Surface-Deployed Communication Line with UV Cured Resin Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for installing fiber optic communication lines on land are labor-intensive, costly, and disruptive to road surfaces and existing infrastructure, with limited ability to provide economical rural and suburban services.
Innovation Solution
A method involving the direct deployment of a communication line, such as optical fiber, onto a surface like a roadway, protected by a hard and weather-resistant ultraviolet cured urethane resin, which is applied and cured in a single pass using a specialized apparatus.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If traditional cable installation methods (trenching, conduit, aerial) are used, then communication lines can be installed over appreciable distances, but the installation process is labor-intensive, costly, and disruptive to road surfaces and infrastructure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the communication line deployment from traditional complex installation methods (trenching, conduit installation, aerial mounting) and simplifies it to a single-pass surface application process using a deployable apparatus that applies the line directly onto the road surface without disrupting underlying infrastructure
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces heavy mechanical installation systems (trenching equipment, conduit installation machinery, aerial pole mounting equipment) with a lightweight deployable apparatus that applies communication lines directly onto the surface using minimal mechanical intervention, thereby reducing labor and equipment requirements
2Reliability
If armor and protective sheathing are added to cables for distance installation, then the cable is protected from damage, but the weight, fabrication cost, and installation footprint increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a disposable or consumable protective coating material that is applied directly onto the communication line during deployment. This protective layer provides sufficient protection for surface installation without requiring the complex multi-layer armored structures of traditional cables, thereby reducing weight and fabrication complexity while maintaining adequate reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a flexible protective coating or thin film material that is applied onto the communication line during deployment. This thin protective layer provides adequate protection against environmental factors and minor mechanical damage while keeping the overall cable structure simple and lightweight, avoiding the need for heavy armor
3Reliability
If conduit is installed to protect fiber cables below surface, then the cables are protected from traffic and weather, but the cost and overhead of conduit installation increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the protective function from separate conduit infrastructure and integrates it directly onto the communication line itself through a protective coating applied during deployment. This eliminates the need for separate conduit installation and reduces overall installation cost while maintaining cable protection
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the protective coating function with the communication line deployment process itself. The protective material is applied concurrently with line installation in a single-pass operation, combining what were previously separate steps (line installation and protective enclosure) into one integrated process, thereby reducing cost and complexity
4Productivity
If aerial installation on poles is used, then installation is quicker than trenching, but poles may already be at maximum weight capacity and installation disrupts existing infrastructure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the traditional aerial installation approach by deploying communication lines directly onto the road surface rather than mounting them on poles. This eliminates the constraint of pole weight capacity and avoids disrupting existing aerial infrastructure while maintaining quick installation speeds through the single-pass deployment method
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This method reduces labor, material, and equipment requirements, preserves road surface integrity, minimizes business and traffic impacts, and provides a cost-effective solution for installing communication lines, enabling broadband delivery directly to end users.
Implementation Method 1
protected by a hard and weather-resistant ultraviolet cured urethane resin
Implementation Method 2
ultraviolet cured urethane resin
Data Source
AI summary
A method for adhering a tubular body to a surface. The tubular body may be, for example, a communication line and the surface may be a road. The method includes deploying a tubular body directly onto a natural surface, applying an uncured protectant onto the tubular body while the tubular body is on the natural surface, and shaping the uncured protectant to possess a constant cross-sectional shape around the tubular body on the natural surface. The method includes curing the uncured protectant into a cured protectant to adhere the tubular body and the cured protectant to the natural surface, whereby the tubular body is protectively encased and adhered to the natural surface.