Conduit Laying Machine Base Material Flow
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing conduit laying systems for underground electrical cables are slow, labor-intensive, and lack protection against damage from rocks and other trench debris, leading to potential puncture or damage of the cables.
Innovation Solution
A conduit laying system comprising a trench former, conduit feed system, and base material handling system, which forms a trench, deposits conduits, and discharges base material around them to protect against damage, featuring a vibration mechanism and strategically designed base material passages to prevent bridging and ensure smooth flow.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual cable laying in open trench is used, then labor intensity is reduced, but cable protection from damage is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple functions into an integrated conduit laying system: the trench former creates the trench, the conduit feed system delivers conduits, and the base material handling system provides protective material. This merging of functions into a single coordinated system improves cable protection reliability while managing overall system complexity through integration rather than separate operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary actions by first forming the trench with the trench former, then immediately providing base material protection before conduit installation. The base material is prepared and positioned in advance to protect the conduit from damage by rocks and debris, ensuring protection is already in place before the conduit is vulnerable during laying.
2Productivity
If automated conduit laying system is implemented, then laying speed is improved, but base material bridging in passages occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies curvature to the base material passage design, specifically using arched or curved passage geometries instead of straight or angular configurations. This curvature prevents base material from bridging or getting stuck in the passages, ensuring smooth flow of material to the discharge point while maintaining the automated high-speed laying operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes geometric parameters of the base material passage, including cross-sectional area, length, and curvature radius, to optimize material flow. By adjusting these parameters, the passage is designed to prevent bridging of base material while maintaining efficient delivery to the trench, supporting high-speed automated operation without operational difficulties.
3Ease of operation
If base material passage cross-sectional area increases downward, then bridging is inhibited, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses curved or arched passage designs with increasing cross-sectional area in the downward direction. This geometric approach naturally prevents base material bridging by eliminating sharp angles and creating smooth flow paths, while the curvature itself is a relatively simple design feature that does not significantly increase overall system complexity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system efficiently lays conduits while providing protection against trench debris, reducing the risk of damage and improving the speed and efficiency of the cable laying process.
Implementation Method 1
The base material in the hopper and/or in the at least one base material passage may be subject to vibration from the vibration mechanism
Data Source
AI summary
In one aspect, the invention is directed to a conduit laying system for laying conduit, including a vehicle, a trench former, a conduit feed system and a base material handling system. The trench former is configured for forming a trench. The conduit feed system includes a conduit feed passage having a conduit feed passage inlet for receiving at least one conduit and a conduit feed passage outlet positioned to deposit the at least one conduit in the trench. The base material handling system includes a base material hopper and at least one base material passage. The at least one base material passage is positioned to receive base material from the base material hopper and to discharge base material in the trench around the at least one conduit. The base material handling system, the conduit feed system and the trench former are driven by the vehicle.