Concentric-eccentric high performance, multi-media communications cables and cable support-separators utilizing roll-up designs

• US 7,465,879 B2
• Filed: 04/21/2006
• Issued: 12/16/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cable Components Group, LLC
• Original Assignee: Cable Components Group, LLC
• Inventors: Glew, Charles A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mayo, III; William H
• Application Number:
  US11/408,452
• Publication Number:
  US 20060237219A1
• Time in Patent Office: 970 Days
• Field of Search: 174/36, 174/110.R, 174/113.R, 174/113.C, 174/120.R, 174/115, 174/116, 174/70.R, 174/72.R, 174/72.C, 138/111, 138/113, 138/114, 138/115
• US Class Current: 174/113.00R
• CPC Class Codes: H01B 11/06 with means for reducing effects of electromagnetic or electrostatic disturbances, e.g. screens
• CPC Class Codes: H01B 7/0892 incorporated in a cable of non-flat configuration

Abstract

The present invention includes a high performance communications cable or cable support-separator and/or jacket and includes one or more core support-separators having various shaped profiles. The core may be formed of conductive or insulative material and may be comprised of polymer blends that include olefin and/or fluoropolymer and/or chlorofluoropolymer based resins with or without inorganic additives such as nano-clay composites, C₆₀ based compounds, etc. The core support-separator has both a central region as well as a plurality of shaped sections that extend outward from the central region that are either solid or partially solid, foamed or foamed with a solid skin surface. The invention includes incorporation of hollow ducts that can be used to provide for insertion of optical or metal transmission media either before, during, or after installation of the cable.

Claims

1. A high performance, multi-media communications cable, cable support-separator and/or jacket comprising;

cable support members attached to and extending along a single initially flat backing surface along a longitudinal length of said cable support-separator wherein said cable support members are separated by a space, wherein said initially flat backing surface of said cable support-separator is flexible and may be rolled or folded or inversely rolled or folded thereby forming a central region, said central region extending along said longitudinal length of said high performance, multi-media communications cable and an outer shell or jacket;

said cable support members comprising radial and axial surfaces defined by shapes of hollow structures, said radial and axial surfaces also including a gap that remains open wherein said gap allows for insertion and removal of conductive or non-conductive multi-media into and out of said hollow structures;

and wherein said initially flat backing surface remains flat, is rolled or folded or inversely rolled or folded with or without said hollow structures of said cable support-separator contain said conductive or non-conductive multi-media to form said high performance, multi-media communications cable.

2. The high performance, multi-media communications cable, cable support-separator and/or jacket of claim 1, wherein said initially flat backing surface comprising said cable support members or hollow structures are attached to said initially flat backing surface whereby said initially flat backing surface and said cable support members or said hollow structures comprise a flat cable support-separator and/or jacket.

3. The high performance, multi-media communications cable, cable support-separator and/or jacket of claim 2, wherein said flat cable support-separator is rolled or folded forming said central region extending along said longitudinal length of said cable support-separator and/or said jacket.

4. The high performance, multi-media communications cable, cable support-separator and/or jacket of claim 2, wherein said flat cable support-separator said inversely rolled or folded and whereby one or more said cable support members outwardly extend from said central region thereby forming an inversely concentric or eccentric cable support-separator and/or said jacket.

5. The high performance, multi-media communications cable, cable support-separator and/or jacket of claim 2, wherein said flat cable support-separator and said cable support members including said hollow structures are equally or non-equally spaced and attached to said initially flat backing surface by extrusion, molding or adhered integrally to said initially flat backing surface with said initially flat backing surface extending to one or more lateral ends beyond said hollow structures, wherein each or all of said hollow structures may be hollow and said hollow structures each preferentially comprise a gap along said longitudinal length allowing for insertion, containment and separation of conductive or non-conductive multi-media comprising twisted pair, co-axial, WIFI antennae, power, and/or fiber optic conductors in advance of, during, or after installation and wherein said hollow structures may be left empty.

