IP Library Granted Patent US 12,548,694
Granted Patent B2
US 12,548,694 · App. 18/534,439 · Granted Feb 10, 2026

Thermalization of a cryogenic flex cable using a thermally conductive cladding

Inventors: Charles Thomas Rettner (San Jose, CA); Jen-Hao Yeh (White Plains, NY); Daniel Rugar (Los Altos, CA)
Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
H01B12/16H01B13/227H10N60/81
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,548,694
App. No.
18/534,439
Granted
Feb 10, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A system includes a cable passing from a first plate to a second plate via an intermediate plate, an attachment coupling the cable to the intermediate plate, and a conductive cladding connected to an outer surface of the cable and extended a first length from the attachment toward the second plate. The total length of the thermally conductive cladding is larger than the total length of the attachment, and the cable is thermally connected to the first plate, the second plate, and the intermediate plate.

Claims (154)

1 . A system comprising:

a cable passing from a first plate to a second plate via an intermediate plate, wherein the cable is thermally connected to the first plate, the second plate, and the intermediate plate;

an attachment coupling the cable to the intermediate plate; and

a thermally conductive cladding connected to an outer surface of the cable and extended a first length from the attachment toward the second plate, wherein a total length of the thermally conductive cladding is larger than a total length of the attachment.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the cable comprises an intermediate layer separating the outer layer and an inner layer, and wherein a length of the thermally conductive cladding is determined by L c =AL t and

L

t

=

(

K

w

K

i

t

w

t

i

n

sides

)

1

/

2

wherein:

K w and K i are thermal conductivities of the inner layer and the intermediate layer, respectively;

t w and t i are thicknesses of the inner layer and the intermediate layer, respectively;

n sides is 1 when the thermally conductive cladding is applied on one side of the flex cable, and 2, when the thermally conductive cladding is applied on two sides of the flex cable; and

A is a multiplier between 2 and 6.

3 . The system of claim 2 , wherein the multiplier A is determined by

A

=

3.4

log

(

L

0

/

L

t

)

wherein L 0 is a distance from the intermediate plate to the second plate.

4 . The system of claim 2 , wherein a length of the thermally conductive cladding is determined by finite element calculations to minimize heat flow to the second plate.

5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein:

the thermally conductive cladding includes a first material with a first thermal conductivity;

the outer layer includes a second material with a second thermal conductivity; and

wherein the first thermal conductivity is higher than the second thermal conductivity.

6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein:

the first plate is at a first temperature;

the second plate is at a second temperature; and

the second temperature is lower than the first temperature.

7 . The system of claim 6 , wherein the intermediate plate is at a third temperature that is between the first temperature and the second temperature.

8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the thermally conductive cladding is configured to decrease a heat load to the second plate when the thermal conduction to the intermediate plate is increased.

9 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the thermally conductive cladding is further extended a second length from the attachment toward the first plate.

10 . A system comprising:

a cable connecting a first plate and a second plate via an intermediate plate, wherein the first plate is at a first temperature and the second plate is at a second temperature, the second temperature being lower than the first temperature;

an attachment connecting the cable to the intermediate plate; and

a thermally conductive cladding connected to the cable, wherein the thermally conductive cladding is extended a first length from the attachment toward the first plate and a second length from the attachment toward the second plate.

11 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the intermediate plate is at an intermediate temperature between the first temperature and the second temperature.

12 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the cable comprises an intermediate layer separating an outer layer and an inner layer, and wherein a length of the thermally conductive cladding is determined by L c =AL t and

L

t

=

(

K

w

K

i

t

w

t

i

n

sides

)

1

/

2

wherein:

K w and K i are thermal conductivities of the inner layer and the intermediate layer, respectively;

t w and t i are thicknesses of the inner layer and the intermediate layer, respectively;

n sides is 1 when the thermally conductive cladding is applied on one side of the flex cable, and 2, when the thermally conductive cladding is applied on two sides of the flex cable; and

A is a multiplier between 2 and 6.

13 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the multiplier A is determined by

A

=

3.4

log

(

L

0

/

L

t

)

where L 0 is the distance from the intermediate plate to the second plate.

14 . The system of claim 12 , wherein a length of the thermally conductive cladding is determined by finite element calculations to minimize heat flow to the second plate.

15 . The system of claim 12 , wherein:

the thermally conductive cladding includes a first material with a first thermal conductivity;

the outer layer includes a second material with a second thermal conductivity; and

the first thermal conductivity is higher than the second thermal conductivity.

16 . A method of fabricating a flex cable, the method comprising:

determining a length of a thermally conducting cladding to minimize heat flow within the flex cable; and;

forming the flex cable with the thermally conductive cladding, wherein forming the flex cable comprises:

forming the flex cable passing from a first plate to a second plate via an intermediate plate;

thermally connecting the flex cable to the first plate, the second plate, and the intermediate plate;

attaching the flex cable to the intermediate plate via an attachment, wherein the flex cable comprises an inner layer, and an outer layer separated by an intermediate layer, and wherein determining a length of the thermally conductive cladding is performed based on L c =AL t and

L

t

=

(

K

w

K

i

t

w

t

i

n

sides

)

1

/

2

wherein:

K w and K i are thermal conductivities of the inner layer and the intermediate layer, respectively;

t w and t i are thicknesses of the inner layer and the intermediate layer, respectively;

n sides is 1 when the thermally conductive cladding is applied on one side of the flex cable, and 2, when the thermally conductive cladding is applied on two sides of the flex cable; and

A is a multiplier between 2 and 6.

17 . The method of claim 16 further comprising:

determining the multiplier A by

A

=

3.4

log

(

L

0

/

L

t

)

where L 0 is the distance from the intermediate plate to the second plate.

18 . The method of claim 16 , wherein a length of the thermally conductive cladding is determined by finite element calculations to minimize heat flow to the second plate.

19 . The method of claim 16 , further comprising extending the thermally conductive cladding a second length from the attachment toward the first plate.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 8, 2023
From: RETTNER, CHARLES THOMAS; YEH, JEN-HAO; RUGAR, DANIEL
To: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 065819/0248 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20250191815A1 · Jun 12, 2025
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