Cable and cable assembly

Abstract

A cable and a cable assembly are provided. The cable comprises at least two electrically conductive cores (110) spaced apart from each other and extending in a longitudinal direction of the cable; the cable further comprises: an internal insulation structure (120), the internal insulation structure (120) circumferentially covering and contacting each of the at least two conductive cores (110) to fix the at least two conductive cores (110), the internal insulation structure being a foamed insulation structure in which the at least two conductive cores are fixedly held; an inner insulating layer (130) covering and contacting the inner insulating structure on the outer side; a first conductive shielding layer (140) externally wrapped on the inner insulating layer; and an external insulating layer (150) wrapping the outer side of the first conductive shielding layer.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present disclosure relate generally to cables, and more particularly, to cables having improved electrical performance stability and cable assemblies including the cables. Background Art

[0002] The structure of a conventional data transmission cable mainly includes at least two insulating cores, a conductive shielding layer, and an outer insulating layer. However, the structure of such a conventional cable is unstable, and the capacitance and impedance of the two cores may not match during use, resulting in poor electrical performance stability, especially in the case of high-speed data transmission, where SI performance is adversely affected, and improvements are needed. Utility Model Content

[0003] The present disclosure is proposed to overcome at least one of the above and other problems and drawbacks of the prior art.

[0004] According to an embodiment of one aspect of the present disclosure, a cable is provided, which includes at least two conductive cores, and the at least two conductive cores are arranged to extend spaced apart from each other along the longitudinal direction of the cable, and the cable also includes: an internal insulating structure, which circumferentially covers and contacts each of the at least two conductive cores to fix the at least two conductive cores, and the internal insulating structure is a foamed insulating structure in which the at least two conductive cores are fixedly held; an internal insulating layer covering and contacting the internal insulating structure on the outside; a first conductive shielding layer wrapped on the outside of the internal insulating layer; and an external insulating layer wrapped on the outside of the first conductive shielding layer.

[0005] In some embodiments, the at least two conductive cores are encased in the same foamed insulation structure.

[0006] In some embodiments, the internal insulation structure is an integrally extruded structure formed on the outer circumference of the at least two conductive cores along the longitudinal direction of the cable.

[0007] In some embodiments, the inner insulating structure has a substantially elliptical cross-section, and the at least two conductive cores include two conductive cores symmetrically held in the inner insulating structure.

[0008] In some embodiments, the spacing between the two conductive cores is constant along the longitudinal direction of the cable.

[0009] In some embodiments, the dielectric constant of the inner insulating structure is less than or equal to the dielectric constant of the inner insulating layer.

[0010] In some embodiments, the inner insulating layer is an annular layer formed of solid insulating material.

[0011] In some embodiments, each conductive core includes a single core formed of a single conductor or a twisted core formed of two or more conductors.

[0012] In some embodiments, the cable further includes at least one ground wire disposed between the first conductive shielding layer and the outer insulating layer and in electrical contact with the first conductive shielding layer.

[0013] In some embodiments, the at least one ground wire comprises a single ground wire located on one side of the first conductive shielding layer, or two ground wires symmetrically arranged on opposite sides of the first conductive shielding layer.

[0014] In some embodiments, the cable also includes a second conductive shielding layer wrapping the first conductive shielding layer and the at least one ground wire on the outside, the outer insulation layer is wrapped on the second conductive shielding layer, and the at least one ground wire is positioned between the first conductive shielding layer and the second conductive shielding layer and is in electrical contact with at least one of the first conductive shielding layer and the second conductive shielding layer.

[0015] In some embodiments, each of the first conductive shielding layer and the second conductive shielding layer includes an insulating tape and a conductive layer attached to the insulating tape, and the conductive layers of the first conductive shielding layer and the second conductive shielding layer face each other and contact the at least one ground wire.

[0016] According to an embodiment of another aspect of the present disclosure, a cable assembly is provided, comprising: at least two cables, each cable being a cable described in any one of the embodiments of the present disclosure; an electromagnetic shielding structure, which is circumferentially wrapped around the outside of the at least two cables; and an outer sheath, which is wrapped around the outside of the electromagnetic shielding structure.

[0017] In some embodiments, the cable assembly further includes a buffer layer disposed between the electromagnetic shielding structure and the outer jacket and / or a filler filled in a space between the at least two cables inside the electromagnetic shielding structure.

