Communication cable

Abstract

The present invention relates to a communication cable. More specifically, the present invention relates to a communication cable having communication performance of the Category 6A standard while the overall outer diameter of a cable is minimized as a separator for mutual separation between a plurality of pairs configuring the communication cable is omitted. The present invention may provide the communication cable including: a cable core including a plurality of pairs formed as a pair of conductor wires composed of a conductor coated with an insulator are twisted, and an electromagnetic wave shielding layer surrounding the plurality of pairs; and a cable jacket surrounding the cable core, wherein, in a lateral cross section of the cable, at least a portion of a circumscribed circle of each pair formed by the pair of conductor wires configuring each pair overlaps or circumscribes a circumscribed circle of another adjacent pair, and adhesion strength between the cable jacket and the cable core is in a range of 1.0 kgf to 2.0 kgf.

Description

communication cables

[0001] The present invention relates to a communication cable. More specifically, the present invention relates to a communication cable having a Category 6A communication performance while minimizing the overall outer diameter of the cable by omitting a separator for mutually spacing out a plurality of pairs constituting the communication cable.

[0002] The present invention relates to a twisted pair communication cable. In general, twisted pair cables can be classified into categories (abbreviated as Cat.) according to the level of transmission speed (Mbps) and transmission bandwidth (MHz) of communication signals. Recently, the use of communication cables of the Category 6A (hereinafter referred to as Cat. 6A) standard, which supports a transmission speed of 10 Gbps and a transmission bandwidth of 500 MHz, is increasing.

[0003] Figure 1 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a communication cable according to the prior art.

[0004] As illustrated in FIG. 1, a conventional communication cable comprises a plurality of pairs (100) including a pair of conductor lines (10a, 10b) each composed of a conductor (11) and an insulator (12) covering and covering the conductor (11), a separator (500) for separating the plurality of pairs (100), a cable core (C) including an electromagnetic shielding layer (200) covering the plurality of pairs (100) and the separator (500), and a cable jacket (300) for covering and protecting the outer side of the cable core (C).

[0005] Conventional communication cables generally have a separator (500) for separating pairs as an essential component of the cable when satisfying the Category 6A standard, and this separator (500) is mainly formed in a cross shape to separate multiple pairs (100) and secure a separation distance between the pairs, thereby suppressing interactions such as crosstalk between the multiple pairs (100).

[0006] Meanwhile, there's a growing demand for thinner communication cables to save installation space and facilitate easier wiring. This is particularly true in spaces where numerous cables are installed, such as communications rooms or data centers in large buildings, or where space is relatively tight. Thinner cables offer significant space savings. Furthermore, a smaller cable diameter leads to lighter weight and increased flexibility, facilitating easier cable installation and maintenance, while also reducing manufacturing costs.

[0007] However, since conventional communication cables have to secure a certain distance between multiple pairs (100) due to the aforementioned separator (500), the core (C) becomes larger, which limits minimizing the overall outer diameter of the cable. If the separator (500) is omitted, it is advantageous in terms of reducing the cable diameter, but it is not easy to satisfy communication characteristics such as crosstalk according to the Category 6A standard.

[0008] The present invention aims to provide a communication cable having communication performance of the Category 6A standard while minimizing the overall outer diameter of the cable by omitting a separator for mutual separation between a plurality of pairs constituting the communication cable.

[0009] In addition, the present invention aims to solve the problem of providing an eco-friendly communication cable having communication performance of the Category 6A standard while minimizing the use of polymer materials that are difficult to recycle for forming a communication cable.

[0010] In order to solve the above problem, the present invention provides a communication cable comprising: a cable core including a plurality of pairs formed by twisting a pair of conductor wires composed of an insulator-covered conductor; an electromagnetic shielding layer wrapping the plurality of pairs; and a cable jacket wrapping the cable core; wherein, in a transverse cross-section of the cable, a circumscribed circle of each pair formed by a pair of conductor wires constituting each pair overlaps or is circumscribed at least partially by a circumscribed circle of an adjacent pair, and a sealing strength between the cable jacket and the cable core is in a range of 1.0 kgf to 2.0 kgf.

[0011] Additionally, the communication cable satisfies the Category 6A standard and may have an overall outer diameter of 5.8 millimeters (mm) to 6.6 millimeters (mm).

[0012] Here, the cable core is composed of four pairs, and each of the four pairs can be formed by twisting a pair of conductor wires to have a predetermined pitch range.