6. The high performance, multi-media communications cable, cable support-separator and/or jacket of claim 5, wherein said lateral ends combined comprise an overlap similar in appearance to that of a cigarette wrapper or a spiral wrap, wound around said conductive or non-conductive multi-media wherein said first lateral end overlaps said second lateral end thereby overlapping and interlocking or providing an over wrapped tape-like layer and wherein said cable support-separator may be overlapped in a singular fashion wherein said first lateral end overlaps said second lateral end and wherein said initially flat backing surface may include a zipper-like closure or wherein said initially flat backing surface is said rolled or folded to provide said cable, cable support-separator and/or jacket thereby providing an enclosure around said cable support-separator thereby creating said concentric or eccentric high performance, multi-media communications cable.

7. The high performance, multi-media communications cable, cable support-separator and/or jacket of claim 2, wherein said flat cable support-separator comprises up to or greater than six equally or non-equally spaced hollow structures of the same or various diameters and/or thicknesses to contain and support various diameter conductive or non-conductive multi-media wherein said hollow structures are attached to said initially flat backing surface on a top or bottom side and wherein said flat cable support-separator is comprised of conductive and/or non-conductive media, and said hollow structures may be of any shape or form useful in providing randomness primarily to further mitigate pair-to-pair coupling thereby improving any crosstalk performance of said conductors or cables or both, including alien crosstalk.

8. The high performance, multi-media communications cable, cable support-separator and/or jacket of claim 2, wherein said flat cable support-separator ends at attachment points of said hollow structures and said initially flat backing surface and wherein said flat cable support-separator is folded forming a ribbon-like cable support-separator or an eccentric ribbon cable support-separator.

9. The high performance, multi-media communications cable, cable support-separator and/or jacket of claim 1, wherein each of said cable support members comprises one or more external and internal radial and axial surfaces such that said conductive or non-conductive multi-media may be placed therein and whereby said conductive or non-conductive multi-media and said flat cable support-separator may be rolled into a concentric or eccentric shape to form a high performance, multi-media communications cable.

10. The high performance, multi-media communications cable, cable support-separator and/or jacket of claim 1, wherein said hollow structures may comprise buds of various diameters and/or thicknesses attached to said hollow structures to contain and support various diameter conductive or non-conductive multi-media wherein said buds are comprised of conductive and/or non-conductive media and said buds may be of any shape or form useful in providing randomness primarily to further mitigate pair-to-pair coupling thereby improving any crosstalk performance of said conductors or cables or both, including alien crosstalk.

11. The high performance, multi-media communications cable, cable support-separator and/or jacket of claim 10, wherein said buds may comprise a thicker material thereby acting as a strength member or as a drain wire and wherein said buds may be used for inserting conductive or non-conductive multi-media with or without additional cable support-separators or may remain hollow.

12. The high performance, multi-media communications cable, cable support-separator and/or jacket of claim 1, wherein said initially flat backing surface and said cable support-separator comprises said lateral ends extending beyond said hollow structures comprising an overlap downwardly positioned feature extruded or molded into a first lateral end of said initially flat backing surface and an overlap upwardly positioned feature extruded or molded onto a second lateral end of said initially flat backing surface wherein said downwardly positioned feature of said first lateral end joins together with said upwardly positioned feature of said second lateral end when said first lateral end and said second lateral end are rolled or folded thereby integrating said first lateral end and said second lateral end into said concentric or eccentric high performance, multi-media communications cable.

13. The high performance, multi-media communications cable, cable support-separator and/or jacket of claim 1, wherein said buds are attached externally and integrally to said hollow structure outer surface at a preferential angle with respect to said initially flat backing surface whereby said buds may include a gap for insertion of conductive or non-conductive multi-media.

