Partial Float Weave Innerduct for Low-Friction Cable Insertion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing innerduct structures made from woven fabrics face challenges when attempting to insert a second cable into a conduit already containing a first cable, as the rope or second cable often becomes tangled or twisted, causing damage due to impedance by the first cable.
Innovation Solution
A woven fabric innerduct structure featuring a combination of first weave zones and partial float weave zones, with specific yarn patterns and arrangements that minimize elongation and crimp, allowing for a flexible and stable compartment for cables, reducing friction and tension required for cable insertion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a second cable is inserted into a conduit already containing a first cable, then conduit utilization is improved, but the rope or second cable becomes tangled or twisted causing damage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an innerduct as an intermediary structure that lines the conduit and provides a smooth surface for cable insertion. The innerduct acts as a mediator between the existing cable and the new cable being inserted, preventing direct contact and tangling between the two cables while still allowing the conduit to be utilized for multiple cables
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the conduit space by introducing an innerduct that creates a dedicated pathway. This segmentation separates the space occupied by the first cable from the space available for the second cable, allowing independent insertion and movement without interference between cables
2Ease of operation
If the rope is blown or snaked into a conduit containing a first cable, then installation flexibility is improved, but the rope becomes impeded by the first cable
Solution Approach 1:
The innerduct serves as an intermediary that eliminates the harmful impediment generated by the first cable. By providing a smooth inner surface, it allows the rope to be blown or snaked through the conduit without encountering the first cable, maintaining installation flexibility while removing the impediment
3Ease of operation
If a woven fabric innerduct structure is used, then friction and pulling tension are reduced, but the fabric must maintain structural stability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating different weave zones within the fabric innerduct. The float weave zones provide smooth surfaces that reduce friction for cable insertion, while the tight weave zones provide structural stability and strength. This local differentiation allows the fabric to simultaneously achieve low friction and high stability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a composite weave structure combining different yarn types and weave patterns within a single fabric. The combination of float yarns and tight weave yarns creates a composite material structure that integrates the beneficial properties of both smooth surfaces and structural stability
Data Source
AI summary
An innerduct for a cable containing one or more strip-shaped lengths of woven textile fabric configured to create a flexible, longitudinal compartment for enveloping a cable. The woven fabric comprises a plurality warp yarns and a plurality of picks of weft yarns, the weft yarns contain a repeating first weft pattern of at least one monofilament yarn and optionally at least one single-inserted multifilament yarn. The woven fabric contains an alternating pattern containing first weave zones and partial float weave zones. The warp yarns in the first weave zone pass successively over and under each adjacent weft yarn and at least a portion of the warp yarns in the partial float zone float over some adjacent weft yarns.