Cable Bracket With Flexible Fingers For Routing Wires
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Solution Overview
Problem
Stapling electrical cables and wires to building structural members is a labor-intensive process that lacks efficiency and flexibility in accommodating various cable sizes and preventing accidental dislodgment.
Innovation Solution
A cable bracket with multiple slots of varying sizes, featuring flexible fingers that securely hold cables without falling out due to gravity, allowing easy insertion and removal, and can be fastened to structural members using orthogonal through holes for secure attachment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If cables are stapled to building structural members, then cables are secured in place, but the process is labor-intensive and lacks flexibility
Solution Approach 1:
The bracket is segmented into multiple slots of varying sizes, each capable of independently holding different cable types. This segmentation allows simultaneous accommodation of multiple cable sizes (e.g., 120V, 240V, network cabling) within a single bracket unit, eliminating the need for multiple different bracket types and reducing installation labor
Solution Approach 2:
The bracket serves multiple functions: it secures various cable sizes, provides organized routing paths, and enables easy installation through universal mounting holes. The plurality of slots with different dimensions allows a single bracket design to handle diverse cable types (Romex, network cabling, etc.), making it a universal solution replacing traditional stapling methods
2Reliability
If cables are held in slots with narrow entrances, then cables are prevented from falling out due to gravity, but insertion requires pushing force
Solution Approach 1:
The slot entrance is designed to be dynamic rather than static. The flexible fingers allow the slot entrance to expand when force is applied during insertion, then automatically return to its original narrow configuration to secure the cable. This dynamic behavior enables both easy insertion and reliable retention without requiring permanent wide openings
Solution Approach 2:
The physical parameter of the slot entrance width changes based on applied force. During insertion, the entrance temporarily widens to accommodate the cable; once inserted, the elastic recovery of the flexible fingers returns the entrance to its original narrow dimension, preventing cable dislodgment. This parameter change resolves the contradiction between insertion ease and retention reliability
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The cable bracket provides a efficient and flexible solution for routing and securing electrical cables, accommodating different sizes and preventing accidental dislodgment, while allowing easy installation and minimizing interference with finishing surfaces.
Implementation Method 1
The fingers bend enough to allow the wire/cable to enter the slot and seat in the slot. The flexible fingers then naturally bend back to their original states, thereby re-creating the narrowed slot entrance and so preventing the wire or cable from falling out of the slot.
Data Source
AI summary
A cable bracket that can be used to hold and route electrical cables and other wires. The cable bracket has a base member and a plurality of thin flexible fingers projecting from the base member. The fingers define slots that are each adapted to releasably hold a cable or wire.