Photovoltaic (PV) cells, commonly known as solar cells, are well known devices for converting solar radiation into electrical energy. PV cells can be assembled into PV panels, which may be used to convert sunlight into electricity. Several PV panels may be included in a PV module system, and to maximize energy conversion, the panels are typically mounted on a support surface, e.g., a roof of a building, and tilted toward the sun. The electricity produced by the PV panels may be transmitted by wires and cables from the PV panels to electrical components of the PV module system, e.g., one or more inverters. Thus, PV module systems can have substantial wiring needs. For example, each of the PV panels in an installation can connect to a neighboring one, until the entire chain is connected to a combining device and/or an inverter. The wiring of the PV module system requires proper positioning because wiring must be isolated from external structures, e.g., the roof, and loose, dangling, or slack wiring can be hazardous. Thus, a PV module system having many rows of PV panels may require a significant amount of cable mounting materials and mounting time, which may result in a significant fraction of the cost of installing the PV module system.
The following detailed description is merely illustrative in nature and is not intended to limit the embodiments of the subject matter or the application and uses of such embodiments. As used herein, the word “exemplary” means “serving as an example, instance, or illustration.” Any implementation described herein as exemplary is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other implementations. Furthermore, there is no intention to be bound by any expressed or implied theory presented in the preceding technical field, background, brief summary or the following detailed description.
This specification includes references to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment.” The appearances of the phrases “in one embodiment” or “in an embodiment” do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner consistent with this disclosure.
The following paragraphs provide definitions and/or context for terms found in this disclosure (including the appended claims):
“Comprising.” This term is open-ended. As used in the appended claims, this term does not foreclose additional structure or steps.
“Configured To.” Various units or components may be described or claimed as “configured to” perform a task or tasks. In such contexts, “configured to” is used to connote structure by indicating that the units/components include structure that performs those task or tasks during operation. As such, the unit/component can be said to be configured to perform the task even when the specified unit/component is not currently operational (e.g., is not on/active). Reciting that a unit/circuit/component is “configured to” perform one or more tasks is expressly intended not to invoke 35 U.S.C. §112, sixth paragraph, for that unit/component.
“First,” “Second,” etc. As used herein, these terms are used as labels for nouns that they precede, and do not imply any type of ordering (e.g., spatial, temporal, logical, etc.). For example, reference to a “first” location does not necessarily imply that this location is the first location in a sequence; instead the term “first” is used to differentiate this location from another location (e.g., a “second” location).
“Coupled”—The following description refers to elements or nodes or features being “coupled” together. As used herein, unless expressly stated otherwise, “coupled” means that one element/node/feature is directly or indirectly joined to (or directly or indirectly communicates with) another element/node/feature, and not necessarily mechanically.
In addition, certain terminology may also be used in the following description for the purpose of reference only, and thus are not intended to be limiting. For example, terms such as “upper,” “lower,” “above,” “below,” “in front of,” and “behind” refer to directions in the drawings to which reference is made. Terms such as “front,” “back,” “rear,” “side,” “outboard,” “inboard,” “leftward,” and “rightward” describe the orientation and/or location of portions of a component, or describe the relative orientation and/or location between components, within a consistent but arbitrary frame of reference which is made clear by reference to the text and the associated drawings describing the component(s) under discussion. Such terminology may include the words specifically mentioned above, derivatives thereof, and words of similar import.
“Inhibit”—As used herein, inhibit is used to describe a reducing or minimizing effect. When a component or feature is described as inhibiting an action, motion, or condition it may completely prevent the result or outcome or future state completely. Additionally, “inhibit” can also refer to a reduction or lessening of the outcome, performance, and/or effect which might otherwise occur. Accordingly, when a component, element, or feature is referred to as inhibiting a result or state, it need not completely prevent or eliminate the result or state.
Although discussed in the context of a photovoltaic solar installation having many solar panels, each panel with a frame, the cable management devices and techniques described herein may be equally applicable to, but by no means limited to, other types of distributed energy generation facilities, such as wind or solar thermal installations. Any installation may benefit from the advances described herein. Thus, data centers, communication racks, buildings, and similar wire carrying structures or installations can also employ the cable management devices and techniques described below.
