Semi-Parabolic Cable Attachment Guide Device

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing methods for forming cable attachments on electrical cables result in irregular shapes due to manual guidance of cutting tools, leading to deviations and imperfections that can affect field strength and interfere with applications requiring low interference.

Innovation Solution

A guide device for a cutting tool, specifically a milling machine, with a tool holder that can be rotated and moved along a semi-parabolic control curve, ensuring precise alignment and uniform distance maintenance, allowing for reproducible shaping of cable attachments.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If manual freehand guidance of cutting tool is used, then ease of operation is improved, but manufacturing precision deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of operationVSAvoidmanufacturing precision
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

A guide device with a control cam serves as an intermediary between the operator and the cutting tool. The control cam's semi-parabolic profile guides the tool holder along a predetermined path, eliminating the need for skilled freehand guidance while maintaining operational simplicity. The guide device translates simple rotational motion into precise linear cutting paths.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces the mechanical skill-based freehand guidance system with a mechanical guidance system based on a control cam. The cam's physical profile substitutes for the operator's manual control skills, providing automatic path control that ensures consistent semi-parabolic cable terminations without requiring operator expertise.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Productivity

If motor-driven cutting tools are used, then productivity is improved, but manufacturing precision deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveproductivityVSAvoidmanufacturing precision
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The guide device acts as an intermediary that couples the motor-driven cutting tool with precise path control. The control cam mediates between the motor's power and the cutting tool's motion, ensuring that high-speed machining produces precise semi-parabolic profiles rather than irregular shapes.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The guide device introduces dynamic control to the motor-driven system. The control cam's profile dynamically adjusts the tool holder's position along the cable axis during rotation, enabling the high-speed motor to produce precise, consistent cable terminations with varying distances from the cable surface during the cutting cycle.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

3Device complexity

If freehand cutting is used, then device complexity is reduced, but shape consistency deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedevice complexityVSAvoidshape consistency
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSShape

Solution Approach 1:

The control cam serves as a simple intermediary component that embodies the desired semi-parabolic shape. By incorporating the shape profile directly into the cam's physical form, the device achieves consistent cable termination shapes without complex control systems, computers, or sensors.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The control cam's profile is pre-formed to match the desired semi-parabolic cable termination shape. This preliminary action of shaping the cam ensures that every cutting operation automatically produces the correct shape, eliminating variability without requiring complex real-time control or adjustment mechanisms.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP3471224B1Guide device for a cutting tool
Publication Date: 2021.02.24 NKT GMBH & CO KG
  • EP3471224B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3471224B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3471224B1 patent drawingFigure 3~5

AI summary

The present invention relates to a guide device for a cutting tool, in particular for a milling machine, which can be mounted for forming a cable attachment (15) on an electrical cable (14), with a tool holder (3) carrying the cutting tool, which is rotatable about the electrical cable (14) and movable along a control cam (6).