Flat Conductor Clamp With Axial Adjustment Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Flat conductors with insulating coverings, being less stiff than bundles of electric wires, tend to deform between clamps when attached to a vehicle body, leading to deviations from the design installation route and potential interference with nearby devices, causing abnormal sounds during vehicle operation.
Innovation Solution
A clamp with a ratchet-like mechanism comprising a clip portion and a main body, allowing switching between unlocked and locked states, restricts axial movement between the clip and main body, enabling correction of bends in the flat conductor and maintaining it in a straight shape.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a conventional clamp is used to attach a flat conductor to a vehicle body, then the clamp structure is simple, but the flat conductor deforms and bends between clamps due to low stiffness
Solution Approach 1:
The clamp incorporates a movable main body that can shift in the axial direction of the flat conductor. This dynamic capability allows the clamp to accommodate and correct bends in the flat conductor by moving along its length, thereby maintaining proper routing and preventing deformation while keeping the overall clamp structure relatively simple
2Ease of operation
If the flat conductor is allowed to be flexible and easy to install, then installation ease is improved, but deformations such as bends occur between clamps
Solution Approach 1:
The movable main body design allows the clamp to dynamically adjust its position along the axial direction during and after installation. This enables the system to accommodate flexible installation while subsequently correcting any deformations that occur, as the movable portion can shift to realign the flat conductor with the design installation route
Solution Approach 2:
The clamp's movable main body automatically corrects bends in the flat conductor through its own movement capability. When the flat conductor deforms between clamps, the movable portion shifts along the axial direction to realign the conductor, providing self-correction without requiring additional active control systems or manual intervention
Data Source
AI summary
A clamp for a flat conductor is used in attaching the flat conductor to an attachment target. The clamp includes: a clip portion to be engaged with the attachment target; and a main body to hold the flat conductor. The clip portion has a first projection, the main body has a second projection, and the first projection and the second projection protrude to be opposed each other. The clip portion and the main body are configured to allow switching from an unlocked state to a locked state. The locked state restricts a relative movement between the clip portion and the main body in an axial direction of the flat conductor due to an engagement between the first projection and the second projection. The unlocked state allows the relative movement in both sides in the axial direction.