Electrical connector, sock for electrical connector, cable and method

Abstract

A sock 8 suitable for an electrical connector 1, where the electrical connector 1 comprises a body 2 and at least one electrical conductor 4 extending from the body 2. The body 2 is configured to provide a secure electrical connection for a cable 6 carrying electrical signals to the at least one electrical conductor 1. The electrical conductor 1 is shaped and configured to mutually engage and form an electrical connection to a corresponding connector forming part of a highfidelity, Hi-Fi component to receive the electrical signals. The sock 8 is configured to fit over the body 2 of the electrical connector 1 and is fabricated from a biodegradable material. An electrical cable 6 is also disclosed as comprising a plurality of strands of copper, each strand being separately insulated with an insulation material, and an outer sheath of a biodegradable insulating material which envelopes the plurality of strands, wherein a diameter of each strand is between 20 and 50 μm and a number of the strands is between 100 and 10000. An electrical connector 1 and electrical cable 6 assembly is also disclosed.

Description

Field The present technique relates to electrical connectors with an outer sheath or sock and socks for electrical connectors. Description of Related Art The “background” description provided herein is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the disclosure. Work of the presently named inventors, to the extent it is described in this background section, as well as aspects of the description which may not otherwise qualify as prior art at the time of filing, are neither expressly or impliedly admitted as prior art against the present invention. High fidelity audio equipment typically comprises at least an amplifier, two or more loud speakers and other components, which generate electrical signals representing sounds such as music, reproduced from a medium, which are fed to the amplifier by electrical cables for amplification and conversion into the sounds by the loud speakers. That is to say that the electrical signals from various sources representing sound are amplified by the amplifier and fed to the loud speakers which convert the electrical signals into sound. There have been considerable advances in technology in respect of High-Fidelity (Hi-Fi) audio equipment. Analogue electrical signals generated from tape or vinyl have been replaced with digital media such as CDs and audio compressed files with increased bandwidth and reduction in noise and other sound defects. Furthermore, advances in electronics and compression techniques have meant that there has been a great improvement in reproduction of the electrical signals representing the audio signals from a recorded source in both size and cost and quality. However, although there have been improvements in various techniques associated with generating and reproducing electrical signals and converting the electrical signals into sounds, there is still a requirement to improve electrical connections between components of a Hi-Fi system, to enhance or to improve a quality of sound reproduced by a Hi-Fi system. The present disclosure therefore presents an arrangement for improving the quality of sound reproduced from electrical signals representing audio signals. SUMMARY As will be explained in the following paragraphs, the present disclosure can help to provide improvements in or relating to connections between Hi-Fi components. Example embodiments can provide a sock for an electrical connector, the electrical connector comprising a body and one or more electrical conductors extending from the body, the body being configured to provide a secure electrical connection for a cable carrying electrical signals to the one or more electrical conductors. The one or more electrical conductor are shaped and configured to engage mutually and form an electrical connection to a corresponding connector forming part of a Hi-Fi component to receive the electrical signals. The sock is configured to fit over the body of the electrical connector and is fabricated from a biodegradable material, such as wool, wool-felt or silk. The sock may be elasticated. The sock provides an improvement in a sound reproduced by the Hi-Fi system. According to a further aspect there is provided an electrical cable for conducting electrical signals from one Hi-Fi component to another, the electrical cable comprising plurality of strands of copper, each strand being separately insulated with an insulating material, and an outer sheath of a biodegradable insulating material which envelopes the plurality of strands, wherein a diameter of each strand is between 20 and 50 pm and a number of the strands is between 500 and 5000, for example 800 strands of copper per conductor. The biodegradable insulation material may be wool, wool-felt or silk. The plurality of insulated strands are contained within a sheath fabricated