Elastomer Plug with Hard Support Structure for Cable Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing plugs fail to provide a reliable seal and sufficient support for fiber optic cables during installation, often causing damage due to excessive pressure and deformation when inserted into openings.
Innovation Solution
A plug with a sealing element made of elastomeric material and a support element made of a harder material, featuring a sleeve-shaped support structure that limits radial deformation and provides a stable seal, allowing for defined hole sizing and prevention of excessive pressure on the cable.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a sealing element made of elastomeric material is used to create a reliable seal, then sealing performance is improved, but the sealing element deforms excessively radially inwards when pushed into the opening, causing damage to cables
Solution Approach 1:
The plug combines a sealing element made of elastomeric material with a support element made of a harder material (such as plastic or metal). The support element is integrated into the sealing element and provides structural reinforcement, preventing excessive radial deformation while the elastomeric material maintains sealing performance against the opening surface.
2Reliability
If the sealing element is made softer to improve sealing, then sealing reliability is improved, but the sealing element cannot maintain a defined hole size for cable routing
Solution Approach 1:
The softer elastomeric sealing element is reinforced with a harder support element that forms a sleeve-shaped support structure. This support structure acts as an internal scaffold, maintaining the geometric integrity and defined hole size of the plug, while the elastomeric material provides the necessary sealing compliance.
3Stability of the object's composition
If a harder support element is added to prevent deformation, then structural stability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The support element and sealing element are merged into a single integrated plug component. The support element is embedded within or combined with the elastomeric sealing element, creating a unified structure that provides both sealing and structural functions without requiring separate assembly steps or multiple components.
Solution Approach 2:
The plug is formed as a composite structure where the harder support element and softer sealing element are combined in a single component. This composite construction allows the plug to simultaneously achieve structural stability from the hard support and sealing effectiveness from the elastomeric material, without increasing assembly complexity.
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 ensures a reliable seal and prevents damage to fiber optic cables by maintaining a defined hole size and reducing pressure, enabling easy passage of cables through the plug without compromising the seal or stability.
Implementation Method 1
The sealing element (22) is made of an elastomeric material
Implementation Method 2
the support structure presses the sealing element radially outwards against the reveal delimiting the opening
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
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AI summary
The invention relates to the use of a plug with a hole (22) for insertion into an opening (2) and for passing a line through the hole (22), wherein the plug has a sealing element (20) made of an elastomeric material and a sleeve section (20a) of the sealing element (20) is inserted into the opening (2) and then rests against a jamb defining the opening (2), and wherein the plug further comprises a support element (21) made of a support element material that is harder than the elastomeric material, which support element (21) has a sleeve-shaped support structure (21a) that is arranged in the sleeve section (20a) when the plug is inserted and limits its deformation inwards towards a longitudinal axis (4) of the opening (2).