[0013] And, the pitch of the first pair may be 5.1 millimeters (mm) to 11.9 millimeters (mm), the pitch of the second pair may be 9.2 millimeters (mm) to 21.4 millimeters (mm), the pitch of the third pair may be 5.5 millimeters (mm) to 12.8 millimeters (mm), and the pitch of the fourth pair may be 8.1 millimeters (mm) to 21.6 millimeters (mm).

[0014] In this case, the cable cores are assembled to have a variable assembly pitch, and the assembly pitch of the cable cores (C) may be 60 millimeters (mm) to 140 millimeters (mm), and the average assembly pitch of the cable cores may be 70 millimeters (mm) to 90 millimeters (mm).

[0015] And, the outer diameter of the conductor may be 0.54 millimeters (mm) to 0.64 millimeters (mm).

[0016] Additionally, the outer diameter of the conductor wire covered with the insulator may be 0.96 millimeters (mm) to 1.22 millimeters (mm).

[0017] Additionally, the electromagnetic shielding layer may be composed of a shielding tape including a plurality of conductive portions and a plurality of discontinuous portions formed between the conductive portions.

[0018] And, the discontinuous portion of the electromagnetic shielding layer is formed at a predetermined period along the length of the cable, and the period of the discontinuous portion may be 800 millimeters (mm) to 1500 millimeters (mm).

[0019] In this case, the cable jacket may have a thickness of 0.3 millimeters (mm) to 0.6 millimeters (mm).

[0020] Additionally, the cable core may be provided with at least one rip-cord in its internal empty space.

[0021] In addition, in order to solve the above problem, the present invention can provide a communication cable that satisfies the Category 6A standard, comprising: a conductor; a conductor wire formed of an insulator that wraps around the conductor and covers the conductor and is formed of a first polymer material; a twisted pair formed by twisting a pair of the conductor wires; a cable core including four of the twisted pairs; and a cable jacket formed of a second polymer material and wrapping the cable core; wherein the weight of all polymer materials including the first polymer material and the second polymer material included per unit length of the communication cable is less than 20 kg / km.

[0022] And, the cable jacket may have a thickness of 0.3 millimeters (mm) to 0.6 millimeters (mm) and an overall outer diameter of 5.8 millimeters (mm) to 6.6 millimeters (mm).

[0023] Here, the insulator may be made of high density polyethylene (HDPE), and the cable jacket may be made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or low smoke zero halogen (LSZH) material.

[0024] According to the communication cable according to the present invention, the separator for mutual spacing between multiple pairs is omitted, so that the overall outer diameter of the cable is reduced, and accordingly, the overall content of polymer resins such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or polyethylene (PE) used in manufacturing the separator and cable jacket is reduced, so that there is an advantage of being environmentally friendly.

[0025] In addition, according to the communication cable according to the present invention, the tightness between the cable core and the cable jacket is controlled so that the structure of the pair is maintained inside the cable core, thereby ensuring excellent signal transmission characteristics of the cable.

[0026] In addition, according to the communication cable according to the present invention, signal interference between multiple pairs can be suppressed by adjusting the pitch of the pairs and the collective pitch of the cable cores without a separate separator.

[0027] Figure 1 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a communication cable according to the prior art.

[0028] Figure 2 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a communication cable according to the present invention.

[0029] Figure 3 illustrates a perspective view of a communication cable according to the present invention.

[0030] Figure 4 illustrates a method for measuring the sealing strength of a communication cable according to the present invention using a sealing strength measuring device.

[0031] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described herein and may be embodied in other forms. Rather, the embodiments introduced herein are provided to ensure that the disclosure is thorough and complete, and to sufficiently convey the spirit of the invention to those skilled in the art. Like reference numbers designate like elements throughout the specification.

[0032] Fig. 2 illustrates a cross-sectional view (meaning a horizontal cross-sectional view, the same applies hereinafter) of a communication cable according to the present invention, and Fig. 3 illustrates a perspective view of a communication cable according to the present invention.

[0033] As illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, a communication cable according to the present invention comprises a cable core (C) including a pair of conductor lines (10a, 10b) each composed of a conductor (11) covered with an insulator (12) twisted in a spiral shape, an electromagnetic shielding layer (200) wrapping the set of the plurality of pairs (100), and a cable jacket (300) wrapping the cable core (C).

[0034] In this way, the communication cable according to the present invention can minimize the overall outer diameter of the cable by omitting the separator (500, see FIG. 1) for separating a plurality of pairs (100) from each other inside the conventional cable core (C), and configuring the cable core (C) including a plurality of pairs (100), an electromagnetic shielding layer (200), and a cable jacket (300).

