Extruded Cable Clamp with Retaining Strap
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cable clamps for high-voltage electrical cables are expensive to manufacture, difficult to install, and can damage cables due to protruding bolts and complex assembly processes, making them unsuitable for large-scale production and urban underground applications.
Innovation Solution
A cable clamp design featuring extruded members with curved receiving parts and flanges, along with a retaining strap and liner, allowing for quick and cost-effective manufacturing and simple assembly, with features like T-shaped protrusions and L-shaped openings for secure interlocking and reduced risk of cable damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If traditional cast aluminium cable clamps with protruding bolts are used, then cable securing strength is improved, but manufacturing cost increases and cable damage risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple functions into a single integrated extruded profile piece that includes the clamp body, mounting flange, and cable retention features. This eliminates the need for separate casting operations and assembly steps, reducing manufacturing cost while maintaining structural strength through the extrusion process.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs an extruded aluminium profile that is more cost-effective than traditional cast aluminium components. The extrusion process allows for high-volume production at lower cost, making the clamp more economically viable while maintaining adequate strength for cable securing applications.
2Strength
If traditional cast aluminium cable clamps with protruding bolts are used, then cable securing strength is improved, but risk of cable damage increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the protruding bolts from the design by integrating the mounting function into the extruded profile itself. The flange with mounting holes provides secure attachment without any protruding elements that could snag or damage the cable, eliminating this harmful factor while preserving securing strength.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of having protruding bolts that extend outward and pose a damage risk, the patent inverts the approach by having recessed or flush mounting features. The mounting holes are positioned in the flange plane, and the cable contact surfaces are designed to be smooth and non-protruding, reversing the traditional design paradigm.
3Reliability
If complex assembly processes are used, then cable securing reliability is improved, but installation time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the clamp design into functional zones within a single extruded profile: the flange for mounting, the body for structural support, and the cable retention section with appropriate geometry. This segmentation allows for simplified assembly where the entire clamp unit is installed as one piece, reducing installation time while maintaining reliability through functional optimization.
Solution Approach 2:
The clamp is pre-formed through the extrusion process with all necessary geometric features, mounting holes, and cable retention characteristics already in place. This preliminary formation eliminates the need for on-site assembly operations, allowing for rapid installation while ensuring consistent quality and reliability of the cable securing function.
4Strength
If traditional casting methods are used, then structural strength is improved, but manufacturing speed decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the traditional casting process with an extrusion process. Extrusion is a more efficient manufacturing method that can produce complex cross-sectional profiles continuously at high speed, significantly increasing production rates compared to batch casting operations, while maintaining structural integrity through the extrusion geometry.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the manufacturing parameter from casting to extrusion. This parameter change fundamentally alters the production process, enabling continuous high-volume manufacturing with faster cycle times and improved productivity, while the extrusion process parameters can be optimized to achieve the required structural strength for the application.
Data Source
AI summary
A cable clamp for an electrical cable, comprising a first member and a second member that can cooperatively retain a cable between them; wherein the first member has been formed by extrusion in the general axial direction of a cable as it is to be retained in the clamp, at least a portion of the axial cross-section of the first member comprising a receiving part having a curved shape within which a portion of the cable is to be located, and a flange extending from either side of the receiving part; and the second member is attachable at either end to a flange of the first member so as to retain the cable within the receiving part of the first member.