Winding – tensioning – or guiding – Reeling device – With particular frame or frame carrier
Reexamination Certificate
2001-01-16
2002-06-04
Jillions, John M. (Department: 3653)
Winding, tensioning, or guiding
Reeling device
With particular frame or frame carrier
C242S388600, C242S400100, C242S401000, C242S597100, C242S597300, C385S135000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06398149
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a novel cable management system. More specifically, the present invention relates to a cable management system which includes one or more cable supports, each cable support including at least one cable spool that is adjustable along the length of, and detachable from a spool guide.
2. Brief Description of the Related Art
Wiring systems within buildings are often terminated in a central wiring locality, such as a communication closet, where they may be interconnected with one another, and/or to other cabling systems or telecommunications equipment. Cables are often terminated on wire panels, such as a patch panel or the like, which are frequently mounted to either racks, or stand-off brackets affixed to a wall. This type of localization is typically referred to as a cross-connect system where the cross-connection is typically from the cables emanating outside the office environment to the individual work stations within the office environment. While accumulation of cables is desirable from an interconnection and changeability standpoint, where a large group of cables are accumulated in any one area, the cables become difficult to manage.
Cable management racks and brackets, described collectively herein as “cable management systems,” are designed to permit the installation, organization, routing and protection of all types of cable, including traditional metal wire and fiber-optic cables. Such systems help manage difficult to accommodate and/or bulky cables used to provide communication paths between electrical components.
Cable management systems proffer many advantages. For one, they permit easier access to electrical components housed within the rack itself. They also make it easier and less time consuming to find a particular cable or circuit during equipment maintenance and during downtimes. By removing loose cables from a position in which they may be snagged, disturbed by casual contact, or they may interfere with the operation of another electrical device or cable, such management systems reduce safety hazards and improve efficiency. Cable management systems also help to prevent cables from becoming entangled and provide strain relief. In addition, they also help prevent sharp bending of the cables which can damage fibers therein, and the undesirable attenuation of signals, in particular optical signals, during transmission. Furthermore, such systems help reduce the unaesthetic appearance of a multitude of cables that are seemingly just hanging about.
The diverse and widespread nature of telecommunications devices requires that a modern building have an effective and efficient telecommunications infrastructure to support the same. Cables extending to an interconnection site in an office need to be efficiently connected to cables extending to various locations within the premise. Often times, wiring systems within buildings are terminated in a central wiring system where they may be interconnected to one another and/or other cabling systems. Cables are frequently terminated in a patch panel housed in the central wiring system, and subsequently interconnected to other cables or telecommunications equipment. Patch panels provide a convenient way to access and change the connections.
Cable management systems provide a framework in which cables may terminate or interconnect with other cables so as to facilitate centralized administration of data transmissions and data processing. Cable management systems often provide means for mounting patch panels thereto so as to provide easy mating of connectors. Of course, other electronic modules, such as switching and routing modules, and a wide variety of other telecommunication and data equipment, may also be stacked in such systems. Patch panels and other electronic modules are typically connected to the cable management systems by bolts or screws. As disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,788,087, the disclosure of which is incorporated in its entirety herein, patch panels may also be hingedly connected to the cable management system.
Cable management systems may include a frame defining a bay formed between two spaced-apart vertical walls, the bay being sized for receiving electronic modules. The system may includes one or more cable supports attached to the frame, and include one or more vertical channels sized for receiving a plurality of cross-connect cables. The open framework provides for holding electronic modules of various types and sizes at positions in a columnar fashion, as described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,640,482. Cable management systems such as the Mighty Mo® cable management rack by Ortronics, Inc., (New London, Conn.) typically include a framework having multiple fixed positions thereon wherein electronic modules may be attached and cable supports may be affixed. Cable supports may include rings or brackets through which a cable may be threaded or routed. As is known to those of ordinary skill in the art, cable supports may include guides of other shapes, such as G- or C-shaped guides as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,893,539 and 5,839,702.
In routing cable, it is important that the cables are not strained, and that the bend radius not be too great. For example, it is recognized that optical fibers should not be bent less than a minimum radius of curvature or damage to the fibers may result. Optimal routing of a cable in one application may not be optimal in another application. There is a need for some degree of flexibility in the cable management system such that wiring may be easily re-routed to meet changing needs of users. A deficiency in conventional cable management systems is that they do not provide the degree of ease and adaptability desired when modifying the routing of cable, as for example when new equipment is added to the rack. The degree of adaptability provided by conventional racks with limited cable support positions may not be enough.
Routing paths should not only be adaptable, but they should also be optimal. For example, when a hair-thin optical fiber is housed within a cable, excess bending of the cable may result in improper functioning. The cable supports of a standard cable management system may not be able to be positioned easily by the installer to maintain cable bend radii that are sufficiently large to minimize or eliminate damage to fibers in cables. Furthermore, present cable management systems require a considerable amount of time in order to reposition the cable positions in the manner desired.
There accordingly is a need for a cable management system that permits routing of cable in an orderly manner, that permits easy modification of cable routes to permit optimally efficient routing of cable to accommodate the ever-changing telecommunication needs of system users, that permits easy installation of cable supports and routing of the cable, which maintains the cables in an accessible manner for later servicing and repair, and provides for efficient separation, isolation and removal of cables.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a cable management system having improved flexibility in management of communication cables. Such flexibility permits the routing of cables in an orderly manner, permits easy modification of cable routes to allow optimally efficient routing of the cable as telecommunication needs change, permits easy installation and routing of cables, maintains cables in an accessible manner for later servicing and repair, and provides for efficient separation, isolation and removal of cables. Flexibility is permitted by adapting and configuring one or more cable spools to move along a track of a spool guide and to be removable therefrom.
Conventional cable management systems have relied upon cable guides which are fixed on the vertical rails of a rack and have a finite number of positions along the vertical rails. The cable guides may comprise a number of spools that are fastened onto vertical rails of the rack using “U” bolts. Conventional systems such as these have
Hines Michael J.
Spera Suzanne L.
Watrous Samuel E.
Cummings & Lockwood
Jillions John M.
Ortronics Inc.
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