High performance support-separator for communications cables

• US 7,098,405 B2
• Filed: 05/01/2002
• Issued: 08/29/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cable Components Group, LLC (Berkshire Hathaway Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Charles A. Glew
• Inventors: Glew, Charles A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mayo, III, William H.
• Application Number:
  US10/476,085
• Publication Number:
  US 20040149483A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,581 Days
• Field of Search: 174/36, 174/110.R, 174/113.R, 174/113.C, 174/113.AS, 174/116
• US Class Current: 174/113.00C
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4431 with provision in the protective covering, e.g. weak line, for gaining access to one or more fibres, e.g. for branching or tapping break-out terminations G02B6/4471
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4435 Corrugated mantle
• CPC Class Codes: H01B 11/04 with pairs or quads mutually positioned to reduce cross-talk
• CPC Class Codes: H01B 11/06 with means for reducing effects of electromagnetic or electrostatic disturbances, e.g. screens

Abstract

The present invention includes a high performance communications cable for transmission media that includes core support-separators which define clearance channels to maintain spacing between transmission media or transmission media pairs. The core support-separator can be either interior to a cable jacket or be employed singularly without the benefit of a jacket and extends along the longitudinal length of the communications cable. The core support-separator has a central region that may include flap-tops along the radial edge that are available for partial or complete sealing of the clearance channels during manufacturing operations. The central region may also include a hollow center portion and include various geometric shapes to provide proper spacing between conductors. Each of the defined clearance channels allow for disposal therein of metal conductors and/or optical fibers.

Claims

1. A high performance communications cable comprising;

an interior support with an external radial and axial surface, extending along a longitudinal length of said communications cable, said interior support also having a central region, said central region also extending along a longitudinal length of said interior support and said communications cable;

said interior support comprising at least one anvil shaped core support-separator section radially and axially defined by said central region;

each of said anvil shaped core support-separator sections defining one or more clearance channels that also extend along said longitudinal length of both said at least one anvil shaped core support-separator sections and said communications cable wherein each of said anvil-shaped core support-separator sections comprises clearance walls defined by a fully closed circular geometry that remains closed but includes a flap-top allowing for opening or closing said exterior radial and axial surfaces of said channel walls of said one or more clearance channels.

2. The high performance communications cable of claim 1, wherein said interior support, said central region, and said anvil shaped core support-separator sections comprises solid, partially solid, or foamed organic or inorganic dielectric materials.

3. The high performance communications cable of claim 1, wherein said interior support, said central region, and said anvil shaped core support-separator sections comprises solid, partially solid, or foamed thermoplastic or thermosetting dielectric materials.

4. The high performance communications cable of claim 2, wherein said interior support comprises a center portion, wherein said center portion of said interior support may be hollow along said longitudinal length of said communications cable.

5. The high performance communications cable of claim 1, wherein each of said anvil-shaped core support-separator sections comprises channel walls defining said one or more clearance channels and where said one or more clearance channels are defined by a semi-circular geometry such that there remains a 180 degree opening along said external radial and axial surface of said interior support.

6. The high performance communications cable of claim 5, wherein each of said anvil-shaped core support-separator sections comprises clearance walls defined by a semi-closed semi-circular geometry such that there remains less than a 160 degree opening along said exterior radial and axial surface, but more than a 10 degree opening along said external surface of said interior support of said one or more clearance channels.

7. The high performance communications cable of claim 1, wherein said flap-top is comprised of a press-fit arrangement that is hinged allowing for opening and closing said exterior radial and axial surfaces of said channel walls of said one or more clearance channels.

8. The high performance communications cable of claim 7, wherein said flap-top is sealed by use of heat, tape, interlocking, or by skin extrusion of said hinged press-fit arrangement.

9. The high performance communications cable of claim 7, wherein each of said anvil-shaped core support-separator sections comprises clearance walls defined by a fully closed circular geometry that remain closed but includes an interlocking double flap-top, where said double flap-top is adhered to or adjoined with a surface on each side of said clearance walls for opening or closing said exterior radial and axial surfaces of said channel walls of said one or more clearance channels.

10. The high performance communications cable of claim 7, wherein said double flap-top is comprised of a press-fit arrangement on each end that may remain in an opened or closed position for said exterior radial and axial surfaces of said channel walls of said one or more clearance channels.

