CABLE INSTALLATION APPARATUS

• US 20110178713A1
• Filed: 09/18/2009
• Published: 07/21/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: British Telecommunications PLC (BT Group PLC)
• Original Assignee: British Telecommunications PLC (BT Group PLC)
• Inventors: Nolde, Keith Eric, Barker, Philip Alfred
• Granted Patent: US 9,774,175 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/12
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/52 using fluid, e.g. air
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 1/086 using fluid as pulling means, e.g. liquid, pressurised gas or suction means

Abstract

A device for detecting a flow of air from an exit end of a tube fed into an entrance end of the tube, including a bore having a first section with a first size bore size and a second section with a second bore size, an obstruction located within the bore between the first section and the second section, the obstruction configured to obstruct air flowing from the first section to the second section, and fixing means to fix the device to the tube so that the bore communicates with the exit end of the tube, wherein in use, an air pressure sensor is used to compare air pressure within the first bore section and air pressure within the second bore section, so that a pressure differential is indicative of an air flow within the bore.

Claims

1. A device for detecting a flow of air from an exit end of a tube fed into an entrance end of the tube, comprising:

a bore having a first bore section with a first size bore size and a second bore section with a second bore size;

an obstruction located within the bore between the first bore section and the second bore section, the obstruction configured to obstruct air flowing from the exit end of the tube to the second bore section via the first bore section; and

fixing means to fix the device to the tube so that the bore communicates with the exit end of the tube,

wherein in use, an air pressure sensor is used to compare air pressure within the first bore section and air pressure within the second bore section, so that a pressure differential is indicative of an air flow within the bore.

2. A device according to claim 1, further comprising a first air outlet communicating with the first bore section, and a second air outlet communicating with the second bore section, and wherein in use the air pressure sensor compares pressure of air flowing from the first bore section via the first air outlet, and pressure of air flowing from the second bore section via the second air outlet.

3. A device according to claim 1, further comprising an air-porous barrier located at an end of the bore device remote from the fixing means.

4. A device according to claim 1, wherein the obstruction comprises a narrowing section of the bore.

5. A device according to claim 1, wherein the first size bore size is different from the second size bore size.

6. A device according to claim 1, comprising a retaining section for retention of a fibre bead exiting the exit end of the tube into the bore of the device, and a sensor located at or proximate to the retaining section for detection of the fibre fiber bead within the bore.

7. A device according to claim 6, wherein the retaining section is located in the narrowing section of the bore.

8. A device according to claim 6, wherein the fiber bead sensor comprises an induction coil being part of an LC oscillator operatively connected to the device.

9. A device according to claim 1, further comprising a signalling unit arranged in use to remotely signal at least one of presence of air flow within the bore or retention of the fiber bead within the retaining section.

10. A device according to claim 9, wherein the signalling unit is a GSM mobile communication device.

11. A device according claim 6, wherein at least one of the pressure sensor or the fiber bead sensor is operatively connected to a processor arranged to detect the air flow within the bore.

12. A device according to claim 11, wherein the processor is further arranged to activate the signalling unit.

13. A method of detecting a flow of air from an exit end of a tube, comprising:

fixing a device to the tube so that a bore within the device communicates with the exit end of the tube, the device comprising

a bore having a first bore section with a first size bore size and a second bore section with a second bore size,

an obstruction located within the bore between the first bore section and the second bore section, the obstruction configured to obstruct air flowing from the exit end of the tube to the second bore section via the first bore section, and

fixing means to fix the device to the tube so that the bore communicates with the exit end of the tube, wherein in use, an air pressure sensor is used to compare air pressure within the first bore section and air pressure within the second bore section, so that a pressure differential is indicative of an air flow within the bore;

feeding air into an entrance end of the tube;

obstructing air flowing from the exit end of the tube to a second bore section of the device via a first bore section of the device;

comparing air pressure levels within the first bore section and the second bore section; and

signalling a pressure differential from the comparison as being indicative of an air flow within the bore.

14. A method according to claim 13 including initializing the device by comparing air pressure within the first bore section and air pressure within the second bore section, before feeding air into an entrance end of the tube.

15. A method according to claim 13, further comprising:

feeding a fiber unit tipped with a fiber bead into the entrance end of the tube;

using a fiber bead sensor to detect retention of the fiber bead within a retaining section within the device; and

signalling presence of the fiber bead within the device as being indicative of fiber unit arrival at the exit end of the tube.