Offset Axis Insulator for Cable Termination Connectors
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing insulators for electrical cable termination connectors are costly to produce, complex to assemble, and not suitable for a wide range of cable diameters and geometries, due to thick walls and the need for metallic insert plates, which increase material costs and electrical transition resistance.
Innovation Solution
The insulator features reduced wall thickness, an offset center axis in the sealing and contact regions, reinforcing ribs, a funnel-shaped flange, and a resilient lid instead of a thermoset stopper, allowing for easier assembly and accommodating various cable sizes without adapters, while maintaining mechanical stability and reducing electrical transition resistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If thick walls are used to ensure mechanical stability, then the insulator can withstand mechanical forces, but production costs increase and assembly becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a resilient insulator made from elastomeric material that can be molded into thin-walled structures. The flexibility and elasticity of the elastomeric material compensate for the reduced wall thickness, maintaining mechanical stability while reducing material consumption and production costs.
Solution Approach 2:
The insulator is constructed from composite materials, specifically an elastomeric base material combined with reinforcing fibers or fillers. This composite structure provides enhanced mechanical strength and stiffness despite the thin wall design, resolving the contradiction between mechanical stability and manufacturing cost.
2Strength
If thick walls are used to ensure mechanical stability, then the insulator can withstand mechanical forces, but assembly forces required increase
Solution Approach 1:
The resilient elastomeric material allows the insulator to deform elastically during assembly and then recover, reducing the peak assembly forces required. The thin-walled flexible structure can accommodate minor misalignments and deformations without requiring excessive assembly force.
3Strength
If thick walls are used, then mechanical stability is ensured, but the insulator is not suitable for a wide range of cable diameters
Solution Approach 1:
The resilient insulator is designed with dynamic characteristics, allowing it to deform and adapt its shape to accommodate cables of various diameters. The elastomeric material's elasticity enables the insulator to maintain mechanical stability while adjusting to different cable sizes, eliminating the need for multiple fixed-size insulator designs.
4Strength
If metallic insert plates are used to absorb mechanical forces, then mechanical stability is improved, but electrical transition resistance increases and production cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the metallic insert plate component entirely, replacing its mechanical support function with the resilient elastomeric material itself. This eliminates the electrical transition resistance issue and simplifies the structure, while the elastomeric material's inherent elasticity provides the necessary mechanical stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The elastomeric composite material is engineered to provide both mechanical support and electrical insulation properties, replacing the need for separate metallic insert plates. The composite structure maintains mechanical stability while ensuring low electrical transition resistance throughout the entire insulator body.
5Strength
If metallic insert plates are used to absorb mechanical forces, then mechanical stability is improved, but production cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The metallic insert plate is completely removed from the design, simplifying the manufacturing process. The elastomeric insulator is molded as a single integrated component, eliminating the need for separate metal plate fabrication, assembly, and fastening operations, thereby reducing production cost.
Solution Approach 2:
The mechanical support function previously performed by the separate metallic insert plate is merged into the elastomeric insulator material itself. This integration eliminates additional manufacturing steps and assembly operations, reducing overall production cost while maintaining mechanical stability.
6Strength
If the insulator is designed for specific cable geometries, then mechanical stability is optimized, but adaptability to various cable sizes decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The resilient insulator is designed with dynamic deformation capabilities, allowing it to adapt its internal geometry to match various cable sizes and shapes. The elastomeric material's elasticity enables the insulator to maintain optimized mechanical stability for each specific cable geometry it encounters, rather than being fixed to a single design.
Solution Approach 2:
The insulator's physical parameters such as wall thickness, internal cavity shape, and overall dimensions can vary within elastic limits to accommodate different cable geometries. The elastomeric material allows these parameters to change dynamically while maintaining the mechanical stability required for each specific cable configuration.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to an insulator for sealed covering of an electrical cable termination connector, which produces an electrical connection between a cable termination of a cable and an appliance terminal. According to the invention, the insulator (100) comprises a first insertion channel (102) for accommodating the appliance terminal (208) and a second insertion channel (104) for partially accommodating the cable (132, 134), wherein the second insertion channel (104) comprises a contact region (112), in which, in the assembled state, an electrically contactable cable lug is accommodated, and a sealing region (114), which may be brought to rest sealingly against a termination of the cable, and wherein a centre axis (118) of the sealing region (114) is arranged offset relative to a centre axis (116) of the contact region (112).