Granted Patent B2

US 8,595,922 · App. 12/629,810 · Granted Dec 3, 2013

Abstract

Claims (16)

1. A method for creating a silicone encased flexible cable using manufacturing machinery, comprising:

automatically arranging plural individual conduits into a grouped arrangement including at least one of the conduits is a fluid communication conduit for transferring fluid through the cable, wherein the silicone encased flexible cable is coupled between a controller and an electro-mechanical device, and wherein the fluid communication conduit is configured to transfer at least a liquid and pneumatic gas through the silicone encased flexible cable during operation of the electro-mechanical device;

inserting the grouped arrangement into an extrusion apparatus;

depositing a mixture of silicone and additives to the grouped arrangement including graphite and conductive materials;

customizing the mixture of silicone and additives to create differing characteristics including hardness/softness, electric conductivity, and flexibility;

using the extrusion apparatus to create a singular encasement and to cure the singular encasement;

integrating a snap washer within the singular encasement wherein a cable profile can be customized to create separate cable pods or sections including cable pods that can be slit for installations of a snap washer; and

wherein integrating a snap washer assembly within the singular encasement includes using the manufacturing machinery to cut a slit along a cable run of the silicone encased flexible cable, inserting a snap washer base through the slit and positioning a snap washer onto the snap washer base and snapping the snap washer into a locked position.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein integrating the snap washer assembly includes using a snap washer assembly configured to include a beveled lip at an end and a spacer cylinder configured to lock the snap washer in place.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the manufacturing machine is configured to include using the extrusion apparatus to deposit a customized mixture of silicone and additives to create a singular encasement with a curved “U” shape using an additive configured to hold the curved “U” shape that is configured to provide the cable with holding strength when the cable itself is unsupported or in a cantilevered position and to create a self supporting silicone encased flexible cable.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising integrating a flexible junction box assembly to the grouped arrangement wherein the flexible junction box is encased with the mixture of silicone and additives, wherein the silicone encased flexible junction box is an integral feature of the grouped arrangement singular encasement.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein integrating the flexible junction box assembly includes the flexible junction box containing at least one of electronics, and a printed circuit board or a microprocessor.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein automatically arranging plural individual conduits into a grouped arrangement further includes at least one electrical conduit for transferring electrical signals through the cable.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein automatically arranging plural individual conduits including the fluid communication conduit that transfers gas including pneumatics, and fluids through the cable.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein automatically arranging the plural individual conduits include fluid communication conduits including at least PFA, PVC, PTFE, or Tygon conduits of varying diameters, wall thicknesses, and inner diameter openings.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein automatically arranging the plural individual conduits includes at least pneumatic tubing, fluid tubing, gaseous tubing, multiple twisted conductors, shielded conductors, single conductor, audio conductors, fiber optics or coax.

Assignments (12)