Telephone cable with improved crosstalk properties

Claim 2

A cable comprising: a. a cable core having first and second groups of insulated electrical conductors; b. a metal foil shield covered on both surfaces with a plastic, said metal foil shield peripherally surrounding said first group of electrical conductors but not said second group of electrical conductors; c. a plastic tape peripherally surrounding said second group of electrical conductors, but not said first group of electrical conductors, and d. a plastic sheath circumferentially surrounding said first and second groups of electrical conductors.

Claim 3

The cable defined in claim 1, wherein the plastic covering both surfaces of said metal foil shield also covers the longitudinally extending edges of said metal foil shield.

Claim 4

A cable as defined in claim 1, wherein a further shield is made of metal and circumferentially surrounds said metal foil shield and said plastic tape.

Claim 5

A cable as defined in claim 1, wherein that space not otherwise occupied by insulated electrical conductors inside of said metal foil shield is filled essentially with polyethylene grease-like material, having an average molecular weight below about 10,000 and a density at 25* C. of about 0.85 grams per milliliter.

Claim 6

A cable as defined in claim 1, wherein that space circumferentially surrounded by said plastic tape and not otherwise occupied by said second group of insulated electrical conductors is essentially filled by a polyethylene grease-like material, having a molecular weight below about 10,000 and a density of 25* C. of about 0.85 grams per milliliter.

Claim 7

A cable as defined in claim 1, wherein an additional plastic tape circumferentially surrounds both said first and second groups of insulated electrical conductors.

Claim 8

A cable as defined in claim 6 wherein a further grease-like is made of metal and circumferentially surrounds said additional plastic tape. grease-like

Claim 9

A cable as defined in claim 6, wherein a polyethylene greaselike material essentially fills that space circumferentially surrounded by said additional plastic tape and not otherwise occupied and circumferentially surrounded by said metal foil shield and the first mentioned one of said plastic tapes, said polyethylene greaselike material having a molecular weight bElow about 10,000 and a density at 25* C. of about 0.85 grams per milliliter.

Claim 10

A cable as defined in claim 6, wherein that space circumferentially surrounded by said additional plastic tape and not otherwise occupied by said first shield, the first-mentioned one of said plastic tapes, and said first and second groups of electrical conductors is essentially filled by a polyethylene grease-like material, having a molecular weight below about 10, 000 and a density at 25* C. of about 0.85 grams per milliliter.

Claim 11

A cable comprising: a. a core made up of a plurality of insulated electrical conductors; b. a shield circumscribing said core, said shield being made of a metal foil that is coated on both sides by plastic; c. a second plurality of insulated electrical conductors defining an annular core distributed around the outermost surface of said shield; d. an integral plastic tube peripherally surrounding the composite of said first and second plurality of electrical conductors and said shield, and e. a plastic tape circumferentially surrounding said second plurality of electrical conductors.

Claim 12

A cable comprising: a. a core made up of a plurality of insulated electrical conductors; b. a shield circumscribing said core, said shield being made of a metal foil that is coated on both sides by plastic; c. a second plurality of insulated electrical conductors defining an annular core distributed around the outermost surface of said shield; d. an integral plastic tube peripherally surrounding the composite of said first and second plurality of electrical conductors and said shield, and e. a plastic tape circumferentially surrounding said second plurality of electrical conductors.

Claim 13

A cable comprising a tubular covering being formed with an inner peripheral surface that delimits a core-receiving cavity, a tubular metallic shield forming a part of said covering, a core made up of a plurality of electrically insulated conductors received in said core-receiving cavity and nested within said tubular metallic shield, and integral metallic crosstalk shield disposed within said core-receiving cavity and extending longitudinally in said core, said crosstalk shield extending between circumferentially spaced-apart regions located on said inner peripheral surface of said tubular covering to separate said conductors into a plurality of longitudinally extending groups, each group being delimited by said crosstalk shield and a portion of said inner peripheral surface, the transverse cross section of said crosstalk shield having first and second terminal portions and an intermediate portion extending between and integrally joined to said terminal portions, said first and second terminal portions circumferentially extending around portions of the outer periphery of said core and having respective spaced-apart free ends that lie on opposite sides of that plane in which said intermediate portion lies, and said terminal portions being in close proximity with said inner peripheral surface and said metallic tubular shield.

