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US-20260126605-A1 - CABLE TAPES AND SPLICES FOR CABLE TAPES

US20260126605A1US 20260126605 A1US20260126605 A1US 20260126605A1US-20260126605-A1

Abstract

Splices for cable tapes are provided herein. Cable tapes, such as water blocking tapes, that include such splices are also provided. The splices and tapes may be incorporated into a tape or cable wrapping for various conductors, including power, telecom, and fiber optic cables. A splice for use with a cable tape comprises a layer of nonwoven fibers. The fibers form a discontinuous adhesive web having a thickness of about 0.15 mm to about 1.0 mm. The discontinuous web structure of the splice is configured to prevent formation of a film in the cable tape. The splice forms a thermal bond with multiple sections of the cable tape while substantially maintaining the thickness of the tape. The splice preferably has a cross web flexibility similar to the cable tape at the elevated temperatures experienced during extrusion, particularly when the tape is applied longitudinally inside a co-extruded tube over the fiber bundle.

Inventors

  • Simon Terry

Assignees

  • NEENAH, INC.

Dates

Publication Date
20260507
Application Date
20251104

Claims (20)

  1. 1 . A splice for use with a cable tape, the splice comprising: a layer of nonwoven fibers; and wherein the fibers form a discontinuous adhesive web having a thickness of about 0.15 mm to about 1.0 mm.
  2. 2 . The splice of claim 1 , wherein the thickness is about 0.30 mm to about 0.40 mm.
  3. 3 . The splice of claim 1 , wherein the adhesive web has an area density of about 20 g/m 2 to about 40 g/m 2 .
  4. 4 . The splice of claim 1 , wherein the adhesive web has an apparent density of about 0.01 g/ml to about 1.0 g/ml.
  5. 5 . The splice of claim 1 , wherein the splice has a cross-direction stiffness of about 0.01 mN/cm to about 60 mN/cm.
  6. 6 . The splice of claim 1 , wherein the fibers comprise a material having a melting temperature at or above 150 degrees Celsius.
  7. 7 . The splice of claim 1 , wherein the layer is configured for thermal bonding to a first surface of the tape.
  8. 8 . The splice of claim 7 , wherein the layer is configured for thermal bonding to a second surface of the tape opposite the first surface.
  9. 9 . The splice of claim 1 , wherein the cable tape comprises a water blocking tape.
  10. 10 . The splice of claim 1 , wherein the cable tape is applied along a longitudinal axis of a cable.
  11. 11 . A water blocking tape comprising: first and second polymers layers; a water swellable layer positioned between the first and second polymer layers; and a splice in contact with at least one of the polymer layers, the splice comprising a discontinuous adhesive web of nonwoven fibers.
  12. 12 . The water blocking tape of claim 11 , wherein the splice is thermally bonded to at least one of the polymer layers.
  13. 13 . The water blocking tape of claim 11 , wherein the first and second polymer layers and the water swellable layer comprise first and second sections that overlap with each other and the splice.
  14. 14 . The water blocking tape of claim 11 , wherein the splice and the first and second sections form three layers that are thermally bonded to each other.
  15. 15 . The water blocking tape of claim 11 , wherein the adhesive web has a thickness of about 0.15 mm to about 1.0 mm.
  16. 16 . The tape of claim 11 , wherein the adhesive web has an area density of about 20 g/m 2 to about 40 g/m 2 .
  17. 17 . The tape of claim 11 , wherein the adhesive web has an apparent density of about 0.01 g/ml to about 1.0 g/ml.
  18. 18 . The tape of claim 11 , wherein the splice has a cross-direction stiffness of about 0.01 mN/cm to about 60 mN/cm.
  19. 19 . The tape of claim 11 , wherein the nonwoven fibers comprise a material having a melting temperature at or above 150 degrees Celsius.
