Cable for distributing network power and data

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11594348-B2
Application number	US-202117320519-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 14, 2021
Priority date	May 18, 2020
Publication date	Feb 28, 2023
Grant date	Feb 28, 2023

Abstract

A power cable or a hybrid power-data cable includes power conductors and a plurality of continuity wires positioned radially outside of the power conductors. The continuity wires are positioned relative to the power conductors such that a cut in the cable will sever one of the plurality of continuity wires before a cut into the power conductors can occur.

First claim

That which is claimed is:

1. A cable comprising:
a plurality of power conductors comprising a first power conductor, a second power conductor, a third power conductor, and a fourth power conductor; and
a plurality of continuity wires positioned radially outside of the first power conductor such that a cut in the cable will sever one of the plurality of continuity wires before a cut into any one of the first power conductor, the second power conductor, the third power conductor and the fourth power conductor can occur,
wherein at least one of the plurality of continuity wires is adjacent to at least one of the plurality of power conductors.

2. The cable of claim 1 , further comprising:
wherein the first power conductor and the second power conductor comprise plus power conductors and the third power conductor and the fourth power conductor comprise minus power conductors.

3. The cable of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of continuity wires comprises a jacket that includes an indicia indicating that the plurality of continuity wires are not power conductors.

4. The cable of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of continuity wires comprises at least two continuity wires.

5. The cable of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of continuity wires are arranged radially outside of the first power conductor.

6. The cable of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of continuity wires are spaced approximately 90 degrees from one another.

7. The cable of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of continuity wires are spaced equally from one another.

8. The cable of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of continuity wires comprises 2, 4, 6, 8 or 10 continuity wires.

9. The cable of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of continuity wires are spaced about 90 degrees from one another, about 60 degrees from one another, about 45 degrees from one another or about 36 degrees from one another.

10. The cable of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of continuity wires comprise at least one of: four continuity wires spaced about 90 degrees from one another, 6 continuity wires spaced about 60 degrees from one another, 8 continuity wires spaced about 45 degrees from one another and 10 continuity wires spaced about 36 degrees from one another.

11. The cable of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of continuity wires is in a same layer of the cable.

12. The cable of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of continuity wires are positioned at about a same radial distance from a center of the cable.

13. The cable of claim 1 , wherein the first power conductor is arranged in a first generally helical configuration having a first pitch and the plurality of continuity wires are arranged in a second generally helical configuration having a second pitch where the first pitch and the second pitch are about same.

14. The cable of claim 1 , wherein the first power conductor is arranged in a first generally helical configuration having a first pitch and the plurality of continuity wires are arranged in a second generally helical configuration having a second pitch where the first pitch and the second pitch are different.

15. The cable of claim 1 , wherein the first power conductor is arranged in a first generally helical configuration having a first pitch and the plurality of continuity wires are arranged in a second generally helical configuration having a second pitch where the first pitch is greater than the second pitch.

16. The cable of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of optical fibers.

17. The cable of claim 16 , wherein the plurality of optical fibers are arranged in a plurality of groups of optical fibers.

18. The cable of claim 17 , wherein the plurality of groups of optical fibers are in a same layer of the cable as the plurality of continuity wires.

19. The cable of claim 17 , wherein the plurality of groups of optical fibers are at about a same radial distance from a center of the cable as the plurality of continuity wires.

20. The cable of claim 17 , wherein the plurality of groups of optical fibers and the plurality of continuity wires are disposed radially outside of the first power conductor.

21. The cable of claim 1 , wherein a gauge of each continuity wire is greater than a gauge of the first power conductor.

22. The cable of claim 1 ,
wherein an insulating element is between at least one of the first power conductor, the second power conductor, the third power conductor, and the fourth power conductor and at least one of the plurality of continuity wires without a conductive layer therebetween.

23. The cable of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of continuity wires are connected in loops such that the plurality of continuity wires are disposed as pairs where a first continuity wire and a second continuity wire of the plurality of continuity wires are arranged as a first pair forming a first loop and a third continuity wire and a fourth continuity wire of the continuity wires are arranged as a second pair forming a second loop.

24. The cable of claim 1 , further comprising:
first and second water blocking tape layers; and
a corrugated laminated aluminum tape layer.

25. The cable of claim 24 ,
wherein the first water blocking tape layer is between the a concentric layer that includes the plurality of continuity wires and the first power conductor, the second power conductor, the third power conductor and the fourth power conductor, and
wherein the second water blocking tape layer is between the concentric layer that includes the plurality of continuity wires and the corrugated laminated aluminum tape layer.

26. A cable comprising:
power conductors comprising a first plus power conductor, a second plus power conductor, a first minus power conductor, and a second minus power conductor; and
a plurality of continuity wires positioned radially outside the power conductors such that the first plus power conductor and the first minus power conductor or the second plus power conductor and the second minus power conductor cannot both be cut before one of the plurality of continuity wires is severed by a cut in the cable,
wherein the first plus power conductor and the second plus power conductor are adjacent one another and the first minus power conductor and the second minus power conductor are adjacent one another.

27. The cable of claim 26 , wherein the first plus power conductor is arranged in a first generally helical configuration having a first pitch and the plurality of continuity wires are arranged in a second generally helical configuration.

28. A cable comprising:
a plurality of power conductors; and
a plurality of continuity wires positioned radially outside of the plurality of power conductors such that a cut in the cable will sever at least one of the plurality of continuity wires before a cut into any one of the plurality of power conductors,
wherein an insulating element is between ones of the plurality of power conductors and ones of the plurality of continuity wires without a conductive layer therebetween,
wherein at least one of the plurality of continuity wires is adjacent to at least one of the plurality of power conductors.

29. The cable of claim 28 ,
wherein the plurality of power conductors comprise a first plus power conductor, a second plus power conductor, a first minus power conductor, and a second minus power conductor, and
wherein the first pl

Assignees

• Commscope Technologies Llc

Inventors

• Craft Jr Thomas F
• James Willis F
• Winkler David A
• Guilliams Gary L
• Stevens Randall D
• Leblanc Thomas G

Classifications

• H01B9/005

  including optical transmission elements · CPC title

• H01B9/003 Primary

  including electrical control or communication wires · CPC title

• H01B7/328

  comprising violation sensing means · CPC title

• H01B9/006

  Constructional features relating to the conductors · CPC title