[0035] The communication cable according to the present invention, instead of omitting the separator provided at the center of the cable core (C), adjusts the tightness between the cable jacket (300) and the cable core (C) with the separator omitted, thereby maintaining the structure of multiple pairs (100) inside the cable jacket (300) without the separator and stably receiving them inside the cable core (C).

[0036] Specifically, when a twisted pair cable is subjected to bending and tensile force depending on the manufacturing and installation process and the operating environment, the structure of the cable may change, such as the thickness of the insulation (12) constituting the two conductor wires (10) of each pair (100), the distance between the conductors (11), the pitch of the two conductor wires (10) constituting each pair (100), the collective pitch of multiple pairs (100), and the distance between the pairs (10) in the aggregate of multiple pairs (100).

[0037] The communication cable according to the present invention can minimize structural changes in each component of the communication cable by configuring the sealing strength between the cable jacket (300) and the cable core (C) to be in the range of 1.0 kilogram force (kgf) to 2.0 kilogram force (kgf). The sealing strength is described in detail below.

[0038] The communication cable according to the present invention satisfies the Category 6A standard and can achieve a transmission speed of 10 Gbps or more in a transmission band of 500 MHz or more, and the communication cable may have an overall outer diameter of 5.8 millimeters (mm) to 6.6 millimeters (mm).

[0039] If the overall outer diameter of the above communication cable is less than 5.8 millimeters (mm), the sealing strength between the cable jacket (300) and the cable core (C) may be excessively increased, or each component of the communication cable may be configured to be excessively thin, thereby deteriorating the communication performance of the cable. On the other hand, if the overall outer diameter exceeds 6.6 millimeters (mm), it is difficult to achieve the effect of thinning compared to a conventional Cat. 6A grade cable including a separator (500) inside the cable core (C) as shown in FIG. 1.

[0040] The cable core (C) of the communication cable according to the present invention is configured to include a plurality of pairs (100), and each of the plurality of pairs (100) may be formed by spirally twisting a pair of conductor lines (10a, 10b).

[0041] As illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, the communication cable according to the present invention is illustrated as including four pairs (100), but is not limited thereto, and the number of pairs (100) may be increased or decreased depending on the transmission performance required for the communication cable or the type of signal.

[0042] A pair of conductor lines (10a, 10b) each constituting a plurality of pairs (100) is composed of a conductor (11) and an insulator (12) that surrounds and covers the conductor (11).

[0043] The conductor (11) above is made of aluminum, copper or annealed copper wire. The outer diameter of the conductor (11) may be 23 AWG, which is 0.54 millimeters (mm) to 0.64 millimeters (mm).

[0044] When the outer diameter of the conductor (11) is less than 0.54 millimeters (mm), the resistance of the conductor (11) of the cable increases, so the attenuation of the transmission signal increases. On the other hand, when the outer diameter of the conductor (11) exceeds 0.64 millimeters (mm), the outer diameter of the pair (100) composed of the conductor (11) increases, making it difficult to make the cable thinner.

[0045] The above insulator (12) has an outer diameter ranging from 0.96 millimeters (mm) to 1.22 millimeters (mm) and can perform an insulating function by surrounding the conductor (11). If the outer diameter of the insulator (12) is less than 0.96 millimeters (mm), the insulation performance is insufficient, and the overall communication characteristics may deteriorate due to coupling between the two conductors (11) forming the twisted pair. If it exceeds 1.22 millimeters (mm), the outer diameter of the pair (100) formed by it increases, making it difficult to thin the cable, the capacitance value of the cable may decrease, and problems such as propagation delay may occur.

[0046] The above insulator (12) may be made of a material of the polyethylene or FEP (Fluorinated Ethylene Propylene) series, and preferably may be made of a high density polyethylene (HDPE) material.

[0047] The communication cable according to the present invention is configured by omitting a separator, and in order to prevent crosstalk between pairs (100), a large difference in the pitch of each pair (100) is formed, thereby minimizing signal interference between pairs (100) without a separator.

[0048] Meanwhile, when the pitch difference of each pair (100) is configured to be large, the near-end crosstalk (NEXT) characteristic is improved, but there is a problem that the propagation delay characteristic is worsened because the length difference of each pair (100) per unit length of the cable increases.

[0049] That is, the pitch of the four pairs (100) must be adjusted to an appropriate range considering the trade-off relationship between near-end crosstalk and transmission delay. Accordingly, the inventors of the present invention adjusted the pitch range of the four pairs (100) so that neither near-end crosstalk nor transmission delay occurs between the pairs (100), and experimentally confirmed whether a spike is generated at a specific frequency of the communication cable accordingly, thereby deriving the pitch range of the four pairs (100).