[0018] Other objects and advantages of the present disclosure will be apparent from the following detailed description of the present disclosure with reference to the accompanying drawings, and will help to have a comprehensive understanding of the present disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the structure of a cable according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0020] Figure 2is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a structure of a cable according to another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0021] Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a structure of a cable according to yet another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0022] Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a structure of a cable according to still another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure; and

[0023] Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view schematically illustrating a structure of a cable assembly according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, it should be understood that these descriptions are exemplary only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. In the accompanying drawings, the same or similar parts are indicated by the same or similar figure numerals. In the following detailed description, for ease of explanation, many specific details are set forth to facilitate a comprehensive understanding of the embodiments of the present disclosure. However, it is obvious that one or more embodiments may also be implemented without these specific details. In addition, well-known structures and devices are embodied in a diagrammatic manner to simplify the drawings, and descriptions of well-known structures and technologies are omitted to avoid unnecessary confusion of the concepts of the present disclosure.

[0025] The terms used in this article are only for describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. The terms "include", "comprises", "having", etc. used herein indicate the existence of the stated features, steps, operations and / or components, but do not exclude the existence or addition of one or more other features, steps, operations or components.

[0026] All terms (including technical and scientific terms) used in this article have the meanings commonly understood by those skilled in the art, unless otherwise defined. It should be noted that the terms used here should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with the context of this specification, and should not be interpreted in an idealized or overly rigid manner.

[0027] like Figure 1-5 As shown, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, a cable is provided, such as a 112G cable, which can stably transmit data at a higher transmission rate and is suitable for interface modules such as OSFP, QSFP-DD, SFP, SFP-DD, CDFP, etc.

[0028] A cable according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include at least two conductive cores 110 for signal or data transmission, which are arranged to be spaced apart from each other and electrically insulated from each other (via a single internal insulation structure described below), and extend longitudinally or axially. In this article, the conductive core is made of a conductive material and does not include an insulating material or is not insulated, for example, it is composed only of a conductor. As an example, each conductive core can be made of a high conductivity material such as a copper conductor, a silver-plated conductor, etc. Each conductive core can be a single core wire formed by a single conductor, or a twisted core wire formed by two or more conductors, and the present disclosure does not specifically limit this.

[0029] In such Figure 1-4 In the exemplary embodiment shown, the cable further includes an internal insulating structure 120, which extends longitudinally or axially along the conductive core 110, circumferentially covers each conductive core 110, and contacts (e.g., adheres) the outer circumference of each conductive core 110 to provide electrical insulation and protection for the conductive core. As an example, the internal insulating structure can be made of insulating materials such as polyester, polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, polytetrafluoroethylene, polyperfluoroethylene propylene, polyvinylidene fluoride, tetrafluoroethylene, ethylene copolymers, polyolefins, polyethylene terephthalate ("PET"), etc.

[0030] The internal insulating structure 120 is used to fix the relative position between each conductive core 110, that is, each conductive core 110 is fixedly held in the internal insulating structure 120. In conventional cables, an insulating layer is wound or bonded outside each conductor to form an insulating core wire, and the outer peripheries of the insulating layers of adjacent insulating core wires are against each other. Since there are gaps between adjacent insulating core wires, the cable structure is easily deformed or the core wires are displaced, and the data transmission performance is unstable. Unlike conventional cables, in the embodiment of the present disclosure, a single internal insulating structure 120 is used to cover all the conductive cores 110 of the same cable, and the space between the coated conductive cores 110 is filled with the material of the internal insulating structure 120. The internal insulating structure 120 and all the conductive cores 110 coated therein form a stable integrated structure, which can ensure that each conductive core 110 will not be displaced relative to other conductive cores during use, such as in operations such as assembly and bending, and the cable structure will not be deformed or less deformed, thereby improving the stability of cable performance. In other words, the conductors forming each conductive core are relatively fixedly positioned within a single internal insulating structure to ensure that the cable has a stable structure, thereby achieving stable electrical performance. As an example, the spacing between each conductive core 110 of the cable can remain unchanged or constant in the longitudinal direction of the cable.

[0031] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the internal insulation structure 120 is a single foamed insulation structure, that is, formed by a foamed insulation material, in which each conductive core 110 is fixedly held, that is, each conductive core of the cable is spaced apart from each other and wrapped in the same or a single foamed insulation structure to be electrically insulated from each other. Exemplarily, the foamed insulation structure may include a porous insulation structure or an insulation structure in which bubbles or pores are formed. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, by coating each conductive core with a foamed insulation material, especially directly coating the conductive core or the conductor itself to form a foamed insulation structure, the dielectric constant of the cable can be significantly reduced, and the cable characteristics can be enabled to meet the requirements of better communication effects, wherein electrical characteristics such as electrostatic capacity, capacitance balance, far (near,) end crosstalk and attenuation can be significantly improved, so as to facilitate high-speed and high-frequency signal transmission, and can also make the cable product lighter and smaller in size, thereby optimizing the transmission performance of the cable. The internal insulation structure can be prepared by a chemical foaming process or a physical foaming process, which is not specifically limited in the present disclosure.

