Data cable and motor vehicle with the data cable

Abstract

A novel data cable achieves good transmission quality in automotive Internet applications. The data cable has a transmission core with only a single stranded conductor pair or four conductors stranded together to form a quad. The transmission core is surrounded by a jacket having a high air content. The jacket may be a foamed sheath, or alternatively at least one spacer element that defines an annular sheath space with air gaps around the transmission core.

Claims

1. A data cable, comprising: a transmission core having a single stranded conductor pair or four conductors that are stranded to form quad stranding, each conductor having a line and a conductor insulation sheathing said line; a jacket with a high proportion of air surrounding said transmission core, said jacket being selectively formed by a foamed sheath or at least one spacer element which defines an annular sheath space with free air spaces around said transmission core; an intermediate sheath disposed between said transmission core and said jacket with a high proportion of air; said jacket being a foamed outer sheath and said jacket being insulated from said intermediate sheath; and said jacket and said intermediate sheath being composed of mutually different materials that are not connected to one another or are connected to one another only to a small extent, and/or having a separating agent introduced between said jacket and said intermediate sheath.

2. The data cable according to claim 1, which comprises a plug fitted to an end of the data cable, wherein the jacket is removed in front of said plug and only said intermediate sheath projects into said plug.

3. The data cable according to claim 1, wherein said jacket is a foamed jacket with a closed skin layer at least on an outer side thereof.

4. The data cable according to claim 1, wherein said jacket with the high proportion of air is applied around said transmission core.

5. The data cable according to claim 4, wherein said jacket forms an outer sheath.

6. The data cable according to claim 1, wherein said at least one spacer element is a hose-shaped element surrounding said transmission core.

7. A data cable, comprising: a transmission core having a single stranded conductor pair or four conductors that are stranded to form quad stranding, each conductor having a line and a conductor insulation sheathing said line; a jacket with a high proportion of air surrounding said transmission core, said jacket being selectively formed by a foamed sheath or at least one spacer element which defines an annular sheath space with free air spaces around said transmission core, wherein said spacer element is a spunbonded fabric which surrounds said transmission core.

8. The data cable according to claim 1, wherein a ratio between a dielectric value of said conductor insulation and said jacket lies in a range from 1.4 to 1.8.

9. The data cable according to claim 4, wherein said conductor insulation has a dielectric value in a range from 2.0 to 2.6, and said jacket has a dielectric value in a range from 1.4 to 1.7.

10. The data cable according to claim 1, wherein said jacket has a wall thickness in a range from 0.25 mm to 2.2 mm.

11. The data cable according to claim 1, wherein said jacket has a degree of foaming in a range from 25% to 80%.

12. A data cable, comprising: a transmission core having a single stranded conductor pair or four conductors that are stranded to form quad stranding, each conductor having a line and a conductor insulation sheathing said line; a jacket with a high proportion of air surrounding said transmission core, said jacket being selectively formed by a foamed sheath or at least one spacer element which defines an annular sheath space with free air spaces around said transmission core, wherein said jacket is composed of an HF-compatible, nonpolar material.

13. The data cable according to claim 12, wherein said foamed sheath has a density in a range from 0.3 to 0.75 g/cm.sup.3 for relatively lightweight materials, or a density in a range from 0.65 to 1.8 g/cm.sup.3 for relatively heavy materials.

14. The data cable according to claim 1, wherein said jacket sheath is composed of a plurality of zones of differently foamed plastics, the zones including inner zones formed with a relatively higher degree of foaming and outer zones formed with a relatively lesser degree of foaming.

15. The data cable according to claim 1, wherein said at least one spacer element is formed as: a hose arranged directly around said transmission core; or at least one plastic strand which is wound around said transmission core; or a spacer element that is integrally molded onto a sheath in the radial direction.

16. The data cable according to claim 15, wherein said hose is a screen, a mesh or a spunbonded fabric formed directly around said transmission core; or said at least one plastic strand is wound around said transmission core with an opposite lay to a stranding direction of said transmission core.

17. The data cable according to claim 15, wherein said spacer formed as a hose element has a small extent of coverage in a region of less than 75%.

18. The data cable according to claim 15, wherein a lay length of said transmission core and a lay length of said wound plastic strand have a ratio of a prime number with respect to one another.

19. The data cable according to claim 15, wherein no more than eight spacer elements are integrally molded onto said sheath.

