Multiple chamber folded innerduct structure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11226463-B2
Application number	US-201916674458-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 5, 2019
Priority date	Dec 20, 2018
Publication date	Jan 18, 2022
Grant date	Jan 18, 2022

Abstract

A flexible innerduct structure having a first margin region, a second margin region, and a middle region, where the middle region is located between the first and second margin regions. The innerduct structure contains at least two flexible, longitudinal chambers, with each chamber being designed for enveloping at least one cable.The flexible innerduct structure contains at least one strip-shaped textile, each strip containing a first side and a second edge and extending in the longitudinal direction. All first and second edges of the strips are located in the middle region and each strip-shaped textile extends outwards from the middle region, folds about a fold axis located in either the first or second margin region and returns to the middle region. At least one strip extends from the first to the second margin region and the strips are attached together in the middle region.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A flexible innerduct structure having a first margin region, a second margin region, and a middle region, wherein the middle region is located between the first and second margin regions, wherein the innerduct structure comprises at least two flexible, longitudinal chambers, each chamber designed for enveloping at least one cable, wherein the flexible innerduct structure comprises:
at least one strip-shaped textile, wherein each strip-shaped textile comprises a first edge and a second edge and extends in the longitudinal direction, wherein all first and second edges of the strips are located in the middle region, wherein each strip-shaped textile extends outwards from the middle region, folds about a fold axis located in either the first margin region or second margin region and returns to the middle region forming a longitudinal chamber, wherein at least one strip extends from the first margin region to the second margin region, wherein the innerduct structure comprises at least one fold in at least one strip of the textile material in the first margin region and at least one fold in at least one strip of the textile material in the second margin region, wherein the strips are attached together in the middle region, and wherein the strips are attached together in the middle section by sewing.

2. The flexible innerduct structure of claim 1 , wherein all the chambers are formed from a single, continuous strip-shaped textile.

3. The flexible innerduct structure of claim 1 , wherein the innerduct structure comprises at least two strips of textile material.

4. The flexible innerduct structure of claim 1 , wherein the innerduct structure comprises at least three chambers.

5. The flexible innerduct structure of claim 1 , wherein the innerduct structure comprises at least four chambers.

6. The flexible innerduct structure of claim 1 , wherein at least the first edge of the textile material is folded onto itself in the middle region.

7. The flexible innerduct structure of claim 6 , wherein the first edge and the second edge are folded onto themselves in the middle region.

8. The flexible innerduct structure of claim 1 , wherein the innerduct structure comprises at least two folds in the textile material in the first margin region and at least one fold in the textile material in the second margin region.

9. The flexible innerduct structure of claim 1 , wherein the innerduct structure comprises at least one fold in the textile material in the first margin region and at least two folds in the textile material in the second margin region.

10. The flexible innerduct structure of claim 1 , wherein the innerduct structure comprises two folds in the textile material in the first margin region and two folds in the textile material in the second margin region.

11. The flexible innerduct structure of claim 1 , wherein the distance between the middle region to the first margin region is greater than the distance between the middle region and the second margin region.

12. The flexible innerduct structure of claim 1 , wherein the innerduct chambers are only joined together in the middle region.

13. The flexible innerduct structure of claim 1 , further including a cable in at least one of the innerduct chambers.

14. The flexible innerduct structure of claim 1 , further including a pull line in at least one of the innerduct chambers.

15. The flexible innerduct structure of claim 1 , wherein the textile material comprises warp yarns in the longitudinal direction of the flexible innerduct and fill yarns in the transverse direction of the flexible innerduct.

16. The flexible innerduct structure of claim 1 , wherein the warp yarns comprise monofilament yarns.

17. The flexible innerduct structure of claim 1 , wherein the fill yarns comprise monofilament yarns.

18. The flexible innerduct structure of claim 17 , wherein the fill yarns further comprise multifilament yarns.

19. The flexible innerduct structure of claim 1 , wherein the textile material is a woven fabric comprising:
(a) a warp comprised of monofilament yarn ends; and
(b) a filling comprised of a combination of monofilament and multifilament yarn picks, wherein at least a portion of the multifilament yarn picks are multiple-inserted.

20. The flexible innerduct structure of claim 1 , wherein the textile material is a woven fabric comprising:
a plurality warp yarns arranged into groupings of warp yarns, wherein each grouping contains between 2 and 10 warp yarns; and,
a plurality of picks of weft yarns;
wherein in each first weave zone the picks of weft yarns comprise a repeating first weft pattern of at least one monofilament yarn, at least one multiple-inserted multifilament yarn, and optionally at least one single-inserted multifilament yarn,
wherein in each partial float zone the picks of weft yarns within the partial float weave zone comprise a repeating second weft pattern of at least one monofilament yarn, at least one multiple-inserted multifilament yarn, and optionally at least one single-inserted multifilament yarn,
wherein only a portion of the warp yarns within at least a portion of the warp groupings float over 3 weft yarns including floating over at least one multiple-inserted multifilament weft yarn in at least a portion of weft pattern repeats, and wherein outside of the floats the non-floating warp yarns pass successively over and under alternating picks of weft yarns.

21. A conduit comprising one or more of the flexible innerduct structure of claim 1 .

Assignees

• Milliken & Co

Inventors

• Bedingfield Steven L
• Lee Kwee C
• Chen Kai

Classifications

• G02B6/47

  Installation in buildings · CPC title

• H02G3/0462

  Tubings, i.e. having a closed section · CPC title

• H02G3/0487

  with a non-circular cross-section (H02G3/0468, H02G3/0475 take precedence) · CPC title

• D03D1/0043

  for elongated members, i.e. sleeves · CPC title

• H02G3/0406 Primary

  Details thereof (installation or suspension of conduit channels and other supports H02G3/263) · CPC title