Apical conduit and methods of using same

• US 9,531,174 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2013
• Issued: 12/27/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Elford, Michael L., Morrill, Robert J., Winterrowd, Michael Paul, Barnett, Thomas Charles Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): WONG, ERIC K
• Application Number:
  US13/779,488
• Publication Number:
  US 20130223807A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,399 Days
• Field of Search: 385100-101
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: E01C 11/00 Details of pavings E01C1/005, E01C5/003, E01C5/005, E01C7/145, E01C7/185, E01C7/325 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E01C 23/025 Making or working grooves or like channels in laid paving, e.g. smoothing groove edges E01C23/026, E01C23/028 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E01C 23/0933 rotary, e.g. circular-saw joint cutters
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4459 Ducts; Conduits; Hollow tubes for air blown fibres
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/504 Installation in solid material, e.g. underground
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/0437 Channels
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49815 Disassembling
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/51 Plural diverse manufacturing apparatus including means for metal shaping or assembling
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53 Means to assemble or disassemble

Abstract

This document discloses novel conduits for telecommunications lines, such as optical fibers. In an aspect, a conduit might have a body defining one or more channels into which optical fibers can be inserted. In another aspect, the body might have a first face that is substantially planar and a second face opposing the first face. The second face might a low-rise arc profile and/or might be configured to be installed into a depression in a material. Also disclosed are methods and tools for installing, using, and/or removing such conduit.

Claims

1. A multi-piece conduit chaseway system, comprising:

a shear-able protective cap; and

a support structure coupled to the shear-able protective cap, the support structure comprising a plurality of chaseways that are formed or bonded together, the support structure being disposed in relation to an installation material such that the plurality of chaseways are arranged in a side-by-side orientation forming a line of adjacent chaseways, with the line being substantially parallel with a plane defined by a top surface of the installation material, each chaseway defining one or more spaces into which one or more cables are inserted, wherein at least three chaseways of the plurality of chaseways forming the line of adjacent chaseways each have a triangular cross-sectional shape, wherein the at least three chaseways of the plurality of chaseways each having the triangular cross-sectional shape are directly adjacent to each other such that configuration of the at least three chaseways being directly adjacent to each other forms a trapezoidal cross-sectional shape.

2. The chaseway system of claim 1, wherein the chaseway is buried in the installation material and adjacent a bottom surface of the shear-able protective cap, and wherein a top surface of the shear-able protective cap is positioned to be substantially flush with the top surface of the installation material.

3. An apical conduit transition connector, comprising:

a first end portion configured to receive a buried cable in a first ground portion that is below a ground surface, the first ground portion being composed of a first set of materials; and

a second end portion configured to be coupled with an apical conduit in a second ground portion that is also below the ground surface but is different from the first ground portion, the second ground portion being a protective surface comprising at least one of a roadway surface, a sidewalk surface, or an asphalt path surface, the second ground portion being composed of a second set of materials that is different from the first set of materials, wherein the first end portion and the second end portion are each disposed in the first ground portion, and wherein the first end portion transitions cables in the apical conduit, which is near a top surface of the second ground portion yet below the ground surface, to a deeper depth of the cables that are buried in the first ground portion.

4. The apical conduit transition connector of claim 3, further comprising a middle portion between the first end portion and the second end portion.

5. The apical conduit transition connector of claim 4, wherein the middle portion is flexible to allow formation during installation.

6. The apical conduit transition connector of claim 4, wherein the middle portion defines one or more bend radii that conform to minimum bend radius standards applicable to the cable.

7. A system, comprising:

a groove formed in a roadway surface;

one or more telecommunication lines positioned in the groove;

one or more staging devices configured to hold the one or more telecommunication lines in place, the one or more staging devices each comprising a plurality of tangs defining a capture area of a plurality of capture areas between each set of two adjacent tangs, the one or more staging devices being displaced in the groove in a horizontal orientation in which the plurality of tangs align along a line that is substantially parallel with a plane defined by a top surface of the roadway surface, wherein each capture area of the plurality of capture areas is configured to hold the one or more telecommunication lines in place in the groove, wherein each tang of the plurality of tangs has a distended end portion, and wherein a first spacing between two adjacent distended end portions of two adjacent tangs is significantly less than a second spacing between mid-portions of the two adjacent tangs, and the two adjacent distended end portions are configured to avoid contact with each other; and

a capping material disposed at least partially in the groove to protect the one or more telecommunication lines.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the one or more telecommunication lines comprise one or more loose fiber tubes.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the one or more telecommunication lines comprise one or more microducts configured to hold fiber optic cable.

10. The system of claim 7, further comprising:

an angled bore extending from the groove to a ground penetration extending from a side of the roadway; and

a transition line extending through the angled bore and connecting at least one of the one or more telecommunication lines with a direct-buried fiber plant system.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the transition line comprises a microduct, and wherein the system further comprises a connector to couple the at least one of the one or more telecommunication lines with the transition line.

12. The system of claim 7, further comprising one or more staging clips configured to hold the one or more telecommunication lines in place.

20. The system of claim 7, further comprising inserting, into the groove, one or more staging clips configured to hold the one or more telecommunication lines in place.

13. A method of installing one or more telecommunication lines, the method comprising:

creating a groove in a roadway surface;

inserting, into the groove, one or more staging devices configured to hold the one or more telecommunication lines in place, the one or more staging devices each comprising a plurality of tangs defining a capture area of a plurality of capture areas between each set of two adjacent tangs, the one or more staging devices being displaced in the groove in a horizontal orientation in which the plurality of tangs align along a line that is substantially parallel with a plane defined by a top surface of the roadway surface, wherein each tang of the plurality of tangs has a distended end portion, and wherein a first spacing between two adjacent distended end portions of two adjacent tangs is significantly less than a second spacing between mid-portions of the two adjacent tangs, and the two adjacent distended end portions are configured to avoid contact with each other;

positioning the one or more telecommunication lines in two or more capture areas of the plurality of capture areas of the one or more staging devices; and

disposing a capping material at least partially in the groove to protect the one or more telecommunication lines.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

creating an angled bore extending from the groove to a ground penetration extending from a side of the roadway; and

connecting at least one of the one or more telecommunication lines with a direct-buried fiber plant system through a transition line extending through the angled bore.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the transition line comprises a microduct, and wherein the system further comprises a connector to couple the at least one of the one or more telecommunication lines with the transition line.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

fixing the one or more telecommunication lines in the groove using one or more staging devices or staging clips.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the one or more telecommunication lines comprise one or more loose fiber tubes.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the one or more telecommunication lines comprise one or more microducts configured to hold fiber optic cable.

19. The method of claim 13, further comprising inserting, into the groove, one or more staging devices configured to hold the one or more telecommunication lines in place.