Hot Stick Accessory for Electrical Coupling Installation
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a need for additional accessories that allow for the installation of electrical coupling components using lineman hot sticks, as existing solutions are inadequate for efficiently and safely installing these components on overhead power distribution lines.
Innovation Solution
A hot stick installation accessory comprising a cap portion and a moving section that slides and pivots, with a threaded member engageable by a hot stick hook, allowing for the secure installation and removal of electrical coupling components, including a tool portion for tightening bolted connections using the hot stick.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If existing hot stick methods are used for installing electrical coupling components, then basic installation capability is provided, but the installation process is inefficient and lacks repeatability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary accessory device that mediates between the hot stick and the electrical coupling component. This accessory includes a cap portion with a holding region that receives the component, and a moving section with a threaded member that engages the hot stick hook. The intermediary accessory provides repeatable installation by ensuring consistent engagement geometry and alignment, thereby improving both productivity and ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The accessory allows for preliminary positioning and securing of the electrical coupling component before final installation. The holding region in the cap portion preliminarily holds the component in the correct position, and the threaded member can be pre-engaged with the hot stick hook. This preliminary action ensures that when the hot stick is inserted, the component is already properly aligned and positioned, improving installation efficiency and repeatability.
2Reliability
If additional accessories are added to improve installation capability, then installation security and ease are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The accessory is segmented into distinct functional portions: a cap portion with a holding region for the electrical coupling component, and a moving section with a threaded member for engagement with the hot stick. This segmentation allows each portion to be optimized for its specific function while keeping the overall design relatively simple. The cap portion provides secure holding, the moving section provides controlled movement and engagement, and together they improve reliability without excessive complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The accessory is designed to be universally applicable to different electrical coupling components through the standardized holding region in the cap portion. The threaded member with hook engagement provides a universal interface with hot sticks. This multi-functionality allows the same accessory design to be used for various components, improving reliability across different applications while avoiding the need for multiple specialized designs that would increase overall complexity.
3Ease of operation
If manual manipulation methods are used, then simplicity is maintained, but safety of linemen is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The accessory serves as an intermediary between the hot stick and the electrical coupling component, enabling safe remote manipulation. The threaded member with hook engagement allows the hot stick to securely grasp and manipulate the component from a distance, improving lineman safety. The intermediary accessory translates the simple hook engagement into controlled, safe manipulation of the electrical component without requiring linemen to manually handle energized parts.
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
Enables easy, repeatable, and secure installation and removal of electrical coupling components on overhead conductors, preventing inadvertent disengagement and simplifying the process with the use of hot sticks, while allowing for secure tightening of bolted connections.
Implementation Method 1
The moving section includes a threaded member that is engageable by a hook of a hot stick so that rotation of the hot stick, and thus of the hook, results in rotation of the threaded member into threaded engagement with the moving section to move the moving section between the open and closed positions.
Data Source
AI summary
A hot stick installation accessory is provided. The accessory includes a cap portion and a moving section. The cap portion has a region that removably holds an electrical coupling component. The moving section slides with respect to the cap portion between an open and a closed position and pivots with respect to the cap portion between a first position and a second position. The moving section includes a threaded member that is engageable by a hook of a hot stick so that rotation of the hot stick, and thus of the hook, results in rotation of the threaded member into threaded engagement with the moving section to move the moving section between the open and closed positions.