Inflatable Woven Innerduct for Airtight, Burst-Resistant Pathways
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing conduit systems face challenges in creating air-impermeable, strong, and flexible elongated enclosed pathways that can be both blown and pulled into conduits without bursting under pressure, as previous solutions often fail due to air leaks or seam failures during the blowing process.
Innovation Solution
A narrow woven cylinder with a knitted catch area and an inflatable tube of less than 0.5 mm thickness, where the inflatable tube provides air impermeability and the woven cylinder offers strength, allowing for low air permeability when combined while maintaining flexibility and collapsibility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a seam is used to attach layers together to form chambers, then the structure can be assembled, but air leaks occur and air impermeability is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the inflatable tube and woven cylinder into a single integrated structure where the tube is inserted through the woven cylinder during manufacturing, eliminating separate seam attachments and creating a unified air-impermeable chamber system
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a composite structure combining an inflatable tube (providing air impermeability) with a woven cylinder (providing structural strength), where the two materials work together to achieve both air tightness and mechanical integrity without requiring seams
2Strength
If the innerduct structure is made strong to withstand blowing pressure, then burst resistance improves, but flexibility and collapsibility deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a dynamic structure where the inflatable tube can be inflated to provide burst strength during cable installation, then deflated to enable flexibility and collapsibility for storage and transport, allowing the structure to adapt between rigid and flexible states
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses thin-walled inflatable tube (less than 0.5mm thickness) that provides sufficient burst strength when pressurized while maintaining flexibility when deflated, enabling the structure to collapse for storage and expand for use without requiring heavy rigid materials
3Adaptability or versatility
If the inflatable tube wall thickness is reduced to maintain flexibility, then adaptability improves, but air permeability and structural integrity worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines a thin-walled inflatable tube with a woven cylinder structure, where the tube provides air impermeability at minimal thickness and the woven cylinder provides additional structural support, achieving both flexibility and air tightness through material combination
Data Source
AI summary
An elongated enclosed pathway containing an outer structure being a narrow woven cylinder and an inner structure being an inflatable tube located within the narrow woven cylinder. The narrow woven cylinder has a knitted catch area running along the length of the cylinder. The weft yarns have a repeating stitch pattern comprising a knit stitch with a catch yarn, stitching with warp yarns in a counterclockwise direction around the circumference, a knit stitch with a catch yarn, and stitching with warp yarns in a clockwise direction around the circumference. The inflatable tube alone has an air permeability of less than about 1 cfm, the narrow woven cylinder alone has an air permeability of greater than about 100 cfm, and the narrow woven cylinder together with the inflatable tube located inside the narrow woven cylinder has an air permeability of less than about 1 cfm.