Patent ID: 7569774

Claim:
A self-healing cable apparatus, comprising: at least one conductor; an axially and radially compressible/expandable (C/E) foam layer surrounding the at least one conductor, said C/E foam layer adapted to maintain its compressibility and expandability over a temperature range between −65 and 260 degrees C., and a pressure range of between 0 and 1 atmosphere; a tape layer applied to the compressible foam layer so that it surrounds and axially and radially compresses the C/E foam layer so that the C/E foam layer includes substantial axial and radial expansive force components that are counterbalanced by substantial axial and radial compressive force components provided by the tape layer; a protective outer jacket surrounding the tape layer; and wherein, when a damaging force forms a localized breach in the protective outer jacket and the tape layer, a corresponding portion of the C/E foam layer axially and radially expands into said localized breach and beyond the protective outer jacket due to uncounterbalanced axial and radial expansive force components in the C/E foam layer, thereby forming a localized self-healed region in said localized breach.