Existing cable mounting materials for routing cabling in a PV module system include tie devices to constrain wires by holding them again structural members of the PV module system and to support them above a roof of a building. Such tie devices are typically made from materials that become brittle and break over time when exposed to outdoor conditions, e.g., nylon. Thus, although tie devices can be inexpensive on a per-unit basis, the cost for manual replacement for failed tie devices can be expensive over time. Additionally, tie devices form a single loop when closing, and as a result, force all wire-structure interactions into a single constraining relationship. Such a constraining relationship may not be appropriate for all junctions between wire and structural members. For example, where a wire passes a corner of a structural member, the tie device may force the wire into a sharp curvature to follow a surface of the structural member. Such sharp bends of the wire may adversely affect the lifetime performance of the wire. Thus, providing cable management devices that are easily mounted and are fabricated from low-cost and weather-resistant materials can reduce time and costs involved in the installation of a PV module system, as well as lifetime costs of the system.
In an aspect, a cable support clip is provided to route cables along a frame rail of a PV module system. The cable support clip may be formed from spring wire, which is a low-cost and weather-resistant material. Furthermore, the cable support clip may be easily mounted on the frame rail by deflecting the clip from a free state to a deflected state to capture the frame rail between contact surfaces of the cable support clip. Thus, the cable support clip can reduce time and costs involved in the installation of a PV module system, as well as lifetime costs of the system.
In an aspect, a cable support stand is provided to route cables of a PV module system above a support surface, e.g., a roof. The cable support stand may be formed from recycled rubber material, e.g., recycled automobile tires, which is a low-cost and weather-resistant material. Furthermore, the cable support stand may be easily mounted on the support surface and held in place by its own weight. The cables may be placed in a cable channel of the cable support stand with a simple insertion and rotation movement. Thus, the cable support stand can reduce time and costs involved in the installation of a PV module system, as well as lifetime costs of the system.
In an aspect, a cable support tray is provided to route cables over a support surface, e.g., a roof, and/or underneath PV modules of a PV module system. The cable support tray may include a trough formed from recycled rubber material, e.g., recycled automobile tires, which is a low-cost and weather-resistant material. Furthermore, the trough may be easily mounted on the support surface and held in place by its own weight. The cables may be placed in the trough, and a lid may be placed on the trough without fasteners, such that the cables are protected within a cable channel of the cable support tray. Thus, the cable support tray can reduce time and costs involved in the installation of a PV module system, as well as lifetime costs of the system.
The aspects described above may be realized by the cable management devices disclosed herein. In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth, such as specific material regimes and component structures, in order to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be apparent to one skilled in the art that embodiments of the present disclosure may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known fabrication techniques or component structures, such as specific types of connectors or techniques for installing wiring, are not described in detail in order to not unnecessarily obscure embodiments of the present disclosure. Furthermore, it is to be understood that the various embodiments shown in the figures are illustrative representations and are not necessarily drawn to scale.
By way of summary, disclosed herein is a cable support clip that may be used to route wiring or cables of a PV module system along a PV module frame rail. In an embodiment, the cable support clip includes a cable retainer and a pair of arms extending from the cable retainer to a pair of clip portions. The pair of clip portions may be coupled to the cable retainer by the arms and each clip portion may include a respective upper contact surface and a respective lower contact surface. The upper contact surfaces of the clip portions may be aligned along an upper contact axis and the lower contact surfaces may be aligned along a lower contact axis. The pair of arms may be resiliently deflectable from a free state, in which the upper contact axis is below the lower contact axis, to a deflected state, in which the upper contact axis is above the lower contact axis. More particularly, the upper contact axis may be below the lower contact axis when the pair of arms are in the free state, and the upper contact axis may be above the lower contact axis when the pair of arms are in the deflected state.
