Pre-Curved Cable Tie for Fast Threading in Tight Cable Trays
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Threading cable ties through holes on cable trays is time-consuming, especially when space is limited due to cable trays being affixed to surfaces with stand off brackets.
Innovation Solution
A cable tie design featuring a strap with a lock at one end and a second end that can be threaded through the lock, with a pre-formed curve joining two portions of the strap. The second portion is angled away from the first portion, allowing for a longer first portion and a shorter second portion, enabling easier insertion through apertures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a standard straight cable tie is used, then the cable tie can be easily manufactured and stored, but it requires significant space behind the aperture to thread through, making installation time-consuming in tight spaces
Solution Approach 1:
The cable tie is pre-formed with a curve shape during manufacturing, positioning the second end in advance to protrude from the aperture. This preliminary configuration eliminates the need for manual manipulation and feeding of a straight cable tie through tight spaces during installation, directly reducing installation time while improving ease of operation
Solution Approach 2:
The cable tie incorporates a pre-formed curve (U-shaped or V-shaped) instead of a straight configuration. This curvature allows the cable tie to navigate the limited space behind the aperture more effectively, enabling the second end to reach and protrude from the aperture without requiring excessive manipulation time, thus resolving the contradiction between ease of threading and installation time
2Adaptability or versatility
If the cable tie has a longer second portion to reach through apertures, then it can accommodate various slot spacings, but more of the cable tie must be inserted through the aperture, complicating installation in tight spaces
Solution Approach 1:
The cable tie features an asymmetric design where the first portion (from lock to curve) is significantly longer than the second portion (from curve to second end), with the first distance being at least 5 times greater than the second distance. This asymmetric length distribution allows the cable tie to reach between slots of different spacings while minimizing the length that must be manually inserted through the aperture, maintaining ease of operation alongside versatility
Solution Approach 2:
The pre-formed curve creates an angled configuration where the second portion extends at an acute angle (less than 75 degrees, preferably around 25 degrees) relative to the first portion. This angular geometry enables the cable tie to span different slot spacings effectively while keeping the insertion length through the aperture minimal, thus resolving the contradiction between adaptability and ease of insertion
Data Source
AI summary
A cable tie comprises a strap has a lock at a first end and a second end configured to be threaded through the lock such that teeth on the strap are engaged by the lock. The strap has a first portion extending from the lock and a second portion joined to the first portion by a pre-formed curve in the strap. The second portion extends from the curve to the second end, with at least a distal section of the second portion adjacent the second end being angled away from the first portion at an acute angle. When measured parallel to the longitudinal axis of the first portion there is a first distance between the curve's turning point and the first end of the strap and a second distance between the curve's turning point and the second end of the strap. The first distance is at least 5 times greater than the second distance.