Cable Clamping Insert Structure for Fire Safety and Easy Release
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Solution Overview
Problem
Cable clamping devices made from fire-resistant materials like stainless steel can be costly, and wedges used for clamping cables are often difficult to release due to high clamping forces.
Innovation Solution
A clamping device design featuring a body with fire-resistant insert arrangement and a clamping member that includes a holder with a clamping formation, where the clamping member has a sliding surface that tapers inwardly, allowing easy release and using different materials for the body and insert to reduce costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the entire clamping device is made from fire-resistant material like stainless steel, then fire safety is ensured, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The clamping device is divided into two functional segments: a body made from cost-effective material (plastic or aluminum) and an insert arrangement made from fire-resistant material (stainless steel). This segmentation allows the fire-resistant material to be used only where required for safety, rather than throughout the entire device, thereby reducing manufacturing cost while maintaining fire safety standards.
Solution Approach 2:
Fire-resistant material is applied locally to the insert arrangement that directly contacts the cable and clamping member, rather than throughout the entire device. This local quality approach ensures fire safety at the critical interface while using cheaper materials for the body structure, resolving the contradiction between fire safety and manufacturing cost.
2Force
If conventional wedges are used for clamping, then clamping force is achieved, but releasing the wedge becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The clamping member transitions from a static wedge to a dynamic component with a tapered sliding surface that allows controlled movement. The taper geometry enables the clamping member to be easily inserted and removed while maintaining effective clamping force during operation, resolving the difficulty of releasing conventional wedges.
Solution Approach 2:
The sliding surface geometry is changed from a conventional wedge shape to a tapered surface with specific angular parameters. This parameter change optimizes the balance between generating sufficient clamping force and enabling easy release, as the taper angle can be precisely controlled to reduce friction and facilitate smooth movement.
Data Source
AI summary
A clamping device includes: a body defining opposite apertures to allow an elongate article to extend through the body, the body further defining a space between the apertures; a clamping member for clamping the elongate article; and an insert arrangement or overmoulded part received in the space. The insert arrangement or overmoulded part includes a holder defining a passage along which the elongate article can extend, wherein the holder includes a clamping formation, and the clamping member clamps the elongate article against the clamping formation in use.