Cable Fairlead Tongue-and-Groove Sealing Under Mechanical Stress
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cable fairlead systems fail to provide sufficient water-tightness and strain relief due to deformation under physical stress, leading to reliability issues.
Innovation Solution
A cable fairlead system comprising a frame unit with hard components and soft grommet elements, utilizing a double tongue-and-groove connection design to ensure form-fit engagement, enhancing mechanical interaction and stability, and incorporating oversized grommet elements for improved tightness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If standard grommet elements are used in cable fairlead systems, then the system structure remains simple, but the system fails to provide sufficient water-tightness and dust-tightness under mechanical stress
Solution Approach 1:
The connection structure is divided into two distinct parts: a tongue element protruding from the frame unit and a groove element on the grommet element. This segmentation allows each part to perform its specific function - the tongue provides insertion guidance and the groove provides retention - while together they achieve the sealing function under mechanical stress.
Solution Approach 2:
The groove element is designed to receive and retain the tongue element within its cavity, creating a nested structure. The tongue protrudes from the frame unit and inserts into the groove element, which then retains it. This nested arrangement ensures that the grommet element remains securely connected to the frame unit even under mechanical stress, maintaining water-tightness and dust-tightness.
2Reliability
If conventional single connection design is used, then the assembly process is simple, but the system deforms under physical stress and loses tightness
Solution Approach 1:
The single connection design is segmented into two functional elements: the tongue element for insertion and the groove element for retention. This segmentation provides mechanical advantage under stress while the form-fit nature of the connection maintains assembly simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The tongue and groove elements are designed with specific local geometries optimized for their functions. The tongue has a shape that fits precisely into the groove cavity, creating a localized form-fit connection that provides enhanced stability under stress without requiring complex assembly procedures.
3Reliability
If grommet elements without retention features are used, then the device structure remains simple, but the grommet elements cannot maintain position under mechanical stress
Solution Approach 1:
The groove element with its cavity is designed to receive and retain the tongue element. The tongue protrudes from the frame unit and inserts into the groove, creating a nested arrangement where the groove element holds the tongue element in place. This nested structure ensures position stability under mechanical stress while adding minimal structural complexity to the grommet element.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of adding complex retention features to the frame unit, the invention inverts the approach by providing the retention feature (groove element) on the grommet element itself. The groove element actively retains the tongue element, rather than the frame unit needing to constrain the grommet element, simplifying the overall structure while maintaining position stability.
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 system achieves enhanced water-tightness and dust-tightness, maintaining reliability under mechanical stress, with improved force dissipation and sealing capabilities.
Implementation Method 1
The soft component of the grommet elements is soft as compared to the hard component of the frame elements
Implementation Method 2
respective first-type tongue-and-groove connection elements that extend along two neighboring inner sides of the through-opening are provide on the frame unit and further respective first-type tongue-and-groove connection elements that extend along two neighboring outer sides of the grommet elements are provided on the grommet elements
Data Source
AI summary
The disclosure relates to a cable fairlead system for passing at least one cable in a pass-through direction transverse to a main extension plane of the cable fairlead system. The system includes a frame unit with a first frame element and a second frame element, the frame elements being made with a hard component. The system includes a number of grommet elements being made with a soft component, the soft component of the grommet elements being soft as compared to the hard component of the frame elements. At least one of the grommet elements has at least one cable-feedthrough for passing one respective cable of the at least one cable.