Patent Application
20230335313
The present disclosure relates generally to a metal clad cable, and more particularly, to a metal clad cable that may include a bare grounding/bonding wire and/or a loosely wound binder, and/or a control subassembly.
Metal clad cable has a spiral wound, interlocked metal cladding or armor that provides a low impedance ground path or grounding conductor for equipment. The cladding or armor is spiral wound with edges interlocking adjacent edges that also provides continuous protection for the wires within the cladding. A typical metal clad (MC) cable can include power conductors, an insulated grounding conductor and/or bare grounding/bonding wire, signal or control conductors and the like. The conductors can be twisted (also referred to as cabled) wires and separate from the twisted wires, a bare conductor that serves as a ground. It is important that the bare grounding/bonding conductor is in continuous contact with the metal cladding to provide an adequate ground path.
A way in which the bare grounding/bonding wire is maintained in contact with the metal cladding is by tightly wrapping a binder/tape around the conductors and positioning the bonding wire outside of the wrap, between the wrap and the cladding. The pressure applied by the tight wrap on the bonding wire forces the bonding wire into contact with the cladding.
One drawback to the tight wrap arrangement is that the wrapping material can tear or break and as a result, the necessary wrap around the conductors may be compromised. In addition, specialized equipment may be needed to perform the wrap, which equipment may increase costs in manufacture of the cable. Another drawback to the tight wrap arrangement is that it may be difficult to flatten the tightly wrapped wires so that the product specifications and markings printed on the tape can be read.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a metal clad cable that is readily manufactured, meets required codes, and in some embodiments, does not require maintaining a specific tension on any wrap materials during manufacture.
According to one embodiment, a metal clad cable includes at least two power conductors each disposed within a first jacket, a bare grounding/bonding wire, a binder or separator material, for example, a wrap surrounding and loosely positioned around the at least two power conductors, and a spiral wound metal cladding surrounding the wrapped power conductors and the bare grounding/bonding wire.
The bare grounding/bonding wire is positioned between the binder and the spiral wound metal cladding and is in continuous contact with the spiral wound metal cladding. The bare grounding/bonding wire is maintained in continuous contact with the spiral wound metal cladding by a force applied by at least one of the at least two power conductors on the bare grounding/bonding wire.
In embodiments, the binder is a polymeric material, such as a polyester or polyethylene material. A polyester material can be, for example, a polyester tape. One suitable polyester material is MYLAR®.
In an embodiment, the cable includes three power conductors. The binder is loosely positioned around the three power conductors, and the bare grounding/bonding wire is outside of the binder, between the binder and the spiral wound metal cladding. The cable can include an insulated grounding conductor.
In embodiments, power conductors are 10 gauge or 12 gauge or 14 gauge conductors and the bare grounding/bonding wire is an 8 gauge or 10 gauge or 12 gauge conductor. The power conductors can be solid conductors or they can be stranded conductors.
In another aspect, a metal clad cable includes at least two power conductors each disposed within a first jacket, a bare grounding/bonding wire, a binder surrounding each of the power conductors and a spiral wound metal cladding surrounding each of the wrapped power conductors and the bare grounding/bonding wire.
The bare grounding/bonding wire is positioned between the wrapped power conductors and the spiral wound metal cladding and is in continuous contact with the spiral wound metal cladding. The grounding/bonding wire is maintained in continuous contact with the spiral wound metal cladding by a force applied by at least one of the at least two power conductors on the bare grounding/bonding wire. In embodiments, the binder is a polymeric material such as a polyester or a polyethylene material. A polyester material can be, for example, a polyester tape. One suitable polyester material is MYLAR®.
In embodiments, the cable includes three power conductors, each of the three power conductors being individually wrapped with, for example, the MYLAR® tape. The bare grounding/bonding wire is positioned between the binder of one or more of the three wrapped power conductors and the spiral wound metal cladding.
In embodiments, the power conductors are 10 gauge or 12 gauge or 14 gauge conductors and bare grounding/bonding wire is an 8 gauge or 10 gauge or 12 gauge conductor. The power conductors can be solid conductors or stranded conductors. The cable can include an insulated grounding conductor.
In another aspect a metal clad cable includes at least two power conductors each disposed within a first jacket, a control subassembly comprising at least two control wires, each of the at least two control wires disposed in a second jacket, a binder surrounding the at least two power conductors, and a spiral wound metal cladding surrounding the wrapped at least two power conductors and the wrapped control subassembly. The control subassembly may be contained with still another jacket.
