Low-voltage integrated multifunctional cable

Abstract

The invention provides a low-voltage integrated multifunctional cable, and relates to the field of cables, the low-voltage integrated multifunctional cable comprises a protective layer, and the protective layer comprises a protective layer, an armor layer, a reinforcing plate, reinforcing ribs, a thermal management layer, a phase change pipe, an inner sheath, reinforcing points and reinforcing grooves; the monitoring part comprises an isolation pad, an expansion cavity, a power optical fiber, a temperature sensor and a humidity sensor; and the cable comprises an outer insulating layer, a shielding layer, a filling layer, an inner insulating layer and a battery cell. According to the invention, when the cable is wound and laid, the layers can be tightly engaged by using the reinforcing points and the reinforcing grooves, such conditions as dislocation among the layers can be avoided, and the thermal management layers and the phase change pipes which are spirally arranged and distributed in a staggered manner can be used for coping with tearing and extrusion conditions of stress concentration caused by bending; in addition, the inner cavity of the cable can be divided into a plurality of expansion cavities, and heat absorption and moisture absorption are carried out through materials filled in the expansion cavities, so that the situation that the interior of the cable is overheated or encounters water is avoided.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of cable technology, and in particular to a low-voltage integrated multifunctional cable. Background Technology

[0002] With the continuous improvement of industrial automation, smart grids, and modern building electrification, the requirements for the functional integration of cables are increasing. Low-voltage integrated multi-functional cables combine multiple functional cable units such as power transmission, signal control, and data communication into one unit, offering significant advantages in saving space, simplifying wiring, and reducing engineering costs. However, this "multi-core integrated" composite structure still presents some challenges in manufacturing and use.

[0003] First, low-voltage integrated cables typically contain multiple functional layers, which are combined through twisting, wrapping, or extrusion to form a composite structure. Ideally, this multi-layered design should maintain a fixed relative position between the layers. However, during actual bending, laying, or long-term dynamic use, when the cable is subjected to bending stress, the materials at different radii will deform to varying degrees, easily leading to relative misalignment. This misalignment causes some of the tensile force to be transferred to the cable core, resulting in damage. For multi-layered integrated cables, slippage between functional layers can also lead to a series of cascading problems, such as shield displacement, insulation wrinkling, and changes in conductor spacing.

[0004] Secondly, when a cable is bent, the filler material in the inner area is compressed, while the filler material in the outer area is stretched. Traditional filler materials may undergo plastic deformation, fiber breakage, or permanent crushing under repeated compression. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To address the technical problems of misalignment between functional layers and plastic deformation of internal filling material during bending in existing cables, this invention provides a low-voltage integrated multifunctional cable.

[0006] The technical solutions provided by the embodiments of the present invention are as follows: This invention provides a low-voltage integrated multi-functional cable, comprising: a protective layer, the protective layer including a protective layer, an armor layer, a reinforcing plate, reinforcing ribs, a thermal management layer, a phase change tube, an inner sheath, reinforcing points, and reinforcing grooves; The monitoring unit includes an isolation pad, an expansion cavity, a power optical fiber, a temperature sensor, and a humidity sensor. The cable includes an outer insulation layer, a shielding layer, a filling layer, an inner insulation layer, and a battery cell; The inner ring of the protective layer encloses the monitoring unit, and multiple sets of the cables are arranged inside the monitoring unit to form a complete cable structure; During the cable winding and laying process, the reinforcement points in the protective layer are locked in the reinforcement groove to keep the multi-layer structure in the protective layer fixed. The insulating pad is used to divide the inner sheath into multiple expansion cavities, and the temperature sensor and humidity sensor are used to detect the state inside the expansion cavities and transmit the data through the power optical fiber.