from the biodegradable insulation material such as wool, wool-felt or silk. Respective aspects and features of the present disclosure are defined in the appended claims. It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary, but are not restrictive, of the present technology. The described embodiments, together with further advantages, will be best understood by reference to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS A more complete appreciation of the disclosure and many of the attendant advantages thereof will be readily obtained as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like reference numerals designate identical or corresponding parts throughout the several views, and: Figure lisa schematic representation of an electrical connector for providing electrical connection conducting electrical signals from a Hi-Fi components and a sock according to an example embodiment of the present technique; Figure 2 is a schematic representation of an electrical connector for providing electrical connection conducting electrical signals from a Hi-Fi components with the sock as shown in Figure 1 mounted or fitted onto the electrical connector; Figure 3 is an example presentation of an electrical connector and cable assembly according to an example embodiment including a sock; and Figure 4 is another example presentation of an electrical connector and cable assembly according to an example embodiment including a sock. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS Figure 1 shows a three-dimensional representation illustrating example embodiments of the present technique. As shown in Figure 1, an electrical connector 1 comprises a body part 2 and one or more electrical conductors 4 which projects from the body 2. The electrical connector 1 is typically configured as a plug to be received by a socket of a component to carry electrical signals from a cable 6 so that a shape and configuration of the electrical conductor 4 is typically arranged to be received within the socket to make electrical connection between the cable 6 and the component incorporating the socket. The electrical conductor 4 may have a shape and configuration which forms a cylindrical finger, which tapers to a point to ease insertion into the socket which may have a circular form with a circumference which provides an electrical connection to a walls of the socket. The body 2 includes an arrangement typically including a screw or other mechanical clamping arrangement, which ensures that electrical strands forming the cable 6 provide a secure and reliable electrical connection to electrical connector 4 and the other component. Although Figure 1 shows the electrical connector 1 with a single electrical conductor 4, in other example the electrical connector may include a plurality of electrical conductors 4. In some examples the electrical connector 1 is phono plug or the like, which has standardised shape and configuration to provide electrical connection to a socket of electrical components, which are made by different manufacturers. In some examples the body may also be fabricated from a metallic conducting material, such as copper. In some examples the electrical connector may be a single ended RCA terminated interconnect or a balanced XLR terminated interconnect. In other examples, the electrical connector 1 may be a three pin balanced line RCA plug, such as those used in studios and very high end Hi-Fi. As will be appreciated by those acquainted with Hi-Fi systems, electrical connections are required between various Hi-Fi components. Typically, for example, a source of electrical signals which are to be converted into sounds are connected from an electrical component to an amplifier so that the electrical signals can be amplified before driving a loudspeaker which converts the electrical signals into sound. In very high-end Hi-Fi systems for example, both the components of the Hi-Fi system and the interconnecting cables can affect a quality of the sound produced. The electrical connector 1 shown in Figure 1 has a body 2, which may be metal. However, embodiments of the present technique include a sock 8 fabricated from a biodegradable material such as silk, wool or wool-felt which can be inserted over the connector body 2. Figure 2 provides a representation of the electrical connector shown in Figure 1, in which the sock 8 has been inserted over the body 2 of the electrical connector 1. It has been known for several years that a quality of an electrical connection between components of a Hi-Fi system can significantly affect the quality of the sound produced. This was highlighted in 1974 when Akihiko Kaneda at Akita University Japan, argued that sound quality of a speaker / amplifier interface could be impacted by a connecting wire or cable. A majority of Hi-Fi cables contain copper wire of conventional dimensions and are insulated with petrochemical derived plastics such as Teflon (PTFE) FEP and foamed insulators or other