High performance support-separators for communications cables providing shielding for minimizing alien crosstalk

• US 9,245,669 B2
• Filed: 07/15/2011
• Issued: 01/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Cable Components Group, LLC (Berkshire Hathaway Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Cable Components Group, LLC (Berkshire Hathaway Incorporated)
• Inventors: Glew, Charles A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mayo, III, William H
• Application Number:
  US13/183,733
• Publication Number:
  US 20110266052A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,656 Days
• Field of Search: 174/110.R, 174/113.R, 174/113.C, 174/115, 174/116, 174/113.AS
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4416 Heterogeneous cables
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/443 Protective covering
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4434 Central member to take up tensile loads
• CPC Class Codes: H01B 11/06 with means for reducing effects of electromagnetic or electrostatic disturbances, e.g. screens
• CPC Class Codes: H01B 11/08 Screens specially adapted for reducing cross-talk
• CPC Class Codes: H01B 11/22 Cables including at least one electrical conductor together with optical fibres
• CPC Class Codes: H01B 3/441 from alkenes
• CPC Class Codes: H01B 3/443 from vinylhalogenides or other halogenoethylenic compounds
• CPC Class Codes: H01B 3/445 from vinylfluorides or other fluoroethylenic compounds
• CPC Class Codes: H01B 7/295 using material resistant to flame

Abstract

A high performance communications cable 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. Alternatively, with no jacket for cable completion, a thin layer of material along the exterior of the support-separator acts as a type of skin for mechanical protection. The core support-separator has a central region that includes 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. 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:

at least one interior support, said support comprising a central region and outwardly extended portions extending from said central region, said extended portions providing channels therebetween for receiving transmission media,

wherein said extended portions include a polymeric material and a plurality of additives distributed within said polymeric material,

wherein said additives comprise a fullerene.

2. The high performance communications cable of claim 1, wherein said interior support comprises a metalized exterior surface.

3. The high performance communications cable of claim 2, wherein said exterior metalized surface is formed by sputtering a metal on a polymeric surface of the interior support.

4. The high performance communications cable of claim 1, wherein said additives provide electromagnetic shielding of the transmission media disposed in different channels of the interior support from one another.

5. The high performance communications cable of claim 1, wherein said extended portions comprise flap-tops.

6. The high performance communications cable of claim 1, further comprising any of a sheet or a tape wrapped around the external surface of said interior support, so as to enclose said interior support and said transmission media disposed in said channels, so as to shield said transmission media from electromagnetic interference at frequencies of at least 1 GHz.

7. The high performance communications cable of claim 1, further comprising a jacket surrounding said sheet or tape.

8. The high performance communications cable of claim 7, wherein the jacket comprises a thermoplastic, a polyvinyl chloride, a fluoropolymer, a polyolefin, or a thermoset material.

9. The high performance communications cable of claim 1, wherein the polymeric material comprises FEP or MFA.

10. The high performance communications cable of claim 1,

wherein said fullerene comprises a fullerene of the C₆₀ family.

11. The high performance communications cable of claim 1, wherein the fullerene is a doped fullerene.

16. The high performance communications cable of claim 1, wherein said polymeric material comprises any of a fluoropolymer, an olefin, a chlorofluoropolymer and a blend thereof.

12. A support-separator for a communications cable comprising:

a separator having a plurality of outwardly extended portions providing channels for receiving transmission media,

a plurality of additives distributed within said outwardly extended portions for electromagnetic shielding of a transmission medium disposed in one channel from another transmission medium disposed in another channel,

wherein said additives comprise a fullerene.

13. The support-separator of claim 12, wherein said transmission media comprise any of electrical conductor and optical fibers.

14. The support-separator of claim 12, further comprising an electromagnetic shield wrapped about the exterior surface of said separator, so as to enclose said exterior surface and said transmission media disposed in said channels, so as to shield said transmission media from electromagnetic interference at frequencies of at least 1 GHz.

15. The support-separator of claim 12, wherein said extended portions comprise flap tops.