Utility Marker Post With Telescoping Access And Uplift Resistance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional marker posts for underground utilities are prone to uplift due to environmental factors and lack a convenient mechanism for accessing tracer stations.
Innovation Solution
A post system comprising a cap and base with a customizable superior disk, cap housing, locking mechanism, and telescoping arms that allows the steel plate to be raised above ground for access and securely anchored to prevent removal, featuring a removable cap for accessing a tracer station.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional marker posts are embedded in the ground, then they provide a warning of underground utilities, but they are prone to uplift by environmental factors and individuals
Solution Approach 1:
The marker post is divided into two separate components: a cap that remains above ground and a base that is embedded in the ground. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function - the cap for visibility and the base for stable anchoring - thereby resolving the contradiction between visibility and resistance to uplift.
Solution Approach 2:
The visible warning function is extracted from the embedded base and placed in the separate cap that sits above ground. This extraction allows the base to remain securely embedded while the cap provides the warning function without being subject to the same uplift forces.
2Reliability
If the marker post is securely anchored to prevent removal, then it remains in place, but it becomes difficult to access the tracer station for testing
Solution Approach 1:
The marker post system is segmented into a permanently embedded base containing the tracer station and a removable cap. This segmentation allows the base to remain securely anchored while the cap can be easily removed to access the tracer station for testing and maintenance.
Solution Approach 2:
The cap is designed to be dynamically removable and reattachable, allowing access to the tracer station when needed while maintaining secure anchoring when attached. This dynamic design resolves the contradiction between secure anchoring and ease of access.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the marker post is made visually unobtrusive, then it blends with the environment, but it becomes harder to locate
Solution Approach 1:
The cap is designed with specific local qualities including a superior disk with raised features and reflective materials that enhance visibility and locatability. These local quality enhancements resolve the contradiction by making the marker easily locatable while the base remains visually unobtrusive when blended with the ground.
Data Source
AI summary
The post system of the present invention is formed from a cap and a base. The cap sits flush with the ground while the base system extends into the ground towards the underground hazard. The cap is removable to access a tracer station or similarly-mounted integrated steel plate. The cap includes a superior disk, a cap housing, and a locking mechanism. The base includes an anchor system and two telescoping assemblies nested within the base so as to raise the test station or steel plate above ground level.