Rotating Cable Retainer Structure for Space-Limited Fiber Profiles
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Solution Overview
Problem
In fiber distribution cabinets, traditional cable retainers protrude into slots, limiting the available space for cables and potentially causing damage or improper retention.
Innovation Solution
A cable retainer with an inner retaining portion, a neck portion, and an outer retaining portion is designed to be coupled with a profile, allowing the inner retaining portion to rotate and engage with the slot's surfaces, minimizing its thickness to less than 25% of the slot's dimension, thereby maximizing space and preventing damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a traditional cable retainer is inserted into the slot to retain the cable, then the cable retention function is achieved, but the available space for the cable in the slot is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The retainer is divided into multiple functional segments: an outer retaining portion that engages the profile exterior, a neck portion that transitions through the wall opening, and an inner retaining portion that contacts the cable within the slot. This segmentation allows each portion to be optimized for its specific function while minimizing overall space consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The retainer utilizes the wall thickness dimension by extending through the profile wall opening, rather than solely occupying space within the slot. The neck portion passes through the wall opening, and the outer retaining portion engages the exterior surface, effectively using the wall structure as part of the retention mechanism and reducing space requirements within the slot.
2Strength
If the inner retaining portion extends further into the cable receiving portion, then cable retention strength is improved, but the available space for cable routing is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The retainer features localized retention elements rather than uniform extension throughout the slot. The inner retaining portion has a specific configuration with engagement features positioned at optimal locations to provide sufficient retention strength only where needed, while maintaining minimal overall thickness to preserve cable routing space.
Solution Approach 2:
The retainer's inner retaining portion is designed with optimized dimensional parameters, specifically with a thickness less than 25% of the cable receiving portion depth. The engagement features are positioned at specific depths and orientations to maximize retention effectiveness within the constrained space available.
3Volume of moving object
If the retainer structure is made more complex to maximize space utilization, then space efficiency is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The retainer is designed as a multi-functional integrated component that simultaneously provides: engagement with the profile exterior through the outer retaining portion, transition through the wall opening via the neck portion, cable retention within the slot through the inner retaining portion, and rotational locking mechanism. This consolidation of multiple functions into a single component achieves space efficiency without proportionally increasing complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The retainer incorporates a rotational degree of freedom, allowing it to rotate about the longitudinal axis of the neck portion. This dynamic feature enables the retainer to transition between insertion and locked positions, and allows for cable access while maintaining retention, achieving sophisticated space utilization through a relatively simple rotational mechanism.
Data Source
AI summary
A cable retainer may be structurally configured to be coupled with a profile of a fiber distribution cabinet so as to retain a cable in the profile and maximize space in the profile. The cable retainer may include an inner retaining portion structurally configured to be received in a cable receiving portion in a profile of a fiber distribution cabinet, a neck portion extending from the inner retaining portion and structurally configured to be received in an opening through a wall portion of the profile to the cable receiving portion, an outer retaining portion structurally configured to extend from the neck portion in a direction away from the inner retaining portion. The inner retaining portion may be structurally configured to pass through the opening when disposed in a first orientation relative to the opening, and wherein the inner retaining portion is structurally configured to be prevented from passing through the opening when disposed in a second orientation relative to the opening. The neck portion may be structurally configured to permit the inner retaining portion to be rotated relative to the profile from the first orientation to the second orientation when the neck portion is received in the opening such that the inner retaining portion is configured to engage an inner surface portion of the wall portion and the outer retaining portion is configured to engage an outer surface portion of the wall portion so as to couple the retainer with the profile and retain a cable in the cable receiving portion. The inner retaining portion may be configured to extend into the cable receiving portion by a thickness of the inner retaining portion such that the thickness of the inner retaining portion is configured to be less than about 1.9 mm so as to maximize a space in the cable receiving portion between the inner retaining portion and the bottommost wall portion.