Shape Retaining Cable Assembly with Localized Stiffener
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Solution Overview
Problem
Cable assemblies tend to lose their shape over time, causing them to straighten and become dislodged from their intended positions within connector systems, leading to potential damage and inefficiency.
Innovation Solution
A cable assembly design that incorporates a cable stiffener with a higher stiffness than the cable itself, which is formable into specific shapes to maintain the cable's configuration, including separate portions for bends, coupled with a sleeve for protection and routing, ensuring the cable retains its shape and position.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the cable is made flexible for routing around components, then ease of installation is improved, but the cable loses its shape over time and straightens out
Solution Approach 1:
The cable assembly is segmented into distinct functional zones: flexible cable sections for routing and a stiffened section for shape retention. The stiffener is inserted only into specific bend areas rather than the entire cable length, allowing different portions to have different stiffness characteristics appropriate for their function.
Solution Approach 2:
The stiffener is applied locally only to the bend portions of the cable where shape retention is needed, while leaving the straight sections flexible for routing. This localized application of stiffness resolves the contradiction by providing rigidity where required while maintaining flexibility where needed for installation.
2Stability of the object's composition
If a stiffener is added to maintain cable shape, then shape retention is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
A sleeve is introduced as an intermediary component that contains and secures the stiffener in place. The sleeve simplifies the overall assembly by providing a single housing that protects both the cable and stiffener, making installation and maintenance easier despite the added stiffener component.
Solution Approach 2:
The sleeve acts as a flexible protective shell that surrounds the cable and stiffener assembly. This thin-walled protective structure simplifies the overall design by providing containment and protection without adding significant complexity, while allowing the stiffener to maintain the cable shape effectively.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the stiffener extends along the entire cable length, then shape retention is improved, but ease of manipulation during installation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The stiffener is segmented to extend only along the bend portions of the cable rather than the entire length. This segmentation allows the cable to remain flexible in straight sections for easy manipulation during installation, while providing stiffness only where bends need to be maintained.
Solution Approach 2:
The stiffener is applied locally to specific bend areas rather than uniformly along the entire cable. This localized stiffening maintains cable flexibility for routing and manipulation during installation while ensuring shape retention at the critical bend locations.
Data Source
AI summary
A cable assembly includes a cable including a wire and an insulator surrounding the wire extending a length between a first end and a second end and being conductive, where the wire having a first stiffness. The cable assembly includes a sleeve surrounding the cable between the first end and the second end having an interior surface facing the cable and an exterior surface facing an exterior environment of the cable assembly. The cable assembly includes a cable stiffener coupled to the sleeve extending along at least a portion of the length of the cable. The cable stiffener is formable into shape retaining shape and has a second stiffness greater than the first stiffness to hold the cable in the shape retaining shape.