This invention relates generally to a cable management apparatus for routing cables. In particular, the invention relates to a cable management apparatus which may be fastened to a cabinet for housing electronic modules to route cables within the cabinet.
Electronic modules that house various application cards for various high speed networking functions are typically inserted into standardized racks in a vertically stacked configuration. These standardized racks typically have upright supports, each of which have spaced openings along the length of the supports. A plurality of horizontally oriented cross members is typically provided on each side of the rack to provide support for the upright supports. Brackets and conventional fasteners are typically used to secure the electronic modules to the upright supports.
Each standardized rack may house several electronic modules. Standardized racks in turn are typically housed in a cabinet having a top, bottom, and sidewalls. Conventional cabinets typically include a pair of doors positioned along the front side and the backside of the cabinet so that a technician can access the front and back end of the electronic modules within the cabinet.
Typically, a large number of cables are routed to and from each of the electronic modules within the cabinet. As a result, cable management problems arise due to the large number of cables that have to be routed within the cabinet. This problem is compounded due to the size restrictions placed on conventional electronic modules and cabinets. For example, the large number of cables within the cabinet may cause interference problems with respect to the input and output terminals of the electronic modules within the cabinet. Moreover, the large number of cables may make it difficult for a technician to identify various cables thereby making the installation and removal of cables a burdensome and time-consuming process.
In conventional cabinets, it is desirable to route cables from certain electronic modules in a horizontal fashion to the sides of the cabinet so that they do not interfere with the inputs and outputs of the other electronic modules. When the cables reach the sides of the cabinet, they are typically bent in an upward or downward direction so that they can be routed vertically along the sides of the cabinet.
Problems arise in providing a cable management solution for this arrangement. For example, cables that are directed to the sides of the cabinet may be routed through a small gap created between one of the horizontally oriented cross members of the rack and the sidewall of the cabinet. However, this typically requires that the cables be bent at an angle of 90 degrees, which may result in unacceptable bending stresses on the cables. Similarly, the bending stresses on the cables may in turn create unacceptable stresses at the connection points of the cables located at the electronic modules. Moreover, the horizontally oriented cross members are typically thin planar members that have sharp edges. As a result, routing cables over an edge of conventional cross members may damage the cables.
In addition, conventional cross members are fixedly mounted to the rack, and therefore cannot be adjusted up or down to vary the direction of the cables and account for varying cable sizes. This drawback is compounded by the fact that there are typically only a few cross members provided for a conventional rack, and they are typically spaced apart from one another. As a result, one or more of the electronic modules may be positioned within the cabinet at a location between two cross members. This may make it difficult, if not impossible, to route cables horizontally from an electronic module in a direction towards the sidewall of the cabinet and route the cables between a cross member and the sidewall.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to have a cable management apparatus that overcomes the disadvantages described above, and to provide a simple and cost effective cable management apparatus.
One aspect of the invention provides a cable management apparatus including a bracket member and a cable guide member fastened to the bracket member. The bracket member includes a body portion for fastening to a cabinet for housing a plurality of electronic modules. The bracket member further includes a stem portion. The cable guide member includes a shelf portion having a surface and a flange portion. The flange portion is angled with respect to the surface of the shelf portion to allow a plurality of cables to contact the surface of the shelf portion to route the plurality of cables within the cabinet. The body portion may preferably include a plurality of body portion openings to allow the body portion to be fastened to the cabinet. The flange portion may preferably be fastened to the stem portion. The stem portion may preferably include a plurality of stem portion openings to allow the cable guide member to be fastened to the stem portion. The flange portion may preferably include at least one flange portion opening to allow the flange portion of the cable guide member to be fastened to the stem portion of the bracket member. The at least one flange portion opening may preferably include two flange portion openings. The shelf portion may preferably include a plurality of shelf portion openings spaced along the shelf portion for receiving cable ties to secure the plurality of cables to the surface of the shelf portion. The flange portion may preferably be angled with respect to the surface of the shelf portion more than 90 degrees. The body portion and the stem portion may each preferably have a generally rectangular shape. The stem portion may preferably extend outward perpendicular from the body portion. The bracket member may preferably be a planar member. The body portion may preferably include a length and the shelf portion may preferably include a length. The length of the body portion may preferably be equal to the length of the shelf portion. The shelf portion may preferably include at least one curved edge portion. The at least one curved edge portion may preferably be comprised of two curved edge portions.
Another aspect of the invention provides a cable management apparatus including a cabinet for housing a plurality of electronic modules. A bracket member is fastened to the cabinet, and a cable guide member is fastened to the bracket member. The bracket member includes a body portion fastened to the cabinet. The bracket member further includes a stem portion. The cable guide member includes a shelf portion having a surface and a flange portion. The flange portion is angled with respect to the surface of the shelf portion to allow a plurality of cables to contact the surface of the shelf portion to route the plurality of cables within the cabinet. The cabinet may preferably include a sidewall, and the bracket member may preferably be fastened to the sidewall. A brace member may preferably extend along the sidewall, and the bracket member may preferably be fastened to the brace member.
Another aspect of the invention provides a method of routing a plurality of cables within a cabinet for housing a plurality of electronic modules. A bracket member and a cable guide member are provided. The bracket member includes a body portion and a stem portion. The cable guide member includes a shelf portion having a surface and a flange portion. The flange portion is angled with respect to the surface of the shelf portion. The cable guide member is fastened to the bracket member. The body portion of the bracket member is fastened to a cabinet for housing a plurality of electronic modules. A plurality of cables contacts with the surface of the shelf portion. The plurality of cables is routed within the cabinet.
Another aspect of the invention provides a method of routing cables. A cabinet for housing a plurality of electronic modules is provided. A bracket member and a cable guide member are also provided. The bracket member includes a body portion and a stem portion. The cable guide member includes a shelf portion having a surface and a flange portion. The shelf portion further includes a plurality of shelf portion openings spaced along the shelf portion. The flange portion is angled with respect to the surface of the shelf portion. The bracket member is fastened to the cabinet. The cable guide member is fastened to the bracket member. The body portion of bracket member is fastened to the cabinet. A plurality of cables contacts with the surface of the shelf portion. The plurality of cables is routed within the cabinet and the plurality of cables is secured to the surface of the shelf portion.
The invention provides the foregoing and other features, and the advantages of the invention will become further apparent from the following detailed description of the presently preferred embodiments, read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The detailed description and drawings are merely illustrative of the invention and do not limit the scope of the invention, which is defined by the appended claims and equivalents thereof.