14. The high performance, multi-media communications cable, cable support-separator and/or jacket of claim 1, wherein said cable, cable support separator and/or jacket is said rolled or folded inwardly from either or both of said lateral ends to encapsulate said hollow structures with said initially flat backing surface as an outside surface forming an essentially curved backing surface with said hollow structures to form a concentric or eccentric cable support-separator whereby a ground wire is added therein to provide electrical continuity within an outer insulated layer or jacket that may include an adhesive and may be joined or unjoined and provide either partial or full coverage of said conductive or non-conductive multi-media.

15. The high performance, multi-media communications cable, cable support-separator and/or jacket of claim 1, wherein said hollow structures comprise an essentially central circular structure with a greater material thickness attached to said initially flat backing surface whereby said essentially central circular structure is located centrally more or less between several said hollow structures of nominal thickness and wherein said essentially central circular structure is located centrally more or less within said cable support-separator when rolled or folded or inversely rolled or folded.

16. The high performance, multi-media communications cable, cable support-separator and/or jacket of claim 15, wherein said essentially curved backing surface encapsulates a typical cross-shaped cable support-separator and said conductive or non-conductive multi-media thereby providing said concentric or eccentric high performance, multi-media communications cable.

17. The high performance, multi-media communications cable, cable support-separator and/or jacket of claim 1, wherein said initially flat backing surface comprises an inner rifled surface and a smooth outer surface or an inner rifled surface and rifled outer surface and wherein said cable, cable support-separator, and/or jacket itself may be used as said jacket or a wrap encapsulating said conductive or non-conductive multi-media.

18. The high performance, multi-media communications cable, cable support-separator and/or jacket of claim 1, wherein said initially flat backing surface includes a top surface and a bottom surface whereby said hollow structures may be attached to either said top surface or said bottom surface and/or both.

19. A high performance, multi-media communications cable, cable support-separator and/or jacket of claim 18, wherein said top surface inwardly directed comprising a rifled surface and said bottom surface outwardly directed comprising a smooth surface or said top surface inwardly directed comprising a rifled surface and said bottom surface outwardly directed comprising a rifled surface and said rifled or unrifled surfaces encapsulate said cable support-separator acting as a jacket or wrap in itself, with or without said cable support-separator thereby allowing for the use of less insulation material and thereby reducing combustibility.

20. The high performance, multi-media communications cable, cable support-separator and/or jacket of claim 18, wherein said top surface inwardly directed comprising a rifled surface and said bottom surface outwardly directed comprising a smooth surface or said top surface inwardly directed comprising a rifled surface and said bottom surface outwardly directed comprising a rifled surface encapsulates said cable support-separator acting as a jacket or wrap in and on itself as a double rifled backing and wherein said rifled inner surface and said rifled outer surface of said double rifled backing allows for interlocking of said lateral ends of said inner and said outer surfaces alternating between peaks and valleys wherein an adhesive may or may not be used between said top and said bottom surface when overlapped.

21. The high performance, multi-media communications cable, cable support-separator and/or jacket of claim 1, wherein said initially flat backing surface with said lateral ends may be rolled or folded from each or both of said lateral ends creating an inner surface within said essentially curved backing surface such that said hollow structures attached to said top surface are inwardly directed and said hollow structures attached to said bottom surface are outwardly directed and whereby said lateral ends may be rolled or folded inversely wherein said top surface is outwardly directed and said bottom surface is inwardly directed.

22. The high performance, multi-media communications cable, cable support-separator and/or jacket of claim 1, wherein said hollow structures comprise smaller diameters and less material thicknesses thereby reducing mass, reducing smoke and flame spread and providing additional usefulness for installations in constrained areas.

23. The high performance, multi-media communications cable, cable support-separator and/or jacket of claim 1, wherein said cable, cable support separator and/or jacket comprise a gap outwardly directed thereby allowing for conductive or non-conductive multi-media to be inserted and readily peeled away from said cable and cable support-separator thereby improving routing, installation and termination of individual conductive or non-conductive multi-media.

