Low-cost, high performance, moisture-blocking, coaxial cable and manufacturing method

A fluid-blocking coaxial cable, comprising:

• a. an inner conductor;
• b. a foam dielectric surrounding the inner conductor;
• and
• c. a thin-walled tubular shield surrounding the dielectric, the shield:
• i. being composed of aluminum or other material having a tensile strength less than about 16,000 psi and a yield strength less than 6,000 psi;
• ii. having a wall thickness no greater than about 0.5%-5% of the cable outer diameter;
• and
• iii. having corrugations,
• d. the ductility, wall thickness, and corrugation depth being selected such that the corrugations are permanently deformed from the shield material into the dielectric and produce a depth of compression of at least 2% of the cable outer diameter at all points along the cable to thereby suppress the formation of fluid migration air gaps or passageways between the shield and the dielectric.

A low cost, high performance coaxial cable, comprising:

• a. an inner conductor;
• b. a foam dielectric surrounding the inner conductor;
• c. a thin-walled tubular shield surrounding the dielectric, the shield:
• i. being composed of aluminum or other material having a tensile strength less than about 16,000 psi and yield strength less than about 6,000 psi;
• ii. having a wall thickness between about 0.004-0.012 inch;
• and
• iii. having corrugations,
• d. the ductility, wall thickness, and corrugation depth being selected such that the corrugations are permanently deformed from the shield material.

A low cost, high performance coaxial cable, comprising:

• a. an inner conductor;
• b. a foam dielectric surrounding the inner conductor;
• and
• c. a thin-walled tubular shield surrounding the dielectric, the shield:
• i. being composed of aluminum or other material having a tensile strength less than about 16,000 psi and yield strength less than about 6,000 psi;
• and
• ii. having dual lead helical corrugations.

A method of manufacturing a high performance, water blocking coaxial cable, comprising:

• a. providing an inner conductor;
• b. extruding a foam dielectric around said inner conductor;
• c. forming a tubular shield around said dielectric and seam welding it with the shield compressing the dielectric to suppress the formation of an air gap between the shield and the dielectric;
• and
• d. corrugating said tubular shield to further compress the dielectric,
• e. the diameters of the dielectric and the shield, and the depth of corrugation being selected to cause the corrugations to penetrate deeply into and compress the foam dielectric to effectively suppress the formation of fluid migration air gaps or passageways between the shield and the dielectric.

A method of manufacturing a low cost, high performance coaxial cable, comprising:

• a. providing an inner conductor;
• b. extruding a foam dielectric around the inner conductor;
• c. forming a thin-walled tubular shield around the dielectric and high frequency welding it, the shield:
• i. being composed of aluminum or other material having a tensile strength less than about 16,000 psi and yield strength less than about 6,000 psi;
• and
• ii. having a wall thickness between about 0.004-0.012 inch;
• and
• d. helically corrugating the shield with a dual lead corrugating die,
• e. the ductility, wall thickness, and corrugation depth being selected such that dual lead helical corrugations are permanently deformed from the shield material.

An all-aluminum conductor coaxial cable having a relatively high performance comparable to corrugated tubular shield cable with a relatively low cost comparable to low performance braided shield coaxial cable, comprising:

• an inner conductor composed of one of aluminum and aluminum alloy;
• a dielectric foam insulator around the inner conductor;
• a tubular shield around the foam insulator, the tubular shield being one of a strip of thin ductile aluminum and aluminum alloy with a longitudinal high frequency weld seam;
• and
• the shield having dual lead corrugations that tightly compress the foam insulator to thereby suppress formation of fluid propagating air gaps or passageways between the shield and the insulator;
• wherein the low cost is attributable, at least in part, to the use of aluminum or aluminum alloy material in the shield, high manufacturing speeds due to use of high frequency welding and dual lead helical corrugations;
• wherein the high performance of the cable is attributable to, at least in part, the fluid blocking property of the corrugated shielding compressed into the foam insulator, superior electrical shielding, superior loop resistance, superior VSWR factor, and superior mechanical shielding.

A low cost, high performance annular corrugated coaxial cable with improved water blocking performance, comprising:

• a. an inner conductor;
• b. a foam dielectric surrounding the inner conductor;
• and
• c. a tubular shield surrounding the dielectric, the shield having annular corrugations deeply penetrating into and compressing the foam dielectric to effectively prevent the formation of fluid migration air gaps or passageways between the shield and the dielectric at all points along the cable and thereby to improve the water blocking performance of the cable.

A low cost, high performance coaxial cable, comprising:

• a. a copper clad aluminum inner conductor;
• b. a foam dielectric surround the inner conductor;
• and
• c. a dual lead, helically corrugated, aluminum tubular shield surrounding the dielectric and having the following configuration:
• i. about 0.55 inch outer diameter;
• ii. about 0.010 inch wall thickness;
• iii. about 0.045 inch helical corrugation depth;
• iv. about 0.5 inch dual lead pitch.

A low cost, high performance coaxial cable, comprising:

• a. a copper clad aluminum inner conductor;
• b. a foam dielectric surround the inner conductor;
• and
• c. a dual lead, helically corrugated, aluminum tubular shield surrounding the dielectric and having the following configuration:
• i. about 0.35 inch outer diameter;
• ii. about 0.008 inch wall thickness;
• iii. about 0.035 inch helical corrugation depth;
• iv. about 0.36 inch dual lead pitch.

A low cost, high performance coaxial cable, comprising:

• a. a copper clad aluminum inner conductor;
• b. a foam dielectric surround the inner conductor;
• and
• c. a dual lead, helically corrugated, aluminum tubular shield surrounding the dielectric and having the following configuration:
• i. about 0.2 inch outer diameter;
• ii. about 0.006 inch wall thickness;
• iii. about 0.025 inch helical corrugation depth;
• iv. about 0.23 inch dual lead pitch.