Composite Strand Mount Assembly for Lightweight Small Cell Support
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current strand mounts for telecommunications equipment are heavy, making installation burdensome and exceeding weight limitations of cables and wires, while also being costly to manufacture.
Innovation Solution
A lightweight strand mount assembly featuring polymeric mounting tubes, retaining members, a retaining rod, and mounting brackets, which allows for easy installation and secure mounting of small cell radios and antennas on cables, reducing weight and manufacturing costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If traditional strand mounts are used, then structural strength is maintained, but weight becomes excessive making installation burdensome and exceeding cable weight limitations
Solution Approach 1:
The strand mount uses composite materials construction, combining polymeric components (mounting tubes, retaining members, retaining rod) with metal mounting brackets. This composite approach reduces overall weight compared to traditional all-metal mounts while maintaining structural strength through the synergistic properties of different materials.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the material parameters and structural configuration of the mount. By using polymeric materials with appropriate mechanical properties and optimizing the geometric parameters of components (tube diameters, wall thicknesses, bracket configurations), the mount achieves reduced weight while preserving load-bearing capacity within cable weight limitations.
2Ease of operation
If traditional strand mounts are used, then mounting stability is achieved, but installation difficulty increases due to heavy weight
Solution Approach 1:
The strand mount is segmented into multiple functional components: mounting tubes for equipment attachment, retaining members with apertures for positioning, a retaining rod for securing tubes, and mounting brackets for cable attachment. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently and facilitates easier handling and installation compared to a monolithic heavy structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The use of lightweight polymeric materials for the majority of components (tubes, retaining members, rod) significantly reduces installation difficulty while the metal mounting brackets provide sufficient anchoring strength to ensure mounting stability on the cable.
3Ease of manufacture
If traditional strand mounts are used, then equipment securing capability is provided, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The composite construction with polymeric components and metal brackets optimizes manufacturing cost by using cost-effective materials for each function. The polymeric parts can be manufactured through molding processes, reducing fabrication complexity and cost, while metal brackets provide the necessary strength for equipment securing at minimal weight and cost.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention optimizes manufacturing parameters including material selection, component geometry, and assembly methods. The standardized apertures in retaining members, uniform tube dimensions, and modular bracket designs facilitate efficient manufacturing and assembly, reducing overall production costs while maintaining equipment securing capability.
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure describes strand mounts for small cell radios and/or antennas. A strand mount may include a plurality of polymeric mounting tubes configured such that one or more small cell radios and/or antennas can be mounted thereto, a pair of polymeric retaining members, each retaining member having a plurality of apertures sized and configured to receive a corresponding end of each mounting tube, and one or more mounting brackets configured to secure the strand mount on a cable strand. Stand mount assemblies are also described herein.