U.S. patent application number 10/688938 was filed with the patent office on 2004-06-24 for protection element, method for laying cable in a groove system and cable layout.
This patent application is currently assigned to ALCATEL. Invention is credited to Li, Hong.
Application Number | 20040120773 10/688938 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 32338215 |
Filed Date | 2004-06-24 |
United States Patent
Application |
20040120773 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Li, Hong |
June 24, 2004 |
Protection element, method for laying cable in a groove system and
cable layout
Abstract
The invention relates to a protection element which is installed
over a conduit or cable fitted in a groove formed into solid
ground, which has the form of a three-walled casing with a top and
two side walls. The invention also relates to a method for laying
cables or conduits in a groove system created into solid ground and
to a cable layout, consisting of a conduit or cable system, wherein
one or more cable or conduits are fitted in grooves which are
located at the surface of the laying foundation.
Inventors: |
Li, Hong; (Monchengladbach,
DE) |
Correspondence
Address: |
SUGHRUE MION, PLLC
2100 PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE, N.W.
SUITE 800
WASHINGTON
DC
20037
US
|
Assignee: |
ALCATEL
|
Family ID: |
32338215 |
Appl. No.: |
10/688938 |
Filed: |
October 21, 2003 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
405/184.4 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04J 3/0632
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
405/184.4 |
International
Class: |
F16L 001/06 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Dec 18, 2002 |
EP |
02360358.2 |
Claims
1. Protection element which is to be installed over a conduit or
cable fitted in a groove formed into solid ground wherein it has
the form of a three-walled casing with a top and two side
walls.
2. Protection element according to claim 1 wherein the casing has
at least two projections sticking out to the outside in the upward
direction from each of the side walls.
3. Protection element according to claim 1 wherein the casing has a
projection sticking out to the inside from each of the side walls
in the side looking at the cable or conduit.
4. Protection element according to claim 1 wherein the casing is
made out of steel wire net wrapped with elastic foam material, hard
plastic, hard gummy or metal.
5. Method for laying cables or conduits in a groove system created
into solid ground in which the cable or conduit is fitted first at
the bottom of the groove, then a covering is laid over said cable
or conduit and finally a filling compound is poured into the groove
for sealing, wherein said covering is a protection element
according to claim 1.
6. Cable layout, consisting of a conduit or cable system, wherein
one or more cables or conduits are fitted in grooves which are
located at the surface of the laying foundation, wherein the cable
or conduit has a covering over it sustaining the groove filling
compound, wherein said covering is a protection element according
to claim 1.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The invention relates to a protection element to be
installed over a conduit or cable inside a surface grooves, and to
a method for laying cables or conduits in a groove system and a
cable layout consisting of a conduit or cable system where one or
more cables or conduits are fitted in grooves.
[0002] Methods for laying cables or conduits with optical and
electrical information cables in grooves of firm laying foundations
are known. These methods relate to the laying of cables in highway
or urban area road routes by means of mini-trench cutting
operations for rapid duct installation, which minimize the impact
on traffic. The process involves creating a shallow groove in the
asphalt, laying the cable into this groove and sealing it
afterwards. For example, European Patent Application EP 0 855 772
describes a process and apparatus for introducing a cable into a
channel formed into a heated surface of solid ground such as
asphalt, in which the apparatus displaces the material to form the
channel, inserts the cable and then reintroduces the displaced
material back to refill the channel.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0003] The underlying problem consists in that in these cases the
cables are installed directly in small grooves, normally not deep
enough and with the cable tightly connected with the street
surface, and thus not enough protected from external effects
(mechanical, traffic and temperature) which will impact on the
groove cable directly. For example, the groove cable may suffer
from strong temperate fluctuation on the street surface, which
could cause the cable to exceed its maximal elongation margin. A
proposed solution for this problem is found in French Patent
Application FR 2 750 717 where a thermal protection layer in the
form of a tape may be placed over the cable, between the cable and
the refilling material. But here the tape layer only protects the
cable from the top, leaving the side walls of the groove, which may
be in contact with the cable, without protection. Also, the tape
layer may not oppose enough resistance to maintain the cable or
itself fixed to the bottom of the groove before and after
installation.
[0004] Furthermore, groove cable structures are not cleanly marked
for later discovery and thus exposed to damaged provoked by other
civil work on the streets or, in case of cable repair work, this
would lead to a very time consuming process because the area has to
be carefully excavated.
[0005] Starting from the above-mentioned French Patent Application,
the present invention therefore proposes a protection element in
the form of a three-walled casing which is to be installed over the
conduit or cable before sealing the groove, in order to solve the
problems described above.
[0006] The protection element serves, for example, as an isolation
layer between the groove cable or conduit and the filling compound
and the groove walls, which allows the groove cable to achieve
positive static conditions, i.e. free stretching conditions. A
protection element with the characteristics according to the
present invention can compensate the mechanical effects on the
groove cables, caused on the streets and from the traffic.
[0007] It is also an object of the protection element to fix the
cable or conduit to the bottom of the groove before sealing and
avoid the cable or conduit from heaving out of the groove due to
temperature fluctuation during and after the installation of the
cable.
[0008] Still another object of the protection element is to serve
as detective wire so that the groove can be easily identified.
[0009] The object is achieved according to the invention by a
protection element according to claim 1, a method for laying cables
or conduits in a groove system according to claim 5 and a cable
layout wherein one or more cable or conduits are fitted in grooves
according to claim 6.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0010] Advantageous constructions and solutions are represented in
the following figures and illustrated in detail in the
description.
[0011] An embodiment example of the invention is now explained with
the aid of FIGS. 1 to 2.
[0012] FIGS. 1A,B shows a protection element in the form of a
three-walled casing according to the invention.
[0013] FIGS. 2A,B shows another possible embodiment for the
protection element in the form of a three-walled casing with a
different design compared with FIG. 1.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0014] FIG. 1A shows a groove 2 formed into solid ground 1, the
groove comprising a cable or conduit 5, a protection element 4 in
the form of a three-walled casing and a refilling compound layer 3
over the protection element 4.
[0015] The protection element 4 shown in FIG. 1B has the form of a
casing, which comprises a top 4a and two side walls 4b,4c, and has
three projections 4d sticking out to the outside O in the upward
direction from each of the side walls 4b,4c.
[0016] For example, beginning from a normal road or pavement
surface 1, a groove 2 is created using a cutting or heating device.
The cable or conduit 5 with the protection element 4 housing it is
fitted in the groove 2 and after that, the filling compound 3 will
be poured into the groove for sealing.
[0017] The protection element 4 can be made of a metallic tape or
steel wire net wrapped with elastic foam material, thus allowing it
to be used for easy identification of the groove and for cable
recovery purposes. But if no identification is needed, it can also
be made of hard plastic or hard gummy material.
[0018] The protection element 4 is also used to fix the cable to
the bottom of the groove 2 before sealing and to keep it in this
position afterwards, even if temperature fluctuation occur. The
projections 4d oppose more resistance to a possible upward movement
forced by the cable or conduit 5.
[0019] FIG. 2A shows a groove 2 formed into solid ground 1, the
groove comprising a cable or conduit 5, a protection element 4' in
the form of a three-walled casing with a different design as
compared with FIG. 1 and a refilling compound layer 3 over the
protection element 4'.
[0020] The particular embodiment of the protection element 4' shown
in FIG. 2B has the form of a casing, which comprises a top 4a and
two side walls 4b,4c, and has at least one projection 4e sticking
out to the inside I from each of the side walls 4b,4c, which oppose
also resistance to a possible upward movement forced by the cable
or conduit 5.
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