AU657221B2

AU657221B2 - Cable conduit assembly with at least one cable conduit tube made of thermoplastic plastics

Info

Publication number: AU657221B2
Application number: AU40101/93A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Horst Vogelsang
Original assignee: Ernst Vogelsang GmbH and Co KG
Current assignee: Ernst Vogelsang GmbH and Co KG
Priority date: 1992-06-13
Filing date: 1993-06-08
Publication date: 1995-03-02
Anticipated expiration: 2013-06-08
Also published as: AU4010193A; NO932116D0; ATE147899T1; NO304720B1; GB9311475D0; BR9302294A; FI932685A0; GR3022486T3; HRP930969B1; GB2268002B; CZ110593A3; HU9301711D0; NZ247855A; TW227618B; MY109227A; CA2098219A1; DE4219403A1; JPH06311623A; YU41193A; DK0578959T3

Abstract

A cable guiding device having at least one cable guiding pipe (conduit) of thermoplastic synthetic material, which cable guiding pipe has a cable guiding duct with a duct inner wall (which is circular in cross-section and has the pipe internal radius r), and which has sliding ribs which are arranged on the duct inner wall and are formed out of the thermoplastic synthetic material of the synthetic material pipe. The sliding ribs run at a predetermined rotation angle a with respect to the internal circumference. Contact surfaces having the rib contact width b result in a cable guiding pipe, which is arranged in a straight line, with a cable (which is to be inserted) at the contact points between the sliding ribs and the cable sheath of the cable which is to be inserted. The sliding ribs run in a corrugated shape and form reversing regions between sections having a constant rotation angle a. The rib contact width b, the number of sliding ribs which are distributed equidistantly over the circumference of the duct inner wall, the pipe internal radius r and the length LK of the rib contact sections between the reversing regions satisfy the equation Ar = 0.16 b<2>z LK. A defines the contact area of the cable sheath at the intersections with the sliding ribs in the rib contact sections. The angle g, measured in radians, of the pitch of the sliding ribs, measured on the duct inner wall, satisfies the equation g = ra/LK.

Description

P/00/01i1 Regulation 3.2

AST&RALI-A

PATENTS ACT 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A ST ANDARD PATENT

ORIGINAL

a.

9 *99* 9 9 TO BE COMPLETED BY APPLICANT .N~me of Applicant- Actual Inventor: :A11Iress for Service: Invention Title: DIPL.-NG. DR. ERNST VOGELSANG GMBH CO. KG Horst Vogelsang CALLINAN LAWRIE, 278 High Street, Kew, 3101, Victoria, Australia "CABLE CONDUIT ASSEMBLY WITH AT LEAST ONE CABLE CONDUIT TUBE MADE OF THERMOPLASTIC PLASTICS" The following statement is a full description of thids invention, including the best method of performing it known to me:- The invention relates to a cable conduit assembly with at least one cable conduit tube made of a thermoplastics material, which includes a cable conduit having a conduit inner wall which is circular in cross-section with a tube inside radius r and sliding ribs moulded from the thermoplastics material of the plastic tube arranged on the conduit inner wall which, with reference to the inside circumference, extend with a given angle of rotation a, whereby in a linearly arranged cable conduit with a cable to be fed contact faces of rib contact width b exist at contact points between sliding ribs and cable jacket of the cable to be fed.

Such cable conduit assemblies are typically used underground. Cables are later fed into the cable conduit tube and cable conduit tubes respectively. "Cable" within the scope of the invention defines standard telecommunications cables as used especially in postal services, power supply cables and the like. Individual or several cables or cable bundles can be fed into a cable conduit tube of the cable conduit assembly. Individual cables are single-core or multi-core cables and have a cable jacket made of rubber or plastics material. Sliding ribs have a rib height of more than 0.1 mm, preferably from 0.3 to 3 mm. As far as the term "angle of rotation" is concerned, reference is made to the Helical Line Theory (cf. Hiitte "The Engineer's Pocket Book" I, Theoretical Foundations, 28th Edition, Ernst Sohn, Berlin, Page 157). According to this theory, a helical line is defined as *.20 follows: Provided that a straight line moves in such a way that it always 0*SS** intersects a fixed axis vertically and the distances by which the fixed intersecting point on the straight line moves away from the axis are proportional to the angles around which the straight line turns, any of its points draw a normal helical line.