11. The high performance communications cable of claim 1, wherein said channel walls comprise interior surfaces that are corrugated including internal axial grooves separated by a sufficient distance such that individual conductors or conductor pairs maintain required electrical integrity and such that said conductor or conductor pairs are optionally forced against an edge of said grooves or sections of said channel walls.

12. The high performance communications cable of claim 1, wherein said channel walls comprise interior surfaces that are corrugated including internal axial grooves separated by a sufficient distance such that individual conductors or conductor pairs forced into said grooves maintain required electrical integrity.

13. The high performance communications cable of claim 1, wherein said interior support comprises a corrugated or convoluted external radial and axial surface extending along a longitudinal length of said communications cable, such that external surfaces of said anvil shaped core-support sections include external radial grooves also extending along said longitudinal length of said support such that said interior support can itself function as a cable jacket for said communications cable.

14. The high performance communications cable of claim 1, wherein each of said anvil shaped core-support sections are optionally singularly filled with individual or paired metal or optionally coaxial electrical transmitting conductors or optical fiber light transmitting conductors, or filled with a combination of said individually or paired metal or optical conductors along said longitudinal length of said support and said cable.

15. The high performance communications cable of claim 1, wherein said interior support is defined by a circumference of between 0.100 and 0.800 inches and wherein said one or more clearance channels having diameters, said diameters are preferably defined by a diameter of 0.060 to 0.100 inches to specifically accommodate in the range between 22 and 26 AWG metal conductor pair with insulation or in the range of between 12 and 20 AWG metal conductor in a coaxial arrangement.

16. The high performance communications cable of claim 14, wherein said metal conductor pair is copper without metallic shielding.

17. The high performance communications cable of claim 15, wherein said said metal conductor pair are aluminum without metallic shielding.

18. The high performance communications cable of claims 1 and 14 wherein said cable comprises an axial strength member wherein said axial strength member optionally lies parallel to said interior support inside said communications cable jacket or within said hollow portion of said interior support along said longitudinal direction of said support and said cable.

19. The high performance communications cable of claims 1 and 14, wherein said at least one anvil shaped support-separator section comprises an optional slotted section distinct from said support-separator sections that is sufficient to contain a grounding wire with an optional shielding tape.

20. An interior support-separator for a communications cable extending along a longitudinal length of said communications cable, comprising;

an external radial and axial surface, said interior support having a central region, said central region also extending along a longitudinal length of said interior support;

said interior support comprising at least one anvil shaped core support-separator section radially and axially defined by said central region;

each of said anvil shaped core support-separator sections defining one or more clearance channels that also extend along said longitudinal length of said at least one anvil shaped core support-separator section, wherein each of said anvil-shaped core support-separator sections comprises clearance walls defined by a filly closed circular geometry that remain closed but includes interlocking flap-top for opening or closing said exterior radial and axial surfaces of said channel walls of said one or more clearance channels.

21. The interior support of claim 20, wherein said interior support, said central region, and said anvil shaped core support-separator sections comprises solid, partially solid, or foamed thermoplastic dielectric materials.

22. The interior support of claim 21, wherein said interior support comprises a center portion, wherein said center portion of said interior support may be hollow along said longitudinal length of said communications cable.

23. The interior support of claim 22, wherein each of said anvil-shaped core support-separator sections comprises channel walls defining said one or more clearance channels and where said clearance walls are defined by a semi-circular geometry such that there remains a 180 degree opening along said external radial and axial surface of said interior support.

24. The interior support of claim 23, wherein each of said anvil-shaped core support-separator sections comprises clearance walls defined by a semi-closed semi-circular geometry such that there remains less than a 160 degree opening along said exterior radial and axial surface, but more than a 10 degree opening along said external surface of said interior support, typically said opening of said one or more clearance channels is between 0.005 and 0.011 inches.

25. The interior support of claim 20 wherein said flap-top is comprised of a press-fit arrangement that may remain in an opened or closed position for said exterior radial and axial surfaces of said channel walls of said one or more clearance channels.

26. The shielded or unshielded interior support of claim 25, wherein said flap-top is sealed by use of heat, tape, or interlocking of said hinged press-fit arrangement.