  20. 20 . The tape of claim 11 , wherein the fibers are selected from the group consisting of polyamides, polyesters, co-polyesters, polyethylenes or combinations thereof.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Serial No. 63/717,382, filed November 7, 2024, the complete disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference for all purposes. BACKGROUND Water swellable, or water blocking, tapes are designed to protect power, telecom, and fiber optic cables from the damaging and corrosive effects of water penetration and migration. When water enters into a cable protected by a water swellable tape, the super-absorbent component within the tape rapidly absorbs the water and quickly swells to block any further ingress. This minimizes and localizes any cable damage due to water and to aid in repair. In the field of fiber optic cables, a class of cables exist referred to as ribbon cables. These cables require a water blocking tape as a cushion layer and centering layer. The tape is applied longitudinally inside a co-extruded tube over the fiber bundle. The tape must have properties that cushion the fiber from pressure points and must also act as a water blocking element in the event the cable is damaged in service. To make a long enough length of tape, a spooled format is used with splices in the tape. These splices must withstand the temperature and tensile stress of the extrusion process without impacting the extruded tube. The splices must also maintain the parent tape thickness. These splices typically comprise temperature resistant films that are sealed to the gaps along the tape. Recent developments in fiber optic cable design have resulted in the use of thinner and softer tube materials. It would therefore be desirable to provide improved tape splices that are optimized for use with these new materials. SUMMARY The following presents a simplified summary of the claimed subject matter in order to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the claimed subject matter. This summary is not an extensive overview of the claimed subject matter. It is intended to neither identify key or critical elements of the claimed subject matter nor delineate the scope of the claimed subject matter. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts of the claimed subject matter in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later. Splices for cable tapes are provided herein. Cable tapes, such as water blocking tapes, that include such splices are also provided. The splices and tapes may be incorporated into a tape or cable wrapping for various conductors, including power, telecom, and fiber optic cables. In one aspect, a splice for use with a cable tape comprises a layer of nonwoven fibers. The fibers form a discontinuous adhesive web having a thickness of about 0.15 mm to about 1.0 mm. The discontinuous web structure of the splice is configured to prevent formation of a film in the tape. The splice preferably has a cross web flexibility similar to the cable tape at the elevated temperatures experienced during extrusion, particularly when the tape is applied longitudinally inside a co-extruded tube over the fiber bundle. In embodiments, the splice has a thickness of about 0.30 mm to about 0.40 mm, or about 0.35 mm. The thickness is measured according to ISO 9073-2. The splice may have an area density (i.e., mass per unit area in the width and length of the material) of about 20 g/m2 to about 40 g/m2, or about 25 g/m2 to about 35 g/m2, or about 30 g/m2. The splice may have an apparent density (i.e., mass per unit volume) of about 0.01 g/ml to about 1.0 g/ml, or about 0.03 g/ml to about 0.5 g/ml, or about 0.05 g/ml to about 0.2 g/ml or about 0.08 g/ml to about 0.15 g/ml or about 0.1 g/ml (measured according to ISO 9073-2). In embodiments, the fibers in the adhesive web comprise a material having a melting temperature at or above the temperature the tape is exposed to during the extrusion process. This temperature may vary depending on the application. In an exemplary embodiment, the material has a melting temperature of least about 100°C, or at least about 150°C, or at least about 200°C. In embodiments, the fibers comprise polyamides, polyesters, co-polyesters, polyethylenes or combinations thereof. In one exemplary embodiment, the fibers comprise polyamide. In embodiments, the fibers have a maximum dimension, e.g., diameter, of about 0.01 mm to about 0.010 mm, or about 0.02 mm to about 0.06 mm, or about 0.06 mm. The fibers contemplated may have any suitable shape in cross-section. The fibers may be monocomponent or multicomponent fibers. The fibers may be continuous or stable fibers. the fibers may include additives such as other polymers, nucleating agents, plasticizer, slip additives, elastomeric polymers and the like. In embodiments, the discontinuous adhesive web is configured to thermally bond to the cable tape without flowing and turning into a film. The splice may have a cross-direction stiffness of less about 60 mN/cm, or less than about 50 mN/cm, or less than about 40 mN/cm or abo