Cable retaining system

Abstract

Cable retainer implementations of a cable retaining system for use with patch panels and other multiport communication equipment are discussed herein. The cable retainer implementations can be useful for supporting, ordering, and otherwise managing cables coupled to multiport equipment found installed in communication racks or in stand-alone applications. The multiport equipment typically includes patch panels and can include other types of multiport equipment as well including network hubs.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention is generally related to cable management systems.

2. Description of the Related Art

Conventional racks can hold much equipment including patch panels and other equipment having many ports connected to various types of cables. The equipment can be used for telephony, networking, and other communication related applications using both fiber optic and wire cables. The amount and diversity of cables can pose serious challenges in managing such cables. Unfortunately, conventional solutions to such cable management challenges can present challenges of their own such as with insufficient access and/or high demands for space requirements.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S)

FIG. 1 is an exploded isometric front view of a first implementation of the cable retaining system with a cable retainer front and a first cable retainer rear shown with a first patch panel.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged portion of the exploded isometric front view of the first implementation of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an isometric front view of the first implementation of FIG. 1 as assembled.

FIG. 4 is an isometric front view of the first implementation of FIG. 1 as installed in a communication rack.

FIG. 5 is an exploded isometric rear view of the first implementation of FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged portion of the exploded isometric rear view of FIG. 5 of the first implementation.

FIG. 7 is an isometric rear view of the first implementation of FIG. 5 as assembled.

FIG. 8 is an isometric front view of a second implementation of the cable retaining system.

FIG. 9 is an isometric front view of a third implementation of the cable retaining system.

FIG. 10 is a top plan view of a fourth implementation of the cable retaining system.

FIG. 11 is a top plan view of a fifth implementation of the cable retaining system.

FIG. 12 is a top plan view of a sixth implementation of the cable retaining system.

FIG. 13 is an exploded isometric front view of a seventh implementation of the cable retaining system.

FIG. 14 is an isometric front view of the seventh implementation of the cable retaining system of FIG. 13 as assembled.

FIG. 15 is an exploded isometric front view of an eighth implementation of the cable retaining system.

FIG. 16 is an enlarged portion of the exploded isometric front view of the eighth implementation of FIG. 15.

FIG. 17 is an isometric front view of the eighth implementation of FIG. 15 as assembled.

FIG. 18 is an exploded isometric front view of a ninth implementation of the cable retaining system.

FIG. 19 is an isometric front view of the ninth implementation of the cable retaining system as assembled.

FIG. 20 is a side elevational view showing the retaining bar of the ninth implementation about to be coupled with the patch panel of the ninth implementation.

FIG. 21 is a side elevational view showing the retaining bar of the ninth implementation initially being inserted into the patch panel of the ninth implementation.

FIG. 22 is a side elevational view showing a first slot of the retaining bar of the ninth implementation being coupled with the patch panel of the ninth implementation.

FIG. 23 is a side elevational view showing transitioning from a first slot to a second slot of the retaining bar of the ninth implementation for coupling with the patch panel of the ninth implementation.

FIG. 24 is a side elevational view showing a second slot of the retaining bar of the ninth implementation being coupled with the patch panel of the ninth implementation.

FIG. 25 is a side elevational view showing a third slot of the retaining bar of the ninth implementation being coupled with the patch panel of the ninth implementation.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Cable retainer implementations of a cable retaining system for use with patch panels and other multiport communication equipment are discussed herein. The cable retainer implementations can be useful for supporting, ordering, and otherwise managing cables coupled to multiport equipment found installed in communication racks or in stand-alone applications. The multiport equipment typically includes patch panels and can include other types of multiport equipment such as network hubs.

A first implementation 100 of a cable retaining system including a first front cable retainer 102 and a first rear cable retainer 104 with a first patch panel version 106, having a front 106F and a rear 106R, is shown in FIGS. 1-7. The first front retainer 102 is configured for attachment to the front 106F of the first patch panel 106 and the first rear retainer 104 is configured for attachment to the rear 106R of first patch panel. The first front retainer 102 and the first rear retainer 104 each have a bar 107 with a lateral portion 108 extending between two extension portions 109. The extension portions 109 each have a series of holes 110. Each of the extension portions 109 engages with a bracket 111. The bracket 111 has two holes 112 for mounting to multiport equipment such as the first patch panel 106 using mounting threaded fasteners 113 such as machine screws or bolts. The bracket 111 also has a through-hole or opening 114 for receiving the extension portions 109 therein.

