The present invention relates to a guide element for electrical cores in a cable.
Document EP 2697804 B1 discloses a star-quad cable.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,483,020 A discloses a cable with cores arranged as a parallel pair (“parallel pair” cable).
The present invention is of utility for combining star-quad cables and “parallel pair” cables.
Inter alia, the present disclosure teaches:
The idea underlying the present invention is to create a guide element which guides cores of a cable such that at least two cores exchange places in the cable.
In this application, the term connector arrangement is used to mean a cable connected to a connector.
The idea underlying the present invention also consists of changing from a star-quad arrangement of the cores in a cable to an arrangement of the cores as parallel pairs. This change of arrangement is achieved by two cores of the cable exchanging places. The exchange of places is guided by the guide element.
A place of a core is understood to mean a position of the core in relation to other cores of the cable. For example, a four-core cable has four places, for example, top right, bottom right, top left, bottom left or outer right, center right, center left, outer left.
A star-quad cable, i.e. a cable with cores in a star-quad arrangement, is a symmetrical type of cable. In this type of cable, four cores are stranded together in the shape of a cross. Accordingly, in a cross-sectional view of the star-quad the four cores are arranged at the corners of a square, the cores of a pair being arranged at diagonally opposite corners. The resulting perpendicularly arranged core pairs produce a desirable high attenuation of crosstalk from one pair to the other pair. A further advantage of the star-quad stranding, in addition to the mechanical stabilization of the arrangement of the conductors relative to each other, is a higher packing density than is obtained with a paired stranding.
Wire cores in a parallel pair arrangement are not arranged diagonally in pairs, but next to each other in pairs. A pair of cores of a “parallel pair” cable is often shielded by a core-pair shield.
Advantageous embodiments and extensions are obtained from the additional dependent claims and from the description, with reference to the figures of the drawing.
It goes without saying that the aforementioned features and those yet to be explained below can be applied not only in the corresponding specified combination, but also in other combinations or in isolation without departing from the scope of the present invention.
In some embodiments, the guide element converts a star-quad arrangement of the cores/electric contacts into an arrangement of parallel pairs. This allows star-quad cables/connectors or “parallel pair” cables/connectors and “parallel pair” cables/connectors to be combined. This allows the advantages of both systems to be used and/or combined with each other.
In some embodiments, the guide tracks are formed at a first end of the guide element at the top right, bottom right, top left and bottom left. It goes without saying that the guide tracks in a crossover region of the guide element can be arranged differently in order to implement the place exchange of the cores. This arrangement is particularly compact.
In some embodiments, the guide tracks are formed in such a way that the place exchange is carried out from a right-hand core to a left-hand core and from a left-hand core to a right-hand core, or from an upper to a lower core and from a lower core to an upper core. With symmetrical guide elements, it goes without saying that the specifications left/right or upper/lower can be identical apart from a rotation.
In some embodiments, the guide element has means for compensating for a length offset. A length offset is generated due to a difference in length between a plurality of cores. Accordingly, it is possible that the length of the place-changing conductors is different from that of the rest of the cores. Accordingly, it can be provided that the guide tracks of the non-place-changing cores are artificially lengthened with respect to the guide tracks of the place-changing cores, for example, by the guide tracks of the non-place-changing cores being curved in such a way that the guide tracks are extended to the same length of a guide track of a place-changing core.
In some embodiments, the guide element has a shield element at the first end and/or at the second end. Therefore, the shielding of the cores in the region of the guide element can be improved.
In this case it is advantageous if the shield element is cross-shaped and can be arranged centrally between the cores. Thus, the mutual shielding of the cores in the region of the guide element can be improved.
In some embodiments, the guide element can be mounted in different orientations, in particular, in eight orientations. Accordingly, it can be provided that the guide tracks are designed rotationally symmetric to each other. This facilitates the assembly of the guide element, since the guide element cannot then be mounted the wrong way round. This is particularly advantageous in the case of a robot-assisted assembly.
In some embodiments, the guide element has a groove on one side face, in particular a groove on each of two opposite side faces. This creates a particularly simple and effective fixation means or locking means of the guide element.
