Fraying cables and broken wires are a problem that everyone faces at some point or another and we can all agree stronger wire cables will be a good thing. However, Apple’s pending lightning cable application appears to take what’s a broad idea and attempts to patent all possible iterations, potentially preventing other manufacturers from bringing out greater applications for multi-layered cables.
Technical Problem: Electrical cables generally include one or more conductive wires transmitting data and/or electricity covered by an insulating protective sleeve. While the ends of the cable are covered with stiff material for localized strain relief, it’s only applicable to the end of the cable.
Technical Solution: The invention proposes to integrate the strain-relief into cable sleeve, thereby both protecting the entire length of the cable and avoiding the appearance of increased thickness at the ends. The invention proposes a multi-layered sleeve; one of the layers being of flexible material, a second of rigid material and a third of varying stiffness between the two.
Advantages: More durable cables for all sorts of portable electronic equipment.