[0007] The beneficial effects of the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present invention include at least the following: The protective layer in this invention can tightly engage the layers during cable winding and laying using reinforcement points and grooves, preventing misalignment during bending. It can also use the spirally arranged and staggered distribution of the heat management layer and phase change tubes to cope with the stress concentration tearing and compression during bending. The spiral arrangement of the heat management layer can cope with the lateral tensile tearing, preventing the heat management layer from breaking and affecting stability. The staggered distribution of the phase change tubes can cope with the lateral extrusion force during bending, ensuring that the phase change tubes are always staggered with adjacent phase change tubes when subjected to compression, preventing direct compression between adjacent phase change tubes and causing breakage that affects use. The monitoring unit in this invention can divide the inner cavity of the cable into different expansion cavities through the insulating pad, and use the material filled in the expansion cavities to perform heat absorption or moisture absorption operations, so as to avoid overheating or water contact inside the cable. At the same time, the temperature and humidity sensors alternately distributed in each expansion cavity can monitor the heat and humidity inside the cable in a timely manner, so that special situations can be detected in time, facilitating maintenance work by the staff. Attached Figure Description

[0008] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0009] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the present invention.

[0010] Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the armor layer in this invention.

[0011] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the reinforcing rib structure in this invention.

[0012] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the reinforcement point and reinforcement groove in this invention.

[0013] Figure 5 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the thermal management layer in this invention.

[0014] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the monitoring unit in this invention.

[0015] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram showing the location of the power optical fiber in this invention.

[0016] Figure 8 This is a cross-sectional view of the cable in this invention.

[0017] Reference numerals: 10. Protective layer; 11. Protective layer; 12. Armor layer; 13. Reinforcing plate; 14. Reinforcing rib; 15. Thermal management layer; 16. Phase change tube; 17. Inner sheath; 18. Reinforcing point; 19. Reinforcing groove; 20. Monitoring unit; 21. Isolation pad; 22. Expansion cavity; 23. Power fiber optic cable; 24. Temperature sensor; 25. Humidity sensor; 30. Cable; 31. Outer insulation layer; 32. Shielding layer; 33. Filling layer; 34. Inner insulation layer; 35. Battery cell.

[0018] As shown in the figure, specific structures and devices are marked in the figure to clearly illustrate the structure of the embodiments of the present invention. However, this is only for illustrative purposes and is not intended to limit the present invention to this specific structure, device and environment. Those skilled in the art can adjust or modify these devices and environments according to specific needs. Detailed Implementation

[0019] The technical solutions of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that, to make the embodiments more detailed, the following embodiments are the best and preferred embodiments, and those skilled in the art can use other alternative methods to implement some well-known technologies. Furthermore, the accompanying drawings are only for more specific description of the embodiments and are not intended to specifically limit the present invention.

[0020] like Figures 1 to 8 As shown, an embodiment of the present invention provides a low-voltage integrated multi-functional cable, including: a protective layer 10, the protective layer 10 including a protective layer 11, an armor layer 12, a reinforcing plate 13, a reinforcing rib 14, a thermal management layer 15, a phase change tube 16, an inner sheath 17, a reinforcing point 18 and a reinforcing groove 19. The monitoring unit 20 includes an isolation pad 21, an expansion cavity 22, a power optical fiber 23, a temperature sensor 24, and a humidity sensor 25. Cable 30 includes an outer insulation layer 31, a shielding layer 32, a filling layer 33, an inner insulation layer 34, and a battery cell 35. The inner ring of the protective layer 10 encloses the monitoring unit 20, and multiple sets of cables 30 are installed inside the monitoring unit 20 to form a complete cable structure. During the cable winding and laying process, the reinforcement points 18 in the protective layer 10 are locked in the reinforcement groove 19 to limit the movement and control the multi-layer structure in the protective layer 10 to remain fixed. The isolation pad 21 is used to isolate the inner sheath 17 into multiple expansion cavities 22. The temperature sensor 24 and humidity sensor 25 are used to detect the state inside the expansion cavity 22 and transmit the data through the power fiber optic cable 23.

[0021] It should be noted that, in order to ensure the stable operation of the cable, the material filled in the expansion cavity 22 should not be conductive and should have a certain degree of flexibility to ensure that the cable can be wound and laid normally. Furthermore, connectors should be provided at both ends of the cable to connect different cables 30, ensuring stability.