The aforementioned angles are the angles of rotation opposite the initial direction 25 of the straight line. This refers to a specified linear extension of the axis. Sliding ribs extend with a specified lead relative to the inner wall of the conduit. The

A

tangent of the helix angle at a point of a sliding rib is the first derivation of the

A

mathematical equation for the helical line which corresponds at that point to the sliding rib. Standard cable diameters are in the range of from 10 to 90 mm, e.g.

10, 28, 35 or 90 mm. The inside diameter of standard cLble conduit tubes of a cable conduit assembly according to the invention ranges from 26 to 200 mm.

The term "Cable Conduit Assembly" means, for instance, not oly 1/12/94GS719.SPl.2 individual tubes for cable conduits (cf. DE 35 29 541 Al) but also cable conduit tubing aggregates (cf. DE 32 17 401 Al). Individual or several cable conduit tubes of the cable conduit assembly accommodate individual cables or cable bundles which must be fed by pushing or pulling. In a known cable conduit assembly (DE 35 29 541 Al), the sliding ribs have a constant direction relative to the cable conduit axis and in the direction of the cable conduit axis, They extend, for instance, helicoidally as well as along the entire length of the cable conduit assembly with equal angle of rotation in left-hand rotation or right-hand rotation. The friction resistance which encounters a cable or a cable bundle when fed into such a cable conduit assembly will be substantially reduced by these sliding ribs, a feature which has been found to be useful in many applications which facilitates pulling and pushing of cables and cable bundles respectively.

Within the scope of the invention, the term "Pulling" will be used for both operations. Depending on the design of a cable or cable bundle, it may happen that troubling influences occur as a result of the interaction of a cable or a cable bundle with the sliding ribs, namely that torsion forces are imparted to cable and cable bundle respectively and substantially brake the cable or the cable bundle by the twisting action, whereby cable or cable bundle may, so to speak, climb up the i sliding ribs. Such interferences can be reduced as is also known by arranging 20 the sliding ribs in alternating direction relative to the cable conduit axis and in the direction of the cable conduit axis (DE 40 31 783 Al). Alternating direction means that the sliding ribs' sense .f rotation changes, e.g. once from left to right, once from right to left. In other words, the angle of rotation is first positive and then negative etc., whereby the sliding ribs may in addition evidence a lead which 25 varies in sections in the direction of the cable conduit axis. Surprisingly, no t interfering torsion forces are imparted to a cable or to a cable bundle to be pulledin or pushed-in with such design and formation of the cable conduit assembly.

The forces resulting from the frictional interaction of a cable and/or a cable bundle with sliding ribs prevent interfering twistings of the cable and the cable bundle respectively and can cancel each other completely depending on overIl design.

With pulling a cable or a cable bundle into a cable conduit, however, considerable linear pulling forces must be applied which overcome the linear friction resistance V1V94GS7190.SPII,3 -T in the longitudinal direction of the cable conduit. This applies, also, if the sliding ribs run in a serpentine manner in a special case of this known embodiment, without any special guiding means and particular design (DE 40 31 783 Al, Figs. 1, 4 and The invention seeks to arrange a cable conduit assembly of the above described structure in such a way that the pulling forces are extremely low under any pulling conditions in service, even if the cable conduit assembly is laid in curves.

In accordance with the present invention, therefore, there is provided a cable conduit assembly with at least one cable conduit tube made of a thermoplastics material, which includes a cable conduit having a conduit inner wall which is circular in cross-section with the tube inside radius r and sliding ribs moulded from the thermoplastics material of the plastics tube arranged on the conduit inner wall which, with reference to the inside circumference, extend with a given angle of rotation a, whereby in a linearly arranged cable conduit tube with a cable to be fed contact faces of rib contact width b arise at contact points between sliding ribs and cable jacket of the cable to be fed, wherein: said sliding ribs run in waveshape and form reversal zones between •sections with constant angle of rotation; o 0...20 the rib contact width b, the number z of sliding ribs equidistantly distributed over the circumference of the conduit inside wall, the ~tube inside radius r, and a length of rib contact sections between reversal zones, identified as LK, satisfy the equation Ar 0.16 b 2 z LK, where A defines the contact face of the cable jacket at intersecting .points with sliding ribs in contact sections, and is numerically in the range of from 4.5 to 32 mm 2 and the angle g, measured in radians, of the sliding ribs' lead, measured on the conduit inside wall, satisfies the equation g ra LK and ranges numerically from 0.001 to 1.2 rad, 1/12/94G0S7190.SPB,4

LQKY

where r is in the range of from 12 and 100 mm and LK in the range of from 500 and 10,000, and the cables to be fed have an outside radius in the range of from 5 to 45 mm.

