Installation Housing Knockout Structure for Variable Cable Retention

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing installation housings with fixed-size knockout openings struggle to securely retain long items with smaller diameters due to their lower rigidity, and they often lack flexibility in adapting to varying cable or conduit sizes.

Innovation Solution

The closure body features a first region of increased puncture resistance and a second region of reduced puncture resistance, allowing for a variable insertion opening by piercing or cutting, with a structural and/or material change preventing crack propagation, ensuring secure retention and adaptability.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If a fixed-size knockout opening is used in the installation housing, then the manufacturing process is simple and the structure is rigid, but the retention force for long items with smaller diameters is insufficient

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemanufacturing simplicityVSAvoidretention force
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The closure body is segmented into two distinct regions: a first region with increased puncture resistance and a second region with reduced puncture resistance. This segmentation allows the closure body to provide both structural integrity (first region) and secure retention for small-diameter long items (second region), resolving the contradiction between manufacturing simplicity and retention reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different regions of the closure body are assigned different local qualities: the first region has increased puncture resistance for structural support, while the second region has reduced puncture resistance to enhance retention of small-diameter items. This local differentiation allows the same component to satisfy both manufacturing simplicity and retention requirements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Strength

If the closure body is made entirely of rigid material, then the structural integrity is maintained, but the adaptability to varying cable or conduit sizes is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestructural integrityVSAvoidadaptability to varying sizes
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The closure body incorporates local quality variations with a first region of increased puncture resistance for structural integrity and a second region of reduced puncture resistance for adaptability. This allows the closure body to maintain overall strength while providing size-adaptive retention for different cable or conduit diameters.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The invention changes the puncture resistance parameter locally within the closure body by creating two distinct regions. The first region maintains high puncture resistance for structural integrity, while the second region reduces puncture resistance to enable adaptability to varying cable or conduit sizes, resolving the contradiction between strength and versatility.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Adaptability or versatility

If the closure body is made entirely of soft material, then the adaptability to different diameters is improved, but the puncture resistance and structural stability decrease

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveadaptability to different diametersVSAvoidpuncture resistance
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The closure body uses local quality differentiation where the second region has reduced puncture resistance (softer characteristics) to provide adaptability to different diameters, while the first region maintains increased puncture resistance (harder characteristics) to ensure overall structural stability. This resolves the contradiction between adaptability and strength.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The closure body functions as a composite structure with two regions having different material properties: the first region with increased puncture resistance and the second region with reduced puncture resistance. This composite approach allows the closure body to simultaneously achieve structural stability and adaptability to varying diameters.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

4Ease of manufacture

If a single uniform closure body design is used, then the manufacturing process is simplified, but the retention performance for small-diameter long items is insufficient

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemanufacturing process simplicityVSAvoidretention performance
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The closure body is segmented into two functional regions that can be manufactured in different ways or with different material properties. This segmentation enables improved retention performance for small-diameter items in the second region while keeping the overall manufacturing process relatively simple through integrated molding or post-manufacturing modification.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The invention changes physical parameters (puncture resistance) within the closure body by creating two distinct regions. This parameter variation allows the closure body to achieve both manufacturing simplicity (as a single component) and improved retention performance (through localized property modification).

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP4589793A1Installation housing
Publication Date: 2025.07.23 OBO BETTERMANN HUNGARY KFT
  • EP4589793A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4589793A1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP4589793A1 patent drawing

AI summary

The invention relates to an installation housing 1 made of a plastic material with a break-out opening 8 arranged in a housing section for inserting a long item such as an electrical or optical conductor, a conduit or the like into the interior of the installation housing 1, wherein the break-out opening 8 is at least substantially closed in the delivery state by a closure body 9 connected to the edge of the break-out opening 8, which closure body 9 is detachably connected to the housing section, so that the break-out opening 8 is opened by breaking out the closure body 9, wherein the closure body 9 has a first region 11 of increased puncture resistance and a second region 12 of reduced puncture resistance, which is surrounded by the first region 11 at least in sections and adjoins the first region 11 without a gap, wherein the installation housing 1 is designed tothat an insertion opening can be introduced into the second region 12 by piercing or cutting out the material providing the second region 12, and wherein the two regions are separated by a structural and/or material change that stops a crack propagating into the second region 12.