Automated assembly sensor cable
View Patent ↗An automated assembly sensor cable has a generally wide and flat elongated body and a registration feature generally traversing the length of the body so as to identify the relative locations of conductors within the body. This cable configuration facilitates the automated attachment of the cable to an optical sensor circuit and corresponding connector. In various embodiments, the automated assembly sensor cable has a conductor set of insulated wires, a conductive inner jacket generally surrounding the conductor set, an outer jacket generally surrounding the inner jacket and a registration feature disposed along the surface of the outer jacket and a conductive drain line is embedded within the inner jacket. A strength member may be embedded within the inner jacket.
1. An automated assembly sensor cable having a flat elongated body and a registration feature generally traversing the length of the body so as to identify the relative locations of conductors within the body for ease of automated attachment of connectors and circuit assemblies to lengths of the sensor cable, the automated assembly sensor cable comprising:
an elongate body having a flat surface;
a conductor set of linearly arranged insulated wires, the conductor set comprising at least a pair of emitter wires and a pair of detector wires;
a conductive inner jacket directly surrounding each emitter wire of the pair of emitter wires and each detector wire of the pair of detector wires, and containing an embedded conductive drain line; and
an outer jacket generally surrounding the inner jacket.
2. The automated assembly sensor cable according to claim 1 wherein the conductor set and conductive drain line are linearly arranged and regular spaced so as readily land on a corresponding series of flexible cable conductors.
3. The automated assembly sensor cable according to claim 2 wherein the regular spacing of the conductor set and conductive drain line is 0.050 inches.
4. The automated assembly sensor cable according to claim 1 further comprising a registration feature disposed along the flat surface of the elongate body, the registration feature uniquely identifying a single side of the outer jacket in order to aid in identifying cable orientation.
5. The automated assembly sensor cable according to claim 1 wherein the outer jacket and inner jacket are semi-pressure co-extruded PVC.
6. The automated assembly sensor cable according to claim 1 wherein the pair of emitter wires transmit drive currents to sensor LEDs, and the pair of detector wires receive currents from sensor photodiodes.
7. The automated assembly sensor cable according to claim 1 further comprising a strength member embedded within the inner jacket.
8. The automated assembly sensor cable according to claim 7 wherein the strength member is a high-strength cord of Kevlar strands.
9. The automated assembly sensor cable according to claim 1 wherein the outer jacket incorporates Kevlar fibers for strength.
10. A sensor cable automated assembly method comprising:
providing a generally wide and flat elongated cable having a plurality of linearly-aligned, regularly-spaced insulated conductors, the plurality of linearly-aligned regularly-spaced insulated conductors comprising at least a detector pair of insulated conductors and an emitter pair of insulated conductors, and wherein the the insulated conductors of detector pair and insulated conductors of the emitter pair are directly surrounded at least by a conductive inner jacket containing an embedded conductive drain line, and wherein the inner jacket is surrounded by an outer jacket;
cutting the cable to a length compatible with an optical sensor circuit;
preparing at least one end of the cable so as to expose ends of the conductors;
detecting a registration feature on the cable, the registration feature uniquely identifying a single side of an outer jacket in order to aid in identifying cable orientation, the registration feature disposed along the length of the cable relative to the location of at least a particular one of the conductors within the cable;
positioning the exposed conductors relative to a plurality of contacts of the optical sensor circuit according to the registration feature; and
attaching the conductors to the contacts so as to provide electrical communications between the conductors and a plurality of optical components mounted on the optical sensor circuit.
11. The automated assembly method according to claim 10 wherein preparing comprises:
identifying the outer jacket and an inner jacket of the cable;
cutting away a portion of the outer jacket and the inner jacket around the conductors;
removing insulation from the conductor ends; and
tinning the conductor ends.
12. The automated assembly method according to claim 11 wherein positioning comprises locating the exposed conductors relative to a plurality of flexible circuit pads according to the registration feature.
13. The automated assembly method according to claim 12 wherein locating comprises:
aligning the detector pair of conductors and the emitter pair of conductors with corresponding pairs of the flexible circuit pads; and
soldering the detector pair of conductors and the emitter pair of conductors to the flexible circuit pads.
14. The automated assembly method according to claim 10 wherein detecting comprises mechanically sensing a groove disposed along the length of the cable.
15. The automated assembly method according to claim 10 wherein detecting comprises optically sensing a printed line disposed along the length of the cable.
16. An automated assembly sensor cable comprising:
a generally wide and flat elongated body;
a conductor set means disposed within the body for transmitting drive currents to sensor LEDs and for receiving currents from sensor photodiodes, the conductor set means comprising at least a plurality of insulated emitter conductors and a plurality of insulated detector conductors, the plurality of emitter conductors and plurality of detector conductors being linearly arranged;
an inner jacket means containing an embedded conductive drain line, for mechanically surrounding and electrically shielding the conductor set means, such that the plurality of insulated emitter conductors and the plurality of insulated detector conductors are directly surrounded by the inner jacket means; and
the outer jacket means for enclosing and protecting the body generally surrounding the inner jacket means.
17. The automated assembly sensor cable according to claim 16 further comprising a registration means disposed along a flat surface of the generally wide and flat elongated body for identifying relative locations of the conductor set means so as to automate attachment of connectors and circuitry, the registration means uniquely identifying a single side of the outer jacket means in order to aid in identifying cable orientation.
18. The automated assembly sensor cable according to claim 16 wherein the plurality of emitter conductors are for transmitting the drive currents and the plurality of detector conductors are for receiving the photodiode currents, and wherein the plurality of emitter conductors and plurality of detector conductors are color-coded.
19. The automated assembly sensor cable according to claim 16 further comprising a strength means embedded within the inner jacket means for adding strength to the body.
20. The automated assembly sensor cable according to claim 16 further comprising a strength means embedded within the outer jacket means for adding strength to the body.