Cable retention system for power distribution unit

• US 10,594,082 B2
• Filed: 07/21/2019
• Issued: 03/17/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Chatsworth Products Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Chatsworth Products Incorporated
• Inventors: Utz, James, Krietzman, William, Young, Joshua, Hungria, Anderson
• Primary Examiner(s): Duverne, Jean F
• Application Number:
  US16/517,626
• Publication Number:
  US 20190341724A1
• Time in Patent Office: 240 Days
• Field of Search: 439373
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/5812 the cable clamping being achieved by mounting the separate part on the housing of the coupling device
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6395 for wall or panel outlets
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/72 Means for accommodating flexible lead within the holder
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 25/006 the coupling part being secured to apparatus or structure, e.g. duplex wall receptacle

Abstract

A cable retention system for a power distribution unit includes a tether and a tether mount. The tether has an elongate portion and an attachment portion, and the attachment portion includes a channel therein. The tether mount has a base at a proximal end and a head at a distal end. The base is adapted to attach the proximal end of the tether mount to the power distribution unit. The tether is adapted to be secured to the tether mount by snap-fitting the head of the tether mount into the channel of the attachment portion.

Claims

1. A method of tool-lessly retaining a cable plugged into a power distribution unit, the method comprising:

providing a tether mount anchored to the power distribution unit, the tether mount including a shaft and a distal boss;

providing an elongate tether having first and second ends and at least one aperture extending therethrough, the elongate tether including an attachment portion at the first end that defines a channel open to one side of the elongate tether, wherein at least a portion of a mouth of the channel is narrower than an interior of the channel;

positioning the elongate tether so that the boss of the tether mount is received within the channel by snap-fit, thereby securing the elongate tether to the power distribution unit; and

arranging a tie wrap around the cable and through the at least one aperture of the elongate tether.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one aperture is a plurality of apertures.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the elongate tether includes at least one bridge lance that defines the at least one aperture.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the elongate tether includes a ridge extending along one side thereof that defines the at least one aperture.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the tie wrap is an integrated tie wrap that is part of the elongate tether.

6. A method of tool-lessly retaining a cable plugged into a power distribution unit, the method comprising:

providing a tether mount anchored to a generally flat mounting surface of the power distribution unit, the tether mount including a shaft and a distal boss;

providing an elongate tether having first and second ends and at least one aperture extending therethrough, the elongate tether including an attachment portion at the first end that defines a channel open to one side of the elongate tether;

positioning the elongate tether so that the boss of the tether mount is received within the channel, thereby securing the elongate tether to the power distribution unit at a single connection location, wherein the elongate tether extends away from the single connection location in a direction transverse to the generally flat mounting surface of the power distribution unit; and

arranging a tie wrap around the cable and through the at least one aperture of the elongate tether.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the at least one aperture is a plurality of apertures.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the elongate tether includes at least one bridge lance that defines the at least one aperture.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the elongate tether includes a ridge extending along one side thereof that defines the at least one aperture.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the tie wrap is an integrated tie wrap that is part of the elongate tether.

11. A method of tool-lessly reconfiguring a cable retention system for a power distribution unit, the method comprising:

providing a plurality of tether mounts anchored to a mounting surface of the power distribution unit and an elongate tether mounted to a first one of the plurality of tether mounts, wherein,

each tether mount includes a distal boss,

the elongate tether includes an attachment portion at one end thereof that defines a channel open to one side of the elongate tether, and

the boss of the first one of the plurality of tether mounts is received within the channel, thereby securing the elongate tether to the power distribution unit at a first location;

removing the elongate tether from the first one of the plurality of tether mounts; and

positioning the elongate tether so that the boss of a second one of the plurality of tether mounts is received within the channel, thereby securing the elongate tether to the power distribution unit at a second location.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein at least a portion of a mouth of the channel is narrower than an interior of the channel.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein positioning the elongate tether so that the boss of the second one of the plurality of tether mounts is received within the channel includes snap-fitting the boss of the second one of the plurality of tether mounts into the channel.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the elongate tether includes at least one aperture extending therethrough.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the at least one aperture is a plurality of apertures.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the elongate tether includes at least one bridge lance that defines the at least one aperture.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the elongate tether includes a ridge extending along one side thereof that defines the at least one aperture.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein each of the plurality of tether mounts is anchored adjacent to a corresponding outlet of the power distribution unit.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising arranging a tie wrap around a cable plugged into the outlet adjacent the second one of the tether mounts and passing the tie wrap through the at least one aperture of the elongate tether.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the tie wrap is an integrated tie wrap that is part of the elongate tether.