Reversal zones of sliding ribs, which run sinusoidally in unwinding of the conduit inside wall into the plane, are the highest points of wave peaks and the lowest points of wave valleys respectively of sinusoidal curves. The reversal zonesi then become a reversal point. Sliding rib sections, which extend in the direction of surface lines of the conduit inside wall and define relatively long reversal zones, can also be inserted in the area of wave peaks and wave valleys respectively. The faces of the cable jacket that contact individual sliding ribs have, in plan view, a more or less rhomboidal shape the geometry of which is defined by the rib contact width, i.e. the width of the sliding ribs at the contact point on the cable jacket. Reference is made to Fig. 1 and its description for further explanation of the terms appearing in the teaching of technical dealing discussed above.

The invention is based on the knowledge that a considerable reduction of pulling forces can be achieved in the above-defined and dimensioned cable conduits and cables, provided that measures have been taken to replace dry friction by a friction that approximates lubricant friction which, as is well known, 20 has substantially lower friction coefficients than dry friction, in case of occurrence of unacceptably high pulling forces during pulling work to be performed. To achieve this, no special lubricant is required according to the invention. According to the method included in the scope of the invention, pulling speed and/or pushing speed of the cable or cable bundle to be fed into the conduit are rather so selected 25 that the contact faces undergo a temperature increase which surprisingly reduces the friction resistance. Preferably the contact faces will be molten by friction 9* heat, and a condition of true lubricant friction generated by the molten mass.

Until now, this possibility has not been taken into account. Thereby, the sliding S. rib cross-section is to a large extent optional within the limits indicated above.

*o o According to the invention, the given numerical parameters are adapted in such a way that the lubricant friction condition can be achieved consistently and without any difficulties, provided that the cable conduit assembly is made of Y. 111294GS719O.,SPIH,5 ~ts ':54)s ~C.

thermoplastics material ,ustomary for such applications, and cables and standard cable jackets have the normal weight per length unit. Even though the invention provides such a possibility, the scope of the invention permits nevertheless to arrange lubricants in the groove-shaped cavities between sliding ribs. This, however, is not required. Cable jackets may also be provided with a coating acting as sliding means. It is understood that the pulling forces relating to the absolute size increase proportionally to the length of the cable conduit assembly in a cable conduit assembly according to the invention. This applies also to providing a lubricant friction by melting the sliding ribs or, to be more exact, the ridges of sliding ribs according to the described method. The scope of the invention permits in addition to pull slowly and carefully in such a way that lubricant friction must not be generated, and also does not occur.

Even though the sliding rib cross-section is optional to a large extent, one embodiment stands out in which the cable conduit inside wall provides between adjacent sliding ribs a groove shape concave to the cable conduit and running on both sides into the ridge of the sliding ribs.

Realising the teaching of the invention results in a plurality of particularly significant designs for cable conduit assemblies with cable conduit tubes having i0.2 standard diameters as listed in the following table: or 11204S10.P S000 -7- Design Parameters Cable Conduit Tube Designation Outside Diameter 32(x3.0) 50(x4.6) 110(x6.3) 225(xl2.8) Outside diameter (mm) 32.0 50.0 110.00 225.00 Wall thickness (mm) 3.0 4.6 6. 12.8 Inside diameter (mm) 26.0 40.8 97.4 199.4 Number of sliding ribs (mm) 26 40 40 82 Sliding rib distance (mm) 3.14 3.20 7.65 7.65 Angle of rotation 180 180 180 180 Rib contact width (mm) 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 Length of rib contact 1275 2000 4775 9775 sections (mm) Length of connecting 2 2 2 2 sections (mm) There are several possibilities for additionally shaping and designing cable conduit assemblies according to the invention: The angle of rotation should regularly be in the range from of 450 to 3400, preferably approx. 180°.

