Cable Shield Junction Using Retractable Elastic Sheath
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for manufacturing junctions between electric cables, particularly those using braided sleeves, face challenges in automation, high manufacturing costs, quality defects, and safety concerns due to manual operations and the complexity of reconstituting and joining cable layers across various diameters and types.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a mechanical clamping connection using a conductive sheet applied around the cables, followed by an elastic protective sheath that is retracted to compress the sheet, providing a secure and automated process that reduces costs, enhances safety, and ensures a consistent physical barrier against corrosion and injury.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If a braided sleeve is used to join cable screens, then the connection can be made, but the manufacturing process becomes difficult and complicated to automate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the manual mechanical manipulation of braided sleeves with an automated heat shrink system. The heat shrink tube is applied over the cable connection and then shrunk using heat, automatically securing the connection without manual threading, folding, or gluing operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical state of the heat shrink tube from expanded (during application) to contracted (during shrinking). This parameter change allows the tube to be easily applied over the connection and then automatically secure itself through thermal contraction, eliminating complex manual assembly steps.
2Ease of manufacture
If manual operations are used for braided sleeve installation, then the process can be completed, but manufacturing costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The heat shrink tube performs multiple functions automatically: it secures the cable connection, provides mechanical protection, and creates the necessary tension without requiring manual threading, folding, or gluing operations. The system is self-securing through thermal contraction.
3Reliability
If braided sleeve strands are cut and opened, then the sleeve can be installed, but the strands scatter and do not hold together
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the problematic braided sleeve structure and replaces it with a seamless heat shrink tube. This eliminates the strand scattering issue entirely by using a continuous tubular structure that does not require cutting or opening operations.
4Manufacturing precision
If approximate positioning is used for the braided sleeve, then installation is simpler, but the connection quality and protection are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The heat shrink tube provides dynamic adaptation to the cable connection through thermal contraction. As the tube shrinks, it automatically conforms to the exact position and dimensions of the underlying connection, eliminating the need for precise pre-positioning and centering operations.
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
This method automates the manufacturing process, reduces costs, improves ergonomics and safety, increases accuracy and quality, and provides a reliable electrical connection with a surface area contact, suitable for various cable diameters and types, while ensuring protection against galvanic corrosion and physical harm.
Implementation Method 1
the elastic protective sheath is retracted so as to compress the conductive sheet around the screens of the two cables
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
Figure 4~5
AI summary
To make a junction between the screens of two electrical cables joined by a mechanical clamp fitting, a tube (11) is placed around the two cables so that it covers the fitting and the screens; a conductive sheet forming a connection of the screens, and an elastic protective sheath (13) are successively applied to the tube; the tube (15) is removed; the elastic protective sheath (15) is retracted so as to compress the conductive sheet around the screens of the two cables.