Claim 14

A cable comprising a tubular covering being formed with an inner peripheral surface that delimits a core-receiving cavity, a tubular metallic shield forming a part of said covering, a core made up of a plurality of electrically insulated conductors received in said core-receiving cavity and nested within said tubular metallic shield, and integral metallic crosstalk shield disposed within said core-receiving cavity and extending longitudinally in said core, said crosstalk shield extending between circumferentially spaced-apart regions located on said inner peripheral surface of said tubular covering to separate said conductors into a plurality of longitudinally extending groups, each group being delimited by said crosstalk shield and a portion of said inner peripheral surface, the transverse cross section of said crosstalk shield having first and second terminal portions and an intermediate portion extending between and integrally joined to said terminal portions, said first and second terminal portions circumferentially extending around portions of the outer periphery of said core and having respective spaced-apart free ends that lie on opposite sides of that plane in which said intermediate portion lies, and said terminal portions being in close proximity with said inner peripheral surface and said metallic tubular shield.

Claim 15

The cable defined in claim 11 wherein said terminal portions seat against said inner peripheral surfaces.

Claim 16

The cable defined in claim 11 wherein said crosstalk shield has a serpentine-shaped configuration in transverse cross section.

Claim 17

The cable defined in claim 11 wherein said crosstalk shield has an S-shaped configuration in transverse cross section.

Claim 18

The cable defined in claim 11 wherein said crosstalk shield is made of metal foil.

Claim 19

The cable defined in claim 11 wherein said crosstalk shield is a metal foil coated only on one side with a plastic.

Claim 20

The cable defined in claim 11 wherein said crosstalk shield is made of metal foil, and wherein both sides and the longitudinal edges of said crosstalk shield are completely covered with a plastic.

Claim 21

The cable defined in claim 11 wherein said crosstalk shield is the only crosstalk barrier between said groups, and wherein crosstalk shield is formed in transverse cross section only with said first and second terminal portions and said intermediate portion.

Claim 22

The cable defined in claim 11 wherein said crosstalk shield is made of non-magnetic electrically conductive material.

Claim 23

The cable defined in claim 19 wherein said crosstalk shield is made of metal foil.

Claim 24

The cable defined in claim 19 wherein said metal foil is coated on at least one side with plastic.

Claim 25

The cable defined in claim 19 wherein said metal foil is coated on both sides with a plastic.

Claim 26

The cable defiNed in claim 11 wherein the space in said cavity, not otherwise occupied by said conductors and said crosstalk shield, is essentially filled with a greaselike material.

Claim 27

The cable defined in claim 23 wherein said crosstalk shield is made of metal foil.

Claim 28

The cable defined in claim 11 wherein the space in said cavity, not otherwise occupied by said conductors and said crosstalk shield, is essentially filled with a polyethylene greaselike material having an average molecular weight below about 10,000 and a density at 25* C. of about 0.8 grams per milliliter.

Claim 29

The cable defined in claim 11 wherein the width of said crosstalk shield is less than the outer peripheral circumference of said core.

Claim 30

The cable defined in claim 26 wherein the space in said cavity, not otherwise occupied by said conductors and said crosstalk shield, is filled with a greaselike material.

Claim 31

The cable defined in claim 26 wherein said crosstalk shield has an S-shaped configuration in transverse cross section.

Claim 32

The cable defined in claim 26 wherein said tubular covering further includes a plastic tape nested inside of said tubular shield and defining said inner peripheral surface.

Claim 33

The cable defined in claim 29 wherein said terminal portions are spaced from said tubular shield only by said plastic tape.

Claim 34

The cable defined in claim 30 wherein said terminal portions seat against said inner peripheral surface.

Claim 35

The cable defined in claim 29 wherein said crosstalk shield is made of metal foil.

Claim 36

The cable defined in claim 32 wherein said foil is non-magnetic.

Claim 37

The cable defined in claim 33 wherein said foil is covered on at least one side with a plastic.

Claim 38

The cable defined in claim 33 wherein said foil is covered on both sides with a plastic.

Claim 39

The cable defined in claim 29 wherein said tubular covering further includes a tubular plastic sheath, said tubular shield being nested within said tubular plastic sheath.

Claim 40

A cable comprising: a. a cable core having first and second groups of insulated electrical conductors; b. a metal foil shield peripherally surrounding said first group of electrical conductors but not said second group of electrical conductors; c. a plastic tape peripherally surrounding said second group of electrical conductors, but not said first group of electrical conductors, and d. a plastic sheath circumferentially surrounding said first and second groups of electrical conductors.

Claim 41

A cable comprising: a. a cable core having first and second groups of insulated electrical conductors; b. a metal foil shield peripherally surrounding said first group of electrical conductors but not said second group of electrical conductors; c. a plastic tape peripherally surrounding said second group of electrical conductors, but not said first group of electrical conductors, and d. a plastic sheath circumferentially surrounding said first and second groups of electrical conductors.