In embodiments, the first binder is a polymeric material, such as a polyester or a polyethylene material. A polyester material can be, for example, a polyester tape. One suitable polyester material is MYLAR®. In embodiments, the cable further includes a second binder surrounding the wrapped power conductors and the control subassembly. In embodiments, the cable includes three power conductors. In embodiments, the second binder surrounds the wrapped three power conductors and the control subassembly.
In embodiments, the power conductors are 10 gauge or 12 gauge conductors and the control conductors are 16 gauge conductors. The conductors can be solid conductors or stranded conductors. The cable can include an insulated grounding conductor.
In still another aspect, a metal clad cable includes at least two power conductors each disposed within a first jacket, a control subassembly comprising at least two control wires, each of the at least two control wires disposed in a second jacket, a binder surrounding each of the at least two power conductors, and a spiral wound metal cladding surrounding the wrapped at least two power conductors and the control subassembly.
In embodiments, the first binder is a polymeric material, such as a polyester or a polyethylene material. A polyester material can be, for example, a polyester tape. One suitable polyester material is a MYLAR® tape. The cable can include three power conductors, each of the power conductors being individually wrapped with the MYLAR® tape. The cable can further include a second binder surrounding the wrapped power conductors and the control subassembly.
The power conductors can be 10 gauge or 12 gauge conductors and the control conductors are 16 gauge conductors. The two power conductors can be solid conductors or stranded conductors. The cable can include an insulated grounding conductor.
These and other features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description, in conjunction with the appended claims.
While the present device is susceptible of embodiment in various forms, there is shown in the figures and will hereinafter be described a presently preferred embodiment with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered an exemplification of the device and is not intended to be limited to the specific embodiment illustrated.
Disclosed are various embodiments of a metal clad cable 10. The illustrated cables include an outer cladding 12, insulated conductors 14, and a wrap or binder tape 16. As detailed below certain of the embodiments include one or more of an insulated grounding conductor 18, a bare grounding/bonding wire 20, and control conductors 22. In some embodiments, the cable includes a marker tape 24.
For purposes of the present disclosure, each of the power conductors and the insulated grounding conductor discussed below are insulated or jacketed, the insulation or jacket being indicated by the same reference number as its conductor, followed by the letter “a”. For example, where discussed, power conductor 14 includes insulator or jacket 14a. This nomenclature applies to all disclosed embodiments and further applies to control conductors 22 (see, for example,
In some embodiments, such as those illustrated in
The binder 16 or separator media can be, as noted above, a tape. Tape materials can be, for example, polyester, such as MYLAR® tape. Examples of suitable polymeric material include polyethylene and polyester, polyester (MYLAR®) tapes are corrugated tapes of widths such as 1 inch, 1.25 inches, 1.5 inches, 1.75 inches and so forth. The tape can be wrapped helically around the conductors. When helically wrapped, the tape should be overlapped as wrapped around the conductors at least about ⅛ inch when applied helically. A suitable corrugated tape thickness is about 4-7 mils thick. Flat tapes are also suitable. For example, flat tapes of widths such as 1 inch, 1.25 inches, 1.5 inches, 1.75 inches and so forth can be used. The tape should be overlapped as wrapped around the conductors at least about ⅛ inch when applied helically. A suitable flat tape thickness is about 4-7 mils thick.
A suitable corrugated tape thickness is about 4-7 mils thick. Flat tapes are also suitable. For example, flat tapes of widths such as 1 inch, 1.25 inches, 1.5 inches, 1.75 inches and so forth can be used. The tape should be overlapped as wrapped around the conductors at least about ⅛ inch when applied longitudinally. A suitable flat tape thickness is about 4-7 mils thick.
As seen in the figures, the metal cladding 12 is an interlocked, spiral wound covering in which the winds, e.g., 12a, 12b, overlap and interlock with adjacent winds to form a protective covering. In embodiments, the winds are convoluted to allow the winds to flex relative to one another. This allows the cable to be pulled through conduit, wall openings and the like and to flex, to conform to bends and the like, without stressing or compromising the integrity of the conductors 14, 18, 20, 22. The metal cladding can be, for example, aluminum, galvanized steel, or the like, as allowed by applicable codes and/or standards. A suitable armor or cladding material includes, for example, an aluminum-based alloy having a copper content of 0.4 percent or less. Another suitable material is steel that is made corrosion-resistant by a coating of zinc on all surfaces (galvanized steel).
