Commscope, Inc of North Carolina

Commscope, Inc.

Mark A Garner

Alan Neal Moe

Scott M Adams

Bruce J Carlson

A method of making a flexible coaxial cable is provided. The method comprises advancing a cable core comprising a conductor and an expanded foam dielectric surrounding the conductor along a predetermined path of travel, directing an elongate strip of copper onto the advancing cable core and bending the copper strip into a generally cylindrical form so as to loosely encircle the core. Opposing longitudinal edges of the thus formed copper strip are then moved into abutting relation and a longitudinal weld is formed joining the abutting edges to thereby form an electrically and mechanically continuous tubular copper sheath loosely surrounding the cable core. The cable core and the surrounding sheath are simultaneously advanced while the tubular sheath is deformed into an oval configuration loosely surrounding the core. The longitudinal weld of the advancing sheath is then directed against a scarfing blade and weld flash from the sheath is scarfed from the sheath. The advancing copper sheath is sunk onto the advancing cable core to form the coaxial cable. A polymer composition may be extruded around the copper sheath to form a protective jacket surrounding the coaxial cable and may be bonded thereto. The present invention also includes a flexible coaxial cable having excellent electrical and bending properties.

Coaxial cable

A flexible coaxial cable includes a core including at least one inner conductor and a foam polymer dielectric surrounding the inner conductor. The flexible coaxial cable also includes an electrically and mechanically continuous tubular copper sheath closely surrounding the core and adhesively bonded to the core. A protective outer jacket surrounds the tubular metallic sheath and is adhesively bonded to the tubular metallic sheath to increase the bending properties of the cable. The bond peel strength of the adhesive bond between the polymer jacket and the sheath is no more than 36 lb./in to provide a coaxial cable having excellent bending characteristics and which can be easily stripped to provide an electrical connection between the coaxial cable and other conductive elements. The present invention also includes a method of making flexible coaxial cable.

Method of making coaxial cable

A tool and associated method facilitates removal of a residue of dielectric material from the inside surface of a tubular outer conductor of coaxial cable and strips a portion of the outer plastic jacket from the outer conductor in preparation for splicing or terminating the cable. The core finish tool includes a housing having a bore therethrough and an elongate metal body positioned in the bore. The elongate metal body has a hollow and enlarged frusto-conical front portion that defines a cutting member. The front portion is divided by four longitudinal slots which define four cutting member segments and respective adjacent arcuate segments that flex radially inward as the elongate body is inserted into the outer conductor to provide an outward radial bias to the cutting member. The residue is removed from the inside surface of the outer conductor as the tool is retracted from the cable. A cutting blade carried by the housing removes the outer plastic jacket as the tool is rotated about the cable.

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Newton, NC, United States of America

Mark A Garner