One or more portions of the cable support clip may be formed from a length of wire. For example the cable support clip may be fabricated from a length of spring wire extending from a first end, e.g., at a first upper contact surface, to a second end, e.g., at a second contact surface. The length of wire may extend through several bends that form structural portions of the cable support clip, e.g., the clip portions, the arms, and/or the cable retainer. The length of wire may be a length of spring wire, which is a low-cost material, and may have a diameter in a range of 1 to 5 mm. The spring wire may be easily bent into a predetermined shape. For example, the cable retainer may include a supporting portion extending from the arms and a retaining portion extending from the supporting portion, all of which may be easily formed by bending the spring wire into the predetermined shape. Furthermore, the cable retainer may provide several cable channels to pass cabling through the cable support clip in different directions relative to a frame rail, e.g., a first cable channel running in a longitudinal direction and a second cable channel running orthogonal to the first cable channel in a transverse direction relative to the frame rail.
Also by way of summary, disclosed herein is a cable support stand that may be used to route wiring or cables of a PV module system above a support surface, e.g., a roof. In an embodiment, the cable support stand includes a base having a top surface vertically offset from a bottom surface, and several retention fingers extending from the top surface of the base. The retention fingers may include a first retention finger and a second retention finger that are separated from each other by a gap extending along a plane oriented orthogonally relative to the top surface. More particularly, the first retention finger may extend along an angular or curved path such that it includes a first lateral surface and a first lower surface. Similarly, the second retention finger may extend along an angular or curved path such that it includes a second lateral surface and a second lower surface. Accordingly, the first retention finger may define a portion of a cable channel above the top surface and between the top surface, the first lateral surface, and the first lower surface. The second retention finger may also define a portion of the cable channel above the top surface and between the top surface, the second lateral surface, and the second lower surface. The first portion of the cable channel may be longitudinally offset from the second portion across the gap separating the retention fingers from each other. In an embodiment, the first lateral surface and the second lateral surface face the cable channel in opposite directions, such that a cable located in the cable channel will be retained within the cable channel by at least one of the retention fingers when a transverse load is applied to the cable, e.g., when the cable is pushed or pulled sideways in the cable support stand.
In an embodiment, the base includes several legs that extend downward from the top surface to respective portions of the bottom surface. The legs may be separated from each other by a drainage cavity formed in the base below the top surface. Furthermore, one or more drainage channels may extend laterally outward from the drainage cavity between the legs to allow draining water, e.g., rain water running down a roof, to pass through and/or underneath the cable support stand. In an embodiment, the drainage cavity is defined by a cavity wall, and the cavity wall may be conformable to an upper shape of the cable support stand. Accordingly, the cable support stand may be stacked on top of another cable support stand, making the cable support stands easy to package and transport to an installation site.
The base may also include one or more openings in the top surface to permit drainage and/or attachment of cabling. For example, the base may include a fastening port extending from the top surface to the drainage cavity. Accordingly, cabling may be connected to the cable support stand, e.g., using a U-bolt fastened within the fastening port, to satisfy local regulations.
The cable support stand may be formed as a monolithic structure. For example, a recycled styrene-butadiene rubber material, which is a low-cost and weather-resistant material, may be used to form at least the base and the retention fingers of the cable support stand. The monolithic structure may be compression molded to form a complex structure. For example, the retention fingers of the cable support stand may be hook-shaped. That is, each retention finger may include a shank portion, a bend portion, and a point portion, interconnected along a monolithic curved structure. As an example, the shank portion of the first extension finger may extend from the top surface and include the first lateral surface, and the bend portion may extend from the shank portion and include the first lower surface. The point portion may extend from the bend portion opposite of the shank portion, and include an opposing lateral surface facing the first lateral surface across the cable channel. Thus, a cable may be retained within the cable channel by the first lateral surface and the opposing lateral surface under sideways loading.
Also by way of summary, disclosed herein is a cable support tray that may be used to route wiring or cables over a support surface, e.g., a roof, and/or underneath PV modules of a PV module system. In an embodiment, the cable support tray includes a trough having a bottom wall extending in a longitudinal direction, and two lateral walls extending upward from the bottom wall. More particularly, a first lateral wall may extend upward from the first lateral edge of the bottom wall to a first upper edge, and a second lateral wall may extend upward from a second lateral edge of the bottom wall to a second upper edge. The lateral walls may include several protrusions separated from each other along respective upper edges. For example, several protrusions extending from the first upper edge may be longitudinally separated by a first notch, and several protrusions extending from the second upper edge may be longitudinally separated by a second notch. The first notch and the second notch may be aligned with each other in a transverse direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction such that a PV module frame may be inserted into the notches to span a width of the trough above the bottom wall.
