Cable Tie With Tapered Teeth And Flexible Housing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current cable tie arrangements face increased failure rates due to limited strength and rigidity of teeth, which deform or break during use, especially when restraining heavier cables, and often rely on weak pivoting components and space restrictions.
Innovation Solution
A cable tie design with tapered teeth and a flexible housing that eliminates the need for moving parts, providing increased coupling strength through abutting contact between teeth, allowing for secure engagement without deformation or breakage, and enhancing the force required to release the cables.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Force
If the strength and rigidity of individual teeth are increased to restrain heavier cables, then the restraining force is improved, but the teeth are more likely to deform or break during use
Solution Approach 1:
The housing is divided into multiple flexible segments or sections that can independently flex during tooth engagement. This segmentation allows the housing to accommodate the sliding action of teeth without requiring the teeth themselves to be overly rigid, thereby reducing deformation and breakage while maintaining sufficient restraining force.
Solution Approach 2:
The housing material properties are changed to be more flexible and resilient, allowing it to flex dynamically during tooth engagement. This parameter change in the housing's mechanical properties enables the teeth to engage and disengage smoothly without excessive force, reducing the likelihood of tooth failure while maintaining effective cable restraint.
2Ease of operation
If a pivoting pawl mechanism is used to engage and release teeth, then the ease of operation is improved, but the reliability deteriorates due to the weak pivoting component being most likely to fail
Solution Approach 1:
The weak pivoting pawl component is completely removed from the design. Instead, the housing itself is designed to flex and move in response to tooth engagement, eliminating the need for separate pivoting mechanisms. This extraction of the problematic component directly addresses the reliability issue while maintaining operational simplicity through the housing's inherent flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The housing is designed to automatically flex and move in response to tooth engagement without requiring external pivoting mechanisms. The flexible housing self-adjusts to accommodate the sliding action of teeth, providing both engagement and release functions through its own material properties rather than through separate mechanical components.
3Force
If the size of individual teeth is increased to provide greater coupling strength, then the restraining force is improved, but space restrictions limit the achievable size
Solution Approach 1:
The tooth engagement is extended into the longitudinal dimension by creating multiple teeth along the length of the housing rather than relying on a single large tooth. This dimensional distribution allows the cumulative coupling strength of multiple smaller teeth to equal or exceed that of a single large tooth, overcoming space restrictions while maintaining restraining force.
Solution Approach 2:
The tooth structure is segmented into multiple smaller teeth distributed along the housing length rather than using a single large tooth. This segmentation allows the total coupling strength to be achieved through multiple engagement points, effectively working around space limitations while providing sufficient restraining force for heavy cables.
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 solution significantly increases the restraining force and reliability of cable ties, reducing the risk of unintended release and extending the lifespan by using a flexible housing and angled teeth for enhanced interlocking strength.
Implementation Method 1
respective pairs of the first and second plural teeth are adapted for mutual engagement in abutting contact... each of the adjacent first and second teeth arranged in abutting contact includes a respective tapered edge portion, and wherein adjacent tapered edge portions of abutting first and second teeth extend in opposing directions and are arranged in an overlapping manner with one another along the length of the band to provide increased coupling strength engagement between adjacent abutting teeth
Implementation Method 2
a housing formed integrally with, and disposed on the second end of, the band, said housing having plural inner surfaces defining an elongated slot in the housing and adapted to receive the first end of the band in sliding engagement
Data Source
AI summary
A cable tie of unitary structure includes a flexible, elongated band having a linear array of first inclined teeth on a first surface thereof and a retaining housing and a tapered portion on opposed ends of the band. The housing includes an elongated slot aligned with the band for receiving the band's tapered end portion in sliding engagement to form a closed loop for receiving and retaining plural aligned elongated elements such as cables. Upper and lower surfaces of the housing include respective plural spaced slots defined by respective upper and lower spaced crossed members aligned transverse to the length of the band when inserted in the slot. Inner distal ends of each of the lower cross members are each provided with respective plural sets of second inclined teeth each adapted to engage a respective one of the first teeth on the band to securely maintain the cables in fixed position.