24. The high performance, multi-media communications cable, cable support-separator and/or jacket of claim 1, wherein said cable, said cable support-separator and/or said jacket longitudinally support conduit tube(s) existing within or exterior to said central region of said cable, said cable support-separator and/or said jacket wherein said conduit tube(s) assist in providing either an eccentric or concentric cable.

25. The high performance, multi-media communications cable, cable support-separator and/or jacket of claim 1, wherein said cable, cable support separator and/or jacket comprises said conduit tubes of shapes, diameters and sizes that are random or patterned whereby laying or helically winding said conduit tubes with consistent or variable tensions along said longitudinal length of said cable and cable support-separator changes the overall diameter and shape of said cable or cable support separator thereby reducing or eliminating cross-talk.

26. The high performance, multi-media communications cable, cable support-separator and/or jacket of claim 1, wherein said initially flat backing surface said lateral ends may be rolled or folded or inversely rolled or folded from each or both of said lateral ends creating an inner surface within said essentially curved backing surface such that said hollow structures attached to said top surface are inwardly directed and said bottom surface is outwardly directed whereby said cable support-separator provides said outwardly directed surface thereby creating an outer shell portion or jacket that comprises non-conductive, semi-conductive or conductive properties encapsulating said conductive or non-conductive multi-media.

27. The high performance, multi-media communications cable, cable support-separator and/or jacket of claim 1, wherein said cable, cable support separator and/or jacket when rolled or folded comprises said central region wherein additional cross type support-separators may be inserted within said conductive or non-conductive multi-media.

28. The high performance, multi-media communications cable, cable support-separator and/or jacket of claim 1, wherein said cable support-separator may be conductive, semi-conductive, or non-conductive, filled and either solid or foamed or foamed with a solid skin layer, metallic, conductive or non-conductive polymer media, providing electrical grounding or earthing, or is comprised primarily of organic or inorganic polymers or combinations of inorganic and organic polymer blends.

29. The high performance, multi-media communications cable, cable support-separator and/or jacket of claim 1, wherein said high performance, multi-media communications cable, cable support-separator, and/or jacket may be a combination of inorganic fillers or additives with inorganic and/or organic polymers or combinations including inorganic and organic polymer blends, homo and copolymers of ethylene, propylene, or polyvinyl chloride or fluorinated ethylene propylene, fluorinated ethylene, chlorinated ethylene propylene, fluorochloronated ethylene, perfluoroalkoxy, fluorochloronated propylene, a copolymer of tetrafluoroethylene and perfluoromethylvinylether (MFA), a copolymer of ethylene and chlorotrifluoroethelyene (ECTFE), as well as homo and copolymers of ethylene and/or propylene with fluorinated ethylene, polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), as well as blends of polyvinyl chloride, polyvinylidene chloride, nylons, polyesters, polyurethanes as well as unsubstituted and substituted fullerenes primarily comprised of C₆₀ molecules including nano-composites of clay and other inorganics such as ZnO, TiO₂, MgOH, and ATH (ammonium tetrahydrate), calcium molybdates, ammonium octyl molybdate and the like and may also be employed as nano-sized particles including tube shaped particles, and wherein any and all combinations may be utilized to provide polymer blends, and wherein said cable support-separator and/or conductive media insulation utilizing nanotubes of C₆₀ in the form of fibers or substituted/unsubstituted fullerenes or fullerene compounds and the like, nano-composites or both and wherein said nano-composites or both are imbedded in said cable support-separator.

30. The high performance, multi-media communications cable, cable support-separator and/or jacket of claim 1, wherein said cable, cable support-separator, and/or jacket may be comprised of, separately or in combination, of metal oxides including magnesium trioxides, metal hydrates, including magnesium hydrates, silica or silicon oxides, brominated compounds, phosphated compounds, metal salts including magnesium hydroxides, ammonium octyl molybdate, calcium molybdate and the like.