In an embodiment, the bottom wall is shaped to direct cabling received within the trough upward toward a nearby cable support stand. For example, the bottom wall may include a central segment having a flat portion of a support surface and one or more end segments having curved portions of the support surface. Thus, cabling running along the support surface may curve away from the central segment at the end segments to be directed upward toward the nearby cable support stand. The curved end segments may be supported by a support rib, which extends downward from the end segments to a plane aligned with the flat portion of the support surface. Thus, the trough may provide a stable support for routing cabling along a rooftop. Furthermore, the trough may be formed from recycled styrene-butadiene rubber material, which is a low-cost and weather-resistant material.
The cable support tray may include features to prevent water from pooling around the cables received in the trough. For example, one or more drainage openings may extend through the support surface to allow rainwater to pass through the trough. Optionally, the cable support tray may include a lid configured to mount on the trough. The lid may include a cover portion configured to fit between the protrusions extending from the lateral walls. More particularly, the cover portion may have a width, and the width may be less than a distance between the first protrusions and the second protrusions of the trough. One or more tabs may extend laterally outward from the cover portion to mount on the upper edges of the lateral walls. Accordingly, a cable channel may be defined between the cover portion, the bottom wall, and the lateral walls when the tabs are mounted on the upper edges of the trough. Thus, the lid may provide a barrier against the entrance of rainwater into the cable channel.
The trough may include features to allow an interconnection between several cable support trays. For example an interlocking feature may extend from the ends of the trough, and the interlock feature may be configured to mesh with an adjacent interlock feature of another trough. In an embodiment, the interlock feature includes a shank portion extending longitudinally from the bottom wall, and a bend portion extending transversely from the shank portion. The interlock feature may therefore define an interlock eye between the bend portion and the bottom wall, and a corresponding shank portion of an adjacent interlock feature may fit into the interlock eye to physically interconnect the adjacent troughs.
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PV cells within each PV module 102 of PV module system 100 can include backside contacts cells having wiring leading to an external electrical circuits on a backside, e.g., underneath, PV panel 104. Other types of PV cells may also be used without detracting from the merits of the inventions disclosed herein. For example, the PV cells may incorporate thin-film technology, such as silicon thin films, non-silicon devices (e.g., III-V cells including GaAs, etc.). Thus, while not shown in the accompanying figures, in some embodiments, PV module 102 may include one or more components in addition to PV panel 104, such as wiring or other electrical components.
In an embodiment, PV module system 100 includes wiring and/or cabling, such as thin-walled wire conductors and/or a cable 301 to transmit AC or DC electricity between PV module 102 and system electrical components, e.g., an inverter 304. PV module system 100 may include one or more cable management devices to isolate the system wiring from external structure 302 and/or to route the wiring along a predetermined path between PV module 102 and inverter 304. For example, PV module system 100 may include a cable support clip (
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Cable support clip 502 may include a cable retainer 503 to hold wiring or cables 301 near frame rail 202. Cable retainer 503 may include a shape suited to this function, such as the hook shape shown in
In an embodiment, cable support clip 502 includes a pair of arms 508 extending from cable retainer 503. More particularly, the arms 508 may extend upward from an opposite end of supporting portion 504 than retaining portion 506. For example, each arm 508 may extend from a respective first support joint 510 at a first end or edge of supporting portion 504 and retaining portion 506 may extend from a second support joint 512 at a second and or edge of supporting portion 504. Each arm 508 may extend from first support joint 510 to a respective first contact joint 514. The arms 508 may extend in a same general direction as retaining portion 506. Thus, a cable channel 1208 having a width equal to a distance between arms 508 and retaining portion 506 may be defined between the arms 508, supporting portion 504, and retaining portion 506.
