The disclosure generally relates to rack apparatuses for supporting electronic devices; and more particularly to a rack apparatus incorporating a cable management structure.
Commonly used rack apparatuses often include a pair of opposing sides to which telescoping slide assemblies are connected for slidable support of electronic devices, such as servers. Typically, multiple devices are disposed at different vertically-spaced levels in the rack apparatus, usually at close proximity to each other. Cables are extended from the electronic devices for connection outside the rack apparatus.
A cable management structure is provided for supporting the cables of each of the electronic devices in the rack apparatus. The cable management structure often includes two arms pivotally connected end to end. Opposite free ends of the cable management structure are respectively attached to a stationary rail and a movable rail of one of the slide assemblies. Accordingly, the cable management structure spreads open with the extension of the slide assembly, and collapses with the retraction of the slide assembly. Since the cable management structure cantilevers from the slide assembly, sagging due to weight of the cables can occur, thus negatively affecting the operation of an adjacent electronic device thereunder.
What is needed, therefore, is a cable management structure to overcome the above-described limitations.
Many aspects of the present embodiments can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present embodiments. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.
Referring to
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The stationary rail 41 forms two bow-shaped blocking pieces 411 thereon adjacent to a rear end thereof, and defines a locking hole 414 therein adjacent to the rear end thereof. The two blocking pieces 411 are respectively located at the top and bottom sides of the locking hole 414, and cooperatively bounding a guiding slot 412. Since each of the blocking pieces 411 includes a larger middle portion and two smaller end portions at the front and rear sides of the larger middle portion.
A locking plate 421 is fixed to a rear end of the first movable rail 42, and is located at a front side of the guiding slot 412 of the stationary rail 41. The locking plate 421 defines a locking hole 427 in a middle portion thereof, and forms two blocking pieces 424 thereon. The two blocking pieces 424 are respectively located at the top and bottom sides of the locking hole 427, and cooperatively bounding a guiding slot 425. Each of the blocking pieces 424 includes a larger middle portion and two smaller end portions at the front and rear sides of the larger middle portion.
A locking plate 431 is fixed to a rear end of the second movable rail 43, and is located at a front side of the guiding slot 425 of the first movable rail 42, i.e. the locking plate 421 of the first movable rail 42 is located between the guiding slot 412 of the stationary rail 41 and the locking plate 431 of the second movable rail 43. The locking plate 431 defines a locking hole 435 in a middle portion thereof, and forms two blocking pieces 432 thereon. The two blocking pieces 432 are respectively located at the top and bottom sides of the locking hole 435, and cooperatively bounding a guiding slot 433. Each of the blocking pieces 432 includes a larger middle portion and two smaller end portions at the front and rear sides of the larger middle portion.
Referring back to
The first arm segment 11 has a first end 112 and an opposite second end 113. The third arm segment 13 has a first end 132 and an opposite second end 133. Two ends of the second arm segment 12 are pivotally connected to the second end 113 of the first arm segment 11 and the first end 132 of the third arm segment 13, respectively. Both a length of the second arm segment 12 and a length of the third arm segment 13 are shorter than the length of the first arm segment 11. The sum of the lengths of the second and the third arm segments 12, 13 is substantially equal to the length of the first arm segment 11.
The first arm segment 11 forms two first blocking buttons 114 at the top and bottom sides of the second end 113 thereof. Each first blocking button 114 includes a neck 1141 connected to the first arm segment 11 and a head 1142 at a tail end of the neck 1141. The second arm segment 12 forms two second blocking buttons 122 at the top and bottom sides of an end thereof connected to the first arm segment 11. Each second blocking button 122 includes a neck 1221 connected to the second arm segment 12 and a head 1222 at a tail end of the neck 1221.
The first fixing member 14 includes a locking piece 141 and a connecting piece 142. The locking piece 141 defines a through hole 143 therein. A locking button 144 is inserted in the through hole 143 of the locking piece 141. Two ends of the connecting piece 142 are pivotally connected to the first end 112 of the first arm segment 11 and the locking piece 141, respectively.