[0022] In one possible implementation, the inner ring of the protective layer 11 is fixedly connected to the armor layer 12, and the left and right sides of the inner cavity of the armor layer 12 are provided with annular cavities, and the annular cavities are fixedly connected to the reinforcing plates 13. The two sets of reinforcing plates 13 are fixedly connected to the reinforcing ribs 14, and the reinforcing ribs 14 are coiled in the inner cavity of the armor layer 12. The inner ring of the armor layer 12 is fixedly connected to the heat management layer 15, which is composed of multiple strip structures. The strip structures are spirally coiled in the inner ring of the armor layer 12. The inner cavity of the heat management layer 15 is provided with a cavity, and a phase change tube 16 is fixedly connected in the cavity. The inner ring of the thermal management layer 15 is fixedly connected to an inner sheath 17, and the inner sheath 17 wraps around the outer ring of the monitoring section 20. The protective layer 11, armor layer 12, thermal management layer 15 and inner sheath 17 are all fixedly connected with reinforcement points 18 at the contact points, and reinforcement grooves 19 are provided at the positions opposite to the reinforcement points 18, and the reinforcement points 18 are all snapped into the reinforcement grooves 19.

[0023] It should be noted that the material of the protective layer 11 is preferably high-density polyethylene, thereby ensuring the wear resistance and corrosion resistance of the protective layer 11. The armor layer 12 is preferably made of Kevlar or ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene fiber, which ensures strength and wear resistance while also ensuring a certain degree of flexibility to avoid affecting the cable winding and laying operations. The materials of the reinforcing plate 13 and the reinforcing rib 14 are preferably metal materials (such as aluminum alloy), and the reinforcing rib 14 is spirally coiled in the inner cavity of the armor layer 12, so as to ensure that a certain compressive strength is provided without affecting the winding and laying of the cable. The heat management layer 15 is preferably made of a soft, compression-resistant material (such as flexible rubber), and the strip-shaped inner cavity of the heat management layer 15 has multiple cavities arranged in a triangular staggered pattern (e.g., Figure 5As shown), this ensures that during the cable winding process, even if one side is squeezed, the squeezed side will be staggered to prevent the phase change tubes 16 from being squeezed together and breaking. At the same time, even if the other side is pulled, the spiral arrangement will prevent the strip structure from being torn apart by lateral force, thus ensuring the stability and safety of the phase change tubes 16. The phase change tube 16 is filled with phase change material, which ensures that when the external temperature is too low, the phase change material can release heat, and when the cable 30 or the external temperature is too high, it can actively absorb heat, so that the cable 30 is always in a stable temperature environment and avoids affecting the normal operation of the cable 30. The inner sheath 17 is preferably made of TPE (semi-conductive) or the same material as the protective layer 11, so that it can stably wrap the cable 30, prevent moisture from entering, and also use its semi-conductive properties to uniformly distribute the electric field. The reinforcement point 18 is a semi-circular structure, and the reinforcement groove 19 is a matching semi-circular groove. When bonding and fixing adjacent layers, the reinforcement point 18 and the reinforcement groove 19 can form a sawtooth-shaped mating surface, which improves the connection stability and avoids misalignment caused by the force shift during cable bending or winding, resulting in a certain layer extending outward or sinking inward, thus improving the quality and stability of the cable.

[0024] In this embodiment, the cable is provided with basic wear-resistant and corrosion-resistant protection by the protective layer 11 during use. The armor layer 12 further enhances the mechanical strength of the cable, and its inner cavity reinforcement plate 13 and reinforcement ribs 14 significantly improve the overall compressive strength and structural stability of the cable without significantly affecting its flexibility, effectively preventing the cable from deforming due to external pressure during laying or use. The heat management layer 15, with its spiral arrangement, allows the cable to better disperse lateral tension when bent, preventing the strip structure from breaking due to excessive stretching. The phase change material filled in the phase change tube 16 releases heat when the external temperature is too low and absorbs heat when the cable 30 or the external temperature is too high, thereby actively regulating the internal temperature of the cable and ensuring that the cable 30 always operates in a suitable temperature environment. The triangular staggered arrangement design of the cavity effectively prevents adjacent phase change tubes 16 from directly squeezing each other and breaking when the cable is bent. The inner sheath 17 not only stably wraps the internal monitoring part 20 and cable 30 and prevents moisture intrusion, but its semi-conductive properties also help to uniformize the electric field and improve the safety of cable operation. Most importantly, the reinforcement points 18 and reinforcement grooves 19 located at the contact points between adjacent layers form a tightly interlocking structure similar to a sawtooth. This design effectively limits the relative displacement between layers during cable winding and laying, avoiding the interlayer misalignment problem that easily occurs in traditional multi-layer cables during bending, laying, or long-term dynamic use, thus improving the overall stability and service life of the cable structure.

[0025] In one possible implementation, multiple sets of isolation pads 21 are provided, evenly distributed in the inner ring of the inner sheath 17, and fixedly connected to the inner cavity wall of the inner sheath 17. The multiple sets of isolation pads 21 isolate the inner cavity of the inner sheath 17 into multiple expansion cavities 22. The expansion cavity 22 should be filled with heat-absorbing or moisture-absorbing material and wrapped around the outer ring of the cable 30, and the materials filled in two adjacent expansion cavities 22 should not be the same. A through hole is provided at the bottom of the isolation pad 21, and a power optical fiber 23 is fixedly connected in the through hole. The power optical fiber 23 penetrates the isolation pad 21 and is distributed at the lower end of the inner cavity of each expansion cavity 22. The outer ring of the power optical fiber 23 located at the lower end of the inner cavity of the expansion cavity 22 is fixedly connected to one of the temperature sensor 24 or humidity sensor 25, while the other sensor is installed in the adjacent expansion cavity 22, so that the temperature sensor 24 and humidity sensor 25 are alternately distributed in multiple expansion cavities 22.

[0026] It should be noted that the insulating pad 21 is made of a flexible and stretchable material (such as soft rubber), which is designed so that the insulating pad 21 will not affect the cable when it is being wound up and laid. The adjacent expansion cavities 22 are filled with different materials. For example, the cavity for heat absorption is filled with paraffin material, while the cavity for moisture absorption is filled with a composite material of water-absorbing resin and flexible foam. The two cavities are arranged alternately so that the specific location can be quickly located when overheating or water exposure occurs inside the cable. The portion of the power optical fiber 23 located inside the expansion cavity 22 should not be kept taut; some redundancy should be left to prevent damage to it during cable winding and laying. Temperature sensor 24 is placed in the heat absorption chamber, while humidity sensor 25 is placed in the moisture absorption chamber, so that signals can be quickly received in case of abnormality, making it convenient for staff to make judgments and perform maintenance.

[0027] In this embodiment, during use, the inner cavity of the inner sheath 17 is divided into multiple independent expansion cavities 22 by the insulating pad 21. Some of these expansion cavities 22 are filled with heat-absorbing materials such as paraffin wax to absorb and store heat; others are filled with a composite material of water-absorbing resin and flexible foam. If moisture accidentally penetrates the cable, these moisture-absorbing materials can quickly absorb the moisture, preventing it from spreading to the cable core 35 and avoiding serious faults such as short circuits. This alternating distribution of heat absorption and moisture absorption functions allows the cable to more comprehensively ensure the safe operation of the internal cable 30 in complex environments. Simultaneously, each expansion cavity 22 is connected to a corresponding temperature sensor 24 or humidity sensor 25. Specifically, the expansion cavity 22 containing the heat-absorbing material is equipped with a temperature sensor 24, and the expansion cavity 22 containing the moisture-absorbing material is equipped with a humidity sensor 25. These two sensors form an alternating monitoring network across the multiple expansion cavities 22. This allows for rapid detection of temperature and humidity changes, and the monitoring data is transmitted to an external monitoring system via the power fiber optic cable 23, facilitating targeted inspection and maintenance by personnel.

[0028] In one possible implementation, the outer insulating layer 31 is fixedly connected to the inner ring of the insulating pad 21, the inner cavity of the outer insulating layer 31 is fixedly connected to the shielding layer 32, the inner cavity of the shielding layer 32 is fixedly connected to the filling layer 33, the inner cavity of the filling layer 33 is fixedly connected to the inner insulating layer 34, and the inner ring of the inner insulating layer 34 is fixedly connected to the battery cell 35.

[0029] It should be noted that the outer insulation layer 31 is preferably made of high-density polyethylene to ensure waterproofness; The shielding layer 32 is preferably made of aluminum-plastic composite material to avoid high-frequency electromagnetic interference that could affect the operation of the battery cell 35. The filling layer 33 is preferably made of water-resistant yarn and coated with water-absorbing resin. This is intended to ensure softness while allowing the water-absorbing resin to absorb water and expand when it comes into contact with water, thus preventing water from penetrating vertically. The inner insulation layer 34 is preferably made of cross-linked polyethylene to ensure heat resistance and insulation performance, and its thickness should be less than 1.5 mm to avoid affecting the cable winding and laying operations. The battery cell 35 is preferably made of oxygen-free copper and is composed of multiple strands of copper wire to ensure conductivity and cable performance.

[0030] In this embodiment, the outer insulation layer 31 provides basic electrical insulation and waterproof protection, while the shielding layer 32 effectively blocks interference from external high-frequency electromagnetic fields, preventing these interference signals from affecting the stable power transmission in the battery cell 35. It also prevents the electromagnetic fields generated by the battery cell 35 itself from interfering with external equipment, ensuring the cable's electromagnetic compatibility. The filler layer 33 absorbs and blocks moisture if it accidentally enters, preventing water penetration and protecting the battery cell 35 from water damage. The inner insulation layer 34, through its heat resistance and insulation strength, can withstand the heat generated by the battery cell 35 during operation and ensures the cable has good flexibility, facilitating winding and laying operations.

[0031] Working Principle: During use, the cable is protected by a protective layer 11, which provides abrasion and corrosion resistance. The armor layer 12, along with its inner reinforcing plate 13 and reinforcing ribs 14, enhances the cable's compressive strength and prevents deformation due to external pressure. The thermal management layer 15, arranged in a spiral pattern, allows for better dispersion of lateral tension when the cable is bent. The phase change material filled in the phase change tube 16 actively regulates the internal temperature of the cable, ensuring that the cable 30 always operates in a suitable temperature environment. The inner sheath 17 protects the cable 30 and uniforms the electric field, improving the safety of cable operation. Meanwhile, the reinforcing points 18 and reinforcing grooves 19 between each layer form a sawtooth-like structure, effectively limiting the relative displacement between layers and preventing interlayer misalignment during bending and laying. The insulating pad 21 separates multiple independent expansion cavities 22. Some of these expansion cavities 22 are filled with heat-absorbing material to absorb heat, while others are filled with water-absorbing material to prevent moisture penetration and diffusion. Furthermore, the temperature sensor 24 or humidity sensor 25 form an alternating monitoring network, enabling rapid detection of temperature and humidity changes, facilitating targeted inspection and maintenance by staff. The outer insulation layer 31 provides insulation and protection, while the shielding layer 32 effectively blocks and isolates high-frequency electromagnetic fields, ensuring the cable's electromagnetic compatibility. The filler layer 33 absorbs and blocks moisture if it accidentally enters. The inner insulation layer 34, through its heat resistance and insulation strength, withstands the heat generated by the battery core 35 during operation and ensures the cable's good flexibility, facilitating winding and laying operations.

[0032] In summary, the low-voltage integrated multifunctional cable designed in this invention can achieve tight interlocking between layers during cable winding and laying using reinforcement points and grooves, preventing misalignment between layers during bending. It can also utilize a spirally arranged and staggered heat management layer and phase change tubes to cope with the stress concentration tearing and squeezing caused by bending. Furthermore, the inner cavity of the cable can be divided into different expansion cavities by insulating pads, and the material filled in the expansion cavities can perform heat absorption or moisture absorption operations, preventing overheating or water contact inside the cable.

[0033] This invention encompasses any substitutions, modifications, equivalent methods, and solutions made within the spirit and scope of this invention. To provide the public with a thorough understanding of this invention, specific details are described in detail in the preferred embodiments, while those skilled in the art will fully understand the invention even without these details. Furthermore, to avoid unnecessary misunderstanding of the essence of this invention, well-known methods, processes, procedures, components, and circuits are not described in detail.

[0034] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention. It should be noted that for those skilled in the art, several improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the principle of the present invention, and these improvements and modifications should also be considered within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A low-voltage integrated multi-functional cable, characterized in that, include: The protective layer includes a protective layer, an armor layer, a reinforcing plate, reinforcing ribs, a thermal management layer, a phase change tube, an inner sheath, reinforcing points, and reinforcing grooves. The monitoring unit includes an isolation pad, an expansion cavity, a power optical fiber, a temperature sensor, and a humidity sensor. The cable includes an outer insulation layer, a shielding layer, a filling layer, an inner insulation layer, and a battery cell; The inner ring of the protective layer encloses the monitoring unit, and multiple sets of the cables are arranged inside the monitoring unit to form a complete cable structure; During the cable winding and laying process, the reinforcement points in the protective layer are locked in the reinforcement groove to keep the multi-layer structure in the protective layer fixed. The insulating pad is used to divide the inner sheath into multiple expansion cavities, and the temperature sensor and humidity sensor are used to detect the state inside the expansion cavities and transmit the data through the power optical fiber.

2. The low-voltage integrated multi-functional cable according to claim 1, characterized in that, The inner ring of the protective layer is fixedly connected to the armor layer. The armor layer has annular cavities on both the left and right sides. Reinforcing plates are fixedly connected in the annular cavities. Reinforcing ribs are fixedly connected between the two sets of reinforcing plates, and the reinforcing ribs are coiled in the inner cavity of the armor layer.

3. The low-voltage integrated multi-functional cable according to claim 2, characterized in that, The inner ring of the armor layer is fixedly connected to a heat management layer, which is composed of multiple strip structures. The strip structures are spirally coiled in the inner ring of the armor layer. The inner cavity of the heat management layer has a cavity, and a phase change tube is fixedly connected inside the cavity.

4. The low-voltage integrated multi-functional cable according to claim 3, characterized in that, The inner ring of the thermal management layer is fixedly connected to an inner sheath, which wraps around the outer ring of the monitoring section.

5. The low-voltage integrated multi-functional cable according to claim 4, characterized in that, The protective layer, armor layer, thermal management layer and inner sheath are all fixedly connected with reinforcement points at the contact points, and reinforcement grooves are opened at the positions opposite the reinforcement points, and the reinforcement points are all snapped into the reinforcement grooves.

6. The low-voltage integrated multi-functional cable according to claim 5, characterized in that, Multiple sets of isolation pads are provided, evenly distributed in the inner ring of the inner sheath, and fixedly connected to the inner cavity wall of the inner sheath. The multiple sets of isolation pads isolate the inner cavity of the inner sheath into multiple expansion cavities.

7. The low-voltage integrated multi-functional cable according to claim 6, characterized in that, The expansion cavity should be filled with heat-absorbing or moisture-absorbing material and wrapped around the outer ring of the cable, and the materials filled in two adjacent expansion cavities should not be the same.

8. The low-voltage integrated multi-functional cable according to claim 6, characterized in that, A through hole is provided at the bottom of the isolation pad, and a power optical fiber is fixedly connected in the through hole. The power optical fiber passes through the isolation pad and is distributed at the lower end of the inner cavity of each expansion cavity.

9. The low-voltage integrated multi-functional cable according to claim 8, characterized in that, The outer ring of the power optical fiber located at the lower end of the expansion cavity is fixedly connected to either a temperature sensor or a humidity sensor, while the other sensor is installed in the adjacent expansion cavity, so that the temperature sensor and humidity sensor are alternately distributed in multiple expansion cavities.

10. The low-voltage integrated multi-functional cable according to claim 6, characterized in that, The outer insulation layer is fixedly connected to the inner ring of the insulating pad. The inner cavity of the outer insulation layer is fixedly connected to the shielding layer, and the inner cavity of the shielding layer is fixedly connected to the filling layer. The inner cavity of the filling layer is fixedly connected to the inner insulation layer, and the inner ring of the inner insulation layer is fixedly connected to the battery cell.

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