Figure-8 Cable Bundle Layout to Prevent Loop Lifting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Cable bundles with high bending rigidity tend to experience loop lifting and tangling when unwound, especially when housed in containers and pulled out, due to overlapping intersections in figure-8 winding.
Innovation Solution
The cable bundle is structured with unit bundles stacked in a perpendicular direction, connected via connecting parts forming figure-8 loops, and intermediate parts wound in a specific direction to position these connections differently, with opposite twists applied to cancel out unwinding twists.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If figure-8 winding is used to eliminate cable twist during unwinding, then twist cancellation is achieved, but loop lifting and tangling occur due to overlapping intersections
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a new spatial dimension by stacking unit bundles in a direction perpendicular to the circumferential direction of the cable bundle. This vertical stacking arrangement displaces the connecting parts of adjacent unit bundles along the axial direction, preventing their intersections from overlapping in the radial plane. As a result, the harmful loop lifting and tangling are eliminated while preserving the twist cancellation benefit of figure-8 winding.
2Ease of manufacture
If connecting parts of adjacent unit bundles are positioned at the same location, then manufacturing is simplified, but loop lifting occurs during unwinding
Solution Approach 1:
The patent resolves this contradiction by utilizing the axial dimension (stacking direction) to separate connecting parts that would otherwise occupy the same radial position. Each unit bundle's connecting parts are positioned at different axial heights, which prevents loop interference during unwinding while maintaining manufacturing simplicity through the standardized figure-8 winding process within each unit bundle.
Solution Approach 2:
The cable bundle is divided into multiple unit bundles, each containing its own figure-8 loops and connecting parts. This segmentation allows the connecting parts to be distributed along the axial direction, preventing overlap and loop lifting while maintaining the simplicity of the figure-8 winding method within each segment.
3Strength
If cable has high bending rigidity for structural stability, then shape maintenance is improved, but loop lifting occurs more frequently during unwinding
Solution Approach 1:
The patent eliminates the harmful interaction between high bending rigidity and loop lifting by separating the connecting parts in the axial dimension. The vertical stacking arrangement ensures that even with high bending rigidity, the loops of adjacent unit bundles cannot lift or tangle because their connecting parts are positioned at different axial locations, thus preserving both structural stability and unwinding reliability.
Data Source
AI summary
A cable bundle includes a cable that is wound. The cable bundle includes unit bundles stacked in a stacking direction perpendicular to a first direction that is a circumferential direction of the cable bundle. Each of the unit bundles includes a first loop and a second loop that are stacked in the stacking direction, and the first loop and the second loop are connected via a respective one of connecting parts such that a figure-8 shaped loop including the first loop and the second loop is formed in a state in which each of the unit bundles is opened. The connecting parts of adjacent ones of the unit bundles in the stacking direction are disposed at different positions in the first direction.