Cables including fillers
AssigneeRaydex/CDT Ltd.
InventorStephen John Prescott
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A cable includes a filler (12) including a plurality of points of weakness (13) or discontinuities spaced along its length. The points of weakness or discontinuities may be evenly spaced along the length of the cable and may be formed by partially or fully cutting through the filler. The filler may be formed from a plastics material and may be shaped, in cross section, to have a number of arms to enable it to separate other components of the cable. The filler may be electrically conducive or semi-conductive to enable it to act as screen between other components of the cable.
Claims29
A cable comprising an outer sheath, a plurality of interior cable components and a filler having a plurality of longitudinally-spaced points of weakness, wherein the filler is constructed to facilitate breaking of the filler under longitudinal tension at any of the plurality of longitudinally spaced points of weakness, and wherein an outside surface of said outer sheath is marked to indicate the locations of said plurality of longitudinally spaced points of weakness.
A method of manufacture of a cable comprising the steps of:
- providing a filler, shaped in cross-section, to have a plurality of arms configured to separate interior cable components;
- and
- forming a plurality of points of weakness along a length of the filler that are configured so as to facilitate breaking the filler at the plurality of points of weakness;
- wherein the step of forming the plurality of points of weakness includes varying one of a cross-section and a composition of the filler during extrusion of the filler.
A cable comprising an outer sheath, and a filler shaped in cross-section to have a plurality of arms configured to separate interior cable components within said sheath, said filler having a plurality of longitudinally spaced points of weakness;
- wherein the filler is constructed to facilitate breaking of the filler at any of the plurality of longitudinally spaced points of weakness;
- and
- wherein the filler is constructed to define a plurality of slots at each of the plurality of longitudinally spaced points of weakness, the plurality of slots including a first slot formed in a first arm of the plurality of arms and a second slot formed in a second, oppositely located, arm of the plurality of arms, such that the first and second slots are substantially aligned end-to-end.
A method of manufacture of a cable comprising the steps of:
- providing a filler shaped in cross-section to have a plurality of arms configured to separate interior cable components;
- and
- at least partially cutting through said filler at points along its length to form a plurality of points of weakness along its length that are configured so as to facilitate breaking the filler at the plurality of points of weakness;
- wherein the step of at least partially cutting through the filler includes cutting a first slot into a first arm of the plurality of arms and cutting a second slot into a second, oppositely located, arm of the plurality of arms, such that the first and second slots are substantially aligned end-to-end.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.