High performance data cable

• US 20010001426A1
• Filed: 01/18/2001
• Published: 05/24/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/1996
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Belden Inc.
• Original Assignee: Belden Technologies, LLC (Belden Inc.)
• Inventors: Vanderlaan, Paul Z., Gareis, Galen Mark
• Granted Patent: US 7,339,116 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 174/113C
• CPC Class Codes: H01B 11/02 Cables with twisted pairs or quads
• CPC Class Codes: H01B 11/06 with means for reducing effects of electromagnetic or electrostatic disturbances, e.g. screens

Abstract

The present invention is for a high performance data cable which has an interior support or star separator. The star separator or interior support extends along the longitudinal length of the data cable. The star separator or interior support has a central region. A plurality of prongs or splines extend outward from the central region along the length of the central region. Each prong or spline is adjacent with at least two other prongs or splines. The prongs or splines may be helixed or S-Z shaped as they extend along the length of the star separator or interior support. Each pair of adjacent prongs or splines defines grooves which extend along the longitudinal length of the interior support. At least two of the grooves have disposed therein an insulated conductor. The interior support can have a first material and a different second material. The different second material forms an outer surface of the interior support.

Claims

1. A data cable having a plurality of insulated signal transmission conductors, and an interior support, said interior support comprising:

a cylindrical longitudinally extending central portion;

a plurality of splines radially extending from said central portion along the length of said central portion, said splines having a triangular cross-section with the base of the triangle forming part of the central portion, each of said triangular splines having the same radius;

each spline of said plurality of splines being adjacent to two other splines of said plurality;

a shield having a lateral fold, said shield supported by said triangular splines, said shield and splines defining a plurality of at least four conductor compartments;

a signal transmission conductor from said plurality of signal transmission conductors disposed in each of said compartments.

5. The cable of

claim 1

, wherein said interior support comprises:

a first material and a second material different from said first material, wherein

said second material has an outer surface, said outer surface forms at least a portion of an outer surface of a plurality of said triangular splines, and wherein;

said second material provides means for shielding.

8. The cable of

claim 5

, wherein said second material is a foil shield.

2. A signal transmission cable comprising:

an interior support extending along a longitudinal length of the cable, said interior support having a central region, said central region extending along a longitudinal length of said interior support;

a plurality of prongs, each of said prongs forming a part of said interior support, said prongs extending along a longitudinal length of the central region and extending outward from said central region;

an arrangement of said plurality of prongs wherein each of said prongs is adjacent with at least two other of said prongs, said arrangement forming a plurality of pairs of adjacent prongs;

a groove defined by each of said pairs of adjacent prongs, said groove extends along the longitudinal length of the interior support, said plurality of pairs of adjacent prongs defining a plurality of said grooves;

in said plurality of prongs, each of said prongs having a first and second lateral side, a portion of said first lateral side and a portion of said second lateral side of at least one of said prongs converging towards each other;

a plurality of conductor compartments, each of said conductor compartments defined by a pair of said plurality of pairs of adjacent prongs and a foil shield having a lateral fold;

an insulated conductor in each of said plurality of conductor compartments.

6. The cable of

claim 2

, wherein said interior support comprises:

a first material and a second material different from said first material, wherein

said second material has an outer surface, said outer surface forms at least a portion of an outer surface of a plurality of said prongs, and wherein

said second material provides means for shielding.

9. The cable of

claim 6

, wherein said second material is a foil shield.

3. A high performance data cable comprising:

an interior support extending along a longitudinal length of the data cable, said interior support having a central region, said central region extending along a longitudinal length of said interior support;

a plurality of prongs, each of said prongs forming a part of said interior support, said prongs extending along a longitudinal length of the central region and extending outward from said central region;

an arrangement of said plurality of prongs wherein each of said prongs is adjacent with at least two other prongs, said arrangement forming a plurality of pairs of adjacent prongs;

a groove defined by each of said pairs of adjacent prongs, said groove extends along the longitudinal length of the interior support, said plurality of pairs of adjacent prongs defining a plurality of said grooves;

a plurality of conductor compartments, each of said conductor compartments defined by a pair of said plurality of pairs of adjacent prongs and a foil shield having a lateral fold;

an insulated conductor in each of said conductor compartments, wherein said insulated conductor is selected from the group consisting of a twisted pair conductor and a single conductor.

7. The cable of

claim 3

, wherein said interior support comprises:

a first material and a second material different from said first material, wherein

said second material has an outer surface, said outer surface forms at least a portion of an outer surface of a plurality of said prongs, and wherein

said second material provides means for shielding.

10. The cable of

claim 7

, wherein said second material is a foil shield.

4. A high performance data cable comprising:

an interior support extending along a longitudinal length of the data cable, a first material forming part of said interior support, a second material forming a part of said interior support, said first material different from said second material;

a central region forming part of said interior support, said central region extending along a longitudinal length of said interior support;

a plurality of prongs, each of said prongs forming a part of said interior support, said prongs extending along a longitudinal length of the central region and extending outward from said central region;

an arrangement of said plurality of prongs wherein each of said prongs is adjacent with at least two other prongs, said arrangement forming a plurality of pairs of adjacent prongs;

a groove defined by each of said pairs of adjacent prongs, said groove extends along the longitudinal length of the interior support, said plurality of pairs of adjacent prongs defining a plurality of said grooves;

an insulated conductor in each of said grooves, wherein

said second material has an outer surface, said outer surface forms at least a portion of said plurality of prongs, and said second material defines a portion of a plurality of said grooves, and wherein said second material provides means for shielding.