Cable Hoist Bracket for Fiber Optic Termination
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for installing fiber optic cabling in existing structures are cumbersome and costly, often requiring access to air ducts, furnace ducts, and plumbing, making it difficult to efficiently lift cables to elevated positions outside building walls.
Innovation Solution
A cable hoist system that includes a hoist device mounted on a structure's knee wall, using a pulling tape or rope with a knot to lift and terminate fiber optic cables, featuring a locking mechanism and various dead-end devices such as helically wound wire, spring loop wedge cap, and tapered wedge cap to facilitate easy installation and removal of the cable.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If conventional methods are used to install fiber optic cabling in existing structures, then access to air ducts, furnace ducts, and plumbing is required, but this makes installation cumbersome and costly
Solution Approach 1:
The installation system is divided into separate components: a hoist device mounted on the structure, a pulling tape for lifting, and a dead-end device for cable termination. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently and simplifies the overall installation process by eliminating the need to access internal ducts and plumbing.
Solution Approach 2:
The hoist device acts as an intermediary mechanism mounted on the exterior of the structure, enabling cable installation without requiring access to the interior ducts and plumbing. The pulling tape serves as an intermediary tool to transfer the cable from ground level to the elevated mounting location.
2Productivity
If cables are lifted to elevated positions outside building walls, then installation becomes more efficient, but specialized hoisting equipment is needed
Solution Approach 1:
The hoist device is designed with universal mounting capabilities that can accommodate various surface types (wood, concrete, brick, stone) through different bracket assemblies. The same basic hoist mechanism can be installed on different structures and surfaces, reducing the need for specialized equipment for each installation scenario.
Solution Approach 2:
The bracket assemblies incorporate adjustable and variable features that allow the hoist device to adapt to different mounting surfaces and angles. This dynamic adaptability enables efficient cable lifting to elevated positions without requiring multiple specialized equipment variants.
3Ease of operation
If a locking mechanism is used to secure the dead-end device, then cable termination is facilitated, but the mechanism adds complexity to the hoist device
Solution Approach 1:
The locking mechanism is designed to be self-actuating through a spring-loaded pin that automatically engages with the dead-end device when the cable is pulled through. This self-service feature facilitates easy cable termination without requiring complex manual locking operations or additional control mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking mechanism replaces complex mechanical fastening systems with a simple spring-loaded pin design. This substitution maintains ease of cable termination while minimizing the complexity of the hoist device by using elastic potential energy storage rather than multi-component mechanical systems.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods that enable a cable to be easily terminated at an elevated level are provided. The cable can be a strength member having a number of fiber optic storage loops disposed about its length. These loops can be strategically positioned upon a sidewall of a multi-dwelling building such that fiber optic service can be efficiently connected as desired. The systems can include a housing apparatus having a locking cavity where the cable is terminated. The housing includes entry and exit apertures that permit a pulling device such as tape to pass there through. A locking mechanism can be positioned within the housing which engages a dead-end device connected to the cable thereby facilitating termination of the dead-end device at the elevated level after frictional release of a retaining knot. Various mounting bracket assemblies are provided which facilitate mounting on most any surface.