US 12015375

Patent Summary: US 12,015,375 B2

Title: Lead assembly for connecting solar panel arrays to inverter

Assignee: Shoals Technologies Group, LLC

Inventor: Dean Solon

Filing Date: June 26, 2023

Issue Date: June 18, 2024

Abstract:
A lead assembly includes a plurality of drop lines joined to a feeder cable at joints, each having a compression lug that is preferably surrounded by undermolding and overmolding. In use, each drop line is connected to a solar array, and the feeder cable is connected to an inverter. In this manner, a plurality of solar arrays are electrically coupled together, with a common feeder cable connecting them all to the inverter. A system of the present invention doesn't require a combiner box which is conventionally employed directly upstream of the inverter.

Plain-Language Overview of Independent Claims:

As of May 13, 2026, a review of the dockets for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC) for 2026 did not reveal any appeals related to US patent 12,015,375.

Independent Claim 1:
This claim describes a lead assembly for connecting one or more drop lines (cables from solar panels) to a larger feeder cable. The core of the invention is a "joint" where these cables are electrically connected. This connection point, or "nexus," is encapsulated in a single, solid piece of molded material (a monolithic mold). The mold has a channel for the feeder cable to pass completely through it and one or more separate channels for the drop lines. The claim specifies that within this joint, the exposed wires of the drop line and the feeder cable are laid parallel to each other. The design allows the feeder and drop line cables to enter and exit the molded joint through distinct openings. The purpose is to combine the electrical power collected from multiple solar panels into a single feeder cable.

Independent Claim 15:
This claim focuses on a lead assembly with a joint that specifically connects a feeder cable to two drop lines. Each drop line is intended to connect to a wire harness, which in turn connects to a group of solar panels. The electrical connection point (nexus) is sealed within a "primary mold" to protect it from the environment. A key feature of this claim is the physical arrangement of the cables within the mold: the feeder cable runs through a central pathway, and the two drop line pathways are arranged so that at least one runs parallel to the feeder cable. Furthermore, the two drop lines extend out from the mold in opposite directions, parallel to the main feeder cable.

Independent Claim 20:
This claim details a complete lead assembly system. It includes the feeder cable, a "drop line cable" that consists of two separate drop lines, and a molded joint. Each of the two drop lines connects to a wire harness for receiving power from solar panels. The joint connects both drop lines to the single feeder cable at an electrical nexus. This nexus is sealed within a "mold structure" that has pathways for the feeder cable and the two drop lines to pass through. Similar to the other claims, a significant aspect is the physical layout: a portion of the drop line pathway runs parallel to the feeder pathway, and the two drop lines extend out of the mold structure in opposite directions along an axis parallel to the feeder cable. This creates a streamlined, in-line connection system.