[0050] Specifically, referring to FIG. 3, the pitch (P1) of the first pair (100(1)) among the four pairs (100) may be in the range of 5.1 millimeters (mm) to 11.9 millimeters (mm), the pitch (P2) of the second pair (100(2)) may be in the range of 9.2 millimeters (mm) to 21.4 millimeters (mm), the pitch (P3) of the third pair (100(3)) may be in the range of 5.5 millimeters (mm), and the pitch (P4) of the fourth pair (100(4)) may be in the range of 8.1 millimeters (mm) to 21.6 millimeters (mm).

[0051] Therefore, if the pitch of at least one pair (100) among the above four pairs (100) is outside the above-mentioned range, the near-end crosstalk or transmission delay characteristics may deteriorate.

[0052] In addition, the four pairs (100) can be twisted and assembled with a specific twist length, which is a collective pitch, to form a pair assembly (110), and the pair assembly (110) can be formed by assembling the four pairs (100) to have a variable collective pitch range. Specifically, the collective pitch of the pair assembly (110) can be varied along the cable length direction, and preferably, can be varied in a range of 60 millimeters (mm) to 140 millimeters (mm), and the average collective pitch can be in a range of 70 millimeters (mm) to 90 millimeters (mm).

[0053] A communication cable according to the present invention is configured to include an electromagnetic shielding layer (200) that wraps around the outer side of a pair set (110) for electromagnetic shielding of the pair set (110).

[0054] The above electromagnetic shielding layer (200) may be formed in a tube shape in which a conductor such as aluminum foil continuously wraps the entire outer circumference in the longitudinal direction of the pair set (110), but in this case, grounding work is required for the electromagnetic shielding layer (200) at both ends of the communication cable, and even when grounding, a problem may occur in which current flows to the electromagnetic shielding layer (200) continuously arranged in the longitudinal direction of the communication cable due to a slight difference in grounding level at both ends of the communication cable, causing the entire communication cable to operate like a loop antenna.

[0055] Therefore, the electromagnetic shielding layer (200) may be composed of a shielding tape including a plurality of conductive portions (210) and a plurality of discontinuous portions (220) formed between the conductive portions (210). The shielding tape may be in the shape of a sheet in which an aluminum metal foil is attached to a resin sheet.

[0056] The above electromagnetic shielding layer (200) may be configured to suppress an electromagnetic field generated when transmitting a differential signal through two conductor lines (10) constituting each pair (100) from being emitted to the outside of the cable core (C) and to suppress an electromagnetic field from being introduced into the inside from the outside of the cable core (C), thereby preventing a deterioration of electrical characteristics due to an electrical induction phenomenon, etc. That is, the electromagnetic shielding layer (200) is applied to suppress alien crosstalk between cables.

[0057] The above electromagnetic shielding layer (200) can be formed through a process of winding or transversely winding a shielding tape composed of the conductive portion (210) and the discontinuous portion (220) to wrap the pair set (110).

[0058] The discontinuous portion (220) of the shielding tape constituting the above electromagnetic shielding layer (200) may be in the shape of a slit, and a plurality of discontinuous portions (220) may be formed in a predetermined period (L) along the length direction of the cable.

[0059] Specifically, the period (L) of the discontinuous portion (220) of the shielding tape constituting the electromagnetic shielding layer (200) may be 800 millimeters (mm) or more, preferably in the range of 800 millimeters (mm) to 1500 millimeters (mm). If the period (L) of the discontinuous portion (220) is less than 800 millimeters (mm), the area of ​​the entire discontinuous portion (220) within the shielding tape increases significantly, thereby deteriorating the characteristics of suppressing the emission and introduction of electromagnetic fields. Therefore, in order to compensate for this, a complex structure of shielding tape must be applied in which the design reflects the length of each conductive portion (210), the distance between the conductive portions (210), and the shape of the conductive portions (210) in consideration of the electromagnetic coupling linked to the transmission signal of the communication cable, thereby increasing the manufacturing cost of the shielding tape. In addition, if the period (L) of the discontinuous portion (220) exceeds 1500 millimeters (mm), energy due to the induction of the electromagnetic field may be excessively accumulated in a specific conductive portion (210) within the shielding tape, which may act as a noise component in the transmission signal of the communication cable.

[0060] A communication cable according to the present invention is configured to include a cable jacket (300) that wraps around the outer side of an electromagnetic shielding layer (200).

