Coupled Cable and Hose Handling for Smooth Pipe Inspection Feed
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for deploying and retracting cables or hoses into and out of pipes or cavities are cumbersome and difficult, especially when dealing with cables or hoses of different dimensions, external surfaces, and flexibilities, and maintaining them together during deployment or retraction is challenging.
Innovation Solution
A cable handling device that employs clips, clamps, and pipe guides, along with remotely controlled clamps, to manage, steer, and protect cables or hoses, utilizing motorized wheels and automatic feed mechanisms for efficient deployment and retraction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If manual deployment and retraction of cables or hoses is used, then the device complexity is low, but the ease of operation deteriorates and productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
A cable handling device acts as an intermediary between the operator and multiple cables/hoses. The device includes a housing with internal channels that guide and organize multiple cables, a coupling mechanism that secures them together, and a coupling control that coordinates their movement. This intermediary structure allows single-point operation to control multiple cables simultaneously, improving ease of operation without requiring complex individual control of each cable.
2Productivity
If multiple cables or hoses of different dimensions are handled manually, then the device complexity remains low, but the productivity deteriorates and time consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple cables and hoses into a single organized bundle within the housing. The internal channels guide different cables together, and the coupling mechanism secures them as a unified group. The coupling control then moves this entire bundle simultaneously, allowing multiple cables of different dimensions to be deployed and retracted together in one operation, significantly improving productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The cable handling device is designed with universal functionality to accommodate multiple cables and hoses of different dimensions, external surfaces, and flexibilities. The housing contains internal channels that can guide various cable types, and the coupling mechanism can secure different cable configurations. This multi-functional design allows a single device to handle diverse cable assemblies, improving productivity without requiring separate handling systems for each cable type.
3Ease of operation
If cables or hoses are kept together during deployment, then the ease of operation improves, but the device complexity increases due to additional coupling mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The device segments the cable handling function into distinct components: internal channels within the housing that guide and separate individual cables, a coupling mechanism that secures cables together at the exit point, and a coupling control that coordinates their movement. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function efficiently, maintaining ease of operation while organizing the overall device complexity into manageable segments.
Data Source
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AI summary
Cable handling devices, methods and systems are provided for securing and deploying, or retracting, one or more cables or hoses into or out of a pipe or cavity allowing inspection of the pipe or cavity. The cables and/or hoses may be coupled and moved together, or decoupled, enabling them to be moved independently. A hand-held device with a housing for at least partially enclosing one or more cables or hoses, at least one coupling mechanism integrally attached to the housing, and a coupling control for coupling and decoupling the one or more cables or hoses may be provided. One or more of the cables may be connected to a camera disposed at the distal end of a cable thereby facilitating inspection of the pipe or cavity. Tools such as cutting devices or a jetter may be provided at the end of the one or more cables and/or hoses.