Cable support clip 502 may include a pair of clip portions 516 connected to a respective arm 508. For example, a lower contact arm 518 may extend from first contact joint 514 to a second contact joint 520 along a generally horizontal plane. The lower contact arm 518 may include a lower contact surface 522. In an embodiment, lower contact surface 522 is a surface that contacts an underside of lip 208 when cable support clip 502 is placed on frame rail 202.
Each clip portion 516 may also include an upper contact surface 524. In an embodiment, upper contact surface 524 is a surface that contacts a top side of lip 208 when cable support clip 502 is placed on frame rail 202. For example, a first clip portion 516 may extend along an angulated path from a respective first contact joint 514 to a first contact end 526, and a respective upper contact surface 524 may be at first contact end 526. Similarly, a second clip portion 516 may extend along an angulated path from a respective first contact joint 514 to a second contact end 528, and a respective upper contact surface 524 may be at second contact end 528.
Clip portion 516 may include several segments between first contact joint 514 and the respective contact end. For example, in addition to lower contact arm 518 between first contact joint 514 and second contact joint 520, clip portion 516 may include a connector arm 530 and an upper contact arm 532. Connector arm 530 may be an elongated member extending from lower contact arm 518 at second contact joint 520 to an end of upper contact arm 532 opposite from the contact end. Similarly, upper contact arm 532 may be an elongated member extending from connector arm 530 to the contact end. Thus, clip portion 516 may include a series of contiguous elongated segments arranged along an angulated path between first contact joints 514 and contact ends 526, 528 with at least one of the segments having upper contact surface 524 and at least one of the segments having lower contact surface 522 offset from upper contact surface 524.
The term “joint” is used herein to denote a transition between portions of cable support clip 502 and is not necessarily a separate component that joins the portions together. More particularly, arms 508, cable retainer 503, and retaining portion 506, as well as the other portions of cable support clip 502, may be part of a same contiguous structure. That is, cable support clip 502 may be a monolithic structure. For example, in an embodiment, cable support clip 502 is formed from a continuous length of wire. That is, a wire length 534 may extend from first contact end 526 to second contact end 528 through clip portions 516, arms 508, and cable retainer 503. Wire length 534 may have a size and material composition so as to impart sufficient rigidity to the structure of cable support clip 502 such that cable support clip 502 can hold at least six cables 301 when clipped onto frame rail 202. For example, wire length 534 may be at least partly composed of spring wire having a diameter in a range of 1 to 5 mm, e.g., 2 mm. The spring wire may formed from stainless steel, e.g., grade 302 stainless steel. The wire diameter may be increased to accommodate larger cable retainers 503 and larger cables 301. One skilled in the art will appreciate that a stainless steel wire structure may be a low-cost and weather-resistant cable management solution.
In an embodiment, some but not necessarily all of the cable support clip portions are formed from wire length 534. For example, one or more of arms 508 or clip portions 516 may be formed from segments of wire length 534, however, at least a portion of cable retainer 503 may be formed from a structure other than a wire. By way of example, supporting portion 504 of cable retainer 503 may include a plate having a quadrilateral shape with two edges running along the supporting portion 504 wires shown in
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As described above, one or more cable channels may be defined between portions of the cable support clip 502, e.g., the arms 508, supporting portion 504, and retaining portion 506. The cable channels may be oriented to support wiring running parallel or perpendicular to frame rail 202. For example, referring to
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Cable support stand 306 may include a body that is roughly in the form of a four-sided pyramid. For example, cable support stand 306 may include a base 1002 having a top surface 1004 vertically offset from a bottom surface 1006. An outer profile of top surface 1004 may be less than an outer profile of bottom surface 1006 such that base 1002 tapers inward toward a central vertical axis from bottom surface 1006 to top surface 1004 (the profile of top surface 1004 is represented in some places by dotted lines). More particularly, top surface 1004 and bottom surface 1006 may have essentially rectangular profiles, and a width of top surface 1004 profile may be less than a width of bottom surface 1006 profile. In an embodiment, several retention fingers 1008 extend from top surface 1004. For example, a first retention finger 1010 and a second retention finger 1012 may extend upward from top surface 1004. When top surface 1004 has a rectangular profile, first retention finger 1010 may extend from a first corner of the profile and second retention finger 1012 may extend from a second corner of the profile diagonally opposite from the first corner.
