Filament wound structural light poles
AssigneeNorth Pacific Group, Inc.
InventorClint Ashton
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A one-piece, unitary, elongate, tubular light pole. The elongate light pole defines a central axis and is constructed from a filament-wound composite of fiber-reinforced bonding agent and has a wall thickness of less than ¾ inch, and preferably ⅜ inch. The pole is configured and adapted to support a lighting structure thereon without failure of the composite, such that a twenty-foot section of the pole is capable of withstanding a lateral load transverse of the axis of at least 300 pounds without failure of the composite.
Claims41
A street light comprising:
- a one-piece, unitary, elongate, tubular member defining a central axis, said tubular member being constructed from a filament-wound composite of fiber-reinforced bonding agent and having a substantially constant exterior taper;
- means for supporting the tubular member in a stationary, upwardly-extending orientation such that said tubular member terminates in an upper section;
- and
- lighting means attached to the upper section of the tubular member for projecting light;
- wherein said filament-wound composite comprises windings that form an angle within a range of 80-100 degrees with respect to the central axis.
A method of supporting a lighting structure, said method comprising the steps of:
- (a) forming a one-piece, unitary, elongate, tubular member defining a central axis, said tubular member being constructed from a filament-wound composite of fiber-reinforced bonding agent and having a wall thickness of less than ¾ inch;
- (b) configuring said tubular member to support said lighting structure thereon;
- (c) configuring said tubular member such that a twenty-foot section of said tubular member fixed at one end withstands a lateral load transverse of the axis of at least 300 pounds applied to an opposing free end without failure of said composite material.
A method of supporting a lighting structure, said method comprising the steps of:
- (a) forming a one-piece, unitary, elongate, tubular member defining a central axis, said tubular member being constructed from a filament-wound composite of fiber-reinforced bonding agent;
- (b) configuring said tubular member such that a twenty-foot section of said tubular member fixed at one end undergoes less than 19.938 inches of deflection when a lateral load of at least 300 pounds is applied at an opposing free end section of said tubular member in a transverse direction relative to the axis.
A method of supporting a lighting structure, said method comprising the steps of:
- (a) forming a one-piece, unitary, elongate, tubular member defining a central axis, said tubular member being constructed from a filament-wound composite of fiber-reinforced bonding agent;
- (b) configuring said tubular member such that a twenty-foot section of said tubular member fixed at one end undergoes less than 36 inches of deflection when a lateral load is applied at an opposing free end section of said tubular member in a transverse direction relative to the axis and at a magnitude sufficient to induce failure of the composite.
A method of supporting a lighting structure, said method comprising the steps of:
- (a) forming a one-piece, unitary, elongate, tubular member defining a central axis, said tubular member being constructed from a filament-wound composite of fiber-reinforced bonding agent;
- (b) configuring said tubular member to support said lighting structure thereon and to bear lateral loads imposed by said lighting structure without failure of the composite;
- and
- (c) forming said tubular member to have an average linear weight distribution of less than five pounds per foot and further having an average outer diameter of at least six inches.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.