Granted Patent B2

US 12,627,126 · App. 17/737,247 · Granted May 12, 2026

Inventors: Dorothy Michael (Portland, TN); Steve Ferguson (Portland, TN); Joaquin Pereda (Portland, TN); Dean Solon (Portland, TN)

Assignee: SHOALS TECHNOLOGIES GROUP, LLC

H02G3/0456F16L3/1033F16L3/127H01B7/0045H02G3/32H02S30/10H02S40/30

Abstract

Claims (52)

1 . A cable retention clip comprising:

at least one clip body region defining at least two cable retention channels that are arranged to have parallel channel axes, each cable retention channel has an inlet opening extending a length of the respective cable retention channel so that each cable retention channel forms a C-shape, each cable retention channel being separated from an adjacent cable retention channel by a cable separator; and

two elongate resilient pillars that are spaced apart with a gap therebetween and that extend from the at least one clip body region, each elongate pillar including a hook at an end opposite of the at least one clip body region, each hook being oriented and extending away from the other hook,

wherein:

the hooks of the elongate pillars are located in their entireties to one side of a reference plane that intersects each of the elongate pillars and that is parallel to lengths of the cable retention channels;

the at least one clip body region and the at least two cable retention channels are located in their entireties to an opposite side of the reference plane from the hooks;

the inlet openings of the at least two cable retention channels open towards the elongate resilient pillars; and

a diameter of each inlet opening is less than an internal diameter of the corresponding cable retention channel.

2 . The cable retention clip of claim 1 , wherein the at least two cable retention channels have the same size.

3 . The cable retention clip of claim 1 , wherein there are four cable retention channels having the same size.

4 . The cable retention clip of claim 1 , wherein there are six cable retention channels having the same size.

5 . The cable retention clip of claim 1 , wherein the at least one clip body defines at least a pair of the cable retention channels forming a ω-shape.

6 . The cable retention clip of claim 1 , wherein the pillars are a same material as the at least one clip body region and integrated therewith.

7 . The cable retention clip of claim 1 , wherein the hook of each pillar includes a first hook body portion with a first retention surface extending from a pillar end of the respective pillar, and a second hook body portion with a second retention surface extending from an end of the first hook body portion.

8 . The cable retention clip of claim 7 , wherein the first retention surface is at an angle with respect to a pillar surface, and the second retention surface is at an angle with respect to the first retention surface.

9 . The cable retention clip of claim 7 , wherein the first retention surface is orthogonal with respect to a pillar surface, and the second retention surface is orthogonal with respect to the first retention surface so as to be parallel with the pillar surface.

10 . The cable retention clip of claim 7 , wherein at least one of the hooks has a tapered second hook body portion that tapers from the end of the first hook body portion to a second hook tip.

11 . The cable retention clip of claim 1 , wherein each pillar includes:

a hook head having the hook;

a lower pillar body extending from the at least one clip body region; and

a recessed pillar body having a recessed surface between the hook head and lower pillar body.

12 . A cable arrangement comprising:

the cable retention clip of claim 1 ; and

at least two solar cables, each solar cable being located in the respective cable retention channel of the cable retention clip.

13 . The cable arrangement of claim 12 , further comprising a second cable retention clip having a second body defining at least two second cable retention channels that are arranged to have parallel channel axes, each second cable retention channel has an inlet opening extending a length of the respective second cable retention channel so that each second cable retention channel forms a C-shape, each second cable retention channel being separated from an adjacent second cable retention channel by a second cable separator, wherein the second body defines at least a pair of the second cable retention channels forming a ω-shape.

14 . The cable arrangement of claim 13 , wherein:

the second body defines at least four second cable retention channels with at least two pairs of the at least four second cable retention channels being separated by a branched cable separator, the branched cable separator having a first branch that forms a first arm of a first pair of second cable retention channels forming the ω-shape and having a second branch that forms a second arm of a second pair of second cable retention channels forming the ω-shape, wherein the at least four cable retention channels are arranged to have the parallel channel axes.

