Hinged Cable Clip for Tensile Stress Relief

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing cable restraints for electronic devices, particularly optical fiber cables, fail to adequately relieve tensile stress and prevent damage at points of termination, especially when strength members are not attached at both ends, and often require tools or adhesives for installation.

Innovation Solution

A clip and receiver system with a hinge-defined groove for cable restraint, allowing easy installation and removal without tools, which secures the cable at the point of entry into an electronic device, maintaining the minimum bend radius and withstanding significant tensile stress.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If existing cable restraints are used, then cable securing is achieved, but tensile stress relief is inadequate and installation requires tools or adhesives

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecable securing effectivenessVSAvoidinstallation ease

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The cable restraint system is divided into two separate components: a clip member that grips the cable and a receiver that secures the clip. This segmentation allows the clip to be easily attached to the cable without tools, while the receiver provides secure mounting, resolving the contradiction between easy installation and effective securing.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The clip member acts as an intermediary between the cable and the receiver. It provides a simple attachment mechanism to the cable (without requiring adhesives or tools) while presenting a standardized interface for the receiver, thus enabling both ease of installation and reliable securing.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If cable restraint is implemented, then cable security is improved, but tensile stress at termination points is not adequately relieved

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecable securityVSAvoidtensile stress relief

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The cable restraint system is installed at the point where the cable exits the electronic device, before the cable is subjected to external tensile forces. This preliminary positioning allows the system to prevent excessive tensile stress from reaching the termination point, thereby protecting the cable while maintaining security.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Reliability

If minimum bend radius is maintained, then signal degradation is prevented, but cable flexibility is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesignal qualityVSAvoidcable flexibility

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The receiver incorporates a curved surface that guides the cable through a controlled bend path. This curved geometry ensures the cable maintains its minimum bend radius (preventing signal degradation) while still allowing the cable to be routed to different positions, thus preserving adaptability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

Data Source

PatentUS8494335B2Cable restraint

Publication Date: 2013.07.23 CALIX INC

AI summary

Techniques are disclosed that restrain cables in order to relieve excessive tensile force and to prevent breakage at a point of termination. In one example, a system includes a clip and a receiver configured to receive the clip. The clip includes a first member and a second member pivotally connected to each other by a hinge, the hinge located intermediate opposed ends of the first member and the second member, the hinge defining a groove for receiving a first portion of the cable.