Cable Gland Internal Dam for Curable Liquid Sealing
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional cable gland assemblies require disassembly and use of large volumes of fiber materials to seal conductors, which is inefficient and inconvenient for containing curable liquids during curing.
Innovation Solution
A cable gland with an internal dam featuring an annular filament holder and radially extending filaments that surround and engage conductors, inhibiting the flow of curable liquids while allowing conductors to pass through, with the dam being easily installable in a helical or linear form within the gland.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If conventional fiber damming materials are used, then the cable gland assembly requires disassembly to install the damming material, but this increases installation time and complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The internal dam is pre-formed as an integrated component with a predetermined configuration including the annular body and radially extending flanges. This preliminary formation allows the dam to be installed as a complete unit without requiring disassembly of the cable gland assembly or manual placement of fiber materials, thereby reducing installation time and complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The internal dam is designed to be nested within the compound chamber of the cable gland assembly. The annular body fits within the chamber while the radially extending flanges engage with the chamber walls, creating a nested configuration that provides effective sealing without requiring external assembly operations or disassembly of the main assembly
2Ease of manufacture
If conventional fiber damming materials are used, then the cable gland assembly can be disassembled for installation, but this increases device complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The internal dam is merged with the compound chamber as an integrated sealing system. The radially extending flanges of the dam engage directly with the chamber walls, combining the damming function with the chamber structure itself. This integration eliminates the need for separate fiber materials and multiple assembly steps, thereby reducing overall device complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The internal dam is segmented into distinct functional zones: the annular body for containing curable liquid and the radially extending flanges for engagement and sealing. This segmentation allows each portion to perform its specific function efficiently while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure that does not require complex assembly procedures
3Reliability
If conventional fiber damming materials are used, then the damming function can be achieved, but a large volume of material is required
Solution Approach 1:
The internal dam utilizes a thin-walled annular body with radially extending flanges that form an effective barrier against curable liquid flow. This shell-like structure provides reliable sealing with minimal material volume, as the flanges create a distributed engagement pattern around the compound chamber rather than requiring bulk fiber materials to fill the entire space
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing function is transitioned from a volumetric approach (using bulk fiber materials) to a surface-based approach (using radially extending flanges that engage with the chamber walls). This dimensional change allows the dam to effectively contain curable liquid with significantly reduced material volume by utilizing the circumferential engagement surface area of the flanges
Data Source
AI summary
A cable gland includes a cavity having first and second axial ends and configured to receive one or more conductors and a curable liquid therein, and an internal dam. The internal dam is adjacent the second axial end of the cavity. The internal dam includes an annular filament holder and a plurality of filaments secured to and extending radially inward from the annular filament holder to receive the one or more conductors to inhibit curable liquid from flowing through the dam and between the dam and the one or more conductors of a cable.