Flexible cable assembly with improved manufacturability

An electrical switching station for controlling electrical power comprising:

• a cabinet providing an interior volume accessible through a cabinet door when the cabinet doors open;
• at least one electrical switch attached to the cabinet within the interior volume, the electrical switch having a switch operator extending from a front of a housing of the electrical switch and movable along an actuation axis to switch the electrical switch between an on and off state;
• an actuator frame presenting a longitudinal channel extending along a longitudinal axis and attachment elements for attaching the actuator frame to a housing of an electrical switch adjacent to the switch operator so that the longitudinal axis is substantially parallel to the actuation axis;
• a slider fitting within the longitudinal channel of the actuator frame to slide therein along the longitudinal axis, the slider providing a collar receiving the switch operator when the actuator frame is fixed to the housing of the electrical switch, so that movement of the slider along the actuation axis may switch the switch operator between on and off states;
• a flexible cable assembly providing a sheath surrounding a flexible cable, the sheath and the flexible cable providing flange elements attached thereto and having features extending radially from axes of extension of the sheath and flexible cable;
• wherein the actuator frame provides a key way extending across the longitudinal axis receiving the flange element of the sheath to retain the sheath against movement in the longitudinal direction with respect to the actuator frame and the slider provides a key way extending across the longitudinal axis receiving the flange element of the flexible cable to retain the flexible cable against movement in the longitudinal direction with respect to the slider.

A method of adjusting an electrical switch as may be disposed in a cabinet having a door, the electrical switch having a switch operator extending from a front of a housing of the electrical switch movable along an actuation axis to switch the electrical switch between an on and off state, using an apparatus including:

• an actuator frame providing a cover and an actuation channel the latter presenting a longitudinal channel extending along a longitudinal axis and attachment elements for attaching the actuator frame to a housing of an electrical switch adjacent to the switch operator so that the longitudinal axis is substantially parallel to the actuation axis;
• a slider fitting within the longitudinal channel of the actuator frame to slide therein along the longitudinal axis, the slider providing a collar receiving the switch operator when the actuator frame is fixed to the housing of the electrical switch, so that movement of the slider along the actuation axis may switch the switch operator between on and off states;
• a flexible cable assembly providing a sheath surrounding a flexible cable, the sheath and the flexible cable providing flange elements attached thereto and having features extending radially from axes of extension of the sheath and flexible cable;
• wherein the actuator frame provides a key way extending across the longitudinal axis receiving the flange element of the sheath to retain the sheath against movement in the longitudinal direction with respect to the actuator frame and the slider provides a key way extending across the longitudinal axis receiving the flange element of the flexible cable to retain the flexible cable against movement in the longitudinal direction with respect to the slider;
• the method comprising the steps of:
• (a) placing the slider within the longitudinal channel;
• (b) sliding the flange element of the sheath into the key way on the actuator frame and sliding the flange element of the flexible cable into the key way of the slider;
• and
• (c) attaching the cover to the actuation channel to prevent this lodgment of the flange elements from the actuator frame and slider.