Flexible Cable Mount Adaptation for Sheet Metal Apertures
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cable mounts are not adaptable for sheet metal panels with varying thickness and hole sizes, requiring a more versatile solution for securement.
Innovation Solution
A cable mount design featuring a shaft with radially extending projections and a cable tie receiving member, including a crown for interference fit, retention tabs, and centering tabs, allowing for securement in apertures with varying diameters and thicknesses, with projections that flex for easy insertion and provide a secure hold.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If traditional cable mounts with fixed projections are used, then they can secure cable bundles, but they cannot adapt to varying aperture diameters and panel thicknesses
Solution Approach 1:
The cable mount incorporates flexible projections that can dynamically adjust their position and shape during insertion. The projections bend elastically to pass through apertures of various sizes and then return to their original configuration to provide secure retention, enabling adaptation to different aperture diameters and panel thicknesses without requiring multiple fixed designs.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the physical state of the projections from rigid to flexible, allowing them to deform elastically during insertion and then maintain a secure fit. This parameter change in material properties enables the same cable mount design to accommodate varying aperture dimensions and panel thicknesses.
2Ease of operation
If rigid projections are used in cable mounts, then they provide stable retention, but they require high insertion force and cannot be easily inserted into tight spaces
Solution Approach 1:
The projections transition from a flexible, bent state during insertion to a rigid, stable state during retention. This dynamic behavior allows easy insertion by bending the projections to fit through apertures, followed by automatic rigidification to provide reliable cable retention once installed.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible projections act as a cushioning element during insertion, absorbing the impact and stress of forced insertion through elastic deformation. This beforehand cushioning protects both the cable mount and the workpiece from damage while facilitating easier installation.
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
Enables secure and easy installation in a wide range of aperture diameters and panel thicknesses, reducing insertion force while preventing removal without damage, suitable for both assembly fixtures and sheet metal panels.
Implementation Method 1
The crown may comprise a flexible disc extending outwardly from the shaft and exhibit a frusto-conical shape
Implementation Method 2
The shaft comprises a plurality of adjacent projections spaced apart along a longitudinal axis of the shaft. The adjacent projections extend radially from the shaft
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~6
AI summary
A cable mount (10) for receiving and carrying cable (64) bundles comprises a shaft (16) and a cable tie receiving member (12). The shaft comprises a top end portion and a bottom end portion and first and second adjacent projections spaced apart along a longitudinal axis of the shaft. The adjacent projections (18) extend radially from the shaft and are circumferentially displaced about the longitudinal axis relative to one another. The cable tie receiving member comprises a top surface (22) and opposing sidewalls (24,26) defining a slot (36) to receive a cable tie. The cable tie receiving member is positioned at the top end portion of the shaft.