Quick connecting twisted pair cables
AssigneeUbiquiti Inc.
InventorsRobert J. Pera, Yu-Hsuan Lai, Vladimir Vyskocil
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Described herein are quick-connect twisted pair cables, cable systems and methods of installing/connecting them. For example, a quick-connect twisted pair cable may include a plurality of pairs of insulated wires within an outer insulating cover; within the insulating cover each of the plurality of pairs of insulated wires are wrapped around each other within elongate tubular body regions, and unwrapped (e.g., parallel) in flattened regions between the elongate tubular body regions. A quick plug connector may be configured as a standard (e.g., RJ-45) connector type.
Claims18
A system for quick-connecting a twisted pair cable, the system comprising:
- a quick-connect twisted pair cable comprising:
- a plurality of pairs of insulated wires;
- an outer insulating cover forming an elongate body having a plurality of flattened regions alternating between tubular body regions, wherein the tubular body regions have lengths that are greater than 5 times the length of the flattened regions;
- wherein the pair of wires of each of the plurality of pairs of insulated wires are wrapped around each other within the tubular body regions and not wrapped around each other in the flattened regions;
- and
- a quick plug connector configured to:
- cut and separate the quick-connect twisted pair cable into two separable cable segments at one of the flattened regions;
- attach onto the flattened region of one of the cable segments;
- and
- electrically couple to one or more of the insulated wires from the plurality of pairs of insulated wires associated with the attached cable segment.
A method of connecting a quick plug connector to a quick-connect twisted pair cable, the method comprising:
- closing the quick plug connector over a target flattened region of a quick-connect twisted pair cable, wherein the quick-connect twisted pair cable comprises:
- a plurality of pairs of insulated wires;
- and
- an outer insulating cover forming an elongate body having a plurality of flattened regions, including the target flattened region, alternating between tubular body regions,
- wherein the tubular body regions have lengths that are greater than 5 times the lengths of the plurality of flattened regions,
- further wherein the pair of wires of each of the plurality of pairs of insulated wires are wrapped around each other within the tubular body regions and not wrapped around each other in the flattened regions;
- cutting and separating, with the quick plug connector, the target flattened region of a quick-connect twisted pair cable into two cable segments;
- attaching the quick plug connector to the target flattened region of one of the cable segments;
- and
- electrically coupling the quick plug connector to one or more insulated wires from the plurality of insulated wires.
A first Ethernet cable segment having a predetermined length and a narrow-diameter connector, the first cable segment comprising:
- an Ethernet jack attached to a first end of a plurality of pairs of insulated wires extending within the length of the first cable segment, the Ethernet jack configured to couple to a standard Ethernet port;
- and
- a narrow-diameter quick connect connector at a second end of the first cable segment, the narrow-diameter quick connect connector configured to fit within an outer diameter of the first cable segment,
- wherein the narrow-diameter quick connect connector comprises a plurality of openings or slots, each in electrical communication with one of the insulated wires of the plurality of pairs of insulated wires, and
- wherein the narrow-diameter quick connect connector is configured to couple with a second cable segment to extend the first cable segment.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.