Electrical cable, particularly adapted to environments for dwelling and/or office use and the like

Abstract

 An electrical cable (1a, 1b, 1c, 1d), particularly adapted to environments for dwelling and/or office use and the like, comprising at least one electrical wire (2) covered with an outer covering layer (7) provided by means of at least one fire-resistant material comprised within the group constituted by leather, hide, synthetic leather, fire-resistant fabrics and/or metallic fabrics.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to an electrical cable, particularly adapted to environments for dwelling and/or office use and the like.

[0002] Systems for covering electrical cables are currently known which are constituted substantially by a strip of plastic that is wound in a spiral arrangement onto the electrical cables and is adapted to gather them in a single coil.

[0003] If a more refined aesthetics is sought, it is known in the background art to wind the electrical cable in a braid or spiral of one or more cotton threads.

[0004] These solutions have a common drawback, which consists in the fact that they are unsuitable for environments at risk of fire or the like.

[0005] In order to obviate this drawback, the background art proposes a series of fire-resistant coverings that are used particularly in industrial environments. These coverings of a known type, which are constituted generally by a plurality of layers of rubber and metallic braids, increase considerably the size of the electrical cable, giving it an unpleasant and unrefined appearance if used in domestic environments and/or offices of a certain standing.

[0006] The aim of the present invention is to provide an electrical cable that has fire-resistant characteristics adapted to ensure a good degree of safety and at the same time has an aesthetic appearance that is suitable for its use also in domestic and/or office environments of a certain standing.

[0007] Within this aim, an object of the present invention is to provide an electrical cable that has low costs.

[0008] This aim, as well as these and other objects that will become more apparent hereinafter, are achieved by an electrical cable, particularly adapted to environments for dwelling and/or office use and the like, characterized in that it comprises at least one electrical wire covered with an external covering layer provided by means of at least one fire-resistant material comprised within the group constituted by leather, hide, synthetic leather, fire-resistant fabrics and/or metallic fabrics.

[0009] Further characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the description of four preferred but not exclusive embodiments of an electrical cable, particularly adapted to environments for dwelling and/or office use and the like, according to the invention, illustrated by way of non-limiting example in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of the electrical cable according to the invention;

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view of the electrical cable shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the electrical cable according to the invention;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of a third embodiment of the electrical cable according to the invention;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of a fourth embodiment of the electrical cable according to the invention.

[0010] With reference to the figures, the electrical cable, particularly adapted to environments for dwelling and/or office use and the like, generally designated in the four proposed embodiments respectively by the reference numerals 1a, 1b, 1c and 1d, can comprise one or more electrical wires 2 that carry an electrical signal or an electric power supply to an electrical user device with a shielding layer 3 interposed between the electrical wires 2.

[0011] For the sake of greater clarity, it is appropriate to stress that in this context the expression "electrical wire" is understood to refer to a plurality of filaments 4 made of conducting material enclosed in an outer sheath 5.

[0012] As regards the shielding layer 3, it can be provided by a sheath 6 made of insulating material inside which the electrical wire or wires 2 cited above are embedded, so as to be interposed between them.

[0013] More precisely, the electrical wire or wires 2 are covered with an outer covering layer 7 provided by means of at least one fire-resistant material comprised in the group constituted by leather, hide, synthetic leather, fire-resistant fabrics and/or metallic fabrics.

[0014] More precisely, if the shielding layer 3 is provided, the outer covering layer 7 covers said shielding layer 3 so that it is interposed between the electrical wire or wires 2 and the outer covering layer 7.

[0015] More precisely, with reference to the first two proposed embodiments, shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3, the outer covering layer 7 is provided by means of a rectangular strip 8 or 9 made of fire-resistant material that has a width substantially equal to the circumferential space occupation of the electrical wire or wires 2 or of the shielding layer 3, if provided, the longitudinal flaps of the rectangular strip 8 or 9 being fixed to each other by means of at least one of adhesive bonding and stitching 20, for example of the type with a stitch known in the technical jargon as Strobel.

[0016] In these two embodiments, in order to facilitate the covering process, the rectangular strips 8 and 9 can be partially glued to at least one of the electrical wire or wires 2 and the shielding layer 3.

[0017] With particular reference to the third embodiment, shown in Figure 4, the outer covering layer 7 is provided by means of a strip 10 that is wound in a spiral around at least one of the electrical wire or wires 2 and the shielding layer 3.

[0018] With particular reference to the fourth embodiment, shown in Figure 5, the outer covering layer 7 is provided by means of a plurality of strips 11, optionally made of mutually different materials, wrapped in a braided arrangement around at least one of the electrical wire or wires 2 and the shielding layer 3.

[0019] In this manner it is possible to isolate the electrical wires in an optimal manner with a minimum additional space occupation while ensuring a valuable aesthetic level.

[0020] In practice it has been found that the electrical cable, particularly adapted to environments for dwelling and/or office use and the like, according to the invention, achieves fully the intended aim and objects.

[0021] The electrical cable, particularly adapted to environments for dwelling and/or office use, thus conceived, is susceptible of numerous modifications and variations, all of which are within the scope of the appended claims.

[0022] All the details may further be replaced with other technically equivalent elements.

[0023] In practice, the materials used, as well as the contingent shapes and dimensions, may be any according to the requirements and the state of the art.

[0024] The disclosures in Italian Patent Application No. AR2013A000003 from which this application claims priority are incorporated herein by reference.

[0025] Where technical features mentioned in any claim are followed by reference signs, those reference signs have been included for the sole purpose of increasing the intelligibility of the claims and accordingly such reference signs do not have any limiting effect on the interpretation of each element identified by way of example by such reference signs.

Claims

1. An electrical cable (1a, 1b, 1c, 1d), particularly adapted to environments for dwelling and/or office use and the like, characterized in that it comprises at least one electrical wire (2) covered with an outer covering layer (7) provided by means of at least one fire-resistant material comprised within the group constituted by leather, hide, synthetic leather, fire-resistant fabrics and/or metallic fabrics.

2. The electrical cable (1a, 1b, 1c, 1d) according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises at least one shielding layer (3) interposed between said at least one electrical wire (2) and said outer covering layer (7).

3. The electrical cable (1a, 1b, 1c, 1d) according to claim 1, characterized in that said at least one electrical wire (2) comprises a plurality of electrical wires (2) covered by said outer covering layer (7).

4. The electrical cable (1a, 1b, 1c, 1d) according to claim 4, characterized in that it comprises at least one shielding layer (3) that is interposed between each one of said electrical wires (2) and between said electrical wires (2) and said outer covering layer (7).

5. The electrical cable (1a, 1b) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said outer covering layer (7) is provided by means of a rectangular strip (8, 9) of said fire-resistant material that has a width substantially equal to the circumferential space occupation of said at least one electrical wire (2) or of said shielding layer (3), the longitudinal flaps of said rectangular strip (8, 9) being fixed to each other by means of at least one of adhesive bonding and stitching.

6. The electrical cable (1a, 1b) according to claim 5, characterized in that said rectangular strip (8, 9) is glued partially to at least one of said at least one electrical wire (2) and said shielding layer (3).

7. The electrical cable (1c) according to one or more of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that said outer covering layer (7) is provided by means of a strip (10) that is wound in a spiral around at least one of said at least one electrical wire (2) and said shielding layer (3).

8. The electrical cable (1d) according to one or more of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that said outer covering layer (7) is provided by means of a plurality of strips (11) that are wrapped in a braided arrangement around at least one of said at least one electrical wire (2) and said shielding layer (3).

Drawing