Strain Relief System for Electrical Connector Using Actuating Jaws
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing strain relief systems for high-power electrical connectors often result in inhomogeneous compression of cables, leading to suboptimal fixing and are susceptible to wearout, especially in automotive applications with temperature changes and environmental exposure.
Innovation Solution
A strain relief system featuring a guide retainer with movably positioned actuating jaws that move both parallel and perpendicular to the cable axis, providing homogeneous compression and using injection molded plastic components for durability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If elastic components are used in strain relief systems, then the system can provide flexibility and strain relief, but the components become susceptible to wearout in automotive applications with temperature changes and environmental exposure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces elastic components (rubber packing members) with a mechanical system consisting of a collet with fingers and a retainer that applies compression through mechanical action. This substitution eliminates the wearout issues associated with elastic materials in harsh automotive environments while maintaining the strain relief function through a purely mechanical compression mechanism.
2Reliability
If fingers are bent to fix the cable to the collet, then the cable is secured, but the compression is inhomogeneous and only occurs within relatively small portions of the corresponding fingers
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a dynamic compression mechanism where the retainer moves along the longitudinal axis to apply compression to the cable. This dynamic approach allows for controlled, uniform compression across the entire cable surface, eliminating the inhomogeneous compression issues associated with bent fingers while maintaining secure cable fixation.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to a strain relief system (100) comprising a guide retainer (101) and at least one actuating jaw (104, 105) assigned to the guide retainer (101). The actuating jaw (104, 105) is arranged inside the guide retainer (101) to be moveable essentially along the longitudinal axis (601) of an inserted cable from a pre-locked position to a final locked position. Upon a movement from said prelocked position to said final locked position, the actuating jaw (104, 105) as a whole performs a movement to fix the inserted cable to provide a strain relief function.