[0032] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the internal insulating structure 120 may be an integral structure formed by an extrusion process, which is directly formed (extruded) on the outer peripheral surface of the conductive core 110 along the longitudinal or axial direction of the cable. In other words, unlike the conventional technology of single extrusion or single extrusion of an insulating layer on a single core to form an insulating core, in an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, a foamed insulating material may be extruded once by an extrusion molding process to directly coat two or more conductive cores or conductors themselves, forming an integral insulating structure, such as a foamed insulating structure, that extends continuously along the length of the cable, so that the insulating structure fits more closely to the outer peripheral surface of each conductive core or conductor, has better structural stability, and a single integral extrusion or extrusion may more efficiently prepare the cable.

[0033] In the illustrated embodiment, Figure 1-5 As shown, the internal insulating structure 120 may have a substantially elliptical cross section, and two conductive cores 120 are symmetrically maintained in the internal insulating structure 120. The two conductive cores 120 may be spaced apart along the long axis direction of the elliptical shape, for example, the centers of the two conductive cores 120 may coincide with the two foci of the elliptical shape, respectively. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and the cross-sectional shape of the internal insulating structure, the arrangement of the conductive cores, etc. may be changed according to actual needs.

[0034] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, Figure 1-5As shown in the cross-sectional view of , the cable also includes an inner insulating layer 130, a first conductive shielding layer (or tape) 140 and an outer insulating layer (or tape) 150 arranged in sequence from the inside to the outside, each of which extends along the length or longitudinal direction of the cable. The inner insulating layer 130 circumferentially covers and contacts the outer peripheral surface of the inner insulating structure 120 to stably support the inner insulating structure 120 and the conductive core 110 held therein; the first conductive shielding layer (or tape) 140 circumferentially wraps or surrounds the inner insulating layer 130 to provide signal shielding for the conductive core, and the outer insulating layer 150 wraps around the outer side of the first conductive shielding layer 140 to provide protection.

[0035] Exemplarily, the inner or outer insulating layer may be made of insulating materials such as polyester, polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, polytetrafluoroethylene, polyperfluoroethylene propylene, polyvinylidene fluoride, tetrafluoroethylene, ethylene copolymers, polyolefins, polyethylene terephthalate ("PET"), etc. In addition, in some embodiments, an insulating tape may be wound around the outer circumference of the inner insulating structure; or, an extrusion molding process may be used to form an inner insulating layer on the outer circumference of the inner insulating structure. Since the inner insulating structure is an integral structure in which each conductive core is firmly held, the inner insulating layer may be formed thereon more stably and more consistently. For example, the inner insulating layer may be evenly distributed on the inner insulating structure and may have a uniform thickness, so that the structure and electrical characteristics of the cable are more stable, ensuring better SI performance.

[0036] In some embodiments, the dielectric constant of the internal insulation structure 120 may be less than or equal to the dielectric constant of the internal insulation layer 130. As an example, the internal insulation layer may be formed of a foamed material that is the same as or different from the internal insulation structure to further reduce the dielectric constant of the cable; or according to specific needs, the internal insulation layer may be formed of a solid or non-foamed insulation material to improve the stability of the cable structure, that is, the solid or non-foamed internal insulation layer may have a higher strength to stably support and protect the internal insulation structure 120 and the conductive core 110, so that the cable is not easily deformed during operations such as bending, extrusion in a mold, or assembly, and maintains highly stable SI performance.

[0037] In the illustrated embodiment, Figure 1-5 As shown in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 1 , the internal insulating layer 130 is an annular layer surrounding the internal insulating structure 120, and can be formed into a tubular structure extending along the length of the cable, and can have a uniform layer thickness. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and the cross-sectional shape, thickness, etc. of the internal insulating layer can be changed according to actual needs.

