Electrical Wire Jacketing Configuration With Asymmetric Projection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional electrical wire jacketing configurations for electric junction boxes are prone to incorrect assembly due to thin guide and slidable engaging portions, leading to potential damage and increased complexity, and require additional locking mechanisms and elastic seals for water protection, making them costly and complex.
Innovation Solution
An electrical wire jacketing configuration with a gutter-shaped portion, slidable engaging portions, and a projection that prevents incorrect attachment, featuring a secondary guide portion and locking mechanism, ensuring correct vertical alignment and eliminating the need for additional waterproof components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If the thickness of the guide portion or slidable engaging portion is made thin, then the structure becomes simpler and manufacturing cost is reduced, but the assembly becomes prone to erroneous horizontal forcing instead of correct vertical sliding engagement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a projection on the electrical wire jacketing configuration that asymmetrically fits into a corresponding recess in the guide portion. This asymmetric geometry prevents horizontal misalignment by ensuring that only vertical sliding motion can properly engage the projection with the recess, while horizontal forcing would cause interference. This resolves the contradiction by maintaining thin-walled simple structure while ensuring reliable correct assembly through asymmetric geometric constraint.
2Reliability
If locking means such as locking arms, locking pieces, or locking projections are added to fix the electrical wire jacketing configuration to the recess, then assembly reliability is improved, but the device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the alignment function and the locking function into a single integrated projection structure. The projection serves dual purposes: it guides the vertical sliding motion and simultaneously provides the locking effect when engaged with the recess. This eliminates the need for separate locking arms, locking pieces, or multiple locking projections, thereby maintaining assembly reliability while significantly reducing device complexity and manufacturing cost.
Solution Approach 2:
The projection is designed as a multi-functional element that performs both alignment guidance and secure locking functions. By making this single structural feature serve multiple purposes, the patent avoids the complexity of adding dedicated locking mechanisms, thus resolving the contradiction between reliability and device complexity.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If elastic seal is added to prevent water penetration along the electrical wire, then water protection capability is improved, but the structure becomes more complex and manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs the self-service principle by utilizing the close fit between the electrical wire and the gutter-shaped portion, combined with the engagement between the projection and recess, to create a self-sealing effect. The tight clearance and friction between these mating surfaces naturally prevent water penetration without requiring additional elastic seal components. This resolves the contradiction by achieving water protection through the existing structural geometry rather than adding separate sealing elements.
Data Source
AI summary
An electrical wire jacketing configuration used in an electrical junction box herein has a body portion in which a recess is formed. The electrical wire jacketing configuration includes a gutter-shaped portion configured to pass an electrical wire therethrough, a slidable engaging portion formed in both end portions of the gutter-shaped portion in the across-the-width-direction, and is slidingly engabeable with a guide portion of the recess, and a projection extending from the gutter-shaped portion toward the recess so as to prevent possible erroneous or wrong attachment of the electrical wire jacketing configuration to the recess. The recess may have a secondary guide portion configured to proceed the projection into the recess such that the projection can engage with the recess. The electrical wire jacketing configuration to which the electrical wire is fixed slidably moves toward the recess in a longitudinal direction of the electrical wire, and thereby mates with the recess.