Modular Composite Utility Pole With Interlocking Tapered Sections
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional wood utility poles are prone to infestation, rot, and decay, requiring maintenance, are heavy and difficult to handle, and pose hazards due to their solid structure, especially when located along roadways.
Innovation Solution
A modular composite utility pole system comprising tapered hollow tubes with angled filaments and built-up ledges, allowing for interlocking sections that can be easily assembled and repaired without field drilling, and featuring apertures for secure fastening, enabling efficient installation and replacement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If wood is used for utility poles, then the poles are strong and durable, but they are heavy and difficult to handle
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies composite materials by constructing the utility pole from multiple layers of composite materials including outer protective layers, inner structural layers, and core materials. This composite structure provides the necessary strength and durability while significantly reducing the weight compared to solid wood poles, making them easier to handle and install.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the utility pole into multiple sections that can be manufactured separately and then assembled. Each section includes standardized connection features allowing modular assembly. This segmentation enables easier transportation and installation while maintaining the overall structural integrity of the pole.
2Strength
If wood poles are made solid, then they provide structural integrity, but they pose hazards to motor vehicles and occupants
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs flexible shells and thin films by using layered composite structures that can deform under impact rather than shattering. The outer protective layers and inner structural layers work together to absorb impact energy, preventing the pole from shattering like solid wood while maintaining structural integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical parameters of the pole by transitioning from solid wood to a layered composite structure with specific thicknesses and material properties. This parameter change allows the pole to exhibit different mechanical behavior under impact, reducing hazard while maintaining strength.
3Ease of manufacture
If wood poles are used, then they are cost-effective, but they require maintenance due to infestation and rot
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses composite materials that inherently resist infestation and rot. The layered structure includes materials that do not decay or attract pests, eliminating the maintenance requirements associated with treated wood poles while remaining cost-effective through standardized manufacturing processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a design where the pole structure is intended to be long-lasting without maintenance, replacing the need for periodic treatment and replacement of wood poles. The composite materials provide durable, maintenance-free service life.
4Ease of operation
If modular composite sections are used, then installation and repair are easier, but the joint connection complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the pole into standardized sections with predetermined connection features. Each section includes matching joints and alignment features that simplify assembly. This segmentation reduces installation complexity by providing standardized interfaces rather than custom connections.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent designs universal connection features that work across all pole sections. The standardized joints and alignment features provide multi-functionality, serving both as structural connections and as alignment guides, thereby simplifying the overall installation process.
Data Source
AI summary
A modular composite utility pole has a plurality of sections, each with a tapered hollow tube having a plurality of plies, wherein a first end has a larger diameter than a second end, wherein each section is adapted to join at least one adjoining section at a joint wherein the first end of an upper section overlaps the second end of a lower section, the lower section having a ledge proximate to the second end of the lower section, with a fastener passing through the joint via apertures in the sections, and wherein, when the modular composite utility pole is erected, the joint is self-located by the joint features, and wherein substantially all vertical load is transferred between sections via the a surface of the second end of the upper section resting upon the ledge of the lower section. Also disclosed are individual sections and methods of making them.