[0061] The cable jacket (300) may be made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or low smoke zero halogen (LSZH) material. In addition, the communication cable according to the present invention may apply the cable jacket (300) to a highly flame retardant polyvinyl chloride (PVC) material to improve flame retardancy.

[0062] Here, polyvinyl chloride refers to a homopolymer of vinyl chloride and a copolymer containing 50% or more of vinyl chloride, and can be used as a material for pipes, etc. Low-smoke, halogen-free material has the characteristic of generating less smoke when ignited, and by employing such halogen-free, low-smoke material as a cable jacket (300) of a communication cable, the generally required smoke density standards, halogen concentration standards, toxicity, and low-smoke related standards can be satisfied.

[0063] The thickness of the cable jacket (300) may be configured in the range of 0.3 millimeters (mm) to 0.6 millimeters (mm). If the thickness of the cable jacket (300) is less than 0.3 millimeters (mm), there is a problem that a sufficient separation distance from external interference caused by adjacent cables is not secured and the mechanical strength of the cable is insufficient, whereas if the thickness of the cable jacket (300) exceeds 0.6 millimeters (mm), there is a problem that the overall outer diameter and weight of the cable are unnecessarily increased and flexibility is reduced.

[0064] In addition, the communication cable according to the present invention may further include at least one ripcord (400) in the empty space of the careble core. The ripcord (400) is used to facilitate the stripping of the cable jacket (300), and may be placed between the electromagnetic shielding layer (200) and a plurality of pairs (100), or may be placed between the electromagnetic shielding layer (200) and the cable jacket (300).

[0065] When the above ripcord (400) is made of materials such as Kevlar aramid yarn, fiber glass epoxy rod, fiber reinforced polyethylene (FRP), high-strength fiber, galvanized steel wire, steel wire, etc., it can also function as a tensile line that provides tensile strength to the communication cable.

[0066] Hereinafter, with reference to Fig. 4, a bond strength measuring device and a bond strength measuring method will be described.

[0067] Preferably, the communication cable according to the present invention includes a cable core (C) in which four pairs (100) and an electromagnetic shielding layer (200) are accommodated. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the communication cable according to the present invention is arranged within the cable core (C) such that a circumscribed circle (101) of one pair formed by a pair of conductor lines (10a, 10b) constituting each pair (100) in a transverse cross-section of the cable overlaps or is circumscribed at least partially with a circumscribed circle (101) of an adjacent pair, thereby minimizing the overall outer diameter of the cable.

[0068] That is, the circumscribed circle (101(1)) of the first pair (100(1)) of FIG. 2 can be arranged inside the cable core (C) so that at least a portion overlaps or is circumscribed with the two circumscribed circles (101(2), 101(4)) of the adjacent pairs, the second pair (100(2)) and the fourth pair (100(4)).

[0069] In addition, the cable core (C) can be provided inside the cable jacket (300) with a predetermined adhesion strength range, and the adhesion strength between the cable core (C) and the cable jacket (300) is configured in a range of 1.0 kilogram force (kgf) to 2.0 kilogram force (kgf), as described above.

[0070] Here, the adhesion strength between the cable jacket (300) and the cable core (C) is a measure of how strongly the cable jacket (300) holds and supports the cable core (C) in the direction of the inner circumferential surface of the cable jacket (300).

[0071] Accordingly, the greater the adhesion strength, the more densely each pair (100) constituting the cable core (C) is accommodated inside the cable jacket (300), making it difficult to separate the cable core (C) from the cable jacket (300).

[0072] Figure 4 illustrates a method for measuring the sealing strength of a communication cable according to the present invention using a sealing strength measuring device.

[0073] As illustrated in FIG. 4, the adhesion strength measuring device (1000) may be configured to include a pair of jig units (1100a, 1100b) for fixing at least a portion of both ends of a cable to be measured, a measuring unit (1200) for pulling the cable fixed to the pair of jig units (1100a, 1100b) and measuring the tensile force, a control unit (1300) for operating or controlling the measuring unit (1200), and an output unit (1400) for displaying a measured value or status of the measuring unit (1200).

[0074] The above pair of jig units (1100a, 1100b) each have a fixing part (1110) capable of adjusting the vertical distance, and the above pair of jig units (1100a, 1100b) can use the fixing part (1110) to press and fix two parts of the cable to be measured from above.

