Helically-Wound Cable Fused Ends Solder-Free Security
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing helically-wound cables secured with solder or brazing face limitations, particularly in applications requiring rotational stability and minimal material addition, as these methods can complicate attachment and potentially weaken the cable.
Innovation Solution
The cable is secured by melting and re-solidifying wire strands along specific paths, eliminating the need for solder or braze, and utilizing a bi- or tri-plex configuration with reverse winding for enhanced rotational stability and preventing unwinding.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If solder or brazing is used to secure cable ends, then the cable is prevented from uncoiling, but the cable structure becomes more complex and attachment is complicated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes solder or brazing from the cable construction entirely, extracting the foreign material that complicates the structure. Instead, the cable ends are secured by mechanical interlocking of the helically-wound wires themselves, which naturally lock when wound tightly around each other, eliminating the need for additional securing materials or complex attachment procedures.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses uniform helically-wound wires throughout the cable construction, where the same wire material and winding pattern serve both structural and securing functions. This homogeneous approach eliminates the need for different materials (solder, braze) and simplifies both manufacturing and attachment, while maintaining reliability through the consistent mechanical interlocking of identical wire elements.
2Reliability
If solder or brazing is used to secure cable ends, then the cable is prevented from uncoiling, but foreign materials are introduced that complicate device attachment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts foreign materials (solder, brazing) from the cable construction and replaces them with the cable's own wire material. The helically-wound wires are secured purely through their mechanical configuration, eliminating contamination risks and simplifying device attachment by ensuring only the base wire material contacts the device.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent maintains material homogeneity by using only the cable's wire material throughout the construction, avoiding introduction of foreign substances. This ensures that device attachment surfaces are free from solder or braze residues, eliminating harmful foreign materials while maintaining secure cable construction through the helical winding geometry.
3Reliability
If solder or brazing is used to secure cable ends, then the cable is prevented from uncoiling, but the cable strength may be weakened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes solder or brazing processes that can weaken the cable through heat-affected zones, material degradation, or imperfect bonding. Instead, the cable ends are secured by the mechanical interlocking of helically-wound wires, which maintains the full strength of the wire material without introducing weak points from foreign materials or thermal processing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses uniform wire material throughout the cable construction, ensuring consistent mechanical properties and strength. By avoiding solder or brazing, the entire cable structure maintains homogeneous material properties without weak interfaces, while the helical winding geometry provides secure mechanical interlocking that preserves cable strength.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This method provides secure, solder-free, and stable cable configurations suitable for rotational applications with minimal material addition, ensuring reliable torque transmission and preventing unwinding, while allowing for attachment of devices without foreign materials.
Implementation Method 1
wire has been melted and then re-solidified
Implementation Method 2
fusing the two adjacent strands
Data Source
AI summary
A cable includes a first layer of wire helically wound to define a lumen having a lumen diameter. A second layer of wire is helically wound over the first layer. A first end segment of the second layer is configured with a plurality of strands that are fused together. A second end segment of the second layer is configured with a plurality of strands that are fused together.