STRUCTURALLY AUGMENTED CABLE

• US 20150348678A1
• Filed: 05/29/2015
• Published: 12/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PPC Broadband Incorporated (Belden Inc.)
• Original Assignee: PPC Broadband Incorporated (Belden Inc.)
• Inventors: Montena, Noah P.
• Granted Patent: US 9,805,845 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01B 11/1869 Construction of the layers on the outer side of the outer conductor
• CPC Class Codes: H01B 11/1895 Particular features or applications
• CPC Class Codes: H01B 7/0208 Cables with several layers of insulating material
• CPC Class Codes: H01B 7/0216 Two layers

Abstract

A coaxial cable comprises inner and outer conductors disposed along an elongate axis, a dielectric insulating material disposed between the inner and outer conductors, a compliant outer jacket disposed over the inner and outer conductors, and a reinforcing outer jacket disposed over the compliant inner jacket, the outer jacket being physically separate from the inner jacket and comprising on-axis and off-axis fibers disposed in a binding matrix, the outer jacket comprising more on-axis than off-axis fibers.

Claims

1. A cable comprising:

an inner conductor extending along an elongate axis;

an insulator receiving the inner conductor and extending along the elongate axis;

an outer conductor receiving the insulator and extending along the elongate axis;

a separating foil disposed between the insulator and the outer conductor, the separating foil facilitating separation and insertion of a post sleeve of a coaxial cable connector;

an insulating jacket receiving the outer conductor and extending along the elongate axis, the insulating jacket configured to electrically insulate the inner and outer conductors from an electrical ground;

a structurally reinforcing jacket disposed over the insulating jacket and extending along the elongate axis, the structurally reinforcing jacket configured to structurally augment and puncture-protect the cable axially along the elongate axis; and

a separating material interposing the insulating and structurally reinforcing jackets, the separating material facilitating separation and insertion of a retention post,

wherein the structurally reinforcing jacket including reinforcing fibers disposed in a binding matrix material, the binding matrix having inner and outer portions, the outer portion including a radius dimension greater than one half of the total radius dimension,

wherein the fibers reinforce the outer portion of the reinforcing jacket;

wherein the reinforcing fibers comprise fibers having high yield strength and low elastic modulus material properties, and a combination of on-axis and off-axis fibers, the on-axis fibers oriented at less than about twenty five degrees (+/−

25°

) relative to the elongate axis and the off-axis fibers oriented at greater than about thirty-five degrees (+/−

35°

) relative to the elongate axis;

wherein the reinforcing fibers are selected from the group consisting of carbon, graphite, boron, fiberglass and polyparaphenylene terephthalamide fibers; and

wherein the binding matrix material comprising a non-conductive, low modulus material from the group of elastomer, polyethylene and polyurethane.

2. The cable of claim 1 wherein the structurally reinforcing jacket includes reinforcing fibers disposed in a binding matrix, the binding matrix having inner and outer portions, the outer portion including a radius dimension greater than one half of the total radius dimension, and wherein the fibers reinforce the outer portion of the structurally reinforcing jacket.

3. A cable comprising:

a first cable section comprising a conductor, a jacket surrounding the conductor, and a structural overwrap surrounding the jacket, the structural overwrap comprising a fiber-reinforced structure, the first cable section furthermore defining a stepped transition; and

a second cable section extending beyond the first cable section and comprising the conductor and the jacket, the second cable section excluding the structural overwrap.

4. The cable of claim 3, wherein the structural overwrap includes a combination of off-axis and on-axis fibers producing isotropic strength properties.

5. The cable of claim 3, wherein the structural overwrap includes fibers which are substantially parallel relative to the elongate axis of the coaxial cable to produce quasi-isotropic strength properties.

6. The cable of claim 3, wherein the binding matrix is selected from the group of elastomer, polyethylene and polyurethane.

7. The cable of claim 3, wherein the binding matrix comprises a non-conductive, low modulus material.

8. The cable of claim 5, wherein the fibers are selected from the group of:

carbon, boron, graphite, fiberglass, and polyparaphenylene terephthalamide fibers.

9. The cable of claim 3, wherein the structural overwrap is a carbon composite comprising graphite fibers disposed in a low modulus binder.

10. The cable of claim 9, wherein the low modulus binder is an elastomeric binder.

11. The cable of claim 9, wherein the low modulus binder is a polyethylene binder.

12. The cable of claim 3 wherein the structural overwrap includes reinforcing fibers disposed in a binding matrix, the binding matrix having inner and outer portions, the outer portion including a radius dimension greater than one half of the total radius dimension, and wherein the fibers reinforce the outer portion of the structural overwrap.

13. The cable of claim 3 wherein the on-axis fibers are oriented at less than about twenty five degrees (+/−

25°

) relative to the elongate axis, and the off-axis fibers are oriented at greater than about thirty-five degrees (+/−

35°

) relative to the elongate axis.

14. A coaxial cable comprising:

an inner and outer conductor separated by an insulating material the inner and outer conductors extending along an elongate axis;

a compliant inner jacket disposed over the inner and outer conductors along the elongate axis, and

a structural overwrap disposed over and reinforcing the compliant inner jacket, the structural overwrap being separate from the compliant inner jacket and comprising a combination of on-axis and off-axis fibers disposed in a binding matrix.

15. The coaxial cable of claim 14, wherein the binding matrix is selected from the group of elastomer, polyethylene and polyurethane.

16. The coaxial cable of claim 14, wherein the fibers are selected from the group of:

carbon, boron, graphite, fiberglass, and polyparaphenylene terephthalamide fibers.

17. The coaxial cable of claim 14, wherein the structural overwrap comprise more on-axis than off-axis fibers.

18. The coaxial cable of claim 17, wherein the binding matrix is an elastomeric binder.

19. The coaxial cable of claim 14 wherein the structural overwrap includes inner and outer portions, the outer portion including a radius dimension greater than one half of the total radius dimension, and wherein the fibers reinforce the outer portion of the structural overwrap.

20. The cable of claim 14 wherein the on-axis fibers are oriented at less than about twenty five degrees (+/−

25°

) relative to the elongate axis, and the off-axis fibers are oriented at greater than about thirty-five degrees (+/−

35°

) relative to the elongate axis.