The bracket 111 has snap fingers or bearings 115, each with a protrusion that engages with one of the holes 110 when the bar 107 is inserted a sufficient distance into the through hole 114 of the bracket. The snap bearings 115 are tensioned a sufficient amount to prevent the bar 107 from inadvertently sliding in or out of the bracket 111, but are not tensioned so much as to not allow a user to slide the bar in or out of the bracket as desired. The series of the holes 110 on each extension portion 109 allows a user to select to what extent the lateral portion 108 of the bar 107 is positioned away from the multiport equipment such as the first patch panel 106.

The multiport equipment such as the first patch panel 106 has threaded holes 116 to receive the threaded fasteners 113 for mounting the first front retainer 102 and the first rear retainer 104 to the first patch panel. The first patch panel 106 has openings 117 to receive the extension portions 109 that may extend inward beyond the bracket 111. In alternative implementations, snap bearings 115 can be positioned inside of the through holes 114 rather than on the bracket 111 to engage with the holes 110 of the extension portions 109. Alternatively, the snap bearings can be mounted on the extension portions 109 of the bar 107, and the series of the holes 110 within the bracket 111. In other alternative implementations, other sorts of spring loaded protrusions or other style connections can be used instead of snap bearings.

When only with one of the first front retainer 102 and the first rear retainer 104 is mounted to the first patch panel 106, the bar 107 of the mounted retainer may be slid farther into the first patch panel 106 than if both the first front retainer and the first rear retainer were simultaneously mounted, each with a bar 107. The bracket 111 and the first patch panel 106, however, are sufficiently dimensioned to allow for both the first front retainer 102 and the first rear retainer 104 to be simultaneously mounted to the first patch panel 106 with a bar 107.

The first front retainer 102 and the first rear retainer 104 further include cable stays 120, each having an elongated strip member 122 with a lateral groove 124 and cable clamps 126 fixedly attached to the strip member. Other implementations used other couplers that are engageable with cables to couple the cables with the bar 107. The lateral groove 124 of each cable stay 120 is sized to removably and slidably engage with the lateral portion 108 of the bar 107. As such, the cable stays 120 can be slidably positioned along the length of the lateral portion 108 as desired to locate the cables stays on the lateral portion at desired locations.

Each cable stay 120 is shown to include twelve cable clamps 126, however, in other implementations the number of the cable clamps can be different for the cables stays. In some implementations, the cable stays 120 or various of the cable clamps 126 can be labeled with various colors, patterns, alphanumeric symbols or other symbology, or otherwise marked to indicate the type of cable that the cable stay and/or cable clamp is capable of retaining. In some implementations associated cable can be similarly marked to match the marking the cable stays 120 and cable clamps 126 with which compatible. In alternative implementations, another type of member other than the bar 107 can be used to support the cable stays 120.

The first patch panel 106 is representative of a multiport device, which can be included in the retaining system 100, however, in other versions of the retaining system, other types of multiport devices can be involved. Consequently, the openings 117 can also be found in other multiport equipment besides the first patch panel 106 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The first patch panel 106 is shown to further include connectors 128 that removably engage with port openings 130 of the first patch panel.

The first front retainer 102 and the first rear retainer 104 coupled to the first patch panel 106 is shown in FIG. 4 as installed in a communication rack 132. Cables 134 are shown coupled to the first patch panel 106 and being secured by the cables stays 120 attached to the first front retainer 102 and the first rear retainer 104. The cable clamps 126 are positioned on the cable stays 120 to receive the cables 134 both above and below the first front retainer 102 and the first rear retainer 104, thereby providing enhanced support for high-density port configurations such as shown with the first patch panel 106.

A rear view of the first front retainer 102 and the first rear retainer 104 are shown with the first patch panel 106 in FIGS. 5-7. A second implementation 129 of the cable retaining system with the first front retainer 102 and the first rear retainer 104 is shown in FIG. 8 as being mounted to a second patch panel 136. A third implementation 137 of the cable retaining system with the first front retainer 102 and the first rear retainer 104 is shown in FIG. 9 as being mounted to a third patch panel 138. The second patch panel 136 and the third patch panel 138 differ from each other, and from the first patch panel 106 with respect to port densities among other things. These examples are provided to show that in general implementations of the retaining system 100 can be used for a wide variety of equipment connectable to cables.

A fourth implementation 139 of the cable retaining system with a second front retainer 140 is shown in FIG. 10 as having a second bar 142 with a first bend 144, a second bend 146, and a third bend 148 providing angled portions 150 of the second bar angled at an angle between 0 and 180 degrees to each other. The angled portions 150 can be used to direct the cables 134 away from a center portion 152 of multiport equipment such as the first patch panel 106.

