Cam Grip Tool for Cold-Shrink Cable Sleeve Installation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing tools for installing cold-shrinkable sleeves on electric cables are impractical and inefficient, requiring significant force to separate the sleeve from the support tube, which complicates the process of restoring the protective sheath continuity at cable connections or terminations.
Innovation Solution
A tool comprising a support tube, a base, and an extraction lever with a cam mechanism that allows for easier separation of the sleeve from the support tube, reducing the required force and enabling one-handed operation, facilitating the installation of cold-shrinkable sleeves on cables by translating the support tube longitudinally relative to the sleeve.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a known extraction lever mechanism is used to separate the sleeve from the support tube, then the sleeve can be removed, but significant force is required making the operation impractical and inefficient
Solution Approach 1:
The extraction lever is designed to rotate about a transverse axis, converting rotational motion into longitudinal translation of the support tube. This dynamic mechanism allows the operator to apply force through rotation rather than direct pulling, significantly reducing the effort required to separate the sleeve from the support tube.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces a cam mechanism that converts the rotational motion of the extraction lever (rotation about transverse axis) into longitudinal translation along the support tube axis. This dimensional transformation allows a small rotational force to generate a large linear extraction force, making the operation practical and efficient.
2Productivity
If the support tube is designed to slide along the longitudinal axis to separate from the sleeve, then separation is achieved, but the mechanism becomes complex requiring precise positioning
Solution Approach 1:
The cam mechanism incorporates curved surfaces that guide the translation of the support tube along the longitudinal axis. The cam profile is designed with specific curvature to ensure smooth, controlled movement of the support tube during extraction, eliminating the need for complex positioning systems while maintaining high separation efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The cam acts as an intermediary element between the rotating extraction lever and the support tube. It translates the rotational input into controlled linear motion of the support tube, simplifying the overall mechanism by providing a single, well-defined path for tube translation without requiring complex guidance systems.
3Ease of operation
If the extraction lever rotates about a transverse axis to drive the support tube, then one-handed operation becomes possible, but the lever design becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The extraction lever combines multiple functions into a single component: it rotates about the transverse axis to provide mechanical advantage, drives the cam mechanism for translation, and can be gripped by one hand for operation. This merging of functions into a single integrated lever simplifies the overall design while enabling one-handed operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The extraction lever is designed as a multi-functional element that performs rotation, force transmission, and cam actuation simultaneously. This universal design allows a single component to achieve complex motion transformation while maintaining simplicity in operation, requiring only one hand to control the entire extraction process.
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 tool improves ergonomics and reduces the force needed for separation, allowing for efficient and continuous separation without breaking, making the process easier and faster while being robust and cost-effective.
Implementation Method 1
said lever including a cam configured to bear against the base and slide on the bearing surface of the base when the extraction lever is tilted about the transverse axis so that the support tube translates along its longitudinal axis relative to the sleeve
Implementation Method 2
The sleeve, once released, tends to return to its resting diameter so that it grips the cable and restores the continuity of the protective sheath while ensuring sealing in the junction area
Data Source
Figure 1~2
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Figure 6~7
AI summary
Cam grip for fitting a cold-shrink sleeve on the end of a cable or around a junction between two cables. The subject of the invention is tooling for fitting a cold-shrink protective sleeve (13) onto a cable (14), which comprises a support tube (12) on which the sleeve (13) is placed and which can slide along the cable (14). The tooling also comprises a support base (15) forming a planar annulus intended to at least partially surround the body of the support tube (12) and bear against an end edge of the sleeve (13) delimiting an end zone (121) of the support tube (12), and an extraction lever (16), mounted on the support tube (12), capable of rotational movement about an axis (165) perpendicular to the longitudinal axis (124) of the support tube (12), said lever being a progressive cam lever configured so that the cam comes to bear against the base (15) and slides along the bearing surface of the base (15) when the extraction lever (16) is pivoted about its axis (165) from an initial position into a final position, the sliding of the cam giving rise to a translational movement of the support tube along its longitudinal axis, with a force which progresses as a function of the distance travelled.