31. The high performance, multi-media communications cable, cable support-separator and/or jacket of claim 1, wherein said cable, cable support-separator, and/or jacket may also be comprised of compounds such as acid gas scavengers that scavenge gasses such as hydrogen chloride and hydrogen fluoride or other halogenated gasses occurring during combustion of said high performance, multi-media communications cable support-separator.

32. The high performance, multi-media communications cable, cable support-separator and/or jacket of claim 1, wherein said cable, cable support-separator, and/or jacket may be comprised of organic and/or inorganic polymers such that each may include the use of recycled or reground thermoplastics in an amount up to 100%.

33. The high performance, multi-media communications cable, cable support-separator and/or jacket of claim 1, wherein said cable, cable support-separator, and/or jacket comprises a polymer blend ratio of fluorinated or otherwise halogenated polymers or copolymers to ethylene or vinyl chloride polymers or copolymers of from 0.1% to up to 99.9% of fluorinated or otherwise halogenated polymers or copolymers to ethylene or vinyl chloride polymers or copolymers or foamed polymer blends including a nucleating agent of polytetrafluoroethylene, carbon black, color concentrate, or boron nitride, boron triflouride, direct injection of air or gas into an extruder, chioroflurocarbons (CFCs), or more environmentally acceptable alternatives such as pentane or other acceptable nucleating or blowing agents.

34. The high performance, multi-media communications cable, cable support-separator and/or jacket of claim 1, wherein said cable, cable support-separator, and/or jacket comprise solid, partially solid, or partially or fully foamed organic or inorganic dielectric materials, wherein said dielectric materials may include a solid skin surface with any dielectric material and wherein said cable support-separator may include an adhesive surface.

35. The high performance, multi-media communications cable, cable support-separator and/or jacket of claim 1, wherein said cable, cable support-separator, and/or jacket comprises a sealant coated dimensionally heat-recoverable dual layer of said high performance, multi-media communications cable or cable support-separator comprising selecting a first polymer composition comprising a cross-linkable polymer;

forming a second polymer composition by admixing a thermoplastic component and a rubber-like component in proportions such that a composition comprises to 95% of said thermoplastic component and to 70% of said rubber-like component with said second polymer composition being convertible to a sealant composition.

36. The high performance, multi-media communications cable, cable support-separator and/or jacket of claim 1, wherein said cable, cable support-separator, and/or jacket comprises extruding a first and second polymer composition to form a unitary dual layer, wherein said second polymer composition forms an outer tubular layer formed from a crosslinkable polymer composition disposed concentrically around an inner tubular layer and being in a first configuration at a temperature below the crystalline melt temperature of said first polymer composition whereby exposing said conduit tubes or said jacketing to a source of energy initiates formation of chemical bonds between adjacent polymer chains in said first composition, and induces a chemical change in said second composition, thereby converting said second composition from a melt processable composition to a sealant composition and rendering said first composition recoverable in that said sealant composition is more easily recoverable upon subsequent heating.

37. The high performance, multi-media communications cable, cable support-separator and/or jacket of claim 1, wherein said cable, cable support-separator and/or jacket capable of providing for said conductive multi-media transmitting data up to and greater than 10 Gbit/second while substantially mitigating or completely eliminating all forms of crosstalk, including alien crosstalk.

38. The high performance, multi-media communications cable, cable support-separator and/or jacket of claim 1, wherein said cable, cable support-separator, and/or jacket comprises a conductive or non-conductive substrate such as metallized thermoplastic film at a nominal 50 ohms per square (50Ω

/cm²) resistance and are attached, laminated, molded, extruded or co-extruded to said cable support-separator surface and where said cable support-separator surface itself may be comprised of imbedded non-conductive or conductive substrate such as said metallized thermoplastic film at a nominal 50 ohms per square (50Ω

/cm²) resistance, where said metallized thermoplastic film may include a drain wire of a preferred AWG or a braided shield in contact with said metallized thermoplastic film.

