Many electrical systems such as computers comprise electrical cables internal to the system chassis. Such cables are used to provide power and/or data from one point within the system to another. For example, a power cable may be used to route power from a computer's power supply to a video card. In general, the cross-sectional area of an electrical cable is proportional to the amount of current flowing through the cable. Some cables provide more current than other cables. Power cables are typical of cables that are generally required to carry large amounts of power within a system.
Electrical systems comprise numerous components contained within a chassis. A problem occurs when designing many electrical systems when determining the locations of the various components within the system. Among the design challenges is the problem of relatively thick electrical cables. The ability of an electrical to be bent decreases as the cross-sectional area of the cable increases. That is, thick electrical cables can be difficult to bend which must then be considered when laying out the components within the system. For example, a relatively large space may be needed to accommodate a thick electrical cable that cannot be bent very sharply.
For a detailed description of exemplary embodiments of the invention, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings in which:
Certain terms are used throughout the following description and claims to refer to particular system components. As one skilled in the art will appreciate, computer companies may refer to a component by different names. This document does not intend to distinguish between components that differ in name but not function. In the following discussion and in the claims, the terms “including” and “comprising” are used in an open-ended fashion, and thus should be interpreted to mean “including, but not limited to . . . ” Also, the term “couple” or “couples” is intended to mean either an indirect, direct, optical or wireless electrical connection. Thus, if a first device couples to a second device, that connection may be through a direct electrical connection, through an indirect electrical connection via other devices and connections, through an optical electrical connection, or through a wireless electrical connection. The term “system” refers to a combination of two or more components. A system may comprise, for example, the combination of a server and a client communicatively coupled thereto, or a server alone, a client alone, or a subsystem within a computer.
In the embodiment shown, each conduit 14 comprises an electrical conductor 16. In other embodiments, more than one conductor is provided in each conduit. In some embodiments, the conductors 16 are individually electrically insulated. In other embodiments, the conductors 16 are not insulated. In embodiments in which the conductors are not insulated, an even in embodiments in which the conductors are insulated, the conductors are electrically isolated from each other by way of the walls 15 of the conduits.
In the embodiment shown, end 20 comprises a socket (female connector) while the other end 22 comprises a plug (male connector). The plug at end 22 comprises a pin 18 associated with each conductor. In other embodiments, the gender of ends 20 and 22 can be different from that shown in
In the embodiment shown, the electrical adapter 10 comprises six conductors 16. In some embodiments, three of such conductors 16 are provided to carry power and three are for ground. The number of conductors 16 can be varied and in general comprises two or more, and in some embodiments four or more conductors. In the example of
Adapter 10 can be manufactured in accordance with a variety of techniques. For example, the housing 12 may be manufactured as two halves 12a and 12b. One or more electrical conductors are formed into approximately the angle corresponding to the angle of the housing and placed into the bottom housing half 12b to form the bottom row 19 of conductors. One or more of the walls 15 are then placed in the lower half 12b. One or more additional conductors 16, formed into approximately the same angle as the housing, are placed in the conduits 16 formed by the walls 15 to thereby form the top row 21 of conductors. The top half 12a of the housing 12 is then attached to the bottom half 12b. Attachment mechanisms comprise adhesive, screws, friction fit, etc.
The electrical conductors 16 comprise any gauge conductor. In at least one embodiment, the conductors comprise 16 gauge or lower conductors.
In some embodiments, more than one angled electrical adapter 10 can be used in a nesting arrangement in which a first angled adapter abuts a second angled adapter. The set of angled adapters thereby can be used in a corner in which more than one pair electrical cables are to be routed.
The above discussion is meant to be illustrative of the principles and various embodiments of the present invention. Numerous variations and modifications will become apparent to those skilled in the art once the above disclosure is fully appreciated. It is intended that the following claims be interpreted to embrace all such variations and modifications.