Self-Locking Wire Retention in Meter Housing Supports
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing solutions for securing electrical wires and cables in electronic devices, such as smart meters, are bulky, increase manufacturing complexity and costs, require additional parts, or fail to provide effective and durable fixation, leading to potential slippage and interference issues.
Innovation Solution
A self-locking washer mechanism integrated with the device's support, comprising a base, pin, and walls, which securely locks electrical wires or cables in place using a self-locking washer that engages with the pin and walls, allowing for compact design and simplified manufacturing without undercuts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If cable clips are used to hold wires or cables, then the wires are effectively held in position, but the device becomes bulky
Solution Approach 1:
The cable clip is integrated directly into the housing structure as a unified component. The housing includes an integrated cable retention structure with a cable opening and a cable retention portion that forms an integrated cable clip, eliminating the need for separate external cable clips while maintaining effective wire holding capability
Solution Approach 2:
The housing structure serves multiple functions: it provides structural enclosure, contains the battery compartment, and incorporates the cable retention function directly into its walls. The housing walls are configured to define both the battery compartment and the cable retention structures, making the housing a multi-functional component
2Reliability
If conventional cable clips are used, then wires are secured effectively, but additional parts and assembly steps are required
Solution Approach 1:
The cable retention function is merged into the housing structure itself. The housing includes an integrated cable retention structure where the cable retention portion is formed as part of the housing wall, eliminating the need for separate cable clips and reducing the number of parts and assembly steps
Solution Approach 2:
The housing serves as both the structural enclosure and the cable retention mechanism. The housing walls are configured to define both the battery compartment and the cable retention structures, making the housing a multi-functional component that eliminates the need for dedicated cable management parts
3Reliability
If wires are secured by screwing them in, then fixation is achieved, but manufacturing time increases and additional parts are required
Solution Approach 1:
The cable retention function is merged into the housing structure as a built-in feature rather than a separate fastening mechanism. The housing includes an integrated cable retention structure that guides and secures cables through its geometric configuration, eliminating the need for screwing operations and additional fastening parts
Solution Approach 2:
The complex screwing and fastening operations are extracted from the assembly process. The housing geometry itself provides the retention function through its configured walls and openings, removing the need for time-consuming mechanical fastening steps
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a communicating meter housing comprising a support and a device for locking at least one electrical wire and/or at least one cable on the support, characterized in that it comprises: - a base fixed to the support - a pin protruding from the base, - at least one wall protruding from the base and extending opposite this pin, the base, the pin and the wall delimiting between them a passage suitable for being crossed by an electrical wire to be locked; - a self-locking washer with claws adapted to engage on the pin and to lock mechanically between the pin and the wall(s) in order to retain, relative to the base and the support, one and/or electrical wire(s) and/or cables previously positioned in the passage.