Exterior Cable Raceway Segmentation for Weather Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing exterior wall cable management systems, such as downspouts, are difficult to mount and inefficient for concealing and protecting various types of cables against weather due to challenges in placing cables inside and attaching the downspouts to the wall structure.
Innovation Solution
An exterior raceway system comprising elongated base members and associated cover members that can be removably attached to the wall, with features like hinged or snap-fit connections, bridge lances for cable ties, seam covers, angled fittings, and adaptors for routing and sealing, facilitating easy cable placement and mounting.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If downspouts are used to conceal and protect cables, then cable protection against weather is achieved, but mounting and cable placement become difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The raceway system is divided into separate base members and cover members that can be independently handled. The base member is mounted to the wall structure first, allowing cables to be placed along it, and then the cover member is attached to complete the enclosure. This segmentation eliminates the difficulty of mounting enclosed downspouts while maintaining cable protection.
Solution Approach 2:
The base member is installed on the wall structure before the cables are placed and before the cover member is attached. This preliminary mounting action allows cables to be easily positioned along the base member, and the cover member is then attached to enclose and protect the cables, resolving the mounting difficulty while maintaining protection.
2Reliability
If cables are placed inside enclosed downspouts, then cable protection is achieved, but cable placement becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
By separating the raceway into base and cover members, the system allows cables to be placed along the open base member before the cover is attached. This eliminates the difficulty of trying to insert cables into enclosed downspouts while maintaining the protective enclosure once assembled.
Solution Approach 2:
Cables are placed along the base member before the cover member is attached to enclose them. This preliminary cable placement action is made possible by the open structure of the base member, and the subsequent attachment of the cover member provides protection without having compromised cable accessibility during installation.
3Ease of manufacture
If downspouts are attached to wall structure, then mounting is achieved, but the process becomes complex and difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The raceway system is segmented into a base member that is mounted to the wall structure and a separate cover member. Only the base member requires mounting to the wall, simplifying the mounting process compared to attaching entire enclosed downspouts. The cover member is then simply attached to the already-mounted base member, reducing overall mounting complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The base member is mounted to the wall structure first as a preliminary action, creating a stable foundation. This preliminary mounting simplifies the overall process because the cover member can then be attached to the already-positioned base member without requiring complex simultaneous mounting and alignment operations.
Data Source
AI summary
Exterior raceway system includes one or more elongated base members and associated cover members for concealing and protecting one or more cables against the weather when mounted on an exterior wall structure of a building. The cover members are removably attachable to the base members to facilitate mounting of the base members to the exterior wall structure and the attachment of one or more cables to the base member prior to attaching the cover members to the respective base members.