20. The data cable according to claim 15, wherein said at least one spacer element is extruded onto said transmission core.

21. The data cable according to claim 1, wherein said jacket comprises a hollow hose in which said transmission core is guided in corrugations or in a zigzag shape, with said transmission core bearing against said hollow hose at a deformation thereof.

22. A motor vehicle, comprising a data cable according to claim 1.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

(1) FIG. 1 is a cross-section taken through a data cable according to a first basic variant with a foamed outer sheath;

(2) FIG. 2 shows a side view of the data cable illustrated in FIG. 1 with fitted-on plug indicated;

(3) FIG. 3A shows a cross-sectional illustration of a data cable according to a second basic variant, in which a spunbonded fabric, as a jacket with a high proportion of air, directly surrounds a transmission core and at the same time defines the outer sheath;

(4) FIG. 3B shows a side view of the data cable according to FIG. 3A;

(5) FIG. 4A shows a further embodiment variant of the second basic variant with a jacket which is foamed directly around the transmission core and has an additional outer sheath;

(6) FIG. 4B shows a further embodiment variant in which a plastic strand which is wound with an opposite lay is arranged between the trans-mission core and the outer sheath in order to form the jacket with a high proportion of air; and

(7) FIG. 4C shows a cross-sectional illustration through a further variant in which radially inwardly directed spacers, which center the transmission core, are integrally molded onto the outer sheath.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(8) Referring now to the figures of the drawing in detail, all the data cables 2 which are described below are cables preferably for symmetrical signal transmission in which the signal is transmitted over one line of a line pair, and an inverted signal is transmitted over the other line of a line pair. The data cable 2 is preferably a non-screened data cable 2, that is to say, it does not have any screening. It has a comparatively simple structure. The data cable 2 in the exemplary embodiments has only a single conductor pair as a transmission core 4. The conductor pair is composed here of two conductors 6 which are each formed by a line 8 and a conductor insulation 10 which surrounds it concentrically. The two conductors 6 are stranded to one another, that is to say twisted together, with a lay length.

(9) The conductor insulation 10 is preferably composed of polypropylene, and the line 8 is, in particular, a stranded conductor. The individual wires of the stranded conductor are embodied, in particular, as copper wires and are preferably tin-plated.

(10) As an alternative, the transmission core 4 can be formed by a quad stranded assembly, in particular a so-called star quad, in which two conductors 6 which are located diagonally opposite one another define the conductor pair for the symmetrical data transmission. The four conductors 6 are stranded to one another. The conductors 6 bear with their conductor insulations 10 directly against one another. A filler strand can be arranged in the center in order to ensure the high level of symmetry which is desired for an interference-free signal transmission.

(11) Overall, a high degree of symmetry with such a non-screened data cable 2 is sought and realized, in order to ensure an interference-free signal transmission.

(12) In the first basic variant illustrated in FIG. 1, the transmission core 4 is first surrounded directly by an intermediate sheath 12 which is in turn surrounded by a foamed outer sheath 14. The data cable 2 preferably does not have further layers. The intermediate sheath 12 is preferably a solid intermediate sheath 12. Alternatively, it can also be a foamed intermediate sheath 12. Both the intermediate sheath 12 and the outer sheath 14 are preferably applied by way of an extrusion process.

(13) The intermediate sheath is composed, for example, of TPE S (thermoplastic elastomer, styrenic block copolymers). In the exemplary embodiment, the foamed outer sheath 14 is composed of polypropylene.

(14) Owing to the foamed embodiment, the outer sheath 14 forms a jacket with a high proportion of air. The degree of foaming is here, in particular, at least approximately 50%.

(15) The outer sheath 14 has a wall thickness w1 which is in the range from 0.2 to 0.8 mm and is preferably in the region of 0.5 mm. The intermediate sheath 12 has an average wall thickness w2 which is in the range from 0.3 to 1 mm and is in particular approximately 0.5 mm. It is preferably somewhat larger than the wall thickness w1 of the outer sheath 14. The average wall thickness w2 is understood here to be the difference between the radii of the transmission core 4 and the outer radius of the intermediate sheath 12, as is apparent from FIG. 1. In view of the desired high degree of symmetry, the intermediate sheath 12 surrounds the transmission core 4 strictly concentrically. In this context, during the extrusion process sheath material of the intermediate sheath 12 also penetrates the interstices between the two conductors 6. The outer sheath 14 is also arranged strictly concentrically.