dielectrics. In a similar way to other components, it has been observed that cables generally continue to utilise insulation, conductor strand diameters and solder that has not evolved. Accordingly, an improved cable has been developed, which when combined with a sock 8 fabricated from silk, wool or wool-felt can provide an improvement in a fidelity of reproduced sound. Improved Cable According to one example each cable 6 comprises between 500 and 5000 individually insulated strands of wire, for example approximately 800 strands in both of a positive and negative conducting lines. The cable can be configured according to the “Litz” principle; with each strand only between 20pm and 50pm in diameter, for example approximately 35pm in diameter, which is less than approximately half the diameter of a human hair. The principle of Litz cable was invented and developed by the famous inventor Nikola Tesla specifically for alternating current, which he also pioneered. According to one example, a cable according to an example has virtually zero petrochemical content, so no Teflon PEF or PVC. The Applicant has observed that petrochemical based insulation can have a distorting effect on an AC signal passing near or through it. Furthermore, Halogenated Polymers (PTFE and FEP) not only are derived from petrochemicals but are not biodegradable and therefore survived in the environment indefinitely. In one example, a micro strand size of conductors can provide an advantage over conventional larger strand dimensions. Larger diameter strands, as all cables when carrying a signal, suffer from a phenomenon known as Skin Effect. By reducing individual strand diameter there is a reduction of distortion caused by a Skin Effect. This is because Skin Effect makes higher frequencies in a signal migrate to an outer surface of the strands and travel in a different way compared with other parts of the signal carried in the body of the cable. In addition, because each strand is insulated, a chaotic signal flow is avoided. In cables in which the conducting strands are not insulated, signal flow in the stranded cable can become chaotic causing signals to jump from strand to strand within the cable. Over time, there is a risk of oxidation on the surface of each strand within the cable, creating an effect similar to a semiconductor being in a signal path as copper oxide has a far greater resistance than pure clean copper. Accordingly, by reducing a strand diameter and insulating each strand an improvement can be achieved in sound quality. This is because each strand, with a reduced diameter compared to conventional sizes, are individually insulated to protect them from long-term oxidation. Furthermore, each strand is individually insulated using a suitable insulating material, for example a lacker. Furthermore an outer sheath, which envelopes the insulated strands, includes one or more, for example two layers of silk, wool, or wool-felt winding. In some examples, silk is used because it has a very high tensile strength providing an extra tension, which may be required to keep strand bundles stable and has excellent insulating properties. By simultaneously distributing the electrical current among its independent strands, Litz Cable can reduce eddy current losses that originate from skin and proximity effects while also lowering operating temperature. This arrangement can also minimise differences between inductances and impedances of each strand and aids equalisation of currents flowing in each strand. According to some examples, the strands are arranged in the cable with the effect that each strand is equally at the inside and outside of the cable. This causes a current to spread uniformly throughout the conductor. A resistance ratio (AC to DC) of the cable then approaches unity. According to example embodiments, copper on all 800 strands of the cable end is terminated and connected to the electrical connector 4 within the body 2 to improve signal conduction. As each strand is small it is prone to rapid oxidation According to example embodiments, each strand is therefore terminated at the electrical conductor 4 before oxidation. In one example, the cable 6 is terminated with silver plated copper crimped connectors. In other examples, the cable, which may be suitable as a loudspeaker cable may have 4000 strands at 40 and 30 micron strand diameter. In other examples such as those suitable to drive loadspeakers with an impedance that can drop to below 2 ohms, the number of strands may be 10,0000. For lower cost applications the number of strands may be 100. In some examples the cable stands may be fabricates from Oxygen Free Copper, Low oxygen Copper and Ohno Cast Copper and have a strand diameter of between 90 pm to 20 pm. In some examples the cable strands may be fabricated from silver cable, which due to its fragility would necessity a larger diameter size of 80 pm. In some examples a pitch of the strands of may be 50mm. The pitch of a cable describes how