Branch Connector With Differential Cable Holders
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional branch connectors that tightly clamp cables are prone to breakage due to bending loads from vibrations or shocks, especially when subjected to repeated forces in a suspended state.
Innovation Solution
The branch connector design incorporates a combination of 'tight' and 'loose' cable holders within split housings, with U-shaped grooves and inclined faces to distribute bending loads, preventing cable breakage by allowing controlled radial movement and dispersing stress.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If cables are tightly clamped between split housings to prevent water ingress, then waterproofing is improved, but cable breakage risk increases under vibration or shock
Solution Approach 1:
The cable holder features different regions with distinct functions: a first region with a tight holding portion that has a small radial gap for waterproofing, and a second region with a loose holding portion that has a large radial gap to accommodate cable movement and reduce stress concentration. This local differentiation allows the same component to satisfy both waterproofing and breakage resistance requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The cable holder is divided into multiple functional segments: the tight holding portion for water sealing, the loose holding portion for stress relief, and an inclined face for load distribution. This segmentation allows each region to optimize its local function without compromising the overall system performance.
2Stability of the object's composition
If cables are tightly clamped to ensure secure connection, then connection stability is improved, but stress concentration increases causing cable breakage
Solution Approach 1:
The cable holder implements local quality by creating a loose holding portion with a large radial gap in the second region, which significantly reduces stress concentration on the cable while the first region maintains tight holding for connection stability. This spatial differentiation of holding tightness allows simultaneous achievement of stability and stress reduction.
Solution Approach 2:
The inclined face introduces a dimensional transition that distributes bending loads across a larger area of the cable. By transforming the point-contact stress into a distributed load over the inclined surface, the stress concentration is reduced while maintaining connection stability.
Data Source
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AI summary
A branch connector is capable of preventing cable breakage when subjected to vibration or shock. The branch connector (1) includes a pair of split housings capable of opening and closing with respect to each other, a relay contact (40) supported by the split housings and connecting electrically to a cable guided by the split housings in a closed state, and a cable holder, formed in the split housings to hold the cable, including a tight cable holder on the side closer to the relay contact (40) to hold the cable so that movement of the cable in a radial direction is relatively smaller when the split housings are in the closed state and a loose cable holder on the side farther from the relay contact (40) to hold the cable so that movement of the cable in a radial direction is relatively larger when the split housings are in the closed state.