[0038] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, unlike the wrapping arrangement of the conductive shielding layer in a conventional cable, a mold can be used to fit or wrap the first conductive shielding layer 140 in the form of a full longitudinal wrap or a half longitudinal wrap on the outer circumferential surface of the inner insulating layer 130. The first conductive shielding layer in the longitudinal wrap form can be circumferentially wrapped on the inner insulating layer 130 and extend along the length or longitudinal direction of the cable in a semi- or full-tubular structure, which can be better fitted (such as by hot melting or by adhesive bonding) on ​​the inner insulating layer, thereby improving the stability of the SI performance of the cable, and can eliminate the pitch of the conventional wrapping structure, further eliminate the return loss caused by the wrapping structure as a whole, improve the cable frequency bandwidth, and meet the requirements of high-speed data transmission. The first conductive shielding layer 140 may include a metal shielding layer or tape, for example, an insulating tape layer or tape, and a conductive layer (such as a metal layer) attached to the insulating tape layer or tape. Exemplarily, the outer insulating layer (or tape) 150 may include an insulating layer or tape in a wrapping or longitudinal wrapping form.

[0039] In some embodiments, Figure 1-3 and Figure 5 As shown, the cable may further include a separately disposed drain wire or ground wire 160, such as at least one drain wire or ground wire 160 disposed between the first conductive shielding layer (or tape) 140 and the outer insulating layer (or tape) 150, and the drain wire or ground wire 160 may be in electrical contact with the first conductive shielding layer 140 to enhance the electromagnetic shielding effect of the cable. For example, the conductive layer of the first conductive shielding layer (or tape) 140 may face outwardly to the outer insulating layer (or tape) 150 to contact the drain wire or ground wire 160.

[0040] In such Figure 1 , 2 In the embodiment shown in Figures 5 and 6, two ground wires 150 are provided, which are symmetrically arranged on the radially opposite sides of the first conductive shielding layer (or belt) 140, for example. Figure 3 In the embodiment, only a single ground wire 150 is provided on one side of the first conductive shielding layer (or tape) 140. Figure 4 In the embodiment, no separate drain wire or ground wire is provided, and the first conductive shielding layer can be electrically connected to the external grounding structure to also serve as a ground wire. In some examples, the ground wire 150 is radially aligned with the conductive core 110, for example, their centers can be located in approximately the same plane. Although in the illustrated embodiment, the ground wire is shown as having a circular cross-section, the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and in other embodiments, the ground wire can have a flat structure or a layered structure attached to the conductive shielding layer.

[0041] In such Figure 2In the illustrated embodiment, the cable may further include a second conductive shielding layer (or tape) 170 wrapping the first conductive shielding layer (or tape) 140 and at least one ground wire 160 on the outside, the at least one ground wire 160 being positioned between the first conductive shielding layer (or tape) 140 and the second conductive shielding layer (or tape) 170 and being in electrical contact with at least one of the conductive shielding layers (or tapes), and the outer insulating layer 150 is wrapped on the second conductive shielding layer (or tape) 170 on the outside to fix the conductive shielding layer (or tape) and the ground wire inside. This double-layer shielding structure can improve the overall EMC and EMI capabilities of the cable and further improve the stability of the electrical performance of the cable. The second conductive shielding layer (or tape) 170 can adopt a structure similar to that of the first conductive shielding layer (or tape) 140, such as a longitudinal wrapping structure, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0042] As an example, each of the first conductive shielding layer (or tape) 140 and the second conductive shielding layer (or tape) 170 can include an insulating tape layer or tape, and a conductive layer attached to the insulating tape layer or tape, and the conductive layers of the first conductive shielding layer (or tape) 140 and the second conductive shielding layer (or tape) 170 face and contact each other, and electrically contact the ground wire 160 located therebetween.

[0043] When the conductive shielding layer adopts a longitudinal wrapping structure, a mold can be used to fix the ground wire position of the cable at the center line of the longitudinal wrapping structure. For example, the ground wire can be adhered to the surface of the longitudinal wrapping structure via an adhesive layer such as a sticky layer, adhesive or hot melt adhesive arranged on the surface of the longitudinal wrapping structure. The longitudinally wrapped conductive shielding layer can better fit and cover the ground wire, so that the ground wire can be stably fixed. The ground wire basically extends in a straight line or is fixed in position along the longitudinal or axial direction of the cable, thereby reducing or eliminating the position deviation of the ground wire in the longitudinal or length range of the cable, thereby further improving the SI performance of the cable.

[0044] The embodiment of the present disclosure also provides a cable assembly 10, such as Figure 5 As shown, it may include at least two cables described herein, which may be arranged in an outer sheath 11. For example, the cables may be parallel to each other in the longitudinal direction, spaced apart from each other, or twisted or wound around each other.

[0045] The outer sheath 11 can be in the form of a sleeve, such as a metal tube or a plastic tube, to provide protection for the internal structure of the cable. As shown in the figure, the cable assembly 10 can also include an electromagnetic shielding structure 12 disposed in the outer sheath 11, which can take the form of a layer or tape of metal or other conductive material, covering or wrapping the outside of all cables to provide a further improved electromagnetic shielding effect.

