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US 2026/0229384 A1Published application
System and method for forming wire and cable
AssigneesDaikin America, Inc., Daikin Industries, Ltd.
InventorsHalie Jill MARTIN, Matthew Philip ORR, Robert KENNY
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system and method for manufacturing wire and cable products with a polymer cable component is provided. The systems and methods include increasing the hardness of a polymer cable component in order to reduce compression and deformation of the cable components during manufacturing. In some instances, the hardness is temporarily increased prior to or during the process of creating twisted pair or during the cabling process.
Claims19
1:
- A communications cable comprising:
- at least one twisted pair of insulated conductors, wherein the insulated conductors comprise a conductor and an insulation layer surrounding a circumference of the conductor and wherein the insulation layer comprises a foamed polymer with foam cells, the foam cells having a major diameter and a minor diameter, and wherein a cross-section of the insulation layer shows at least 50% of the foam cells have a minor diameter that is greater than or equal to 80% of the major diameter.
2:
- The communications cable of claim 1, wherein at least one insulation layer of the twisted pair comprises a compressed region and a non-compressed region, at least 50% the foam cells within the compressed region having an average minor diameter that is greater than or equal to 80% of the average major diameter.
3:
- The communications cable of claim 1, wherein at least one insulation layer of the twisted pair comprises a compressed region and a non-compressed region, wherein the foam cell to polymer ratio within the compressed region is greater than or equal to 90% of the foam cell to polymer ratio in the non-compressed region.
4:
- The communications cable of claim 1, wherein at least one insulation layer of the twisted pair comprises a compressed region and a non-compressed region, the weight per volume of the foam insulation within the compressed region being less than or equal to 125% of the weight per volume of the foam insulation in the non-compressed region.
5:
- A communications cable of claim 1, wherein the insulation layer comprises a fluoropolymer.
6:
- A communications cable of claim 1, wherein the insulation layer comprises FEP.
7:
- A communications cable of claim 1, wherein the insulation layer comprises a fluoropolymer foam with at least 100 unstable end groups per million carbon atoms.
8:
- A communications cable of claim 1, wherein the insulation layer contains at least 15% air by volume.
9:
- A method of manufacturing a twisted pair comprising:
- providing a first foam insulated conductor comprising a first conductor electrically insulated by a first foam insulation layer and a second foam insulated conductor comprising second conductor electrically insulated by a second foam insulation layer;
- the first foam insulation layer having a first hardness at ambient conditions;
- hardening the first foam insulation layer to a second hardness, the second hardness being greater than the first hardness;
- twisting the first and second foam insulated conductors around each other to form a twisted pair while the first foam insulation layer is at the second hardness.
2 more elements
10:
- The method of claim 9, wherein the second foam insulation layer has a third hardness, the method further comprising hardening the second foam insulation layer to a fourth hardness, the fourth hardness being greater than the third hardness.
11:
- The method of claim 9, wherein the step of twisting the first and second foam insulated conductors around each other occurs within 10 seconds after hardening the first foam insulation layer to a second hardness.
12:
- The method of claim 9, wherein the first and second foam insulated conductors are twisted around each other at greater than 2000 twists per minute (TPM).
13:
- The method of claim 9, wherein the step of hardening the first foam insulation layer comprises cooling the first foam insulation layer.
14:
- A method of manufacturing a communications cable comprising:
- providing a first polymer foam cable component, the polymer foam cable component comprising a polymer foam with foam cells, the first polymer foam cable component having a first hardness under ambient conditions;
- hardening the first polymer foam cable component to a second hardness, the second hardness being greater than the first hardness;
- compressing at least a portion of the first polymer foam cable component to form a communications cable while the first polymer foam cable is at the second hardness.
1 more element
15:
- The method of claim 14, wherein the first polymer foam cable component comprises a fluoropolymer.
16:
- The method of claim 14, wherein the first polymer foam cable component comprises FEP.
17:
- The method of claim 14, wherein the first polymer foam cable component comprises FEP with greater than 80 unstable end groups per million carbon atoms.
18:
- The method of claim 14, wherein the composition of the first polymer foam cable component is unchanged during the step of hardening the first polymer foam cable component to a second hardness.
19:
- The method of claim 14, further comprising the step of allowing the first polymer foam cable component to return to the first hardness.