Strain relief device for a harness or cable

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9634475-B2
Application number	US-201414542959-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 17, 2014
Priority date	Nov 17, 2014
Publication date	Apr 25, 2017
Grant date	Apr 25, 2017

Abstract

A strain relief device includes an elongated body having a first and second end, the elongated body defining an elongated hole extending from the first end to the second end; and edges in the body defining a plurality of voids between the first and second end, wherein the edges become shorter in length from the first end to the second end such that the shorter edges define progressively smaller voids in the body from the first end to the second end. A method of providing a strain relief is also disclosed.

First claim

We claim:

1. A strain relief device comprising:
an elongated body having a longitudinal axis extending between a first end and a second end, the elongated body including an inner surface defining an elongated hole extending from the first end to the second end, and an outer surface; and
edges in the body defining a plurality of voids between the first end and the second end, and each of the plurality of voids extending in a radially inward direction from the outer surface to the inner surface, such that each of the plurality of voids is in communication with the elongated hole;
each of the plurality of voids having a first closed end at a first circumferential location about the longitudinal axis and a second closed end at a second circumferential location about the longitudinal axis, and extending in a circumferential direction about the longitudinal axis between the first closed end and the second closed end such that each of the plurality of voids has an arcuate shape;
wherein the edges become shorter in length from the first end to the second end to form shorter edges such that the shorter edges define progressively smaller voids in the body from the first end to the second end of the elongated body.

2. The strain relief device of claim 1 , wherein the body is comprised of two clam shell sections.

3. The strain relief device of claim 2 , further comprising first pair of ridges located proximate to the first end and a second pair of ridges located proximate to the second end, wherein the body defines a first relatively flat section between the first pair of ridges and a second relatively flat section between the second pair of ridges.

4. The strain relief device of claim 2 , wherein both of the two clam shell sections define elongated substantially flat connecting surfaces that are dimensioned and configured to allow the two clam shell sections to fit together along the connecting surfaces to form seams and the body formed by the two clam shell sections will have a cross-sectional shape of an annulus.

5. The strain relief device of claim 1 , wherein the body is dimensioned to be tapered to have a larger cross-sectional diameter at the first end and a smaller cross-sectional diameter at the second end.

6. The strain relief device of claim 1 , wherein the body is made of a silicone material.

7. The strain relief device of claim 6 , wherein the body has a durometer of approximately 80 shore A.

8. The strain relief device of claim 6 , wherein the silicone material can withstand temperatures of 200° C.

9. The strain relief device of claim 8 , wherein the silicone material is resilient and will be biased to return to an original strain relief device assembly shape after being deformed and subjected to temperatures of up to 200° C. while deformed.

10. The strain relief device of claim 1 , wherein the elongated hole has a longitudinal axis and the voids have void axes that intersect the longitudinal axis at substantially a right angle.

11. The strain relief device of claim 1 , wherein the body is at least 4 times longer than a cross-sectional diameter at the first end.

12. The strain relief device of claim 1 , wherein the body is made of a fluro-silicone material.

13. The strain relief device of claim 12 , wherein the strain relief device is part of a NOx sensor.

14. A method of providing a strain relief device comprising:
forming a strain relief device body having a longitudinal axis extending between a first end and a second end, and including an inner surface and an outer surface;
forming an elongated hole defined by the inner surface in the strain relief device body and connecting the first end to the second end;
providing edges defining voids in the strain relief device body, each of the voids extending in a radially inward direction from the outer surface to the inner surface, such that each of the voids is in communication with the elongated hole, and each further having a first closed end at a first circumferential location about the longitudinal axis and a second closed end at a second circumferential location about the longitudinal axis and extending in a circumferential direction about the longitudinal axis between the first closed end and the second closed end such that each of the plurality of voids has an arcuate shape; and
dimensioning the edges to be shorter from the first end of the body to the second end of the body such that the voids defined by the edges become progressively smaller from the first end of the body to the second end.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the forming the strain relief device body includes forming a first clam shell section and a second clam shell section.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the strain relief device body is formed of a silicone material.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the silicone material is resilient and is biased to return to an original strain relief device position after being deformed and subjected to temperatures of at least 200° C.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the silicone material has a durometer of approximately 80 shore A.

19. A strain relief device comprising:
an elongated body made of a silicone material, the body having a longitudinal axis extending between a first end and a second end, the elongated body defining an elongated hole extending from the first end to the second end, wherein the body has two clam shell sections, each clam shell section having a first end and a second end which correspond to the first end and the second end of the body; and
edges in each of the two clam shell sections defining a plurality of voids between the first end and the second end of the corresponding clamshell section,
wherein the edges become shorter in length from the first end to the second end to form shorter edges such that the shorter edges define progressively smaller voids in each of the two clamshells from the first end to the second end of the corresponding clam shell section, and
wherein each of the plurality of voids is in communication with the elongated hole and has a first closed end at a first circumferential location about the longitudinal axis and a second closed end at a second circumferential location about the longitudinal axis, and extending in a circumferential direction about the longitudinal axis between the first closed end and the second closed end such that each of the plurality of voids has an arcuate shape.

20. The strain relief device of claim 19 , wherein the body is dimensioned to be tapered to have a larger cross-sectional diameter at the first end and a smaller cross-sectional diameter at the second end.

Assignees

• Caterpillar Inc

Inventors

• Mason Joshua
• Yarlagadda Rakesh
• Baba Omar

Classifications

• H02G15/007 Primary

  Devices for relieving mechanical stress · CPC title

• H01B3/46

  silicones · CPC title