In some embodiments, the guide element has walls, which are formed perpendicularly between the guide tracks for shielding the cores. It goes without saying that the walls in the crossover region of the place-changing cores can be interrupted. In this way, the shielding of the cores from each other in the region of the guide element can be further improved.
In some embodiments, the at least two cores, with respect to which the place exchange is obtained, are crossed over in a crossover region.
In some embodiments, the guide element has at least one, in particular two, shielded region(s) in which the cores are shielded from each other by the guide element, and in particular, if the at least two cores, with respect to which the place exchange is obtained, are not shielded from each other by the guide element in the crossover region.
Due to the shielding the electrical properties of the guide element are improved. Accordingly, a guide element with a shielded region can be used in transmission lines with higher data transfer rates.
It is a further advantage in this case if the guide element is designed such that the shielded region is designed to be as long as possible. It is thus possible to minimize a discontinuity in the impedance due to an unshielded section.
The electrical properties can be further improved by the two cores, with respect to which the place exchange is obtained, being shielded from each other in the crossover region by a separate outer conductor, in particular, by an outer conductor film. In the crossover region, shielding of the crossover region requires high constructional and production effort. However, the production of a guide element is simplified if the cores are not shielded in the crossover region. In this case, shielding of the cores can be ensured by other means, such as an outer conductor foil. It is thus possible to ensure a similar improvement of the electrical properties compared to the alternative design of a guide element with a shielded crossover region.
In accordance with a preferred extension of the invention, the guide tracks run in such a way that no place exchange of two cores is obtained at the first end of the guide element relative to the second end, wherein the guide tracks are shaped in such a way that the two cores, with respect to which no place exchange is obtained, are shielded over an entire length of the guide element.
It is thus possible to provide a shielding of the non-place-changing cores without great constructional effort or production effort.
Where practical, the above embodiments and extensions can be combined with each other in any way desired. Further potential embodiments, extensions and implementations of the invention also comprise combinations of features of the invention either described previously or in the following in relation to the exemplary embodiments, which are not explicitly mentioned. In particular, the person skilled in the art will also be able to add individual aspects as improvements or additions to each basic form of the present invention.
The present invention will now be described in more detail with the aid of the exemplary embodiments given in the schematic Figures of the drawings. Shown are:
The enclosed figures of the drawing are intended to convey a deeper understanding of the embodiments of the invention. They illustrate embodiments and are used in connection with the description to provide an explanation of principles and concepts of the invention. Other embodiments and many of the advantages cited are obtained by reference to the drawings. The elements of the drawings are not necessarily shown true to scale.
In the figures of the drawing, identical, functionally equivalent and identically acting elements, features and components are each labelled with the same reference numeral, unless stated otherwise.
In the following the figures are described coherently and collectively.
As shown in
As shown in
The guide element 10 has a shield element 20A at the first end 14 and a shield element 20B at the second end 16. The shield elements 20A, 20B are designed as a star-shaped extension and shield the cores 12.1, 12.2, 12.3, 12.4 from each other in the region of the first end 14 or the second end 16. As a result of the star-shaped extension, an optimized transition from the cable arrangement into the guide element is ensured. This controls the mechanical trajectory of the cores and ensures a shielding in the transition region. The guide element also ensures an impedance control and shielding in the region of the guide element.
Specifically, as shown in
As shown in
Although the present invention has been fully described above on the basis of preferred exemplary embodiments, it is in fact not limited thereto, but can be modified in a wide variety of ways.
The guide element 10 has two grooves 22 on opposite sides. The grooves are used for fixing the guide element in a connector arrangement. For example, it can be provided that an insulating part engages in the grooves.
The guide element 10 is located in an area of the cable 100 with the cladding removed. It is evident that the cores 102.1 and 102.2 cross over in the guide element 10. Accordingly, at the connector-side end of the guide element 10 the cores 102.1 and 102.3 or 102.2 and 102.4 each form pairs, whose counterparts are diagonally opposite each other. The connector-side region of the cable 100 with respect to the guide element 10 or the connector 200 forms the section 106 of the connector arrangement.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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18183364 | Jul 2018 | EP | regional |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/EP2019/063161 | 5/22/2019 | WO |
Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
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WO2020/011436 | 1/16/2020 | WO | A |
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Number | Date | Country | |
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