Foldable Grounding Cable Clamp for Tight Electrical Boxes
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electrical connectors for knockout holes in electrical boxes are inflexible, difficult to install without damaging walls, and occupy excessive interior space, making it challenging to manage multiple wires and ground cables efficiently.
Innovation Solution
A semi-cylindrical clamp with hinge members and frictional surfaces that can be folded to fit into knockout holes from the inside, allowing for secure gripping and grounding of multiple wires or cables while minimizing space usage, and can be retrofitted without damaging existing walls.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If rigid and elongated connectors are used to securely hold wires, then wire securement is improved, but device complexity and installation difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The connector is divided into two separate components: a C-shaped clamp that secures the wire and a separate grounding member. This segmentation allows the wire-holding function and grounding function to be performed by independent elements, reducing the complexity of any single component while maintaining overall reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The grounding member is designed to be inserted through the C-shaped clamp, with the grounding member fitting inside the clamp structure. This nesting allows both functions (wire securing and grounding) to be combined in a compact configuration without requiring a complex integrated structure.
2Reliability
If connectors are inserted from the outside of electrical boxes, then wire securement is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates for existing walls
Solution Approach 1:
The connector is designed to be installed from the inside of the electrical box rather than from the outside. The C-shaped clamp is inserted through the knockout hole from the interior side, allowing installation in existing walls without exterior access, while still providing reliable wire securement.
3Reliability
If elongated connectors are used to house wire gripping apparatus, then wire securement is improved, but volume of stationary object increases
Solution Approach 1:
By separating the wire-gripping function (C-shaped clamp) from the grounding function (separate grounding member), each component can be minimized in size for its specific purpose, reducing the overall volume required compared to a single elongated connector housing all functions.
4Reliability
If connectors require wires to be run through before installation, then wire securement is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The C-shaped clamp is pre-formed with the wire-gripping structure already in place, eliminating the need to run wires through the connector during installation. The clamp is simply inserted through the knockout hole and closed around the wires, which are already positioned in the electrical box.
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 flexible installation and secure grounding of multiple wires or cables within electrical boxes, reducing installation time and damage, while optimizing space usage and accommodating various cable sizes.
Implementation Method 1
frictional surfaces that grip the wires or cables
Implementation Method 2
a conductive metallic member extending from inside to outside of at least one of the semi-circular halves, providing conductivity for grounding the wires or cables to the electrical box
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed are methods and apparatus for providing and installing electrical wire connector clamps that may be inserted into knockout holes of an electrical box or panel, that are capable of holding multiple wires or cables, that may be run through the connector before it is slotted into the knockout hole, that may be used to ground the incoming cable to the electrical box or panel, and that use only a minimal amount of interior space of the electrical box or panel. Embodiments of the present invention include semi-cylindrical units that may be folded together around one or more wires for secure engagement of the wires to the knockout hole of an electrical box or panel, the units including a conductive metallic member extending from the inside of the unit to the outside of the unit to provide grounding between a cable or conduit inside the unit and the box or panel into which the unit is inserted.