15 . The cable arrangement of claim 13 , wherein:

the second body defines at least four second cable retention channels with each second cable retention channel being separated by a second cable separator, two second cable separators have a pair of curved arms and form a first pair of second cable retention channels with one second cable separator having a stubbed central protrusion thereby forming the ω-shape, wherein the at least four second cable retention channels are arranged to have the parallel channel axes, wherein at least one of the second cable retention channels includes a larger size than at least three of the second cable retention channels that have a same smaller size, wherein outer second cable retention channels form hook shapes that hook toward each other.

16 . A solar installation comprising:

a cable arrangement comprising a cable retention clip and at least two solar cables, each solar cable being located in a respective cable retention channel of the cable retention clip, the cable retention clip comprising:

at least one clip body region defining at least two cable retention channels that are arranged to have parallel channel axes, each cable retention channel has an inlet opening extending a length of the respective cable retention channel so that each cable retention channel forms a C-shape, each cable retention channel being separated from an adjacent cable retention channel by a cable separator; and

two elongate resilient pillars that are spaced apart with a gap therebetween and that extend from the at least one clip body region, each elongate pillar including a hook at an end opposite of the at least one clip body region, each hook being oriented and extending away from the other hook, the elongate pillars integrally formed with the at least one clip body region as a single component; and

at least one solar panel operably coupled with at least one of the two solar cables;

wherein:

the elongate resilient pillars couple the cable retention clip to structure that supports the at least one solar panel to suspend the at least two solar cables beneath the at least one solar panel from the structure;

the at least two cable retention channels are aligned side-by-side in a line that is orthogonal to lengths of the at least two cable retention channels;

the line and the lengths of the at least two cable retention channels define a cable retention plane;

the elongate pillars extend away from and beyond the at least one clip body region, including beyond the at least two cable retention channels, in a direction orthogonal to the cable retention plane; and

in a region of the cable retention clip beyond the clip body region, the cable retention clip is devoid of any structure in the gap between the elongate pillars and is devoid of any structure to directly retain any cables.

17 . A kit comprising:

a cable retention clip comprising:

at least one clip body region defining at least two cable retention channels that are arranged to have parallel channel axes, each cable retention channel has an inlet opening extending a length of the respective cable retention channel so that each cable retention channel forms a C-shape, each cable retention channel being separated from an adjacent cable retention channel by a cable separator; and

two elongate resilient pillars that are spaced apart with a gap therebetween and that extend from the at least one clip body region, each elongate pillar including a hook at an end opposite of the at least one clip body region, each hook being oriented and extending away from the other hook, each of the elongate pillars extending a shorter distance longitudinally than each of the at least two cable retention channels; and

at least one second cable retention clip, wherein the second cable retention clip consists of a plurality of cable channel conduits;

wherein:

the at least two cable retention channels are aligned side-by-side in a line that is orthogonal to lengths of the at least two cable retention channels;

the line and the lengths of the at least two cable retention channels define a cable retention plane;

each pillar includes a hook head having the hook, a lower pillar body that extends from the at least one clip body region in a direction orthogonal to the cable retention plane, and a recessed pillar body that extends between the lower pillar body and the hook head in the direction orthogonal to the cable retention plane;

the recessed pillar body of each pillar includes a recessed surface that is recessed relative to a surface of the lower pillar body of the corresponding pillar;

the hook of each pillar includes a first hook body portion with a first planar retention surface extending from a pillar end of the respective pillar, and a second hook body portion with a second planar retention surface extending from an end of the first hook body portion; and

the first planar retention surface is orthogonal with respect to a pillar surface, and the second planar retention surface is orthogonal with respect to the first planar retention surface so as to be parallel with the pillar surface.

Assignments (3)

Continuity (3)

References Cited (165)