Cable Tray Intersection Bracing for Lighter, Clearer Routing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cable tray systems at intersections require larger and heavier top plates for rigidity, limiting flexibility and increasing weight, and often obstruct cable routing with support rods positioned within the cabling pathways.
Innovation Solution
A cable-tray intersection system featuring a top plate with adjustable edges and corner braces that allows for secure connection of continuous and terminating wire baskets, with corner protectors to manage cable bend radius, and support rod mounting features positioned outside the baskets for unobstructed routing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If larger and heavier top plates are used for rigidity at intersections, then structural strength is improved, but device weight increases and flexibility decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The top plate is divided into multiple segments that can be separately positioned and secured to the wire baskets. This segmentation allows the system to achieve the necessary structural rigidity through distributed support points while using lighter individual plate components, thereby reducing overall weight and improving flexibility in installation configurations.
2Stability of the object's composition
If support rods are positioned within cabling pathways for structural support, then structural stability is improved, but cable routing is obstructed
Solution Approach 1:
The support rod mounting features are positioned on the outer surfaces or edges of the wire baskets rather than within the internal cabling pathways. This spatial repositioning in another dimension maintains structural stability by providing adequate support while eliminating obstructions to cable routing, allowing cables to pass freely through the tray interior.
3Ease of manufacture
If fixed edge top plates are used for mounting, then manufacturing simplicity is improved, but adaptability to different intersection configurations decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The top plate incorporates adjustable and reconfigurable mounting features that allow edges to be positioned and secured at various locations on the wire baskets. This dynamic capability enables the same top plate design to adapt to different intersection configurations (such as T-intersections, cross-intersections, or varying basket sizes) while maintaining relatively simple manufacturing processes.
Data Source
AI summary
A cable-tray intersection system that connects a first wire basket and an intersecting second wire basket. Each wire basket is formed of a plurality of wires extending horizontally to form a floor and a plurality of wires extending vertically forming side walls. The intersection system includes a top plate mounted on the floors of the wires baskets and a pair of corner braces. The top plate has a first edge, a second edge, and a pair of corner edges formed between the first edge and second edge. The pair of corner braces mount between the first wire basket and the second wire basket and are spaced apart from the top plate.