Data Cable Connector with Prefabricated Kink Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing data cables with protective units are costly to produce due to the need for careful processing to prevent thermal and mechanical effects from reducing performance, and existing two-part designs lack a strong, invisible material connection between components.
Innovation Solution
A two-part protective unit design where a prefabricated kink protection is used in the critical area between the plug body and cable, with a partial overmolding creating a material connection that mimics a one-piece design, using radial overlap and different materials for enhanced resilience and identification.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a protective unit with overmolding is used to protect the connector body and cable transition, then mechanical protection and kink prevention are improved, but production cost increases due to careful processing requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The protective unit is divided into two separate parts: a prefabricated kink protection component and an overmolded protective body. The kink protection is produced separately with controlled geometry to prevent cable damage, while the protective body is overmolded around the connector body. This segmentation allows each part to be optimized independently, reducing overall production complexity and cost while maintaining protection reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The kink protection is prefabricated as a ready-made component before assembly, with pre-defined geometric features that ensure proper fit and function. This preliminary preparation eliminates the need for complex real-time adjustments during final assembly, simplifying the manufacturing process and reducing production costs while ensuring consistent protection quality.
2Ease of manufacture
If a two-part protective unit design is used, then production flexibility and cost-effectiveness are improved, but connection strength between parts deteriorates when using only form fit or gluing
Solution Approach 1:
The overmolded protective body and the prefabricated kink protection are combined through material connection via overmolding. The overmolding process creates a merged structure where the protective body material flows around and bonds to the kink protection, forming an integrated assembly that behaves like a one-piece design in terms of connection strength, while retaining the production flexibility of separate components.
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 approach allows for cost-effective production of data cables with retained performance, maintaining the features of existing designs while providing a strong, invisible connection and adaptability in material and identification properties.
Implementation Method 1
a partial overmolding creating a material connection that mimics a one-piece design
Implementation Method 2
The material connection has the advantage that a connection that is not visible from the outside is created between the parts, which in terms of its resilience correspond to an (original) one-piece design
Data Source
Figure 1~3
Figure 4~6
AI summary
The connector (1) has connector main portion (5) and protective unit (11) comprising a protective main portion (13) and antikink (17). The protective main portion covers connector main portion and the antikink covers data cable (3). The antikink is prefabricated element and the protective main portion is cast molding element, which are interconnected by material bond. An independent claim is included for method for production of connector.