20 In an especially preferred embodiment the rib contact width b, the number z of the sliding ribs equidistantly distributed over the circumference of the conduit inner wall, the tube inside radius r, the angle of rotation a and the length LK of the rib contact sections between reversal zones satisfy the equation Ar 0.16 b 2 z (0.0003 r 2 a 2 LK2) 1 2 In an alternative embodiment whereby between two sections with constant angle of rotation connecting sections of length L v are arranged, in which the sliding ribs continue in parallel to the tube axis, and the rib contact width b, the number z of sliding ribs equidistantly distributed over the circumference of the conduit inner wall, the tube inside radius r, the angle of rotation a, the length LK of the rib contact sections as well as the length L v of the connecting sections satisfy the equation

C

e cc.

0

C

Oe c c be..

eec.

Ce e C c c c cc e cc

C

Ar 0.16 b 2 z (0.0003 r 2 a 2 LK2) 1 2 4Lvbr t *v

V.!

i 1112/94OS7190.SPE.7 -8- Such gives especially favourable results concerning pulling forces, if connecting zones are arranged between two sections with constant angle of rotation in a cable conduit tube of a cable conduit assembly according to the invention.

In order that the invention may be more clearly understood and put into practical effect there shall now be described in detail a preferred construction of a cable conduit assembly in accordance with the invention. The description is given by way of non-limitative example only and is with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Fig. 1 shows schematically in perspective a conduit inside wall having a circular cross-section of a cable conduit tube with some geometrical symbols associated with the technical features of the invention; Fig. 2 is a graph to explain the term "Contact Face"; Fig. 3 shows an unwinding of the conduit inside wall with sliding ribs according to the invention; Fig. 4 is a large-scale view of a partial longitudinal section through a cable conduit tube according to the invention with cable; and Fig. 5 is a large-scale view of a partial cross-section through a cable conduit tube according to the invention.

The cable conduit inner wall 1 and circular in cross-section, as shown in Fig. 1, belongs to a cable conduit tube 2 which is part of a cable conduit assembly according to the invention. The tube inside radius r and sliding ribs 3 arranged on the conduit inner wall 1 and mainly represented by plain lines that extend with a specified pitch angle a relative to the inside circumference are clearly discernible.

25 Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic plan view of an off-set sliding rib 3, on which a striped zone 4 of the cable jacket of a pulled-in cable is resting. Fig. 3 is a partial view of an unwinding of the conduit inner wall 1 and, in supported position, a pulled-in cable 5, the jacket of which belongs to zone 4. From Figs. 2 and 3 it can be seen that, in the linear arrangement of a cable conduit tube 2 with a pulled-in cable 5, rhombic-shaped contact faces K with rib contact width b exist at contact points between sliding ribs 3 and zones 4 of the cable jacket of the cable 5 to be fed. Fig. 3 shows clearly that the sliding ribs extend in waveform. They form

U

S..

4Ui

S.

U

U.

S

U

41 N' fI r,

(T

112/940S719O.SPE,8 -9reversing zones 7 between sections 6 with constant angle of rotation a. The rib iContact width b, the number z of the sliding ribs 3 equidistantly distributed over the circumference of the conduit inner wall 1, the tube inside radius r and the length LK of rib contact sections between reversing zones 7 satisfy the equation Ar 0.1 6b 2 z LK. In Fig. 3, the length of sections 6 corresponds to the length LK.

The angle g indicated in Fig. 1 and measured in radian measure of the lead of sliding :ibs 3 as measured on the conduit inner wall 1 also satisfies the same equation. The disclosed relationships are authentic and tried and tested by extensive experiments, if r is in the range of from 12 to 100 mm, if LK is selected in the range of from 500 to 10,000 mm, and if the cables 5 to be pulled in have an outside radius in the range of from 5 to 45 mm. The angle of rotation a may in the preferred embodiment, be approx. 1800.

Fig. 4 shows an enlarged segment of a longitudinal section taken approx.

in the direction A-A of Fig. 2, with a cable 5 resting on a cut sliding rib 3 in the zone of a contact face K. A dot-shaded line shows :hat the sliding rib 3 has been molten, to be precise by friction heat generated during pulling the cable 5. The reference mark 8 identifies the fused mass. Fig. 4 is intended to make it clear that a lubricant friction condition will be established by the fused mass 8.

