claim 1, in which each module is retained by clamping it and the cable between a pair of clamping members.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method of claim 1, in which the holes are formed through the cores and insulating material on both top and bottom sides.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
51 words
The method of Claim 1, which includes forming a discontinuity in at least one core, at each position, so that pieces of core on either side of the discontinuity at each position are electrically isolated from one another, and forming a hole at each end of each piece at each position.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 5, in which the discontinuity and the holes at each position are formed at the same time.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method of claim 5, in which the discontinuities are formed by removing pieces of core to form gaps in the core.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
130 words
A connector for electrically connecting an electrical device to a cable at any desired position along its length, the cable being flat and ribbon-like and having a plurality of conducting cores arranged next to and spaced from one another in a substantially planar manner with an electrically insulating material covering the cores and filling the spaces between them, which includes a first member and a second member which have complementary locking formations for locking the members together, with the cable being receivable between the members; at least one staple-like piercing and contacting element carried by the first member for piercing the insulating material and making electrical contact with a selected one of the cores; and a length of wire having one end electrically connected to the piercing and contacting element.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
130 words
A connector for electrically connecting an electrical device to a cable at any desired position along its length, the cable being flat and ribbon-like and having a plurality of conducting cores arranged next to and spaced from one another in a substantially planar manner with an electrically insulating material covering the cores and filling the spaces between them, which includes a first member and a second member which have complementary locking formations for locking the members together, with the cable being receivable between the members; at least one staple-like piercing and contacting element carried by the first member for piercing the insulating material and making electrical contact with a selected one of the cores; and a length of wire having one end electrically connected to the piercing and contacting element.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
24 words
The connector of claim 8, in which the two members clip together and at least one member has a clip engageable with the other.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
17 words
The connector of claim 8, in which the two members are hingedly connected along a hinge region.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
38 words
The connector of claim 8, which has a pair of piercing and connecting elements and two lengths of wire, one length of wire being connected to one element and the other length of wire to the other element.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
24 words
The connector of claim 8, in which at least one of the members has a locating formation for locating the cable on the member.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
19 words
The connector of claim 8, which has a load device electrically connected to the wire at its other end.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
30 words
The connector of claim 8, in which the piercing and contacting element is "U"-shaped, having two legs and a base portion and the wire is connected to the base portion.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
16 words
The connector of claim 14, in which the wire is mechanically clamped to the base portion.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
25 words
The connector of claim 15, in which the first member has two parts, and the base portion and the wire are clamped between these parts.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
31 words
The connector of claim 16, in which the two parts are hingedly connected along a hinge region and at least one part has a clip for clipping the two parts together.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
55 words
A length of cable that is flat and ribbon-like and has a plurality of conducting cores arranged next to and spaced from one another in a substantially planar manner with an electrically insulating material covering the cores and filling the spaces between them, in combination with a plurality of connectors as claimed in claim 8.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
25 words
The combination of claim 18, in which the cable has a number of electronic modules at spaced positions along its length to form a trunkline.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
108 words
An electrical sequential blasting arrangement which includes a trunkline formed from a length of cable that is flat and ribbon-like and has a plurality of conducting cores arranged next to and spaced from one another in a substantially planar manner with an electrically insulating material covering the cores and filling the spaces between them and a number of electronic modules at spaced positions along its length; and a number of detonators electrically connected to the trunkline, at desired positions along its length and between the modules, by means of connectors as claimed in claim 11, each detonator being connected to its connector by the two lengths of wire.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1993-07-16 | 1994-01-15 | 1994-07-17 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1997-07-16 | 1998-01-15 | 1998-07-17 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2001-07-16 | 2002-01-15 | 2002-07-17 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |