Wire Termination Interface for Ceramic Insulation Bend Radius
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Solution Overview
Problem
Ceramic-insulated wires are prone to flaking due to their friability, making it difficult to manufacture electrical devices that require tight bends, such as inductors and motor windings, in high-temperature environments where elastomeric insulation breaks down.
Innovation Solution
A support device comprising a core portion and a flange portion with strategically oriented holes that allow the wire to pass through without bending at a radius less than the minimum tolerable bend radius, ensuring continuous support and preventing acute bends that could cause flaking.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If ceramic insulation material is used to operate in high temperature environments, then the wire can withstand temperatures up to 600-1000°F, but the ceramic insulation becomes friable and susceptible to flaking when bent
Solution Approach 1:
A flexible metallic sheath is applied over the rigid ceramic insulation to provide external support and prevent flaking. The metallic sheath acts as a protective shell that maintains the structural integrity of the friable ceramic insulation while allowing the wire to be bent to tight radii without causing the insulation to flake.
Solution Approach 2:
The wire construction combines ceramic insulation with a metallic sheath to create a composite structure. The ceramic provides high-temperature resistance while the metallic sheath provides mechanical strength and flexibility, allowing the composite wire to withstand both high temperatures and tight bending radii.
2Ease of manufacture
If tight bends are made in ceramic-insulated wire during manufacturing, then wire coils such as inductors and motor windings can be manufactured, but the ceramic insulation flakes due to exceeding the minimum bend radius
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible metallic sheath provides continuous external support along the wire, allowing it to be bent to tight radii during the winding process without causing the ceramic insulation to flake. This enables the manufacture of wire coils with tight bends while maintaining insulation integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The metallic sheath is applied beforehand to provide protective support to the ceramic insulation before any bending occurs. This pre-protection prevents flaking during subsequent manufacturing operations such as winding wire coils to tight radii.
3Ease of operation
If elastomeric insulating material is used to allow wire bending with small bend radius, then the wire can be bent without rupturing the insulation, but the insulation breaks down or melts at high temperatures of 600-1000°F
Solution Approach 1:
The wire combines ceramic insulation with a metallic sheath to create a composite structure that provides both high-temperature stability and flexibility. The metallic sheath enables tight bending radii while the ceramic insulation maintains thermal stability at temperatures up to 1000°F.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible metallic sheath replaces the elastomeric insulation in providing bending flexibility, while the ceramic insulation provides thermal stability. This substitution allows the wire to maintain both flexibility and high-temperature resistance simultaneously.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and devices are provided for supporting a wire having a minimum tolerable bend radius. The device comprises a core portion with a longitudinal axis supporting at least a first portion of the wire and a flange portion attached to the core portion supporting at least a second portion of the wire. The device has at least one hole with a first opening in the first surface defined by a first rim and a second opening in the second surface defined by a second rim. The hole allows the wire to pass through and also supports the wire. The hole is oriented in three dimensions to forestall a bend that may occur in the wire having a bend radius that is less than the minimum tolerable bend radius of the wire.