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In an embodiment, one or more of first retention finger 1010 or second retention finger 1012 is hook-shaped. More particularly, the hook-shaped finger may include a shank portion 1210, a bend portion 1212, and a point portion 1214. The portions may be contiguous segments of the retention finger 1008 between top surface 1004 and finger end 1110. For example, shank portion 1210 may extend upward from top surface 1004 to bend portion 1212. Shank portion 1210 may include lateral surface of the respective retention finger 1008, e.g., first lateral surface 1204 of first retention finger 1010. Bend portion 1212 may extend from shank portion 1210 to point portion 1214 in a primarily transverse or sideways direction. Bend portion 1212 may include lower surface 1206 of the respective retention finger 1008. Point portion 1214 may extend downward from the bend portion 1212 toward finger end. Thus, point portion 1214 may include an opposing lateral surface 1216 facing a respective lateral surface 1204 and/or 1209 across cable channel 1208. Furthermore, point portion 1214 may include finger end 1110.
Based on the above description, it will be understood that retention fingers 1008 of cable support stand 306 lock wiring in place without the need for external fasteners. For example, lateral removal of cable 301 resting within cable channel 1208 will be resisted by one or more of retention fingers 1008. That is, lateral movement of cable 301 in the leftward direction of
Retention fingers 1008 of cable support stand 306 may accommodate several cables 301. For example, at least six separate cables 301 may be loaded through gap 1102 and insertion slots 1108 into cable channel 1208. In an embodiment, insertion slot 1108 may be narrower than a width of cable 301 to facilitate cable 301 retention within cable channel 1208. Accordingly, to allow cable 301 to be loaded through insertion slot 1108, retention fingers 1008 may be elastically deformable. That is, the retention fingers may be cantilevered away from top surface 1004 by pulling upward on finger end 1110 to increase the distance across insertion slot 1108 to a dimension greater than cable 301 diameter. After sliding cable 301 through insertion slot 1108 into cable channel 1208, retention finger 1008 may be released to allow it to resiliently deflect back into place and to capture cable 301 within cable channel 1208. Some material options that permit resilient deformation of retention fingers 1008 are described further below.
Cable support stand 306 may be configured to allow drainage, e.g., rain water running down a roof, to pass through and/or underneath base 1002. In an embodiment, base 1002 includes several legs 1250. For example base 1002 may include a leg 1250 extending upward from each corner of a profile of bottom surface 1006. By way of example, bottom surface 1006 may have a rectangular profile, and thus, cable support stand 306 may include four legs 1250. Alternatively, bottom surface 1006 may have a circular profile, and in such case, cable support stand 306 may include three or more legs 1250 evenly distributed about the circumference of bottom surface 1006. Thus, each leg 1250 may include a respective portion of bottom surface 1006. One or more drainage channels 1252 may extend laterally through base 1002 between the legs 1250 of cable support stand 306 to allow drainage through cable support stand 306.
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Drainage cavity 1302 may be defined by a cavity wall 1304. More particularly, cavity wall 1304 may be an inward facing surface of cable support stand 306 that faces an interior space opposite of a surrounding environment. Cavity wall 1304 may be shaped to achieve certain functional goals. For example, cavity wall 1304 may be shaped such that material usage, and therefore the cost of producing cable support stand 306, is reduced relative to cable support stand 306 having a solid base. Furthermore, drainage cavity 1302 may be shaped such that cavity wall 1304 is conformable to an upper shape of an adjacent cable support stand. Thus, cable support stand 306 may be stackable with another cable support stand having the upper shape that fits within drainage cavity 1302. As an example, when the adjacent cable support stand includes hook-shaped retention fingers 1008, like those shown in
Cable support stand 306 may include other features to satisfy certain performance or regulatory specifications. For example, one or more fastening port 1306 may extend from top surface 1004 through base 1002 to drainage cavity 1302. Fastening port 1306 may provide an opening to pass a strap used for securing cables 301 to cable support stand 306. Such straps may be required by local installation regulations.
