Insulated Staple Assembly for Wire Protection and Friction Fit
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional staples used to attach items like cables or wires to workpieces often cause damage due to penetration, leading to potential electrical short circuits, necessitating the development of a solution that prevents damage while maintaining secure fastening.
Innovation Solution
The design of an insulated staple with a crown and legs, where an insulator bridge and channel provide a friction fit, and frangible connectors allow for secure attachment without damaging the item, using a non-conductive material to prevent electrical shorts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional staples are used to attach items to workpieces, then fastening function is achieved, but the staple may penetrate, damage, or deform the item being fastened causing electrical short circuits
Solution Approach 1:
An insulator is introduced as an intermediary component between the staple and the item being fastened. The insulator includes an insulator bridge and insulator legs that receive the staple legs, providing electrical insulation and mechanical protection. The insulator prevents direct contact between the conductive staple and the item, thereby preventing electrical short circuits while maintaining the fastening function.
Solution Approach 2:
The fastening system uses composite construction by combining the metal staple (for mechanical fastening) with the insulator made of non-conductive material (for electrical protection). This composite structure allows the staple to perform its fastening function while the insulator provides electrical isolation, solving both mechanical and electrical requirements simultaneously.
2Strength
If the insulator channel width at legs is reduced to provide friction fit, then secure attachment is achieved, but the staple legs experience increased constraint
Solution Approach 1:
The insulator channel has varying width along its length, with the channel width at the legs being less than the thickness of the staple legs to provide friction fit. This local variation in geometry creates a friction fit at the critical location (legs) while maintaining ease of insertion at other locations. The insulator bridge portion has greater width to allow easy insertion of the staple crown.
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 insulated staple effectively secures items without causing damage, preventing electrical shorts by providing a secure friction fit and ensuring the staple does not penetrate or deform the workpiece, while allowing for easy removal and retraction.
Implementation Method 1
In absence of the staple, a width of the channel at the insulator legs is less than a thickness of the staple legs to provide a friction fit between the staple legs and the insulator
Data Source
AI summary
An insulated staple includes a staple having a crown extending between a pair of legs and an insulator having an insulator bridge extending between a pair of insulator legs. The insulator having a channel extending from an end of one of the insulator legs to an end of the other of the insulator legs. The staple is at least partially received in the channel. In absence of the staple, a width of the channel at the insulator legs is less than a thickness of the staple legs to provide a friction fit between the staple legs and the insulator.