SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR LOOP DETECTOR INSTALLATION

• US 20080271907A1
• Filed: 05/05/2008
• Published: 11/06/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Transcore LP (Roper Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: United Toll Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: ALLEN, JIM
• Granted Patent: US 7,952,021 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 174/50
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/02 using treadles built into the road pads or other sensitive devices responsive to passage of vehicles E01F11/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 248/906 Electrical outlet box support

Abstract

A pre-fabricated ferromagnetic loop having a footprint characterized by a continuous wire shaped according to a predetermined planar pattern. In some embodiments, the predetermined planar pattern can be multiple contiguous polygons within a larger footprint used for establishing a sensor for the detection of moving vehicles. The footprint may include one of a triangle, a square, a rectangle, a rhombus, a parallelogram, an ellipse, or a circle, and/or other shapes or configurations. Similarly, each of the multiple contiguous polygons may include one of a triangle, a square, a rectangle, a rhombus, a parallelogram, and/or other shapes or configurations. A loop sensor housing is arranged to enclose a continuous loop sensor wire configured in the predetermined planar pattern. The prefabricated loop sensor is inserted in a groove web pre-cut in a receiving medium to match the predetermined planar pattern.

Claims

1. A casing for installation of an equipment in a receiving medium, comprising:

an internal chamber configured to maintain a predetermined shape of the equipment;

a planar shape configured to maintain the predetermined shape of the equipment;

a cross-sectional shape configured to secure the casing within the receiving medium; and

a top retaining portion configured to maintain the casing at a predetermined depth in the receiving medium.

2. The casing of claim 1, further comprising a deformable side portion configured to contact the receiving medium when the casing is placed in the receiving medium.

3. The casing of claim 1, wherein the planar shape comprises two or more contiguous polygons.

4. The casing of claim 1, wherein the cross-sectional shape comprises a deformable material.

5. The casing of claim 1, wherein the cross-sectional shape comprises polyvinyl chloride.

6. The casing of claim 1, wherein the internal chamber comprises partially separable portions configured to receive the equipment through a lower region of the separable portions.

7. The casing of claim 6, wherein the partially separable portions are configured to fasten to each other.

8. The casing of claim 7, wherein the partially separable portions are fastened to each other by a fastener.

9. The casing of claim 7, wherein the partially separable portions are fastened to each other using a fastening region of each of the partially separable portions.

10. The casing of claim 1, wherein the internal chamber is configured to house a continuous wire having one or more loops.

11. The casing of claim 10, wherein the internal chamber comprises a width of about one-quarter of an inch and a depth of about one inch.

12. The casing of claim 10, wherein the internal chamber comprises a set of wire guides.

13. The casing of claim 12, wherein the set of wire guides comprises one of a plurality of vertically stacked wire guides, and a plurality of side-by-side wire guides arranged in a horizontal plane.

14. The casing of claim 12, wherein the continuous wire comprises multiple wire turns, each wire turn arranged within a separate wire guide of the set of wire guides.

15. A method for installing an equipment in a receiving medium, comprising:

configuring a casing having a shape that matches with that of the equipment, wherein the casing includes an internal chamber and a top retaining portion;

arranging the equipment within the internal chamber;

enclosing the casing to keep the equipment within the internal chamber; and

placing the casing with the equipment therein in the receiving medium, wherein

the top retaining portion maintains the casing at a predetermined depth in the receiving medium.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising

providing a deformable side portion to the casing;

and

deforming a distal end of the deformable side portion upward and inward with respect to a main portion of the casing during the placing step.

17. A casing for installation of a continuous wire in a receiving medium, comprising:

a planar shape configured to maintain the continuous wire in an internal chamber of the casing;

a cross-sectional shape configured to secure the casing within the receiving medium;

a deformable side portion configured to secure the casing in the receiving medium when placed therein; and

a top retaining portion configured to maintain the casing at a predetermined depth in the receiving medium.

18. The casing of claim 17, wherein the planar shape comprises two or more contiguous polygons.

19. The casing of claim 17, wherein the internal chamber is configured to house at least one loop of the continuous wire.

20. The casing of claim 17, wherein the internal chamber comprises a width of about one-quarter of an inch and a depth of about one inch.

21. The casing of claim 17, wherein the internal chamber comprises a set of wire guides.

22. The casing of claim 21, wherein the set of wire guides comprises one of a plurality of vertically stacked wire guides, and a plurality of side-by-side wire guides arranged in a horizontal plane.

23. The casing of claim 21, wherein the continuous wire comprises multiple wire turns, each wire turn arranged within a separate wire guide of the set of wire guides.

24. The casing of claim 21, further comprises a plurality of separate housing segments.

25. The casing of claim 24, wherein the plurality of separate housing segments comprise:

a linear segment containing a plurality of wire guides;

a corner segment configured to guide the sensor loop wire in a corner region of a groove web; and

a T segment configured to guide the sensor loop wire in a T region of a groove web.

26. The casing of claim 17, wherein the predetermined planar shape is one of a triangle, a rectangle, a square, a circle, an ellipse, a rhombus, and a parallelogram.

27. A method for installing a continuous wire in a receiving medium, comprising:

providing a casing with a predetermined planer shape, wherein the planer shape comprises at least one of a triangle, rectangle, square, circle, ellipse, rhombus, and parallelogram;

arranging the continuous loop sensor wire within an internal chamber of the casing;

enclosing the continuous wire within the casing;

preparing a cavity in the receiving medium, wherein the cavity has a planar shape that is substantially the same as the predetermined planner shape of the casing; and

placing the casing with the continuous wire in the cavity.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the arranging step further comprises:

separating partially separable portions of the casing in a lower region;

placing the continuous wire in the internal chamber via the separable portion; and

fastening the partially separable portions together.

29. The method of claim 27, further comprising placing the continuous wire using a wire guide region of the casing.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the placing the continuous wire in the wire guide region comprises arranging the continuous wire in multiple wire turns, each wire turn arranged within a separate wire guide of the wired guide region.

31. The method of claim 27, further comprising

providing a deformable side portion to the casing, the deformable side portion is substantially wider than the cavity;

and

deforming a distal end of the deformable side portion upward and inward with respect to a main portion of the casing while pressing the casing in the cavity, whereby the deformable side portion contacts a sidewall of the cavity.

32. The method of claim 31, further comprising:

providing a retaining portion at a top region of the casing; and

sliding the casing into the cavity until the retaining portion contacts a top surface of the receiving medium.