39. The high performance, multi-media communications cable, cable support-separator and/or jacket of claim 1, wherein said cable, cable support-separator, and/or jacket wherein said conductive multi-media may also be pulled from said hollow structures through said gap for easy separation during routing, installation and termination of selected conductive multi-media at a preferred end of said high performance, multi-media communications cable.

40. The high performance, multi-media communications cable, cable support-separator and/or jacket of claim 1, wherein said cable, cable support-separator, and/or jacket surface provides either a shielded or unshielded internal EME/RFI (electromagnetic emissions/radio frequency interference) barrier surfaces directed toward a center of said cable support-separator and also provides for a barrier from external EME/RFI, and where ground wire in contact with said cable support-separator shielded or unshielded surfaces may provide additional EMI/RFI (electromagnetic interference/radio frequency interference) protection.

41. The high performance, multi-media communications cable, cable support-separator and/or jacket of claim 1, wherein said cable, cable support-separator, and/or jacket is comprised of polyolefin or other thermoplastic based polymers and blends thereof capable of meeting specific flammability and smoke generation requirements as defined by UL 910, NFPA 255, 259 or 262, and EN 50266-2-x, class B test specifications as well as NFPA 72 test criteria for circuit integrity, wherein said test criteria is met by said high performance, multi-media communications cable support-separator.

42. A method of creating a high performance, multi-media communications cable, cable support-separator and/or jacket comprising;

cable support members attached to and extending along a single initially flat backing surface along a longitudinal length of said cable support-separator wherein said cable support members are separated by a space, wherein said initially flat backing surface of said cable support-separator is flexible and may be rolled or folded or inversely rolled or folded thereby forming a central region, said central region extending along said longitudinal length of said high performance, multi-media communications cable and an outer shell or jacket;

said cable support members comprising radial and axial surfaces defined by shapes of hollow structures comprising a gap that remains open longitudinally wherein said gap allows for insertion and removal of conductive or non-conductive multi-media into and from said hollow structures;

and wherein said initially flat backing surface remains flat, is rolled or folded or inversely rolled or folded with or without said hollow structures of said cable support-separator contain said conductive or non-conductive multi-media to form said high performance, multi-media communications cable.

43. A method of creating a high performance, multi-media communications cable, cable support-separator and/or jacket of claim 42, wherein said method for producing a communications cable support-separator comprises said cable support members attached to said initially flat backing surface with each of said cable support members comprising said external and internal radial and axial surfaces wherein said cable support members extend along said longitudinal length of said high performance, multi-media communications cable, and whereby a flat cable support-separator is rolled or folded and thereby said cable support members form said central region, wherein said cable support-separator extends along said longitudinal length of said high performance, multi-media communications cable allowing for pulling of said cable support-separator from a reel or cobb into a closing die thereby mating said cable support members with one or more twisted pair or any other of said conductive or non-conductive multi-media and/or conduit tubes thereby nesting or shielding said conductive or non-conductive multi-media as necessary such that said one or more twisted pair or said conductive or non-conductive multi-media are providing single or double twisted bunching which may include a binder for holding twisted bunching with optional shielding, or may include a single or two-step process followed by use of said binder for holding said twist bunching in place and jacketing via extrusion or wrapping or both with a final take up on a final take-up reel, wherein implementation of said method provides for completion of said high performance, multi-media communications cable.

44. A method of creating a high performance, multi-media communications cable, cable support-separator and/or jacket of claim 42, comprising a method of forming said jacket by binding or wrapping or both, wherein said wrapping may include one or more of several methods including single tape winding such as a cigarette tape wrap, spiral wrapping such as a notebook binder with a tighter or looser configuration or varying tensions or where said binder method may simply comprise extruding a thin skin thermoplastic or a thicker skin thermoplastic or thermoset over said high performance, multi-media communications cable.

45. A method of creating a high performance, multi-media communications cable, cable support-separator and/or jacket of claim 42, wherein said binder can be a corrosive and/or chemical resistant barrier protecting said high performance, multi-media communications cable and said conductive or non-conductive multi-media from severe environments.