Snap-Latch Wire Cover Mounting for Weather-Resistant Solar Cable Routing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wire and cable management systems for solar panel installations are inadequate in providing efficient and weather-resistant mounting solutions that can withstand harsh outdoor conditions and facilitate easy installation and maintenance.
Innovation Solution
A wire management system comprising weather-resistant covers, support housings, and connectors that utilize snap-fit mechanisms and universal mounts for secure attachment to surfaces, allowing for easy installation and multiple mounting options, while providing protection from UV radiation and weather elements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If traditional wire management systems are used in outdoor solar panel installations, then wires and cables are protected from some environmental damage, but the mounting system is complex and difficult to install quickly
Solution Approach 1:
The wire management system is divided into separate modular components including a cover, a cover support housing, and a universal mount. Each component can be independently manufactured, handled, and installed. The housing contains internal wire management features while the cover provides protective enclosure, allowing simplified assembly through basic attachment mechanisms rather than complex integrated structures.
Solution Approach 2:
The universal mount is designed to accommodate multiple mounting configurations and surface types through standardized attachment features. The housing serves multiple functions by providing structural support, wire routing channels, and mounting interface integration. This multi-functionality reduces the number of separate components needed and simplifies the overall installation process.
2Reliability
If wire management systems are designed for secure mounting in harsh weather, then reliability under high winds and environmental exposure is improved, but installation time increases due to complex assembly requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The housing is pre-formed with integrated wire routing channels, mounting attachment features, and structural reinforcement elements built into the design. The cover is pre-shaped with engagement lips and sealing features. These preliminary design actions eliminate the need for field assembly of complex structural elements, allowing installers to simply attach pre-prepared components rather than assembling multiple parts during installation.
Solution Approach 2:
The cover and housing incorporate self-aligning and self-securing features such as engagement lips that automatically position components correctly during attachment. The universal mount includes self-adjusting mechanisms that accommodate variations in mounting surfaces without requiring precise alignment or additional fastening operations, enabling rapid installation while maintaining weather-resistant sealing.
3Duration of action of stationary object
If wire management systems provide protection from UV radiation and weather elements, then durability is improved, but the system becomes more complex requiring special materials and manufacturing processes
Solution Approach 1:
The cover, housing, and universal mount are constructed from composite materials that integrate UV-resistant polymers, weather-proof coatings, and corrosion-resistant additives into a single manufacturable structure. These composite materials provide prolonged durability against UV radiation, moisture, and temperature extremes while maintaining compatibility with standard injection molding and extrusion manufacturing processes, avoiding the need for complex multi-material assembly or specialized fabrication techniques.
4Ease of operation
If wire management systems are designed for easy maintenance and access, then ease of operation is improved, but the mounting structure becomes less secure and more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The universal mount and housing attachment mechanisms are designed with dynamic characteristics that allow easy detachment and reattachment. Quick-release features and reversible engagement mechanisms enable maintenance personnel to access the wire management system by simply disengaging the cover and housing without requiring tools or complex disassembly procedures. The same mechanisms provide secure mounting during normal operation through positive engagement features that resist environmental forces including high winds and vibration.
Data Source
AI summary
A wire management system including a cover and a cover support housing to receive an electrical wire or cable. A kit of the wire management system includes one or more of the covers and cover support housings and or more connectors for joining or covering ends of adjacent covers. The cover, cover support housing and the one or more connectors can be formed of a material which is weather resistant and provides a protective barrier to weather elements and ultraviolet (UV) radiation. A universal mount coupled to the cover support housing is used to elevate the wire management system from a surface. Snap down latching of the cover, cover support housing and universal mount provides expeditious installation of the wire management system.