WO1997035135A1

WO1997035135A1 - A conduit

Info

Publication number: WO1997035135A1
Application number: PCT/GB1997/000732
Authority: WO
Inventors: Michael Ronald Huston; William Lewis Howse; Michael David Day
Original assignee: The Morgan Crucible Company Plc.
Priority date: 1996-03-19
Filing date: 1997-03-17
Publication date: 1997-09-25
Also published as: AU2034097A

Abstract

A conduit is disclosed having two or more integral passages to receive and separately house elongate members such as cables, wires, pipes and the like. By this means a given elongate member does not disturb elongate members in other passages when being installed or removed.

Description

A CONDUIT

This invention relates to a conαuit

More particularly, but not exclusively, this invention relates to a multiducted conduit for protecting and separating cabies. pipes and like elongate members The pnor an ana possible applications of the invention as discussed below are therefore given by way of example only

Conduits for protecting underground cables, such as fibre optic cables, power lines, telephone lines and the like, are well known Thev comprise an outer protective shell defining a channel inside.

One such conduit is a piastic pipe. This pipe is made from plastics and has a single channel inside A number of cabies are inserted into the pipe and are protected by it.

A second type of protective conduit comprises a concrete U-shaped channel with a concrete lid placed over the top when the cables, wires and such like are in place.

The major disadvantage with these current types of conduit is that there is only one area in which all of the cables and wires are placed. The cabies eventually intertwine with each other and become tangled. This is a major drawback during mamtenance or repair where attempting to pull one wire out of the conduit has the effect of pulling other wires out of the conduit. Therefore, to fix one broken cable, several cables will be disconnected or broken.

A common practice when such problems arise is to try to push through a smaller conduit and then insert the new cable through the smaller conduit. For example, a typical practice in cable installation is to bury a 150mm diameter pipe made from fibre reinforced cement or PVC and to pull the cables through this. When adding new cables a flexible smaller conduit of e.g. 35mm diameter is pushed through. Often this technique does not work necessitating complete replacement of ail the cables and sometimes the complete replacement of the conduit. Where, as is sometimes the case, several suppliers are forced to use a common conduit this can cause ill feeling.

According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a conduit havmg two or more integral passages to receive and separately house elongate members such as cables, wires, pipes and the like

The conduit can be made from any material that can withstand the forces on the conduit. These include being strong enough to prevent the pressure force from the ground when the conduit is being used underground distorting or destroying the conduit; advantageously bemg flexible enough to allow ease of installation; and bemg resistant to corrosion and degradation

It may also be advantageous that the conduit is waterproof and that the conduit is easily manufactured

In one particular embodiment, the conduit is made from a Dlastics mateπal The Diastics matenal provides a strong, flexible, conosion proof matenal that can be easiiv manufactured bv processes sucn as extrusion

The conαuit has a numoer of internal walls which define the different passages These wails mav De made from the same mateπal as the rest of the conduit

The number of walls, and thererbre the number of passages, can vary between different embodiments depending on the need of each pamcuiar conduit In one embodiment, there is as little as two passages, whilst in other embodiments, nine passages or even more can be supplied

The shape of the conduit depends on the number of passages. Generally the passages will be organised so that as little space as possible is taken up by havmg multiple passages. whilst allowing easy access to each passage

For instance, when two passages are provided, they are positioned side by side Three passages may be positioned in a tπangie and four passages in a diamond. Five passages mav either be positioned in two rows, one of three passages, the other of two, or in a star shape with one single passage and four passages projecting off the central passage symmetrically

When nine passages are provided, the shape may be that of five passages in the star shape with an external ring around the outside. This external πng defines four of the passages that are mushroomed shaped.

As the conduits may be extruded they can be made into economic lengths. These lengths will vary depending on the number of passages the conduit has. and the use in which it is going to be put to

For instance, a conduit that is buried under the ground may be five metres long or more The length of the conduit is limited only by the length of the transporting vehicle and road regulations. However, a conduit that is gomg to be used inside a building, for instance a conduit used in a multi-story building to run cables such as phone lines and/or power lines between different rooms and/or different levels, may be quite short

In preferred embodiments, there are supplied means by which one length of conduit can be attached to another length

In a preferred embodiment, the joins consist of a male joint at one end of the conduit and a female joint at the other

The join can be connected by any standard means For mstance. a bayonet and slot join threads, a friction joint where one end simply slides mto the other, or external fastenings such as adhesives. clips or clamps mav be used

In some embodiments, the joins between two conduits mav be provided with sealing means such that the join can be sealed Such sealing means mav consist of semi-circular siots for O-πnεs on eacn conduit However, aπv tvpe of sealing means mav be used The conduit mav be provided with external identifiers sucn that a given passage can be identified externailv This is particularly useful when long lengths of conduit are used, as the conduits mav twist over the iength

Sucn external means mav compnse of dimples on the outer surface of the conduit For instance, one dimple is positioned adiacent one passage, two dimples are posiuoned adjacent a second passage, three dimples are positioned adiacent a third passage

Funher aspects of the present mvention will become apparent from the ensuing descnption which is given bv way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which -

Fig 1 is an end view of one embodiment of the present mvention

Fig 2 is an end view of a different embodiment of the present mvention Fig 3 is an end view ofa further embodiment of the present mvention

