US 5,030,135 A · Cable strain relief device

Abstract

An improved strain relief device is connectable to a cable end portion to resiliently resist both bending and torsional loads imposed thereon. The strain relief device is formed from a resilient material and includes a tubular body portion which receives and is fixedly secured to the cable end portion to be protected. Projecting radially outwardly from the outer side surface of the tubular body are a circumferentially spaced series of elongated, resilient rib members which extend lengthwise in a direction parallel to the axis of the strain relief body. The ribs taper radially outwardly along their lengths and collectively function to progressively resist both bending and torsional loads imposed upon the cable end portion in a manner maintaining a generally linear relationship between the bending and torsional loads on the cable end portion and the resulting axial lengths of the strain relief body portion being bent or twisted. In a preferred embodiment of the strain relief device, an electrical connector member is formed integrally with one end of the strain relief body and may be operatively connected to the complementarily configured electrical connector structure to conductively link the same to the cable end portion protected by the externally ribbed strain relief body.

Claims20

Dependent claims

Strain relief apparatus for protecting an electrical cable end portion having an outer side surface, comprising:

a generally tubular hollow body formed from a resilient material and adapted to coaxially receive said cable end portion, said body having first and second opposite end portions, and inner and outer side surfaces;
means for fixedly securing said inner side surface of said body to said outer side surface of said electrical cable end portion along generally the entire axial length of said inner side surface of said body;
and
a circumferentially spaced series of elongated external resilient rib means secured to said body, each laterally projecting edgewise in a spline-like manner radially outwardly from said outer side surface of said body, and extending lengthwise between said first and second end portions of said body, said rib means being tapered along their lengths, axially and radially relative to said body, and, with said cable end portion fixed within said body, functioning to provide said strain relief apparatus with a generally uniform bending resistance in all transverse directions and to cause said strain relief apparatus to resiliently resist both torsional and transverse bending forces imposed on said cable end portion in a manner such that:
(1) a generally linear relationship is maintained between the magnitude of a transverse bending force imposed on said cable end portion and the axial length of said body which, in response to the transverse bending force, is bendingly deformed, said generally linear relationship being uniformly maintained generally irrespective of the direction of the transverse bending force, and
(2) a generally linear relationship is maintained between the magnitude of a torsional force imposed on said cable end portion and the axial length of said body which, in response to the torsional force, is torsionally deformed.

3 more elements

Electrical cable apparatus comprising:

an electrical cable having a hollow tubular insulating jacket through the interior of which a plurality of electrically conductive wires longitudinally extend, said cable having an end portion;
and
strain relief means for resiliently resisting torsional and transverse bending forces imposed on said cable end portion, said strain relief means including:
a hollow cylindrical body having a first end portion inwardly through which said cable end portion coaxially extends, said body having fixedly secured to the insulating jacket section of said cable end portion along generally the entire length of said body and having a second end portion axially spaced apart from said first end portion, and
strain control means, externally secured to said body, for controlling the deformation of said body in a manner such that:
(1) said strain relief means are provided with a generally uniform bending resistance in all directions tranverse to said body;
`(2) a generally linear relationship is maintained between the magnitude of a transverse bending force imposed on said cable end portion and the axial length of said body which, in response to the tranverse bending force, is bendingly deformed, said generally linear relationship being uniformly maintained generally irrespective of the direction of said transverse bending force, and
(3) a generally linear relationship is maintained between the magnitude of a torsionsal force imposed on said cable end portion and the axial length of said body which, in response to the torsional force, is torsionally deformed.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Cable strain relief device

Life of this patent

Cable strain relief device

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20