Segmented Polymeric Grommet for Irregular Cable Retention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional grommets for holding RF cables are inadequate for fiber optic and hybrid fiber/power cables due to their irregular shape and increased weight, often slipping from hangers and not providing secure retention.
Innovation Solution
The development of polymeric grommets with two halves, featuring arced outer surfaces, angled cantilevered tines, flexible spokes, and splines, which interlock when compressed to securely hold multiple discrete cables, including fiber optic and hybrid fiber/power cables, by using a slidable interconnection feature, mating rotational feature, or compression member.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If standard hangers are used with traditional grommets, then installation is simple, but the grommets slip from the hanger and fail to secure the cables
Solution Approach 1:
The grommet is divided into two separate halves that can be independently installed onto the hanger. Each half contains cable-receiving structures, and the halves are joined together to form a complete circular grommet. This segmentation allows for easier installation while maintaining secure cable retention through the interlocking tine structures.
Solution Approach 2:
The grommet incorporates flexible spokes and compression members that allow the structure to dynamically adjust and compress when installed. The compression members enable the grommet halves to be pressed together, creating friction and mechanical interlocking that prevents slipping while securely gripping the cables.
2Adaptability or versatility
If grommets are designed to fit irregularly shaped fiber optic and hybrid cables, then cable compatibility improves, but the grommet may not fit properly in standard hangers
Solution Approach 1:
By dividing the grommet into two halves, the invention creates a flexible structure that can be independently shaped and sized. Each half can be designed with specific inner diameter contours to accommodate irregular cable shapes, while the outer diameter is standardized to fit hangers. The segmented design allows for this dual requirement to be met simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The grommet employs different geometric properties in different regions: the outer surface has a standardized circular geometry for hanger compatibility, while the inner surface features irregular contours and spaced-apart structures that locally adapt to various cable shapes and sizes. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction between standardization and customization.
3Ease of operation
If multiple cables are held in a single grommet, then cable organization improves, but the grommet structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The grommet is segmented into two halves with each half containing spaced-apart flexible spokes or splines that create individual cable-receiving spaces. This segmentation naturally organizes multiple cables by providing dedicated slots for each cable, while the modular half-grommet structure keeps the overall design manageable and manufacturable.
Solution Approach 2:
The grommet structure serves multiple functions simultaneously: it organizes multiple cables through its spaced-apart spokes, secures them through compression and friction, and maintains structural integrity through its interlocking half-design. This multi-functionality achieves cable organization without proportionally increasing complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure describes grommets formed of a polymeric material and adapted for holding a plurality of discrete cables. A grommet may comprise two halves, each half comprising: a main body having a generally arced outer surface, a plurality of angled cantilevered tines integrally coupled to the main body and extending generally radially inward from the main body; and a slidable interconnection feature integral with the main body, wherein the slidable interconnection feature for each respective half is dimensioned to mate with the slidable interconnection feature of the other half, allowing the two halves to slide into an interlocking position with each other when compressed together.