Back-to-Back Metal Cable Clamp for Charging Connector
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cable clamps used in charging connectors can deform when subjected to tensile forces in the front-rear direction, leading to potential accommodation issues within the housing.
Innovation Solution
A cable clamp design featuring a first and second member made of metal plates with fixed portions, front and rear plate portions, and clamp portions, where the members are combined back-to-back with screws to securely hold the cable, preventing deformation by distributing tensile forces laterally and reducing the likelihood of the clamp being accommodated in the shell.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the cable clamp is made with a simple metal plate structure, then the manufacturing is easy and cost is low, but the clamp deforms under tensile force and cannot be properly accommodated in the housing
Solution Approach 1:
The cable clamp is divided into two separate half-bodies (94H, 94H) that are combined together. Each half-body has a bottom wall (940) and four side walls (942, 944, 946, 948) extending from the bottom wall. This segmentation allows the clamp to maintain structural integrity while being manufacturable from simple metal plates, resolving the contradiction between ease of manufacture and resistance to deformation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces engagement pieces (950, 950) and engagement holes (952, 952) on the side walls of the half-bodies, creating a third dimension of structural reinforcement. These engagement features extend laterally from the main body, providing additional geometric constraints that prevent deformation in the front-rear direction while maintaining simplicity of construction.
2Strength
If the front walls and rear walls are pressed against the cable to secure it, then the cable holding force is improved, but the walls deform in the front-rear direction and the clamp cannot be accommodated in the housing
Solution Approach 1:
Two half-bodies (94H, 94H) are merged together through the engagement pieces and holes to form a complete cable clamp. This merging creates a symmetric structure where the engagement features on both half-bodies work together to prevent deformation, allowing the front and rear walls to press against the cable effectively without deforming in the front-rear direction.
Solution Approach 2:
Each half-body is designed with asymmetric features relative to the other, with engagement pieces on one half-body fitting into engagement holes on the other half-body. This asymmetric design allows the two identical metal plate components to combine into a structurally stable assembly that resists deformation while maintaining ease of manufacture.
Data Source
AI summary
A cable clamp has first and second metal plate members, each with two fixed portions, front and rear plate portions, and a clamp portion. The fixed portions are separated from each other in a first direction perpendicular to a front-rear direction. The front plate portion couples the fixed portions to each other. The rear plate portion is rearward of and apart from the front plate portion and couples the fixed portions to each other. The clamp portion is on the front or rear plate portions or both. When clamped, in a second direction perpendicular to the front-rear and first directions, the first member fixed portions are fixed to the second member fixed portions, respectively, the cable, in the second direction, is between the first and second member front plate portions and between the first and second member rear plate portions, and the clamp portion is pressed against the cable.