A fifth implementation 153 of the cable retaining system with the second front retainer 140 is shown along with a second rear retainer 154 with a fourth patch panel 156 in FIG. 11. The second rear retainer 154 is angled at a first band 144R, a second bend 146R, and a third bend 148R substantially as the mirror image of the second front retainer 140 having the first bend 144, the second bend 146, and the third bend 148, respectively, to follow a profile provided by the fourth patch panel 156 having a first bend 144P, a second bend 146P, and a third bend 148P, respectively. The fourth patch panel 156 has angled portions 158 to help direct the cables 134 away from a center portion 160 of the fourth patch panel. The second front retainer 140 and the second rear retainer 154 are angled to be substantially aligned with the angled portions 158 of the second patch panel 156 to further help direct the cables 134.

A sixth implementation 162 of the cable retaining system is shown in FIG. 12 having a fifth patch panel 164 having a conventional front 164F and in a conventional rear 164R. The sixth implementation 162 uses the first front retainer 102 and the first rear retainer 104 for supporting cables coupled to the front 164F and the rear 164R.

A seventh implementation 170 of the cable retaining system is shown in FIG. 13 and FIG. 14 as a variation of the first implementation 100 wherein the bracket 111, supporting the first front retainer 102, is mounted on the rear 106R of the first patch panel 100. In this seventh implementation 170 the extension portions 109 of the bar 107 protrude through the openings 117 of the first patch panel 100 to engage with the bracket 111.

An eight implementation 180 of the cable retaining system is shown in FIGS. 15-17 in which the extensions 109 of the bar 107 each have a series of holes 184 therethrough and a groove 185 on a laterally inward side of the extension generally coextensive with the series of holes. The bar 107 of this eight implementation is constructed to engage a sixth patch panel 186 having openings 188 sized to receive the extensions 109. A laterally outward projecting tab 190 is positioned in each opening 188 to fit within the groove 185 of the corresponding extension 109 inserted into the opening 188. The tabs 190 are sized to removably fit within selected holes of the series of holes 184 of the extensions 109 to lock the bar 107 in position relative to the sixth patch panel 186 when inserted a desired distance into the openings 188.

In this eight implementation 180, the bar 107 is formed so that the extension portions 109 are positioned slightly outward more than perpendicular to the lateral portion 108. A slight laterally outward force, F, on each of the extensions 109 will bring them perpendicular to the lateral portion 108 so that the extensions can be inserted into one of the openings 188. The bar 107 has sufficient resiliency such that the extensions 109 when so moved laterally outward will tend to move laterally inward when the outward force, F, is removed. To engage one of the holes 184 with one of the tabs 190, when the extensions 109 are inserted at about the desired distance into the openings 188 to position the lateral portion 108 at about the desired distance from the face of the sixth patch panel 186, the outward force, F, is removed from the extensions 109 and the bar 107 is slid either slightly further into or out of the opening 188 until the tab snap seats into the hole.

A ninth implementation 191 of the cable retaining system is shown in FIGS. 18 and 19 with the bar 107 having serpentine shaped extensions 193 with slots 194 that couple the bar to a seventh patch panel 196 through engagement of the slots with the edge wall portions of openings 198 of the patch panel. In FIGS. 20-25, one of the extensions 193 is shown being progressively inserted into one of the openings 198 by pivoting the extension about the opening with an undulating movement as the extension proceeds into the opening. The extension 193 proceeds further into the opening 198 until a desired position is reached with one of the slots 194 being engaged with the edge wall portion of the opening 198 as shown in FIG. 25.

From the foregoing it will be appreciated that, although specific embodiments of the invention have been described herein for purposes of illustration, various modifications may be made without deviating from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not limited except as by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A retainer system comprising: a multiport equipment having at least two openings; a member with two extension portions and a lateral portion extending between the two extension portions, each extension portion including at least one hole; a pair of brackets, each bracket having an opening to receive a different one of the extension portions, each bracket having at least one snap bearing to engage with the at least one hole of the different one of the extension portions; at least one cable stay, the cable stay having an elongated member with a groove and a plurality of cable clamps attached to the elongated member, the groove sized to couple with the lateral portion of the member, the cable clamps each shaped and sized to retainably engage with a cable; and a plurality of fasteners usable to fasten the brackets to the multiport equipment with each of the openings of the brackets in alignment with one of the openings of the multiport equipment to receive one of the extension portions when the extension portions are received within the openings of the brackets and extend inward toward the multiport equipment.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the multiport equipment has a center portion and wherein the lateral portion of the member is bent, whereby at least one cable is directed away from the center portion when the cable is retainably engaged with one of the cable clamps of the cable stay.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the lateral portion of the member have at least two angled portions angled at an angle between 0 and 180 degrees to the other.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein a first portion of the cable clamps are arranged along the elongated member to be positioned above the lateral portion of the member and a second portion of the cable clamps are arranged along the elongated member to be positioned below the lateral portion of the member when the cable stay is coupled with the lateral portion of the member.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the two openings of the multiport equipment are accessible from the front of the equipment.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the two openings of the multiport equipment are accessible from the rear of the equipment.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the multiport equipment is a patch panel.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the member includes a bar portion.

