Pliable Jacket Sleeve With Grippable Tabs For Cable Connectors
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing jacket sleeves for cable connectors are stiff due to the same conductive material used for the elbow connectors, making them difficult to stretch over exposed cable portions with applied mastic and tape, and the small tabs provided are insufficient for grasping and pulling, increasing installation time and effort.
Innovation Solution
A jacket sleeve with grippable tabs made of a more pliable material than the elbow connector, featuring holes or slots for better grip and easier installation, which can be integrated or affixed separately using adhesives, allowing for easier placement over exposed cable sections.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the jacket sleeve is made from the same conductive material as the elbow connector, then the connector maintains electrical conductivity and structural integrity, but the jacket sleeve becomes stiff and difficult to stretch over exposed cable portions
Solution Approach 1:
The jacket sleeve is divided into multiple segments or sections that can flex relative to each other, allowing the sleeve to be stretched more easily over the cable while maintaining overall structural integrity and electrical conductivity through the segmented conductive paths
Solution Approach 2:
The jacket sleeve material properties are modified by changing the carbon black concentration or adding plasticizers to reduce stiffness while maintaining electrical conductivity, allowing the sleeve to be more easily stretched during installation without compromising its conductive function
2Ease of operation
If small tabs are added to the jacket sleeve to assist in pulling, then the sleeve can be installed, but the tabs are insufficient for grasping and pulling, increasing installation time and effort
Solution Approach 1:
The tabs are designed with non-conductive material or reduced carbon black concentration in specific local areas to provide enhanced grip surfaces that are easier to grasp, while the rest of the jacket sleeve maintains its conductive properties for electrical functionality
Solution Approach 2:
The tabs are extended in length and positioned to protrude from the jacket sleeve in a direction that facilitates easier grasping by installation personnel, transforming the limited tab structure into an effective handling feature that reduces installation time
Data Source
AI summary
A jacket sleeve with grippable tabs provides protection to exposed portions of cable that are connected to an electrical connection. The jacket sleeve can be made as part of the electrical connector or may be connected subsequent to its creation through the use of glues or other adhesives. The jacket sleeve can be made of a material that is more pliable than the electrical connector, making it easier for a lineperson to place the sleeve over an exposed portion of cable. The jacket sleeve can include holes or slots either in the sleeve or in tabs that are attached to the sleeve. A lineperson can place one or more fingers into each hole or slot in order to get a better grip on the sleeve and pull the sleeve over the exposed portion of cable with less slippage and effort on the part of the lineperson.