many times each strand completely rotates around its neighbours as well as moving out to the outside and back in via the centre to the opposite side. In one example, the electrical connector 1 is an RCA or phono connector with eight areas of signal inhibition per cable pair. Solder makes an unstable joint with metal that, despite sometimes having a 5% Silver content in it, is 10 times less conductive than copper. According to one example an oxygen free joint between the cable and the copper that is part of a WBT Nextgen RCA or phono plug is achieved without the use of any solder. This can provide a long lasting transmission of signals, which the cable is carrying between your components. Insulating Sock As mentioned above, the Applicant has observed that petrochemical based insulation can have a distorting effect on an AC signal passing near or through it. To mitigate or at least reduce this distorting effect the Applicant have developed a sock 8, which substantially reduces distortion. Furthermore, Halogenated Polymers (PTFE and FEP) not only are derived from petrochemicals but last in the environment indefinitely. Therefore by fabricating the body 2 from metal and using the sock 8, a substantial improvement is provided not only from the sound produced by the Hi-Fi system but also the biodegradable nature of the sock 8 when fabricated from silk, wool or wool felt, because the sock is compostable. According to example embodiments, the sock 8 forms an outer insulating sheath and in one example the sock 8 is fabricated from wool felt. As mentioned above, to protect the conducting strands of the cable 6, which are individually insulated, a protecting sheath is added, which is made from wool felt. This can reduce capacitance, and shock absorbing qualities. This is because cables are prone to adding distortion to signals by being exposed to vibration, a woolfelt insulating sheath can cradle the strands, in contrast to conventional arrangements which use conventional plastic. As mentioned above, a quality of insulation of a cable sheath can have a direct bearing on sound quality and indeed a speed with which electrical signals travel in a cable, measured by velocity of propagation, which is dependent on dielectric constant. The lower the dielectric constant the better. Air has a dielectric constant of just 1. FEP typically has a dielectric constant of 2.2. The dielectric constant can determine the speed known as the propagation of velocity of the signal down the cable. The higher the dielectric constant the slower it travels but not at all frequencies. It follows therefore, that the better the insulator the more accurate the signal it protects. A dielectric constant of Wool Felt sheath which is 1.2, which provides an improvement in the propagation velocity. In some examples, the sock 8 may be manufactured to provide a close fit with to the body 2 of the electrical connector 1 in order to damp vibration more efficiently. In some examples the sock 8 may include or have some part which is elasticated to ensure the close fit. According to one example the electrical connector 1 is a WBT-0110 Cu solderless RCA connector, which terminates the cable to maintain the quality of signal it carries. This nextgen™ RCA Connector WBT-0110 Cu typically has a 75 ohms characteristic impedance, distortion-free, with no or at least eddy currents, ultimate conductivity (single-piece signal conductor made of pure copper). As explained above the WBT-0110 Cu solderless RCA copper connector provides an electrical connector 1, with a body 2 which is fabricated from copper. In order to provide an improvement in the performance of the electrical signals carried by the cable 6 to the electrical connector 1, the sock 8 which is manufactured from wool-felt is provided as an outer sheath in correspondence with the outer sheath of the high performance cable 1 as shown in Figures 3 and 4 . Accordingly corresponding advantages are provided by reducing eddy currents and skin effects combined with a dielectric constant, which has the above advantages for the connector as it does for the cable. The sock 8 is also eco-friendly and provides broadband vibration control and damping to interconnect plugs with a low added mass and capacity capacitance. This can provide an improvement in revealing sound details like air and space around instruments and a larger soundstage. The inventors of the present technology have found that decay of notes and the spaces between notes can become more evident as an overall noise floor is lowered revealing tiny spatial cues. Although the present disclosure has been described in connection with some embodiments, it is not intended to be limited to the specific form set forth herein. Additionally, although a feature may appear to be described in connection with particular embodiments, one skilled in the art would recognise that various features of the described embodiments may be combined in any manner suitable to implement the technique.