9. A retainer system comprising: a multiport equipment having front and rear sides and at least two front openings on the front side and at least two rear openings on the rear side; a first member with two extension portions and a lateral portion extending between the two extension portions, each extension portion including at least one hole; a first pair of brackets, each bracket having an opening to receive a different one of the extension portions of the first member, each bracket having at least one snap bearing to engage with the at least one hole of the different one of the extension portions of the first member; at least one first cable stay, the first cable stay having an elongated member with a groove and a plurality of cable clamps attached to the elongated member, the groove sized to couple with the lateral portion of the first member, the cable clamps each shaped and sized to retainably engage with a cable; a plurality of first fasteners usable to fasten the first brackets to the front side of the multiport equipment with each of the openings of the first brackets in alignment with one of the front openings of the multiport equipment to receive one of the extension portions of the first member when the extension portions are received within the openings of the first brackets and extend inward toward the multiport equipment; a second member with two extension portions and a lateral portion extending between the two extension portions, each extension portion including at least one hole; a second pair of brackets, each bracket having an opening to receive a different one of the extension portions of the second member, each bracket having at least one snap bearing to engage with the at least one hole of the different one of the extension portions of the second member; at least one second cable stay, the second cable stay having an elongated member with a groove and a plurality of cable clamps attached to the elongated member, the groove sized to couple with the lateral portion of the second member, the cable clamps each shaped and sized to retainably engage with a cable; and a plurality of second fasteners usable to fasten the second brackets to the rear side of the multiport equipment with each of the openings of the second brackets in alignment with one of the rear openings of the multiport equipment to receive one of the extension portions of the second member when the extension portions are received within the openings of the second brackets and extend inward toward the multiport equipment.

10. For use with a multiport equipment, a retainer system comprising: a member with two extension portions and a lateral portion extending between the two extension portions; a pair of brackets, each bracket having an opening to receive a different one of the extension portions, each bracket couplable to the multiport equipment; and a plurality of cable clamps attachable to the lateral portion of the member, the cable clamps each shaped and sized to retainably engage with cable.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein one of the brackets and the extension portions have snap bearings to releasable engage the other.

12. The system of claim 10 wherein the lateral portion of the member is bent to form at least two angled portions.

13. The system of claim 10 wherein a first portion of the cable clamps are positioned above the lateral portion of the member and a second portion of the cable clamps are positioned below the lateral portion of the member when the cable clamps are coupled with the lateral portion of the member.

14. The system of claim 10 for the multiport equipment having a front wherein the brackets are attachable to the front of the multiport equipment.

15. For use with a multiport equipment, a retainer system comprising: an elongated member couplable to the multiport equipment; and a cable stay attachable to the elongated member and having a plurality of cable clamps, the cable clamps each shaped and sized to retainably engage with a cable.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein a first portion of the cable clamps are arranged along the cable stay to be positioned above the elongated member and a second portion of the cable clamps are arranged along the cable stay to be positioned below the elongated member when the cable stay is attached to the elongated member.

17. The system of claim 15 wherein the elongated member has two extension portions and a laterally extending portion extending between the two extension portions; and further including a pair of brackets attachable to the multiport equipment, each bracket having an opening to removably receive a different one of the extension portions.

18. The system of claim 15 wherein the cable stay is slidably attached to the elongated member for selective sliding movement along the elongated member.

19. A retainer system for use with a multiport equipment having at least two openings, the retainer system comprising: a member with two extension portions and a lateral portion extending between the two extension portions; and a pair of attachment members attachable to the multiport equipment at one of the two openings thereof, each attachment member having an opening alignable with one of the openings of the multiport equipment and sized to receive a different one of the extension portions, the extension portions and the attachment members being in releasable engagement with each other when the extension portions are received within the openings of the attachment members to releasably retain the extension portions within the openings of the attachment members, such that when the attachment members are attached to the multiport equipment with each of the openings of the brackets in alignment with one of the openings of the multiport equipment and receiving therein one of the extension portions, the extension portions are selectively movable inward beyond the attachment members and into the openings of the multiport equipment.