Fig 4 is an end view of yet further embodiment of the present mvention

Fig 5 is an end view of yet further embodiment of the present invention

Fig 6 is an end view of one possible embodiment of the present invention

Fig 7 is an end view of one possible embodiment of the present invention

In the following the dimensions given are for illustrative purposes only

With regard to Fig. J there is illustrated a conduit 1 This device compπses an outer nng 2, and a seπes of substantially circular inner walls 3

The inner walls 3 define five circular passages 4. and four mushroom shaped passages 5

The outer wall 2 is 102 mm in diameter while the inner circular passage 4 are 25 mm in diameter

The conduit 1 is made from a plastics matenal that is water proof and resistant to degradation. So-called "rigid" PVC is a suitable material having sufficient rigidity to withstand applied loads and sufficient flexibility to be easily handled and installed. This allows the conduit 1 to be buned under ground for long periods of time without the conduit matenal breaking down Of course the conduit is not restricted to external underground use but mav also be used in applications such as inside building walls, floors and ceilings, to separate and keep tidv the ever increasing amounts of cabling that modem life imposes on us Two different lengths of conduit 1 can be joined together m known manner such that there is a water and/or air proof seal

Therefore, the conduit 1 protects elongate members, such as fibre optic cables, power cables or telephone lines Being waterproofed and made ofa resilient matenal. the conduit 1 can lie in the ground or buildings for manv years without allowmg water to enter the conduit 1 and degrade or otherwise interfere with the cables

It can De seen, thereiore. that there is provided a conduit I which can separate commumcation and/or power cabies from different firms and/or uses For mstance. if one communication company was running fibre optic cabies through one particular passage 7 and another opposmg communication company was running fibre optic cables through a different passage 8 the first communication passage could perform maintenance upon the fibre opuc passages m passage 7 without interrupting or Dreaking any of the fibre optic cables in passage 8

The conduit 1 is also capable of containing a communications cabie. such as a telepnone iine or fibre optic cable, and also a power line. This means that only one hole needs to be dug. and one conduit laid to supply buildings with both communication and power lines.

10

Fig. 2 shows a two passage conduit in the form o a pair of fused tubes, each passage having. for exampie. an internal diameter of 25mm and formed, for exampie. by extrusion and vacuum sizing.

15 Fig. 3 shows a three passage conduit in the form of three fused tubes, each passage 4 having, for example, an internal diameter of 25mm.

Fig. 4 shows a five passage conduit in the form of four fused tubes in square arrangement, each passage 4 having, for example, an internal diameter of 25mm and defining between ι o them a central smaller, approximateiy square sectioned passage 9.

Fig. 5 shows a six passage conduit in the form of five fused tubes in pentagonal arrangement, each passage 4 having, for exampie. an internal diameter of 25mm and defining between them a central smaller, approximately pentagonal sectioned passage 10 of 25 rriinimum diameter (indicated as dotted lines) about 17mm.

Fig. 6 shows a seven passage conduit in the form of six fused tubes in hexagonal arrangement, each tube having, for example, an internal diameter of 25mm and defining between them a central approximately hexagonal sectioned passage 1 1 of minimum diameter 30 (indicated as dotted lines) about 25mm and having an overall outer diameter (indicated as dotted lines) about 83mm.

Fig. 7 shows an eight passage conduit in the form of seven fused tubes in heptagonal arrangement, each tube having, for example, an internal diameter of 25mm and defining 5 between them a central larger, approximately heptagonal sectioned passage 10 of minimum diameter (indicated as dotted lines) about 32mm and having an overall outer diameter (indicated as dotted lines) about 90mm.

It can be seen that it is readily possible to segregate a large number of cables in a relatively 40 small conduit giving each cable its own passage free from interference by other cables.

In use a method of installing elongate members compnses the steps of placing a conduit as desenbed above along the intended run of the elongate members and feeding the elongate members through separate passages thereof whereby a given elongate member may be 45 replaced as desired without disturbance to elongate members in the other passage or passages It will be apparent tnat there are many ways of performing the present invenuon other than those exemphfied wnich have oeen desenbed by wav of exampie only and it should be appreciated that modifications and additions mav be made tnereto without departing from the scope thereof

Claims

1 \ conduit having two or more integral passages to receive and separately house elongate members such as cables, wires, pipes and the like

2 λ conduit as claimed in claim 1 which is formed from flexible matenai.

3 A conduit as claimed in ciaim 1 or claim 2 and which is waterproof

4 Λ conduit as claimed in claim made from a plastics matenai.

5 A conduit as claimed in any preceding claim manufactured by extrusion

b A conduit as claimed in any preceding claim in which the conduit has a number of internal walls defining the different passages the walls being made from the same material as the rest of the conduit.

7 A conduit as claimed in any preceding claim in which the conduit is in the form of fused parallel tubes, the tubes forming passages.

8 A conduit as claimed in claim 7 in which further passages are defined by spaces between the fused tubes.

9 A conduit as claimed in any preceding claim in which the conduit is provided with external identifiers such that a given passage may be identified.

10. A method of installing elongate members such as cables, wires, pipes and the like, the method comprising the steps of placing a conduit as claimed in any preceding claim along the intended run of the elongate members and feeding the elongate members through separate passages thereof whereby a given elongate member may be replaced as desired without disturbance to elongate members in the other passage or passages.