Conduit Guide Grid and Spacer Layout for Ordered Fiber Duct Bundles
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Solution Overview
Problem
The installation of underground conduits for fiber optic cables is complicated by the entanglement and disarray of conduit sections, which makes identification, splicing, and repair difficult, and increases the risk of cable damage due to extraneous bends and undulations.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising a guide device with an outer frame and intersecting walls forming a grid, through which conduit sections are fed to be positioned in parallel and bundled together using a spacer device with arcuate indentations and channel indentations, to maintain a consistent and ordered configuration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If multiple sections of conduit are laid in a single trench over long distances, then installation efficiency is improved, but the conduit ends up entangled or in disarray making identification and repair difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The conduit installation system segments the conduit sections into organized groups using guide devices with multiple channels. Each channel guides a specific conduit section, creating distinct segments that remain separated and identifiable throughout installation. This segmentation prevents entanglement while maintaining efficient bulk installation.
Solution Approach 2:
Guide devices serve as intermediary structures between the installation process and the conduit sections. These guide devices with multiple channels act as mediators that organize and direct each conduit section into its proper position, ensuring orderly arrangement without requiring individual manual placement.
2Loss of time
If conduit sections are laid quickly in bulk, then installation time is reduced, but extraneous bends and undulations increase making cable installation more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The guide devices are pre-configured with multiple channels that define the correct spatial arrangement and alignment for conduit sections. By establishing this guiding structure beforehand, the system ensures proper conduit alignment is maintained throughout the installation process without requiring continuous adjustment or inspection.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide device channels act as intermediary structures that transfer and maintain precise alignment information from the design stage through the installation process. These channels guide the conduit sections into the correct positions, ensuring manufacturing precision is achieved during rapid bulk installation.
3Ease of operation
If individual conduit sections are laid separately to minimize entanglement, then conduit organization is improved, but installation time increases substantially
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges the benefits of individual conduit placement with bulk installation efficiency. Multiple conduit sections are installed simultaneously through a guide device that provides individual channels for each section, combining the organization of separate placement with the productivity of combined installation.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide device introduces a spatial dimension to the installation process by using vertical or lateral channel arrangements. This allows multiple conduit sections to be organized and installed in parallel through different channels, achieving both individual organization and bulk installation efficiency through dimensional arrangement.
4Ease of manufacture
If duct banks are constructed in multiple straight sections and pieced together, then transportation and handling are simplified, but the length is limited by transportation constraints
Solution Approach 1:
The conduit system uses segmentation to create modular sections that can be transported and handled easily, then connected to form continuous long-distance networks. The guide devices facilitate seamless connection of these segments, maintaining organizational integrity across multiple sections.
Solution Approach 2:
Conduit sections are pre-assembled into organized bundles using guide devices before transportation. This preliminary organization ensures that when sections are connected at the installation site, they maintain proper alignment and order, eliminating the need for re-organization after transportation.
Data Source
AI summary
A system, method, and devices are disclosed herein for feeding sections of conduit through a guide device which positions the conduit sections for bundling and then bundling the sections of conduit with a spacer device comprising a pair of brackets which encircle the conduit bundle and are banded together. In one implementation of the technology, a device for guiding conduit sections comprises an outer frame which encloses walls which intersect to form a grid. The grid comprises multiple channels through which multiple sections of conduit pass in parallel. In another aspect of the technology, a system of feeding and organizing multiple sections of conduit from conduit reels to a conduit guide and spacer system is provided.