20. The system of claim 19 further including at least one cable stay, the cable stay having an elongated member with a groove and a plurality of cable clamps attached to the elongated member, the groove sized to couple with the lateral portion of the member, the cable clamps each shaped and sized to retainably engage with a cable.

21. The system of claim 19 further including at least one cable stay, the cable stay having an elongated body portion and first and second pluralities of cable clamps attached to the body portion, the cable stay being couplable to the lateral portion of the member, the cable clamps each shaped and sized to retainably engage with a cable, the first plurality of cable clamps being arranged along the elongated body portion to be positioned above the lateral portion of the member and the second plurality of cable clamps being arranged along the elongated body portion to be positioned below the lateral portion of the member when the cable stay is attached to the lateral portion of the member.

22. The system of claim 19 further including at least one cable stay, the cable stay being movably attached to the lateral portion of the member for selective movement therealong.

23. The system of claim 22 wherein the cable stay is slidably attached to the lateral portion of the member for selective sliding movement therealong.

24. A retainer system comprising: a multiport equipment having port openings to removably receive connectors; a member with a first extension portion and a second extension portion and a lateral portion extending therebetween, each extension portion engageable with the multiport equipment; and at least one cable coupler couplable to the member and to a cable.

25. The system of claim 24 further comprising at least one bracket coupled to the multiport equipment and having an opening to receive a different one of the extension portions by which the extension portion is engaged with the multiport equipment.

26. The system of claim 25 wherein the bracket includes at least one snap bearing to engage with the at least one hole of the different one of the extension portions.

27. The system of claim 24 wherein the multiport equipment has a first opening with a first tab, and a second opening with a second tab, the first extension portion has first holes, and the second extension portion has second holes, the multiport equipment being engageable with the first extension portion by the first tab of the first opening of the multiport equipment being seatable within the first holes of the first extension portion, and engageable with the second extension portion by the second tab of the second opening being seatable within the second holes of the second extension portion.

28. The system of claim 27 wherein the first extension includes a first groove extending in alignment with the first holes and sized to slidably receive the first tab of the first opening therein when the first extension is inserted into the first opening, and the second extension includes a second groove extending in alignment with the second holes and sized to slidably receive the second tab of the first opening therein when the second extension is inserted into the second opening.

29. The system of claim 27 wherein the first extension portion extends from the lateral portion inwardly at an angle less than 90° and the second extension portion extends from the lateral portion inwardly at an angle less than 90° such that a first laterally outward force applied to the first extension portion positions the first extension portion substantially perpendicular to the lateral portion and a second laterally outward force applied to the second extension portion positions the second extension portion substantially perpendicular to the lateral portion.

30. The system of claim 24 wherein the cable coupler includes an elongated strip member with a lateral groove and cable clamps fixedly attached to the strip member.

31. The system of claim 24 wherein the two openings of the multiport equipment are open to the front of the multiport equipment for insertion of the first and second extension portions from the front of the multiport equipment.

32. The system of claim 24 wherein the two openings of the multiport equipment are open to the rear of the multiport equipment for insertion of the first and second extension portions from the rear of the multiport equipment.

33. The system of claim 24 wherein the multiport equipment is a patch panel.

34. The system of claim 24 wherein the member includes a bar portion.

35. A retainer system comprising: a multiport equipment having a front and a rear; a first member with two extension portions and a lateral portion extending between the two extension portions, the two extension portions coupled to the front of the multiport equipment; at least one first cable stay, the first cable stay having an elongated member with a groove and a plurality of cable clamps attached to the elongated member, the groove sized to couple with the lateral portion of the first member, the cable clamps each shaped and sized to retainably engage with a cable; a second member with two extension portions and a lateral portion extending between the two extension portions, the two extension portions coupled to the rear of the multiport equipment; and at least one second cable stay, the second cable stay having an elongated member with a groove and a plurality of cable clamps attached to the elongated member, the groove sized to couple with the lateral portion of the second member, the cable clamps each shaped and sized to retainably engage with a cable.

36. A retainer system comprising: a multiport equipment; a member with two extension portions and a lateral portion extending between the two extension portions, the two extension portions coupled to the multiport equipment; and at least one first cable stay, the first cable stay having an elongated member with a groove and a plurality of cable clamps attached to the elongated member, the groove sized to couple with the lateral portion of the first member, the cable clamps each shaped and sized to retainably engage with a cable.

37. The system of claim 36 wherein the lateral portion of the member is bent to form at least two angled portions.

38. The system of claim 36 wherein a first portion of the cable clamps are positioned above the lateral portion of the member and a second portion of the cable clamps are positioned below the lateral portion of the member when the cable clamps are coupled with the lateral portion of the member.