Pole-Mounted Optical Fiber Embedding Tool for Ceiling Installation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for installing optical fibers in building rooms and hallways require frequent ladder use, making the process unsafe and inefficient, as installers need to repeatedly climb and reposition ladders to embed fibers in adhesive beads along structural corners or crevices.
Innovation Solution
A tool with a pole-attached neck portion, a trough for fiber containment, and a guide channel with a tool nose that allows safe embedding of optical fibers into adhesive beads from floor level, eliminating the need for ladder use by using a pole to manipulate the tool nose over the bead.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If an installer uses a hand tool to deposit adhesive beads and embed fiber while standing on a ladder, then the fiber can be embedded in adhesive beads at ceiling height, but the installer must repeatedly climb and reposition the ladder which reduces safety and efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a pole component that extends the installer's reach vertically, allowing operation at ceiling height without vertical displacement of the installer's body. The pole acts as a dimensional extension, transforming the installation process from one requiring vertical movement to one performed from a fixed ground position.
Solution Approach 2:
The pole serves as an intermediary tool between the installer and the ceiling-level adhesive beads. It transmits the installer's manual operations (depositing adhesive, embedding fiber) to the elevated location without requiring the installer to physically occupy that space, thus maintaining both safety and operational capability.
2Manufacturing precision
If an installer repeatedly moves and climbs the ladder to deposit adhesive beads at all selected locations, then complete coverage of the installation path is achieved, but furniture must be temporarily set aside and installation time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The pole enables horizontal movement along the installation path at ceiling height without the need for repeated vertical ladder operations. This dimensional change allows continuous work along the horizontal trajectory while maintaining a fixed vertical position, eliminating furniture relocation and reducing time loss.
Solution Approach 2:
The pole allows the installer to prepare and deposit adhesive beads at all selected locations along the installation path in a continuous sequence from ground level, rather than stopping and repositioning equipment between locations. This preliminary continuous action completes the adhesive deposition phase before fiber embedding begins.
3Ease of operation
If an installer uses a ladder to reach ceiling-level adhesive beads, then fiber embedding at height is possible, but the process becomes unsafe and inefficient
Solution Approach 1:
The pole acts as a safe intermediary that extends the installer's operational reach to ceiling height without requiring the installer to climb. This eliminates the safety hazards associated with ladder use while maintaining the capability to perform all necessary installation tasks at the required elevation.
Solution Approach 2:
The pole is designed to perform multiple functions: supporting the adhesive deposition tool, holding the fiber during embedding, and providing stable positioning at various heights along the installation path. This multi-functionality replaces the specialized equipment (ladder) with a versatile tool that achieves the same goals safely.
Data Source
AI summary
An installation tool and method of embedding an optical fiber in an adhesive bead deposited along a structural corner or crevice in a building room or hallway, without a ladder and while an installer stands safely on the floor. The tool includes a neck portion arranged to be joined to a distal end of a pole, a trough for receiving and containing the optical fiber, a guide channel disposed at a downstream end of the trough for retaining the fiber, and a tool nose disposed at a downstream end of the guide channel. When the installer manipulates the tool to sweep the tool nose over the bead while urging the tool nose against the bead, the fiber enters the tool nose from the guide channel and becomes embedded in the adhesive bead.