[0075] The above measuring unit (1200) can be placed parallel to the cable to be measured in the cable length direction on the upper part of the support plate of the seal strength measuring device (1000). The measuring unit (1200) can be moved in the cable length direction along a straight rail formed on the support plate. Accordingly, the measuring unit (1200) can separate the careble core (C) and the cable jacket (300) by moving a predetermined distance in the direction of pulling the cable to be measured fixed by the pair of jig units (1100a, 1100b). In this process, the measuring unit (1200) can measure the tensile force required to separate the careble core (C) and the cable jacket (300) of the cable to be measured, i.e., the seal strength.

[0076] The control unit (1300) controls the operation of the measuring unit (1200) and may include at least one control command input unit (1310, not shown), such as a control button, a control knob, or a control switch. For example, the first control command input unit (1311) controls the measuring unit (1200) to measure the adhesion strength of the cable to be measured, the second control command input unit (1312) controls the movement state of the measuring unit (1200) to stop the measurement, the third control command input unit (1313) can control the measuring unit (1200) to return to its original position, and the fourth control command input unit (1314) can control the tension speed of the measuring unit (1200).

[0077] The sealing strength between the cable jacket (300) and the cable core (C) of the communication cable according to the present invention can be measured as follows using the sealing strength measuring device (1000) described above.

[0078] Specifically, a cutting tool is used to form a cut portion (I) in the middle of a cable to be measured about 1 m long in the longitudinal direction so that only the cable jacket (300) is cut in a ring shape, and one side of the cable to be measured (e.g., the left side of the cut portion) is pressed with one hand based on the cut portion (I) to fix the entire cable including the cable jacket (300) and the cable core (C), and with the other hand, only the cable jacket (300) on the other side of the cable to be measured (e.g., the right side of the cut portion) is pulled in the other direction (e.g., the right side of the cut portion) to form a stripped portion (300') of about 5 cm in the cable jacket (300) of the cable to be measured. At this time, an end portion (300'') is formed at the other end of the stripped portion (300'), in which only the cable jacket (300) remains without including the cable core (C).

[0079] Next, with the stripped area (300') in between, one side (the left side of the stripped area based on FIG. 4) is pressed and fixed with the fixing part (1110) of the jig unit (1100a) at a position adjacent to the stripped area (300'), and the other side (the right side of the stripped area based on FIG. 4) is pressed and fixed with the fixing part (1110) of the jig unit (1100b) at the end where only the cable jacket (300) exists, to perform a tensile test.

[0080] In this fixed state, the cable jacket (300) is pulled in the direction of separating from the cable to be measured by the measuring unit (1200), and the tensile force at the point where the cable jacket (300) is separated from the cable core (C) is measured, and this is taken as the adhesion strength between the cable jacket (300) and the cable core (C).

[0081] As described above, the communication cable according to the present invention can be configured such that the tightness between the cable jacket (300) and the cable core (C) measured by the above-described tightness measurement method is in the range of 1.0 kilogram force (kgf) to 2.0 kilogram force (kgf).

[0082] Hereinafter, the results of confirming the electrical characteristics of the cable according to the sealing strength between the cable core and jacket constituting the communication cable are explained with reference to Tables 1 to 4 below.

[0083] Table 1 shows a plurality of communication cable samples each having different sealing strengths, each of which is composed of a pair of conductor wires (10a, 10b) each composed of an insulator (12) covered with a conductor (11) and formed by twisting a plurality of pairs (100) in a spiral manner, a cable core (C) including an electromagnetic shielding layer (200) wrapping the pair set (110), and a cable jacket (300) wrapping the cable core (C).

[0084] [Table 1]

[0085]

[0086] Table 2 shows the electrical characteristic evaluation items and specifications required for a Category 6A class communication cable, and Table 3 shows the threshold values ​​that satisfy the specifications for each electrical characteristic evaluation item at a specific frequency in Table 2.

[0087] For multiple samples in Table 1 above, prior to the measurement of the adhesion strength, each electrical characteristic item in Tables 2 and 3 above was measured repeatedly at least 5 times to determine whether each measured value satisfies the Cat. 6A standard and whether the average value of the repeatedly measured values ​​has a sufficient margin compared to the Cat. 6A standard, as shown in Table 4 below.

[0088] [Table 2]

[0089]

[0090] [Table 3]

[0091]

[0092] [Table 4]

[0093]

[0094] In Table 4, the larger the margin average, which is the average of the repeated measurements of the sample compared to the Cat. 6A standard, the better the characteristics of the corresponding evaluation item compared to the standard. The smaller the margin average, the worse the characteristics of the corresponding evaluation item compared to the standard. In particular, if the margin average is a '-' value, it can be interpreted that the characteristics of the corresponding evaluation item are consistently poor, failing to meet the Cat. 6A standard.

