Cable Sleeving Assembly for Low-Friction Conduit Insertion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Positioning additional cables into underground communication conduits with existing cables causes friction damage due to the plastic jacket, especially when the conduit is undulating, leading to a sinuous path for the new cable.
Innovation Solution
A device that applies a fabric sleeve with a lower coefficient of friction around the cable using a beam and formers to fold and attach the sleeve, allowing the sleeved cable to be easily inserted into the conduit.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a cable with plastic jacket is inserted into an existing conduit, then the cable can be positioned in the conduit, but friction between the cable and existing cable causes damage and installation difficulty
Solution Approach 1:
A fabric sleeve acts as an intermediary between the cable and the conduit environment. The sleeve has a coefficient of friction less than that of the cable itself, serving as a protective mediator that reduces friction damage during insertion while allowing the cable to be pulled through existing conduits without direct contact between the cable jacket and conduit surfaces
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the friction parameter by introducing a fabric sleeve with a lower coefficient of friction than the cable's plastic jacket. This parameter change transforms the high-friction cable surface into a low-friction sleeved surface, enabling easier insertion and reducing damage risk during conduit installation
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a fabric innerduct is installed in the conduit first, then cable insertion friction is reduced, but the installation process becomes two-step and more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges two separate operations (installing innerduct, then installing cable) into a single integrated operation. The fabric sleeve is attached to the cable itself, combining the friction-reducing function with the cable as a unified assembly, thereby eliminating the need for separate innerduct installation while maintaining friction reduction benefits
Solution Approach 2:
The fabric sleeve is preliminarily attached to the cable before insertion into the conduit. This preliminary action of applying the sleeve to the cable surface prepares the cable for friction-reduced insertion without requiring separate preliminary conduit preparation or innerduct installation steps
3Adaptability or versatility
If the conduit is undulating, then the cable must follow a sinuous path, but friction increases and cable damage risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The fabric sleeve serves as a mediator that enables the cable to navigate undulating conduit paths with reduced friction. The sleeve's material properties allow it to flex and conform to the sinuous path while maintaining lower friction contact with the conduit surfaces compared to the cable's plastic jacket
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 1A
Figure 1B
AI summary
A fabric sleeve in the form of a strip of material having compatible attachment members along its lateral edges, is applied to a cable by a device located at a site where the cable can be introduced into a conduit. The device includes a beam carried by a post. The beam carries a plurality of formers which receive the sleeve and the cable from rolls and which progressively fold the sleeve around the cable. The beam also carries an attachment device which receives the sleeve and cable from the formers and which connects the attachment members of the sleeve to confine the cable therein. The attachment device can be opened so that the sleeved cable can be removed. The device is operated at the site until the sleeved cable reaches a downstream installation site and the process is repeated at that downstream site.