Sacrificial Lobe Cable Jacket for Animal Damage Resistance

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing cables are vulnerable to damage from animals like rodents, birds, and insects due to their inability to effectively deter these creatures before they cause significant harm, and previous solutions like metallic armor layers increase cost, size, and weight while compromising flexibility.

Innovation Solution

The implementation of sacrificial lobes with aversive materials on the outer surface of the cable jacket, which extend radially from the cable, providing an initial point of contact for animals to interact with, thereby preventing them from damaging the main cable structures.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If metallic armor layers are used to protect cables from rodent damage, then cable protection effectiveness is improved, but cable cost, size, and weight increase while flexibility deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecable protection effectivenessVSAvoidcable weight

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSWeight of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses sacrificial lobes made of aversive material that are designed to be consumed or damaged by rodents instead of the main cable. These lobes are replaceable and sacrifice themselves to protect the valuable cable core, embodying the principle of using cheap, disposable elements to protect expensive, critical components.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

Solution Approach 2:

The sacrificial lobes act as an intermediary between rodents and the cable core. The aversive material in the lobes creates a barrier that rodents encounter first, preventing direct contact with and damage to the main cable structures. This intermediary layer resolves the contradiction by providing protection without requiring heavy metallic armor.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If metallic armor layers are used to protect cables from rodent damage, then cable protection effectiveness is improved, but cable flexibility deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecable protection effectivenessVSAvoidcable flexibility

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs a flexible cable jacket made of polymer material that can be extruded in continuous lengths. The sacrificial lobes are integrated into this flexible jacket, maintaining the cable's overall flexibility while providing rodent protection. This approach replaces rigid metallic armor with flexible polymer structures.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

3Reliability

If sacrificial lobes with aversive materials are used, then cable damage from animals is reduced, but cable structure complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecable damage resistanceVSAvoidcable structure complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The cable structure is segmented into distinct functional zones: the cable core for signal/power transmission, the cable jacket for structural support, and sacrificial lobes with aversive material for rodent deterrence. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function while maintaining overall system simplicity through modular design.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent combines multiple functions into integrated components. The sacrificial lobes are extruded as part of the cable jacket formation process, merging the protective function with the structural jacket in a single manufacturing step. This integration reduces overall structural complexity compared to adding separate protective layers.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

4Reliability

If sacrificial lobes extend radially outward from the cable jacket, then animal contact probability increases, but cable outer diameter increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveanimal deterrence effectivenessVSAvoidcable outer diameter

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLength of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The cable structure implements local quality by extending sacrificial lobes radially outward only at specific locations where rodent contact is most likely. The lobes are positioned at intervals along the cable rather than uniformly increasing the diameter, providing targeted protection while minimizing overall size increase.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentUS11867961B2Aversive cable with sacrificial lobes

Publication Date: 2024.01.09 CORNING RES & DEV CORP

AI summary

Provided herein are embodiments of an aversive cable. The cable includes a cable core comprising a longitudinal axis, a cable jacket surrounding the cable core along the longitudinal axis, and at least one sacrificial lobe. The cable jacket has an outer surface, and each of the at least one sacrificial lobe extends longitudinally along at least a portion of cable jacket and radially outward from the outer surface of the cable jacket. The cable jacket and the at least one sacrificial lobe include an aversive material. In embodiments, the sacrificial lobes are included on a cable sheath instead of the cable jacket, and the cable sheath surrounds the cable jacket without being bonded to the cable jacket.