Conduit Stake with Detection Slot and Notched Ribs
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conduits placed on the ground surface are challenging to secure effectively due to movement from wind, animals, and human activities, and existing stakes often bend or are left behind, making them impractical for retaining utilities like electrical and internet services.
Innovation Solution
A conduit stake with three slender ribs, a cap, a head with a slot, and a hook that extends to wrap around the conduit, featuring notches for better embedment in gravel and a slot for detection when concealed, enhancing retention and detectability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If wire wickets are used to secure conduit, then the conduit can be held in place, but the wickets tend to bend during installation and may pinch the conduit
Solution Approach 1:
The stake is divided into distinct functional segments: a Y-shaped rib system for ground engagement, a head portion for conduit interaction, and a hook element for securing. This segmentation allows each part to be optimized independently - the ribs provide embedment without bending, while the hook provides securement without pinching.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of using a wire-like flexible form that bends under load, the invention uses a rigid stake structure that is driven into the ground point-first. The rigidity that would seem disadvantageous becomes an advantage, preventing the stake from bending or pinching the conduit while still achieving secure retention through proper geometric design of the rib-conduit interface.
2Reliability
If wire wickets are used to secure conduit, then the conduit can be held in place, but the wickets may become embedded on both sides of the conduit which proves impractical adjacent to buildings, foundations, and rock formations
Solution Approach 1:
The stake features an asymmetric design with a Y-shaped rib configuration where one rib has notches for embedment into gravel while the other ribs provide structural support. This asymmetric geometry allows the stake to achieve secure retention through the notched rib's engagement with the ground surface, while the overall compact form factor enables installation in constrained spaces near buildings and foundations without requiring bidirectional embedment.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from a two-dimensional wire bail configuration to a three-dimensional stake structure with vertical ribs extending from a head portion. This dimensional change allows the stake to engage the ground in a point-first manner, requiring only localized embedment at the tip rather than embedment on both sides of the conduit, thereby enabling installation in previously inaccessible locations.
3Ease of manufacture
If stakes are made with small diameter for compact transport, then they fit within loops at tent corners, but they may be left behind after campout as they become unseen beneath ground surface
Solution Approach 1:
The stake head portion is designed with a slot that admits a metallic plate, creating a detectable metallic signature. This metallic element can be detected by metal detectors or other sensing devices, preventing the stake from being overlooked or left behind after installation, while the overall compact design maintains portability for transport.
4Ease of operation
If conduit is placed upon the ground, then workers can visualize its location and adjust position, but the conduit remains exposed to hazards and may move from wind, animals, and human activities
Solution Approach 1:
The stake design incorporates a Y-shaped rib structure with notches that are pre-configured to engage with the ground surface upon insertion. This preliminary geometric configuration ensures that once the stake is driven into the ground, the notched rib automatically locks into the surrounding material, providing immediate and reliable conduit retention without requiring additional anchoring actions or adjustments.
Data Source
AI summary
A conduit stake has three slender ribs, a cap upon the ribs, a head upon the cap, a slot in the head, and a hook extending outwardly from the head opposite the slot. The three ribs have a common point and extend upwardly therefrom in a cross section similar to the letter Y up to the cap. The first rib of the three has at least three notches oriented to grasp soil and gravel particles so that the stake resists withdrawal. The head has a thickness, or height, above the cap at least three times the thickness of the cap. The slot has a shape and orientation to admit a ferrous tab plate for later detection and location of the invention when concealed by gravel, other aggregate, or soil. Outwardly from the head, the hook extends a sufficient reach to admit a conduit and then turns downwardly.