Modular Festoon Cable Rail Sections for Flexible Mine Reach
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing festoon systems for mounting cables on a rail in a festoon-fashion are inflexible in length and cumbersome to move, making it difficult to reach all areas of a mine and requiring the entire system to be moved simultaneously.
Innovation Solution
A modular festoon system comprising a series of festoon sections, each with a front trolley for driving along the rail and multiple cable trolleys with saddles for supporting cables, connected by tension elements. Each festoon section can be moved individually and adapted to the required length, with detachable coupling elements allowing sections to be easily connected and disconnected.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of moving object
If the festoon system uses a fixed length design to reach distant areas, then the maximum supply distance is improved, but the system becomes too long for close by branches and cumbersome to move
Solution Approach 1:
The festoon system is divided into multiple individual festoon sections that can be used separately or combined. Each section has its own front trolley and cable trolleys, allowing the system to be configured in different lengths by selecting the appropriate number of sections, thus resolving the contradiction between reaching distant areas and adapting to close by branches.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the festoon system is designed as a complete unit to maintain cable organization, then cable management is improved, but the system becomes cumbersome to relocate as the whole system must be moved
Solution Approach 1:
The festoon system is segmented into modular sections that can be relocated independently. Each section maintains its internal cable organization through the front trolley and cable trolley arrangement, while the ability to move sections separately improves ease of relocation compared to moving the entire system as one unit.
Solution Approach 2:
The cable trolleys are arranged along the rail within each festoon section, with cables nested in an orderly fashion between the front trolley and cable trolleys. This nesting arrangement maintains cable organization within each modular section while allowing the sections to be moved independently.
3Length of moving object
If the festoon system uses a long retracted state to achieve long extended length, then the maximum supply distance is improved, but the retracted state requires excessive rail space and is difficult to store
Solution Approach 1:
The festoon system is divided into multiple sections that can be stored separately in their retracted states. Each section has a manageable retracted length that fits within available rail space, while multiple sections can be combined to achieve the required maximum supply distance when deployed.
Data Source
Figure 1a~1d
Figure 2a
Figure 2b~2c
AI summary
The invention concerns a festoon system for mounting cables (5) on a rail (26) in a festoon-fashion, comprising: a series of festoon sections (1), wherein each one of the series of festoon sections (1) comprises: a front trolley (2) for driving along the rail (26), adapted to be moveably mounted on the rail (26), a number of cable trolleys (3) adapted to be moveably mounted on the rail (26), wherein each of the number of cable trolleys (3) comprises a saddle (4) for supporting a cable (5), a tension element (6) which connects the front trolley (2) and the number of cable trolleys (3) of the respective one of the series of festoon sections (1).