In cables having stranded conductors, the stranded conductors can range from 14 AWG to 2 AWG, with the number of conductors ranging from 2 to 4, and with the insulated grounding conductor ranging from 14 AWG to 6 AWG as provided in Table 2, below:
Another cable, such as that illustrated in
14
Still another cable 110, such as that illustrated in
The cable having neutral per phase conductors with stranded conductors can likewise include neutral conductors per phase and an insulated grounding conductor. The phase conductors can range from 12 AWG to 10 AWG, with the number of conductors ranging from 2 to 6; neutral conductors ranging from 12 AWG to 10 AWG, the number of neutral conductors ranging from 2 to 6; and the insulated grounding conductor ranging from 12 AWG to 10 AWG as provided in Table 5, below:
Another neutral conductor cable 210, similar to that illustrated in
The cable having stranded conductors can include phase conductors ranging from 12 AWG to 10 AWG, with the number of phase conductors ranging from 1 to 4; the neutral conductors ranging from 10 AWG to 8 AWG; and the insulated grounding conductor ranging from 12 AWG to 10 AWG as provided in Table 7, below:
Another cable 310, illustrated in
Referring briefly to
The cables having stranded conductors can likewise include conductors ranging from 12 AWG to 10 AWG, with the number of conductors ranging from 2 to 4; the insulated grounding conductor ranging from 12 AWG to 10 AWG; and the bare grounding/bonding wire ranging from 10 AWG to 8 AWG; and as provided in Table 9, below:
Another cable 410, illustrated in
As with the cable illustrated in
The cables having stranded conductors can likewise include conductors ranging from 14 AWG to 10 AWG, with the number of conductors ranging from 2 to 4; the insulated grounding conductor ranging from 14 AWG to 10 AWG; and the bare grounding conductor, which can be a strip of 16 AWG, as provided in Table 11, below:
Another cable 510, illustrated in
12
10
The cables having stranded conductors can likewise include conductors ranging from 14 AWG to 10 AWG, with the number of conductors ranging from 2 to 4 and the bare grounding conductor can range from 12 AWG to 8 AWG, as provided in Table 13 below:
Still another cable 610 is illustrated in
In these embodiments, the control conductors 22 are present within a subassembly 28. The illustrated control subassembly 28 includes a pair of insulated or jacketed control conductors 22; however, it will be understood that the control subassembly 28 may include more than one pair of control conductors.
The control subassembly 28 is positioned within a jacket 30. In these embodiments, the jacket 30 of the control subassembly 28 is not directly adjacent to (not in contact with) any of the power or insulated grounding conductor jackets 14a, 18a. That is, for any of the power and insulated grounding conductors 14, 18 adjacent to the control subassembly 22, the conductors’ binder 16 (whether the power and insulated grounding conductors are wrapped together as seen in
The cables having stranded conductors can include conductors ranging from 12 AWG to 10 AWG, with the number of conductors ranging from 2 to 3; the insulated grounding conductor ranging from 12 AWG to 10 AWG; and solid control conductors of 16 AWG, as provided in Table 15, below:
In these embodiments, as seen in
Those skilled in the art will appreciate that there are numerous codes that specify the requirements for the above-noted cables. The following lists some of the applicable codes:
It will be understood that the features from any one of the embodiments described above may be implemented in, combined or used together with, or replace features from any of the other embodiments described above.
All patents referred to herein, are hereby incorporated herein by reference, whether or not specifically done so within the text of this disclosure.
In the present disclosure, the words “a” or “an” are to be taken to include both the singular and the plural. Conversely, any reference to plural items shall, where appropriate, include the singular. In addition, it is understood that terminology referring to orientation of various components, such as “upper” or “lower” is used for the purposes of example only, and does not limit the subject matter of the present disclosure to a particular orientation.
From the foregoing it will be observed that numerous modifications and variations can be effectuated without departing from the true spirit and scope of the novel concepts of the present disclosure. It is to be understood that no limitation with respect to the specific embodiments illustrated is intended or should be inferred. The disclosure is intended to cover all such modifications as fall within the scope of the claims.
