Insulated Handle Cable Clamp Leverage
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Solution Overview
Problem
The movement and relocation of large and heavy electrical service cables in mining operations are cumbersome and difficult due to their size and weight, posing challenges for efficient and safe handling.
Innovation Solution
A hand-held cable handling device with a clamp assembly and elongate electrically insulated handles that pivot to open and close, allowing for secure gripping, repositioning, and release of cables without the need for manual lifting, thereby facilitating safer and more efficient cable management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If manual handling of electrical service cables is used, then no additional equipment is needed, but the cables are cumbersome and difficult to move due to their size and weight
Solution Approach 1:
A clamp assembly with jaw ends is introduced as an intermediary tool to grasp and control the cable. The clamp assembly includes first and second members that can encircle and secure the cable, allowing operators to move the cable without directly handling its full weight.
Solution Approach 2:
The cable handling task is segmented into gripping (via clamp assembly), moving, and releasing phases. The clamp assembly separates the gripping function from the moving function, allowing operators to control the cable position without bearing its full weight continuously.
2Ease of operation
If direct manual contact with cables is used, then handling is simpler, but the risk of electric shock increases
Solution Approach 1:
The clamp assembly serves as an intermediary between the operator's hands and the electrical cable. By gripping the cable with the clamp assembly rather than direct hand contact, operators maintain safety distance from electrical hazards while still being able to move and reposition the cable effectively.
3Reliability
If cables are moved from standing position, then operator safety improves, but leverage and control decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The handles are made elongate, extending in the direction away from the cable. This dimensional extension allows operators to apply force from a distance, maintaining safe separation while preserving mechanical leverage through the extended handle length.
Solution Approach 2:
The elongate handles act as extended intermediaries that transmit operator force to the clamp assembly while maintaining safe distance. The handles provide both safety distance and mechanical advantage, resolving the contradiction between safety and control.
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
The device enhances the efficiency and safety of cable movement by multiplying the user's force through handle length, enabling cable handling from a standing position and reducing the risk of electric shock, while maintaining a safe distance from the cables.
Implementation Method 1
The first and second members of the clamp assembly are pivotally connected together so that when the arm ends are moved away from one another the jaw ends also move away from one another and vice-versa
Implementation Method 2
A proximal end of a first elongate electrically insulated handle is mounted to the arm end of the first member of the clamp assembly. A proximal end of a second elongate electrically insulated handle is mounted to the arm end of the second member of the clamp assembly so that movement of the first and second elongate electrically insulated handles with respect to one another causes the jaw ends of the clamp assembly to move with respect to one another
Data Source
AI summary
A cable handling device may include a clamp assembly having a first member having a jaw end and an arm end and a second member having a jaw end and an arm end. The first and second members of the clamp assembly are pivotally connected together so that when the arm ends are moved away from one another the jaw ends move away from one another and vice-versa. A proximal end of a first elongate electrically insulated handle is mounted to the arm end of the first member of the clamp assembly. A proximal end of a second elongate electrically insulated handle is mounted to the arm end of the second member of the clamp assembly.