Insulating Tube Housing Assembly for Visible Touch Protection Fit

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing touch protection devices for electrical conductors, particularly in high-voltage applications, suffer from blind assembly issues, making it difficult to verify correct connection and potentially leading to safety risks due to loose connections or incorrect assembly.

Innovation Solution

A touch protection device featuring an insulating tube made of expandable material and a housing with a segmented end section, allowing for simultaneous insertion and mounting of segments, ensuring visual verification of proper connection and reducing the risk of undetected errors.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If multiple individual parts are used to form the touch protection device, then the device can be manufactured more easily and assembled in sections, but the assembly becomes a blind process that is difficult to verify for correctness

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovemanufacturabilityVSAvoidassembly verification
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies color coding to different segments of the touch protection device. Each segment has a distinct color or visual marker that allows workers to verify during assembly whether segments are correctly oriented and connected. This visual feedback mechanism transforms the blind assembly process into a verifiable one, maintaining ease of manufacture with multiple segments while solving the verification problem.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #32Color changes

2Ease of operation

If individual parts are connected in an overlapping manner, then the touch protection can be assembled from sections, but it becomes difficult to detect incorrect or incomplete connections during inspection

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveassembly flexibilityVSAvoidconnection verification
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDifficulty of detecting and measuring

Solution Approach 1:

The patent incorporates visual feedback mechanisms into the overlapping segment design. Each segment includes visible indicators such as colored rings, patterns, or alignment marks that provide immediate feedback during assembly. When segments are correctly connected, the indicators align or display a specific pattern, allowing inspectors to easily verify proper connection without disassembling or using special tools.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

3Productivity

If the touch protection device uses multiple segments that can come loose during use, then the device can be manufactured and assembled more easily, but safety risks increase due to potential detachment

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveassembly efficiencyVSAvoidconnection stability
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs dynamic retention mechanisms that adapt to usage conditions. The segments feature elastic retention elements or spring-loaded locking mechanisms that maintain secure connection during normal operation but allow for controlled disassembly when needed. These mechanisms provide continuous visual or tactile feedback about connection status, enabling the device to maintain high assembly efficiency while ensuring reliable connection stability during use.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The solution provides enhanced safety by allowing for visual monitoring of the connection, reducing the risk of incorrect assembly and failure, and ensuring a secure and reliable touch protection for electrical conductors.

Implementation Method 1

an insulating tube (4) made of expandable material and with a housing (6) which is configured to receive the end (12) of the electrical conductor (8)

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElastic deformation: Elasticity

Data Source

PatentEP4064487B1Electrically insulating touch protection device and connection assembly with such a touch protection device
Publication Date: 2025.04.16 TE CONNECTIVITY GERMANY GMBH
  • EP4064487B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4064487B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4064487B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The present invention relates to an electrically insulating touch protection device for an end of an electrical conductor with an insulating tube and with a housing which is configured to receive the end of the electrical conductor, wherein the housing comprises an end section, which points towards the insulating tube, with a first segment and a second segment, wherein the first segment is configured to be insertable into the insulating tube and the second segment to be mountable onto the insulating tube. By inserting and mounting the end section in segments, the insulating tube remains visible in part from the exterior of the housing. This enables visual monitoring to verify whether the insulating tube and the housing have been properly connected and whether this condition continues to exist, respectively. The risk of undetected incorrect assembly and/or failure is thus reduced so that the touch protection device according to the invention provides increased safety. The present invention furthermore relates to a connection assembly with such a touch protection device.