Electrical cable with self-repairing protection
AssigneePirelli Cavi e Sistemi S.p.A.
InventorsSergio Belli, Luigi Caimi, Claudio Bosisio, Alberto Bareggi, Luca Balconi, Giovanni Pozzati
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Abstract
A cable for electric power transmission, electric power distribution or telecommunications, having an inner layer including a self-repairing material. The self-repairing material has properties including a predetermined cohesiveness and a controlled flowability. In the event of a discontinuity in at least one of the cable coating layers, these properties assist in reestablishing the continuity of the cable coating layers.
Claims68
A cable, comprising from interior to exterior:
- a conductor;
- an inner layer of a self-repairing material, the material at a working temperature of the cable being dielectric, having sufficient cohesiveness to spontaneously re-unify after being ruptured by an external force, being capable of migrating with a controlled flowability towards a void in an adjacent layer, and having substantial physico-chemical inertness with respect to other materials in the cable;
- and
- an outer coating layer.
A method for imparting to a cable comprising a cable core and at least one coating layer a capacity of self-repairing the at least one coating layer, comprising:
- providing directly on the cable core a dielectric material, the material at a working temperature of the cable having a controlled flowability, having sufficient cohesiveness to spontaneously re-unify after being ruptured by an external force, having a capacity, upon creation of a discontinuity in the at least one coating layer, of migrating to the discontinuity and reestablishing a continuity in the at least one coating layer in a reversible manner, and having substantial physico-chemical inertness with respect to other materials in the cable.
A process for manufacturing a cable having a layer of self-repairing material, comprising the steps of:
- extruding a cable core including a flexible conductor;
- depositing a dielectric self-repairing material, maintained in a fluid state, directly on the cable core, the material at a working temperature of the cable being dielectric, having sufficient cohesiveness to spontaneously re-unify after being ruptured by an external force, being capable of migrating with a controlled flowability towards a void in an adjacent layer, and having substantial physico-chemical inertness with respect to other materials in the cable;
- and
- forming the layer of self-repairing material so as to obtain a uniform layer of a predetermined thickness.
A cable, comprising:
- a conductor;
- a first insulating layer;
- a self-repairing layer in contact with the first insulating layer, the self-repairing layer being a dielectric material, having sufficient cohesiveness to spontaneously re-unify after being ruptured by an external force, and being capable of migrating with a controlled flowability towards a void in an adjacent layer at a working temperature of the cable;
- and
- an outer layer located substantially around the self-repairing layer.
A cable, comprising:
- a conductor;
- a dielectric self-repairing layer in contact with the conductor;
- a first insulating layer in contact with the self-repairing layer, the self-repairing layer having a controlled flowability at a working temperature of the cable, having sufficient cohesiveness to spontaneously re-unify after being ruptured by an external force, and having a capacity, upon creation of a discontinuity in the first insulating layer, of migrating to the discontinuity and reestablishing a continuity in the first insulating layer in a reversible manner;
- and
- an outer layer located around the first insulating layer.
A method for imparting to a cable comprising a conductor and at least one coating layer a capacity of self-repairing the at least one coating layer, comprising:
- providing the cable with an inner layer comprising a dielectric material substantially surrounding and in contact with the at least one coating layer, the dielectric material at a working temperature of the cable having a controlled flowability, having sufficient cohesiveness to spontaneously re-unify after being ruptured by an external force, having a capacity, upon creation of a discontinuity in the at least one coating layer, of migrating to the discontinuity and reestablishing a continuity in the at least one coating layer in a reversible manner, and having substantial physico-chemical inertness with respect to other materials in the cable.
A cable, comprising:
- a cable core including at least a conductor;
- an inner layer of a dielectric self-repairing material, the material at a working temperature of the cable having sufficient cohesiveness to spontaneously re-unify after being ruptured by an external force, being capable of migrating with a controlled flowability towards a void in an adjacent layer, and being positioned in contact with the cable core;
- and
- an outer layer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.