(16) The entire data cable 2 has an outer diameter d1 which is defined by the outer diameter of the outer sheath 14. Furthermore, the intermediate sheath 12 has a diameter d2, and the transmission core has a diameter d3. The latter is usually in the range between 1.5 and 2.2 mm and is in particular approximately 1.8 mm. The diameter d2 of the intermediate sheath 12 is in the range from 2.8 to 3.4 mm and is preferably approximately 3 mm. The total outer diameter d1 is approximately 0.8 to 2 mm and in particular approximately 1 mm above that, with the result that overall there is a total outer diameter d1 of approximately 3.6 to 5.5 mm and preferably of approximately 4 mm.

(17) It is henceforth of particular significance that the diameter d2 of the intermediate sheath corresponds to a standard outer diameter such as is necessary for standard plugs in such Ethernet lines which are used in the field of automobiles.

(18) When a plug 16 such as is indicated in a highly simplified form, for example, in FIG. 2 is assembled, firstly only the outer sheath 14 is removed in the end region over, for example, several centimeters and the data cable 2 is only introduced with the intermediate sheath 12 into the plug 16. For the necessary assembly, the outer sheath 14 is preferably easily separable from the intermediate sheath 12 here. This is achieved, for example, by means of different materials for these two sheaths 12, 14 and/or by providing a separating layer between these two sheaths 12, 14.

(19) The data cable 2 which is described in FIGS. 1 and 2 provides overall the particular advantage that as a result of the arrangement of the outer sheath 14 with the high proportion of air and the specific dimensioning of the intermediate sheath 12 to the standard measure of 3 mm a data cable 12 which is improved with respect to the signal transmission quality is made available and at the same time it is possible to have recourse to standard assembly elements such as the plug 16. In particular an input of energy of an interfering source coming from the outside is at least reduced by the outer sheath 14 and the resulting increased dimensioning and surface of the data cable 2. At the same time, the amount of material required and the additional weight is kept as low as possible by virtue of the foamed outer sheath 14. The sensitivity with respect to the so-called alien-next is therefore reduced.

(20) The embodiment variants which are illustrated in the further figures represent different embodiment variants of a second basic variant in which the jacket with the high proportion of air is arranged directly around the transmission core 4.

(21) In the exemplary embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 3A and 3B, this jacket forms at the same time an outer sheath 18. The entire data cable 2 is therefore formed merely by the transmission core 4 and the outer sheath 18 thereof. FIG. 3A also illustrates a four-conductor, starquad cable. It should be understood that the embodiment of FIG. 3A may also contain two conductors; at the same time, the embodiment of FIG. 1 may be a starquad cable.

(22) The outer sheath 18 is, in particular, a hose-shaped element in the form of a spunbonded fabric 20 which is extruded onto the transmission core 4. This outer sheath 18 is therefore characterized by individual strands which cross one another and which are therefore embodied, for example, in the form of a grid and enclose free air spaces 22 between them. In this context, a solid or else a foamed HF-compatible plastic is used as the material for the spunbonded fabric 20. Such extruded spunbonded fabrics are known as packing materials. They are produced by two perforated disks which rotate in opposite directions in an extruder. In order to form the structure, in particular two so-called D braiding elements running in opposite directions are bonded to one another at the intersection points.

(23) The conductors 6 of the transmission core 4 are basically suitable to be used even without a solid outer sheath. This is exploited by the exemplary embodiment in FIGS. 3A and 3B, since additional protection via a solid outer sheath is not absolutely necessary. At the same time, an improved data transmission owing to relatively low signal attenuation is achieved by virtue of the outer sheath 18 which is embodied as a jacket with a high proportion of air.

(24) The dimensions of the data cable 2 are in turn comparable with those according to FIG. 1. The trans-mission core 4 is here embodied in an identical way and the outer sheath 18 has here a diameter d2 which corresponds to the diameter d2 of the intermediate sheath 12 in the embodiment variant of FIG. 1. The outer sheath 18 according to FIG. 3A therefore has a diameter d2 of approximately 3 mm, with the result that the data cable 2 is suitable for standard plugs 16.

(25) The spunbonded fabric 20 forms in total a spacer element. This spunbonded fabric 20 therefore forms a spacer with respect to, for example, adjacent data cables 2 or else ground potentials (vehicle bodywork) and other components. As a result of the embodiment of the outer sheath 18 as a spunbonded fabric, material and weight are saved compared to solid outer sheaths.