27. The shielded or unshielded interior support of claim 26, wherein each of said anvil-shaped core support-separator sections comprises clearance walls defined by a filly closed circular geometry that remains closed but includes an interlocking double flap-top, where said double flap-top is adhered to or adjoined with a surface on each side of said clearance walls for opening or closing said exterior radial and axial surfaces of said channel walls of said one or more clearance channels.

28. The interior support of claim 27, wherein a double flap-top is comprised of a press-fit arrangement on each end that may remain in an opened or closed position for said exterior radial and axial surfaces of said channel walls of said one or more clearance channels.

29. The interior support of claim 28, wherein said double flap-top is sealed by use of heat, tape, or interlocking of said hinged press-fit arrangement.

30. The interior support of claim 20, wherein said channel walls comprise interior surfaces that are corrugated including internal axial grooves separated by a sufficient distance such that individual conductors or conductor pairs maintain required electrical integrity and such that said conductor or conductor pairs are optionally forced against an edge of said grooves or sections of said channel walls.

31. The interior support of claim 20, wherein said channel walls comprise interior surfaces that are ribbed including internal radial grooves separated by a sufficient distance such that individual conductors or conductor pairs maintain required electrical integrity.

32. The interior support of claim 20, wherein said interior support comprises a corrugated or convoluted external radial and axial surface extending along a longitudinal length such that external surfaces of said anvil shaped core-support sections include external radial grooves also extending along said longitudinal length of said support such that said interior support itself functions as a cable jacket.

33. The interior support of claim 32, wherein said interior support is defined by a circumference of between 0.100 and 0.800 inches and wherein said clearance channels are preferably defined by a diameter of between 0.060 and 0.100 inches and more preferably defined 0.076 and 0.087 inches to specifically accommodate in the range between 22 and 26 AWG metal conductor pair with insulation or in the range of between 12 and 20 AWG metal conductor in a coaxial arrangement.

34. The interior support of claim 33, wherein said metal conductor pair are aluminum without metallic shielding.

35. The interior support of claim 20, wherein each of said anvil-shaped core-support sections are optionally singularly filled with individual or paired metal or optionally coaxial electrical transmitting conductors or optical fiber light transmitting conductors, or filled with a combination of said individually or paired metal or optical conductors along said longitudinal length of said support.

36. The interior support of claim 35, wherein said metal conductor pair are copper without metallic shielding.

37. The interior support of claims 20 and 35, wherein said cable comprises an axial strength member wherein said axial strength member lies within said hollow portion of said interior support along said longitudinal direction of said support.

38. The interior support of claim 20, wherein said at least one anvil shaped support-separator section comprise an optional slotted section distinct from said support-separator sections that is sufficient to contain a grounding wire.

39. The interior support of claim 20, wherein said at least one anvil shaped support-separator sections comprise rounded edges of said anvil shaped supports at an outer radial end of said anvil shaped sections sufficient to reduce overall weight and size of said support-separator and subsequently said cable.

40. The interior support of claim 20, wherein said at least one anvil shaped support-separator sections comprise minimized dual lobes at an outer radial end of said multi-anvil shaped sections sufficient to minimize and reduce overall weight and size of said support-separator and subsequently said cable.

41. An interior support-separator for a communications cable assembly extending along a longitudinal length of said communications cable, comprising;

an external radial and axial surface, said interior support-separator having a central region, said central region also extending along a longitudinal length of said interior support;

said interior support comprising at least one anvil shaped core support-separator section radially and axially defined by said central region;

each of said anvil shaped core support-separator sections defining one or more clearance channels that also extend along said longitudinal length of said anvil shaped core support-separator sections, said anvil shaped core support-separator sections themselves twisted to a specified lay length twist, namely to provide at least a single, full, 360°

helical twist within a minimum length of no greater than 10 feet alone said cable assembly.

42. An interior support of claim 41, providing said specified lay length by implementing a twisting of said one or more clearance channels thereby providing said lay length twist into said support-separator prior to manufacturing said final communications cable assembly.

43. An interior support of claim 41, providing a specified lay length by implementing a twisting of said one or more clearance channels thereby providing said lay length twist into said support-separator during manufacturing of said final communications cable assembly.