In an embodiment, cable support stand 306 is in the form of a monolithic block of material. For example, base 1002 and retention fingers 1008 of cable support stand 306 may be portions of a monolithic structure. The monolithic structure may be formed of any material. For purposes of energy and waste reduction, however, one or more portions of cable support stand 306 may be formed from a recycled styrene-butadiene rubber material. A source of such material may be, for example, recycled automobile tires that are shredded and bonded to form the structures described above. By way of example, the recycled rubber may be formed into the structures described above using a compression molding process. The compression molding process may include binding the ground up rubber material in a polyurethane matrix. It has been shown that a resulting cable support stand 306 may be 75% less expensive than existing cable management solutions over time, and the material provides sufficient flexibility to allow for the resilient deformation of retention fingers 1008 described above, while also having good weather resistance. Furthermore, the resulting cable support stand 306 has been shown to weigh approximately 2.5 kg, which is a sufficient weight to allow cable support stand 306 to remain on the roof under its own weight without external fasteners.
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Bottom wall 1406 of trough 1404 may include a support surface 1608 along which cable 301 is routed, and support surface 1608 may be segmented for further description. Support surface 1608 may include a central segment 1610. More particularly, central segment 1610 may be a flat portion of support surface 1608 defined in the transverse direction between first lateral edge 1602 (the edge that first lateral wall 1410 extends upward from) and second lateral edge 1414, and in the longitudinal direction between one or more inflection line 1612. The flat portion may be generally planar in the longitudinal direction of trough 1404.
In addition to a flat portion, support surface 1608 may include end portions having a ramp configuration. More particularly, support surface 1608 may include a curved portion 1614 along an end segment 1616 of bottom wall 1406. For example, end segment 1616 can include one or more curvatures extending in the longitudinal direction away from inflection line 1612. The curved portion 1614 may be generally ramped upwardly, skewed relative to the planar direction of central segment 1610. By ramping upwardly, curved portion 1614 may support cable 301 in an upwardly extending configuration during use. For example, cable 301 may extend out of end segments at opposite ends of trough 1404 in an upwardly extending angle to support cable 301 above external structure 302, e.g., above the roof of a building.
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Trough 1404 may include one or more drainage opening 1622 through support surface 1608 and bottom wall 1406 to prevent water from pooling within trough 1404. In an embodiment, several drainage openings 1622 are symmetrically disposed in the longitudinal direction along support surface 1608. In an embodiment, drainage openings 1622 may also be formed through lateral walls of trough 1404 to allow water to drain sideways from trough 1404.
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Cable support tray 308 may be formed from similar materials as described above with respect to cable support stand 306. For example, cable support tray 308 may be compression molded from recycled automobile tires. Thus, cable support tray 308 may be formed to have a weight that allows it to rest on an external structure 302, e.g., a roof, without the need for separate fasteners. Furthermore, cable support tray 308 may be formed from low-cost materials having good weather-resistance.
Thus, cable management devices that are easily mounted and are fabricated from low-cost and weather-resistant materials have been described.
Although specific embodiments have been described above, these embodiments are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure, even where only a single embodiment is described with respect to a particular feature. Examples of features provided in the disclosure are intended to be illustrative rather than restrictive unless stated otherwise. The above description is intended to cover such alternatives, modifications, and equivalents as would be apparent to a person skilled in the art having the benefit of this disclosure.
The scope of the present disclosure includes any feature or combination of features disclosed herein (either explicitly or implicitly), or any generalization thereof, whether or not it mitigates any or all of the problems addressed herein. Accordingly, new claims may be formulated during prosecution of this application (or an application claiming priority thereto) to any such combination of features. In particular, with reference to the appended claims, features from dependent claims may be combined with those of the independent claims and features from respective independent claims may be combined in any appropriate manner and not merely in the specific combinations enumerated in the appended claims.
This application claims the benefit of priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/127,241 filed on Mar. 2, 2015, the full disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
Number | Date | Country | |
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62127241 | Mar 2015 | US |