As seen in Fig. 5 the cable conduit inner wall 1 exhibits between adjacent *s 20 sliding ribs 3, a groove shape 9 concave to the cable conduit, which runs on both sides into the ridge of the sliding ribs 3. The represented dimensions are typical for many applications. The rib height h R is about twice as large as the free se distance xf of the cable jacket 10 as measured from the bottom of groove shape 9 Sbetween sliding ribs 3.

soo* o.

o 9 9 1/12/94GS7190.SP'I,9

Claims

1. A cable conduit assembly with at least one cable conduit tube made of a thermoplastics material, which includes a cable conduit having a conduit inner wall which is circular in cross-section with the tube inside radius r and sliding ribs moulded from the thermoplastics material of the plastics tube arranged on the conduit inner wall which, with reference to the inside circumference, extend with a given angle of rotation a, whereby in a linearly arranged cable conduit tube with a cable to be fed contact faces of rib contact width b arise at contact points between sling ribs and c ble jacket of the cable to be fed, wherein: said sliding ribs run in waveshape and form reversal zones between sections with constant angle of rotation; the rib contact width b, the number z of sliding ribs equidistantly distributed over the circumference of the conduit inside wall, the tube inside radius r, and a length of rib contact sections between reversal zones, identified as LK, satisfy the equation Ar 0.16 b 2 z LK, where A defines the contact face of the cable jacket at intersecting points with sliding ribs in rib contact sections, and is numerically in the range of from 4,5 to 32 mm 2 and the angle g, measured in radians, of the sliding ribs' lead, measured on the conduit inside wall, satisfies the equation g ra LK and ranges numerically from 0.001 to 1.2 rad, where r is in the range of from 12 and 100 mm and LK in the range of from 500 and 10,000, and the cables to be fed have an outside radius in the range of from 5 to 45 mm.

2. The cable conduit assembly according to claim 1, wherein the cable conduit inner wall between adjacent sliding ribs is provided with a groove shape **00 concave to the cable conduit which runs on both sides into the ridge of the sliding ribs.

3. The cable conduit assembly according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the angle of rotation a is selected in the range between 450 and 3400. I/12/940S7190.SPE,10 -11-

4. The cable conduit assembly as claimed in claim 3, wherein said angle of rotation is approximately 180°. The cable conduit assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the rib contact width b, the number z of the sliding ribs equidistantly distributed over the circumference of the conduit inner wall, the tube inside radius r, the angle of rotation a and the length LK of the rib contact sections between reversal zones satisfy the equation Ar 0.16 b 2 Z (0.0003 r 2 a 2 LK2)1/ 2

6. The cable conduit assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein between two sections with constant angle of rotation connecting sections of the Ingth L v arranged, in which the sliding ribs continue in parallel to the tube axis, and the rib contact width b, the number z of sliding ribs equidistantly distributed over the circumference of the conduit inner wall, the tube inside radius r, the angle of rotation a, the length LK of the rib contact sections as well as the length L of the connecting sections satisfy the equation Ar 0.16 b 2 z (0.0003 r 2 a 2 LK2)1/ 2 4Lvbr

7. A method for pulling cables into cable conduit tubes according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the pull-in speed of the cable to be fed is sn *e o selected that the contact faces are molten by friction heat, and a lubricant friction condition is provided by the fused mass.

8. A cable conduit assembly, substantially as herein described with reference 0" to the accompanying drawings. 0..

9. A method as claimed in claim 7, substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings. D.TED this 30th day of November 1994. DIPL.-ING. DR. ERNST VOGELSANG GMBH CO. KG S: By their Patent Attorneys: CALLINAN LAWRIE 1/12/940S7190.SPE,11 ABSTRACT A cable conduit assembly with at least one cable conduit tube made of thermoplastic plastics, which includes a cable conduit having a conduit inner wall circular in cross section with a tube inside radius r and sliding ribs moulded from the thermoplastics of the plastic tube arranged on the conduit inner wall Sliding ribs extend, related to the inside circumference, with a given angle of rotation a. In a linearly arranged cable conduit with a cable to be fed contact faces of rib contact width b arise at contact points between sliding ribs and cable S I* jacket of the cable to be fed. The sliding ribs extend in waveshape and form 10 reversal zones between sections with constant angle of rotation a. The rib contact width b, the number of sliding ribs equidistantly distributed over the circumference of the conduit inner wall the tube inside radius r, and the length 9a. *B 0 LK of the rib contact sections between reversal zones satisfy the equation 2 Ar 0.16 b z LK. The angle g, measured in radians, of the sliding ribs' lead a as measured on the conduit inner wall satisfies the equation g ra LK. *COO e. c* S