[0095] In addition, if even one of all the measured values ​​of the repeated sample measurement does not satisfy the standard, the standard satisfaction is indicated as 'X' and it can be interpreted as unclear whether the Cat. 6A standard of the corresponding evaluation item can be satisfied, and if all the measured values ​​satisfy the standard, the standard satisfaction is indicated as 'O' and it can be interpreted as satisfying the Cat. 6A standard of the corresponding evaluation item.

[0096] As a result of testing the above multiple samples, it was confirmed that samples 2 to 5 had an appropriate sealing strength, sufficiently fixing the structure of the cable core (C) with the cable jacket (300) accommodated inside, and thus the structure of the cable core (C), including the thickness of the insulator (12), the distance between conductors (11), the pitch, the collective pitch, the distance between pairs (10), etc., was stably maintained, thereby satisfying the Category 6A standard with good electrical characteristics.

[0097] On the other hand, sample 1 had an excessively low adhesion strength of less than 1.0 kilogram force (kgf), so that the cable jacket (300) could not sufficiently fix the structure of the cable core (C) accommodated therein, so that the pitch of each pair (100) constituting the cable core (C) was not uniformly maintained in the longitudinal direction, and the collective pitch of the pair set (110) was deformed, so that the return loss characteristics were not good in some measurement results, and the NEXT (NEXT Loss, Power sum Alien NEXT Loss) characteristics were poor in the overall measurement results, confirming that the communication cable did not stably satisfy the Category 6A standard.

[0098] And sample 6 had an excessively high adhesion strength exceeding 2.0 kilogram force (kgf), so that the cable jacket (300) strongly pressed the cable core (C) accommodated inside, and the conductor (11) was deformed and the insulator (12) was pressed due to excessive adhesion between the conductor wires (10) constituting the cable core (C), and a sufficient insulation distance was not secured, so that the signal attenuation characteristics were poor in the overall measurement results, and the pitch of each pair (100) was not uniformly maintained due to the pressing between the pairs (100), and the shape was deformed, so that the NEXT (Power sum Alien NEXT Loss) characteristics were poor in some measurement results, and it was confirmed that it did not satisfy the Category 6A standard.

[0099] That is, the communication cable according to the present invention precisely controls the sealing strength of the cable jacket (300) and the cable core (C) in the range of 1.0 kilogram force (kgf) to 2.0 kilogram force (kgf), and instead of providing a separator for spacing between each pair (100) between the plurality of pairs (100), it was confirmed that the overall outer diameter of the cable can be reduced to the range of 5.8 millimeters (mm) to 6.6 millimeters (mm) by controlling the pitch of the plurality of pairs (100) and the collective pitch range of the cable core (C), while satisfying the communication performance of the cable required for the Category 6A standard.

[0100] The communication cable according to the present invention has the advantage of being more environmentally friendly, as the separator (500, see FIG. 1) that is usually made of a polymer material such as polyethylene is omitted and the overall outer diameter of the communication cable is minimized, thereby reducing the overall polymer material content used in the separator and cable jacket (300) per unit length of the communication cable.

[0101] Twisted pair cables, such as communication cables according to the present invention, are not practically recycled because the cost savings from recycling are minimal compared to the cost of recycling polymer materials, and therefore, there is a need to reduce the use of polymer materials for environmental protection.

[0102] The conventional communication cable illustrated in Fig. 1 has a separator to suppress interference between multiple pairs (100) and secures sufficient physical separation between each pair (100). However, since the outer diameter of the communication cable increases due to the separator, more jacket material must be input to form the same cable jacket (300) thickness.

[0103] Table 5 shows the results of comparing the polymer material input per unit length of each sample produced with the same thickness using the same material for the insulator and jacket, excluding the separator, of the conventional communication cable illustrated in FIG. 1 and the communication cable of the present invention illustrated in FIG. 2 as an example.

[0104] More specifically, the insulator (12) of the conductor wire (10) constituting the four pairs (100) is formed of a polyethylene material with an average thickness of 1.08 millimeters (mm), and the cable jacket (300) is formed of a PVC material with a thickness of 0.4 millimeters (mm). In addition, the separator of the conventional communication cable is formed of the same polyethylene material as the insulator, and the rib of the separator that separates each pair (100) is manufactured to have a thickness of 0.4 millimeters (mm).

[0105] [Table 5]

[0106]

[0107] While the weight of polymer material required to manufacture 1 km of a conventional communication cable is approximately 22.22 kg, the weight of polymer material required to manufacture 1 km of a communication cable of the present invention is approximately 18.42 kg, confirming a reduction of approximately 17% in the amount of polymer material.