[0046] In some examples, such as Figure 5As shown, the cable assembly may further include an additional buffer layer 13, such as a braided layer, which is disposed in the outer sheath 11, for example, in a ring-shaped manner between the electromagnetic shielding structure 12 and the outer sleeve 11, to provide a buffer or vibration reduction effect to the cable. In some other examples, the space between the cables in the outer sheath and / or the space between the cable and the buffer layer or shielding structure may also be at least partially filled with a filler 14, so that the structure of the cable assembly is not easily deformed and remains stable during use.

[0047] Although exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure have been shown and described, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that these embodiments may be changed without departing from the principles and spirit of the present disclosure, and the scope of protection of the present disclosure is defined by the attached claims and their equivalents. Therefore, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that, in the absence of conflict, the features described in the various embodiments and / or claims of the present disclosure may be combined or / or combined in a variety of ways, even if such combinations or combinations are not explicitly described in the present disclosure. In particular, the features described in the various embodiments and / or claims of the present disclosure may be combined and / or combined in a variety of ways without departing from the spirit and teachings of the present disclosure. All of these combinations and / or combinations fall within the scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A cable, comprising at least two conductive cores (110), wherein the at least two conductive cores are spaced apart from each other and extend along the longitudinal direction of the cable, It is characterized in that The cable also includes: an internal insulation structure (120), the internal insulation structure (120) circumferentially covering and contacting each of the at least two conductive cores (110) to fix the at least two conductive cores (110), the internal insulation structure being a foamed insulation structure in which the at least two conductive cores are fixedly held; An internal insulating layer (130) covering and contacting the internal insulating structure on the outside; A first conductive shielding layer (140) wrapped on the outside on the inner insulating layer; and An outer insulating layer (150) is wrapped around the outer side of the first conductive shielding layer.

2. The cable according to claim 1, characterized in that: The at least two conductive cores are wrapped in the same foamed insulation structure.

3. The cable according to claim 2, characterized in that: The internal insulating structure is an integrally extruded structure formed on the outer peripheral surfaces of the at least two conductive cores along the longitudinal direction of the cable.

4. The cable according to claim 3, characterized in that: The inner insulating structure has a generally oval cross-section, and the at least two conductive cores include two conductive cores symmetrically held in the inner insulating structure.

5. The cable according to claim 4, characterized in that: The distance between the two conductive cores is constant along the longitudinal direction of the cable.

6. The cable according to claim 1, characterized in that: The dielectric constant of the inner insulating structure is less than or equal to the dielectric constant of the inner insulating layer.

7. The cable according to claim 6, characterized in that: The inner insulating layer is an annular layer formed of solid insulating material.

8. The cable according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: Each conductive core includes a single core formed of a single conductor or a twisted core formed of two or more conductors.

9. The cable according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: The cable also includes at least one ground wire (160) disposed between the first conductive shielding layer and the outer insulating layer and in electrical contact with the first conductive shielding layer.

10. The cable according to claim 9, characterized in that: The at least one ground wire includes a single ground wire located at one side of the first conductive shielding layer, or two ground wires symmetrically arranged at opposite sides of the first conductive shielding layer.

11. The cable according to claim 9, characterized in that: The cable further comprises a second conductive shielding layer (170) wrapping the first conductive shielding layer and the at least one ground wire on the outside, The outer insulating layer is wrapped around the second conductive shielding layer, and The at least one ground wire is positioned between the first conductive shield layer and the second conductive shield layer and is in electrical contact with at least one of the first conductive shield layer and the second conductive shield layer.

12. The cable according to claim 11, characterized in that: Each of the first conductive shielding layer and the second conductive shielding layer includes an insulating tape and a conductive layer attached to the insulating tape, and the conductive layers of the first conductive shielding layer and the second conductive shielding layer face each other and contact the at least one ground wire.

13. A cable assembly (10), characterized in that: The cable assembly comprises: at least two cables, each cable being a cable according to any one of claims 1 to 12; an electromagnetic shielding structure circumferentially wrapped around the outside of the at least two cables; and An outer sheath is sheathed on the outside of the electromagnetic shielding structure.

14. The cable assembly according to claim 13, characterized in that: The cable assembly further comprises a buffer layer (13) arranged between the electromagnetic shielding structure and the outer sheath and / or a filler (14) filled in the space between the at least two cables inside the electromagnetic shielding structure.

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