Claims

1. A sock (8) for an electrical connector, the electrical connector (1) comprising a body (2) and at least one electrical conductor (4) extending from the body (2), the body (2) being configured to provide a secure electrical connection for a cable (6) carrying electrical signals to the at least one electrical conductor (1), the electrical conductor (1) being shaped and configured to mutually engage and form an electrical connection to a corresponding connector forming part of a high-fidelity, Hi-Fi component to receive the electrical signals, wherein the sock (8) is configured to fit over the body (2) of the electrical connector (1) and is fabricated from a biodegradable material.

2. A sock of claim 1, wherein the biodegradable material is fabricated from wool-felt.

3. A sock of claim 1, wherein the biodegradable material is fabricated from wool.

4. A sock of claim 1, wherein the biodegradable material is fabricated from silk.

5. A sock of claim 1, wherein the body is fabricated from metal.

6. A sock of claim 1, wherein the at least one electrical conductor (4) is shaped and configuredto form a cylindrical finger to be received by a socket forming part of the electrical connector of the Hi-Fi component.

7. A sock of claim 6, wherein the at least one electrical connector (1) is a phono plug.

8. An electrical cable (6) for conducting electrical signals from two components of a Hi-Fisystem, the electrical cable (6) comprising plurality of strands of copper, each strand being separately insulated with an insulation material, and an outer sheath of a biodegradable insulating material which envelopes the plurality of strands, wherein a diameter of each strand is between 20 and 50 pm and a number of the strands is between 100 and 10000.

9. An electrical cable of claim 8, wherein the number of strands of copper is approximately 800.

10. An electrical cable of claims 8 or 9, wherein the diameter of each strand is 35pm.

11. An electrical cable of any of claims 8 to 11, wherein the biodegradable material is fabricated from wool-felt.

12. An electrical cable of any of claims 8 to 11, wherein the biodegradable material is fabricated from wool.

13. An electrical cable of any of claims 8 to 11, wherein the biodegradable material is fabricated from silk.

14. A pair of electrical cables for interconnecting two channels between two components of a Hi-Fi system, each electrical cable comprising plurality of strands of copper, each strand being separately insulated with an insulation material, and the plurality of strands are enveloped within an outer sheath of a biodegradable insulating material, wherein a diameter of each strand is between 20 and 50 pm and a number of the strands is between 100 and 10000.

15. A pair of electrical cables of claim 14, wherein the number of strands of copper is approximately 800.

16. A pair of electrical cables of claims 14 or 15, wherein the diameter of each strand is 35pm.

17. A pair of electrical cables of any of claims 14 to 16, wherein the biodegradable material isfabricated from wool-felt.

18. A pair of electrical cables of any of claims 14 to 16, wherein the biodegradable material is fabricated from wool.

19. A pair of electrical cables of any of claims 14 to 16, wherein the biodegradable material is fabricated from silk.

20. An electrical connector (1) and electrical cable (6) assembly, the electrical connector (1) comprising a body (2) and at least one electrical conductor (4) extending from the body (2), the body (2) being configured to provide a secure electrical connection to the cable (6) carryingelectrical signals to the at least one electrical conductor (4), the at least one electrical conductor (4) being shaped and configured to engage mutually and form an electrical connection to a corresponding connector forming part of a high-fidelity, Hi-Fi, component to receive the electrical signals, the electrical cable (6) for conducting electrical signals to the Hi-Fi component from another Hi-Fi component of a Hi-Fi system, the electrical cable (6) comprising plurality of strands of copper, each strand being separately insulated and an outer sheath of a biodegradable insulating material which envelopes the plurality of strands, wherein a diameter of each strand is between 20 and 50 pm and a number of the strands is between 100 and 10000, and the electrical connector includes a sock (8) fitted over the body (2) of the electrical connector (1), the sock fabricated from the biodegradable material.

21. An electrical connector and cable assembly of claim 20, wherein the number of strands of copper is approximately 800.

22. An electrical connector and cable assembly of claim 20 or 21, wherein the diameter of each strand is 35pm.

23. An electrical connector and cable assembly of claims 20, 21 or 22, wherein the biodegradable material is fabricated from wool-felt.

24. An electrical connector and cable assembly of any of claims 20, 21 or 22, wherein the biodegradable material is fabricated from wool.

25. An electrical connector and cable assembly of any of claims 20, 21 or 22, wherein the biodegradable material is fabricated from silk.

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