(26) In the further exemplary embodiment according to FIGS. 4A, 4B and 4C, the jacket with a high proportion of air is also additionally surrounded by an, in particular, solid outer sheath 24.

(27) In the embodiment variant according to FIG. 4A, a foamed intermediate sheath 26 is concentrically applied to the transmission core 4 here before the latter is surrounded by a preferably solid outer sheath 24.

(28) In FIG. 4B, in order to form the jacket with the high proportion of air a plastic strand 28 is applied which is arranged in a helical shape around the transmission core 4 and therefore keeps the outer sheath 24 at a distance from the transmission core 4. The intermediate space between the transmission core 4 and the outer sheath 24 is formed by the free air space 22. As a result of the application of the plastic strand 28 with the opposite lay to the stranding direction of the conductors 6, the plastic strand 28 is reliably prevented from sagging in an interstice between the conductors 6. As a result, the desired high degree of symmetry is ensured. Subsequently, the outer sheath 24 is connected as a prefabricated hose onto this transmission core 4 which is provided with the plastic strand 28. Overall, this embodiment variant permits a very small usage of material with at the same time a high proportion of air in the jacket.

(29) As an alternative to the embodiment of the plastic strand 28 as a spacer element, in a way which is not illustrated in more detail here a hose-like element, similar for example to the spunbonded fabric 20, is applied around the transmission core 4. This can be the spunbonded fabric 20 shown in FIG. 3B or else a mesh or some other hose-like structure with free air spaces 22. In particular, a so-called C screen as a mesh composed of plastic threads is applied. The outer sheath 24 is also preferably applied in a hose extrusion or semi-hose extrusion here.

(30) FIG. 4C shows an embodiment variant in which individual spacer elements 30 are integrally molded onto the outer sheath 24 so that they extend radially inward. The spacer elements 30 taper here in the direction of the transmission core 4, with the result that they have a preferably rounded tip, with the result that they make contact with the conductors 6 as far as possible only in a punctiform fashion. In order to form the spacer elements 30, corresponding protrusions are formed in an extrusion mouthpiece which is used for the extrusion of the outer sheath 24. These protrusions remain at the identical point during the manufacturing process. At the same time, owing to the stranding the conductor pair rotates, and the rotation of the conductor pair therefore guides said conductor pair precisely in the center of the outer sheath 24. The conductor pair therefore cannot slip into the gaps in the outer sheath 24.

(31) In order to achieve the highest possible proportion of air, only a small number of spacer elements 30, in particular at maximum eight and preferably only four spacer elements 30, are expediently used here. In view of the desired high degree of symmetry, an even number is used here. In terms of manufacturing equipment, this embodiment can be fabricated on conventional extruders, and is defined by a high degree of mechanical stability and good processability, since no additional working steps are necessary for the assembly of a plug 16. The diameter of the outer sheath 24 preferably corresponds here in turn to the standard diameter of approximately 3 mm.

(32) Finally, in an alternative embodiment variant, which is not specifically illustrated in more detail, the outer sheath can be embodied as a hollow hose into which the stranded conductor pair is laid in a corrugated shape or zigzag shape. As a result, the transmission core 4 bears against the outer sheath only at the apex points of the recurring deformation.

(33) In the embodiment variants described here, an HF-compatible material is selected for the respective jacket. In the embodiment variants with the formed sheath, gas or air is introduced as virtual occlusions through either chemical or physical foaming processes. In particular, in the embodiment variant in FIG. 1, the foamed outer sheath 14 has at least also a thin skin layer to counteract mechanical stresses. This thin skin layer is sealed. In order to manufacture the foamed sheath, an extrusion line with the possibility of physical foaming or a sheath material which is provided with a blowing agent is used for the extrusion.

(34) The data cable 2 which is described here is used, for example with further cables or lines in a common cable harness, in a motor vehicle as part of the on-board power system.

(35) The following is a summary list of reference numerals and the corresponding structure used in the above description of the invention: 2 Data cable 4 Transmission core 6 Conductors 8 Line 10 Conductor insulation 12 Intermediate sheath 14 Outer sheath 16 Plug 18 Outer sheath 20 Spunbonded fabric 22 Free air space 24 Outer sheath 26 Foamed intermediate sheath 28 Plastic strand 30 Spacer element d1 Outer diameter d2 Diameter w1 Wall thickness w2 Wall thickness