[0108] By the method described above, the communication cable according to the present invention omits the separator for spacing out a plurality of pairs, thereby reducing the overall outer diameter of the cable, and accordingly reduces the overall content of polymer resins such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or polyethylene (PE) used in manufacturing the separator and the cable jacket, thereby being environmentally friendly, and by controlling the tightness between the cable core and the cable jacket, the structure of the cable core (C) can be stabilized, thereby ensuring excellent communication characteristics of the communication cable, and by controlling the pitch of the pairs and the collective pitch of the cable cores of the plurality of pairs without a separate separator, signal interference between the plurality of pairs can be suppressed, thereby providing a communication cable having communication performance of the Category 6A standard while minimizing the overall outer diameter.

[0109] While this specification has described preferred embodiments of the present invention, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications and variations can be made to the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the claims below. Therefore, any modified implementation that fundamentally includes the elements of the claims should be considered within the technical scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. In communication cables, A plurality of pairs formed by twisting a pair of conductor wires composed of conductors covered with insulation; and A cable core including an electromagnetic shielding layer surrounding the plurality of pairs; and It consists of a cable jacket that wraps the above cable core; In the transverse cross-section of the above cable, the circumscribed circle of each pair formed by a pair of conductor wires constituting each pair overlaps or is circumscribed at least partially with the circumscribed circle of the adjacent pair, A communication cable characterized in that the adhesion strength between the cable jacket and the cable core is in the range of 1.0 kgf to 2.0 kgf.

2. In paragraph 1, The above communication cable is characterized by satisfying the Category 6A standard and having an overall outer diameter of 5.8 millimeters (mm) to 6.6 millimeters (mm).

3. In paragraph 1, A communication cable characterized in that the cable core is composed of four pairs, and each of the four pairs is formed by twisting a pair of conductor wires so as to have a predetermined pitch range.

4. In paragraph 3, The pitch of the first pair is 5.1 millimeters (mm) to 11.9 millimeters (mm), The pitch of the second pair is 9.2 millimeters (mm) to 21.4 millimeters (mm), The third pair's pitch is 5.5 millimeters (mm) to 12.8 millimeters (mm), A communication cable characterized in that the pitch of the fourth pair is 8.1 millimeters (mm) to 21.6 millimeters (mm).

5. In paragraph 3, The above cable cores are assembled to have a variable collective pitch, The collective pitch of the above cable core (C) is 60 millimeters (mm) to 140 millimeters (mm), A communication cable characterized in that the average collective pitch of the cable cores is 70 millimeters (mm) to 90 millimeters (mm).

6. In paragraph 1, A communication cable characterized in that the conductor has an outer diameter of 0.54 millimeters (mm) to 0.64 millimeters (mm).

7. In paragraph 1, A communication cable characterized in that the outer diameter of the conductor wire covered with the above-mentioned insulator is 0.96 millimeters (mm) to 1.22 millimeters (mm).

8. In paragraph 1, A communication cable characterized in that the electromagnetic shielding layer is composed of a shielding tape including a plurality of conductive parts and a plurality of discontinuous parts formed between the conductive parts.

9. In paragraph 8, The discontinuous portion of the above electromagnetic shielding layer is formed at a predetermined period along the length of the cable, A communication cable characterized in that the period of the above discontinuity is 800 millimeters (mm) to 1500 millimeters (mm).

10. In paragraph 1, A communication cable, characterized in that the cable jacket has a thickness of 0.3 millimeters (mm) to 0.6 millimeters (mm).

11. In paragraph 1, A communication cable characterized in that the cable core has at least one rip-cord provided in an internal empty space.

12. For communication cables that meet the Cat.6A standard, A conductor, a conductor wire comprising an insulator that surrounds and covers the conductor and is formed of a first polymer material; A twisted pair formed by twisting a pair of conductor wires; A cable core comprising four twisted pairs; and It consists of a cable jacket formed of a second polymer material and wrapping the cable core; A communication cable characterized in that the weight of all polymer materials including the first polymer material and the second polymer material included per unit length of the communication cable is less than 20 kg / km.

13. In paragraph 11, A communication cable characterized in that the cable jacket has a thickness of 0.3 millimeters (mm) to 0.6 millimeters (mm) and an overall outer diameter of 5.8 millimeters (mm) to 6.6 millimeters (mm).

14. In paragraph 11, The above insulator is made of high density polyethylene (HDPE), A communication cable characterized in that the cable jacket is made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or low smoke zero halogen (LSZH) material.

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