You know those curly coiled ear-piece cables? (see link) So this one's curls are as small as 2 mm wide. The cable is inside an elastic cover. Stretches out to several times its original size.

An extra nice-to-have feature would be if the cable pulls back to its original size only when given a strong tug.

This, of course, is a half thought. I'm sure it's doable the only question is in which of the many available methods.
-- pashute, Jan 12 2018

Baked https://www.popsci....tic-electrical-cord
See 1:10 in video for photo of design that matches yours. [scad mientist, Jan 13 2018]

This would be nice if it could be made to work.

One problem might be supercoiling: a very long helix will tend to form supercoils (ie, the axis of the helix will itself tend to form a helix), which would be tanglesome.

However, this problem could be overcome if you had two (or more) separate wires in the cable, coiled in opposite directions. That way, you'd have the same elasticity but the overall cable would tend to remain tangle-free, I think.

Another problem might be breakage of the conductors due to frequent bending/unbending, but this might not be the case.
-- MaxwellBuchanan, Jan 12 2018


No, "tinsel" braid superflexible cables, with high immunity to repetetive flexion, have been around for many decades.
-- 8th of 7, Jan 12 2018


I was thinking of something like this, the inspiration being the annoying frequency* at which I break the conductor in one of my earphones by snagging it on a door handle or whatnot. My thinking was to make the conductor form a gentle helix inside the insulation so that while the insulator took the stress and strain, the conductor just uncoiled slightly.

* 3 data points, currently cruising at 0.13microHz
-- bs0u0155, Jan 12 2018


Would it not be more effective, for so many reasons, to fit yourself with "breakaway" ears ?
-- 8th of 7, Jan 12 2018


//fit yourself with "breakaway" ears//

Then my glasses would fall off, suddenly rendering me deaf AND blind.
-- bs0u0155, Jan 12 2018


That's the plan, yes ...
-- 8th of 7, Jan 12 2018


Duff link....thought I'd mention it..not like in me days, them was links that lasted...just can't get the wood these days..

NB, are you quite sure of that "repetetive"...it's them Ferengi keyboards, I tole him, yes I did, but did he listen.. <gibbers away into the distance.....>
-- not_morrison_rm, Jan 13 2018


// just can't get the wood these days.. //

Poor, poor Minnie Bannister... how she must have suffered.

But you can get tablets for that now (allegedly).

// are you quite sure of that "repetetive" //

Oh indeed, yes ..

// ...it's them Ferengi keyboards, //

No, it's called "A Trap For The Unwary" ...

// I tole him, yes I did, but did he listen.. <gibbers away into the distance.....> //

<Grytpipe-Thynne>

"After him, Moriarty ! We must run him down in our leather omnibus before he can get back to King's Cross and cash in those two used platform tickets ! "

</Grytpipe-Thynne>
-- 8th of 7, Jan 13 2018


Better baked than never.
-- pashute, Jan 18 2018



random, halfbakery