The second fixing member 15 includes a locking piece 151 and a connecting piece 152. The locking piece 151 defines a through hole 153 therein. A locking button 154 is inserted in the through hole 153 of the locking piece 151. Two ends of the connecting piece 152 are pivotally connected to the second end 133 of the third arm segment 13 and the locking piece 151, respectively.
The supporting member 20 includes an elongated supporting arm 21, and two locking pieces 22 at two ends of the supporting arm 21. Each locking piece 22 defines a through hole 221 therein. A locking button 23 is inserted in the through hole 221 of the locking piece 22.
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 4-5, in assembling the cable management structure 100 to the two slide assemblies 40, two locking pieces 22 of the supporting member 20 are inserted into the guiding slots 425 of the first movable rails 42 of the two slide assemblies 40, with the through holes 221 of the locking pieces 22 respectively aligned with the locking holes 427 of the first movable rails 42 of the two slide assemblies 40. Then the locking buttons 23 are pressed into the locking holes 427 of the first movable rails 42 to mount the supporting member 20 to the first movable rails 42 of the two slide assemblies 40.
The locking piece 141 of the first fixing member 14 is inserted into the guiding slot 412 of the stationary rail 41 of the left slide assembly 40, with the through hole 143 of the locking piece 141 aligned with the locking hole 414 of the stationary rail 41 of the left slide assembly 40. Then the locking button 144 is pressed into the locking hole 414 of the stationary rail 41 of the left slide assembly 40 to mount the locking piece 141 of the first fixing member 14 to the stationary rail 41 of the left slide assembly 40. Thus a rear end of the main body 101 (i.e., the first end 112 of the first arm segment 11) is pivotally connected to the rear end of the stationary rail 41 of the left slide assembly 40.
The locking piece 151 of the second fixing member 15 is inserted into the guiding slot 433 of the second movable rail 43 of the left slide assembly 40, with the through hole 153 of the locking piece 151 aligned with the locking hole 435 of the second movable rail 43 of the left slide assembly 40. Then the locking button 154 is pressed into the locking hole 435 of the second movable rail 43 of the left slide assembly 40 to mount the locking piece 151 of the second fixing member 15 to the second movable rail 43 of the left slide assembly 40. Thus a front end of the main body 101 (i.e., the second end 133 of the third arm segment 13) is pivotally connected to the rear end of the second movable rail 43 of the left slide assembly 40.
Referring to
Referring also to
After the supporting member 20 has moved forward a predetermined distance, the first movable rails 42 of the two slide assemblies 40 are stopped at middle portions of the two slide assemblies 40 by a plurality of latching mechanisms (not shown) disposed in the two slide assemblies 40 (see in
In the rack apparatus, two ends of the supporting member 20 are pivotally connected to the first movable portions (i.e., the first movable rails 42) of two opposite slide assemblies 40, one end of the cable management structure 100 is pivotally connected to a stationary portion (i.e., the stationary rail 41) of the left slide assembly 40, and the other end of the cable management structure 100 is pivotally connected to a second movable portion (i.e., the second movable rail 43) of the left slide assembly 40. During the spreading open process and the folding process of the cable management structure 100, the rotatable joint 102 of the first arm segment 11 and the second arm segment 12 is located over and supported by the supporting member 20 at all times, thereby preventing the arm assembly 10 from sagging so as to negatively affect the operation of an adjacent electronic device thereunder. In the folding process of the cable management structure 100, the first blocking button 114 of the first arm segment 11 can prevent the first arm segment 11 from inadvertently crossing the supporting member 20 to hit an electronic device which is located at a front side of the cable management structure 100.
It is to be understood, however, that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present embodiments have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structures and functions of the embodiments, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the disclosure to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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201010148824.5 | Apr 2010 | CN | national |