Toneable conduit with loose toning signal wire
View Patent ↗A toneable conduit includes an elongate polymeric tube having a sidewall with an interior surface and an exterior surface. The interior surface defines a main channel. A sub-channel, smaller in cross sectional area than the main channel, extends longitudinally between the exterior and interior surfaces of the tube. A continuous toning signal wire is located within the sub-channel. The sub-channel has a larger cross sectional area than a cross sectional area of the toning signal wire, so that an air gap exists within said sub-channel around portions of the toning signal wire.
1. A toneable conduit comprising:
a polymer material forming an elongated tube;
a main channel formed within said elongated tube for accepting at least one communication cable;
a sub-channel formed within said elongated tube; and
a toning signal wire resident within said sub-channel, said toning signal wire being electrically conductive from a first end of said toneable conduit to a second end of said toneable conduit, and said toning signal wire having a cross sectional area which is substantially less than a cross sectional area of said sub-channel.
2. The toneable conduit according to claim 1 , wherein said sub-channel is integrally formed with a sidewall defining said main channel.
3. The toneable conduit according to claim 2 , wherein said sidewall defining said main channel includes an exterior surface and an interior surface, and wherein said sub-channel resides between said exterior surface and said interior surface.
4. The toneable conduit according to claim 3 , wherein said interior surface protrudes inwardly toward a center of said elongated tube immediately below said sub-channel to form an interior surface with a rib to facilitate the installation of cables within said main channel of said toneable conduit.
5. The toneable conduit according to claim 1 , wherein a cross sectional area of said sub-channel is at least about 25% larger than a cross sectional area of said toning signal wire.
6. The toneable conduit according to claim 1 , wherein a cross sectional area of said sub-channel is at least about 33% larger than a cross sectional area of said toning signal wire.
7. The toneable conduit according to claim 1 , wherein a cross sectional area of said sub-channel is at least about 45% larger than a cross sectional area of said toning signal wire.
8. The toneable conduit according to claim 1 , wherein said toning signal wire is coated with a coating composition that prevents said toning signal wire from adhering to said polymer material of said elongated tube.
9. The toneable conduit according to claim 1 , wherein said toning signal wire includes a layer of polytetrafluoroethylene.
10. The toneable conduit according to claim 1 , wherein said toning signal wire is coated with silicone grease.
11. The toneable conduit according to claim 1 , wherein said toning signal wire is eighteen gauge.
12. The toneable conduit according to claim 1 , wherein said toning signal wire is a copper-clad steel wire.
13. The toneable conduit according to claim 1 , wherein said polymer material is high density polyethylene.
14. The toneable conduit according to claim 1 , wherein an exterior surface of said elongated tube presents a substantially circular cross section.
15. The toneable conduit according to claim 1 , wherein said sub-channel is substantially circular in cross section.
16. A toneable conduit, comprising:
an elongate polymeric tube having a sidewall with an interior surface and an exterior surface, said interior surface defining a main channel of said toneable conduit;
a sub-channel, smaller in cross sectional area than said main channel, extending longitudinally alongside said interior surface of said elongate polymeric tube; and
an electrically continuous wire located within said sub-channel, wherein said wire is capable of transmitting a toning signal to allow said toneable conduit to be detected by toning equipment, and wherein said sub-channel has a larger cross sectional area than a cross sectional area of said wire, so that an air gap exists within said sub-channel around. portions of said wire.
17. The toneable conduit according to claim 16 , wherein said sub-cannel resides between said exterior surface and said interior surface.
18. The toneable conduit according to claim 17 , wherein said interior surface protrudes inwardly toward a center of said elongate polymeric tube immediately below said sub-channel to form an interior surface with a rib to facilitate the installation of cables within said main channel of said toneable conduit.
19. The toneable conduit according to claim 16 , wherein said wire is coated with a coating composition that prevents said wire from adhering to a polymer material used to form said elongate polymeric tube.
20. A method of forming toneable conduit comprising:
extruding an elongate polymeric tube having a sidewall with an interior surface and an exterior surface, wherein the interior surface defines a main channel of the toneable conduit;
forming a sub-channel during said extruding step, wherein the sub-channel has a smaller cross sectional area than the main channel, and extends longitudinally alongside the interior surface of the elongate polymeric tube; and
feeding a continuous conductive wire into the sub-channel during said extruding step, wherein a cross sectional area of the sub-channel is formed larger than a cross sectional area of the continuous wire, so that an air gap exists within the sub-channel around portions of the continuous wire.