Breakaway Drop Clamp With Frangible Release for Impact Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Fiber cables are prone to damage from external impacts, such as falling objects, which can cause damage to the cable and the structures they are attached to, and existing solutions do not effectively mitigate this damage without risking further harm to the cable or building.
Innovation Solution
An impact-absorbing breakaway clamp system is used between the fiber cable and the building, featuring a frangible segment that allows the cable to release from the attachment point at a force lower than what would cause damage, preventing damage to the cable and structure by allowing it to drop safely to the ground.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the cable is securely attached to the building, then the cable is protected from falling and damage, but the cable becomes vulnerable to damage from impact forces that could damage both the cable and building
Solution Approach 1:
The clamp assembly is divided into a first clamp portion attached to the building and a second clamp portion attached to the cable, connected by a frangible segment. This segmentation allows the system to maintain secure attachment under normal conditions while enabling controlled separation when impact forces exceed the break threshold of the frangible segment.
Solution Approach 2:
The frangible segment acts as an intermediary element between the first and second clamp portions. It serves as a controlled weak point that absorbs impact energy by breaking, thereby protecting both the cable and building from damage while maintaining reliable attachment during normal operation.
2Strength
If a strong attachment mechanism is used, then the cable remains securely positioned, but the impact force is transmitted to the cable causing potential damage
Solution Approach 1:
The frangible segment is pre-designed with a specific break threshold that acts as a cushioning mechanism. When impact forces occur, the frangible segment breaks at the predetermined threshold, absorbing the impact energy before it can be transmitted to the cable or building, thus providing beforehand protection against damage.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the mechanical strength parameter at a specific point (the frangible segment) to be lower than the rest of the attachment mechanism. This parameter differentiation allows the overall system to maintain high strength for secure attachment while having a controlled weak point that prevents harmful force transmission during impacts.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the cable is allowed to drop freely, then impact damage is prevented, but the cable may become damaged during the dropping process
Solution Approach 1:
The frangible segment is pre-positioned and pre-configured at a specific location in the clamp assembly. When impact occurs, this pre-positioned weak point breaks first, controlling the release mechanism to allow the cable to drop in a controlled manner rather than creating unpredictable failure modes that could damage the cable.
Data Source
AI summary
A system supporting a cable to a building is provided. The system includes a device interposed between the cable and the building. The device includes a first portion. The device includes a second portion. The device includes a frangible segment having a break threshold. The frangible segment retains the first and second portions together below the break threshold and releases the first portion from the second portion upon the break threshold being reached.