Cable strain relief bracket

Details Cable strain relief bracket Cable strain relief bracket

1999-06-04

2001-07-17

Sterrett, Jeffrey (Department: 2838)

Electricity: conductors and insulators

Conduits, cables or conductors

Combined

C174S135000, C174S1400CR

Reexamination Certificate

active

06262373

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to cable strain relief brackets. More particularly, the present invention relates to cable strain relief brackets for use with conventional and modular furniture walls.
2. Description of the Prior Art
With the modernization of the office, small partitioned spaces, using modular furniture or cubicles, have become an efficient means to maximize office space and employee production. Cubicles may be arbitrarily set up and removed depending on the needs of the office. The modular furniture walls that comprise boundaries of the cubicle typically have port openings that allow for connection for items utilizing copper wire and/or optical fibers. These port openings receive cables that extend between the walls of the panels. Typically, a connector mounts over each port opening allowing for connection with the cables.
Such portability of the office walls and the associated office equipment is not without drawbacks. When cables protruding through openings of the furniture walls are routed to other furniture or appliances, strain may be imparted to the wires, adapters, and connectors. Among other reasons, this strain results from the movement of the furniture in relation to the static furniture wall or office equipment. Another drawback arises when one modular furniture wall is moved in relation to the other walls, which causes similar bending strain in the cables, adapters, connectors, and jacks. Without some type of strain relief to eliminate the strain at important points, the bending may cause degradation of the signal or, ultimately, complete failure of the signal. Irreparable damage to the cables, adapters, connectors, and jacks may also result.
The advent of optical fiber cable in offices further compounds the strain problem in conventional and modular furniture systems. The sensitivity of optical fibers to excessive bending parlays the importance of a strain relief device in environments that may subject the cables to increased stresses. Optical fiber cables are particularly sensitive to bending due to the possibility of micro-breaks or complete breaks in the fiber, thereby degrading or disrupting the signal. Cables must not violate a critical bending radius to prevent such damage to the fibers.
These problems are also present in conventional or stationary walls. Such conventional furniture walls now require retrofitting with modern strain relief devices for the relatively new fiber optic cable and, in even in some cases, conventional copper cables. However, there are no known strain relief devices that are easy to use, are easily secured to the cables and mounted to the walls, while providing adequate strain relief for the cables, especially fiber optic cables.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention introduces a new apparatus and method for installing a strain relief device in conventional and modular furniture walls. The strain relief apparatus of the present invention comprises a bracket adapted to fit inside conventional and modular furniture walls adjacent to the opening where the cable and cable connections are located. The bracket adheres to the inside of the furniture wall and clamps to the opening to prevent movement between the cables and furniture wall or a wall plate that houses connectors or jacks. Cables extending inside the furniture wall to the opening are secured to the strain relief bracket via tie or cable wraps. The strain relief bracket is elongated with a low profile to maintain minimum bend radius from the point of cable sheath retention to the point of termination. Round and U-shaped holes are equally spaced on the offset of the strain relief bracket for securing the tie wraps to the strain relief bracket.
The strain relief bracket preferably has three sections. The first section nearest the opening has an end flange adapted to be attached to the edge of a wall opening. The flange of the bracket may then be crimped and secured to the edge by using pliers or other such tools that perform the same function. One side of the first section is securable to the inside of the furniture wall. The bracket may be attached by using double-sided tape, but may also include hook-and-loop such as Velcro™, glue, or any other adhesion means readily apparent in the art, including as a nut-and-bolt connection. The adhesion of the device to the furniture wall increases the shear force required to break loose the assembly when the cables are pulled from any direction, thereby relieving the strain on the connectors at the end of the cables.
The second or offset section of the strain relief bracket is preferably in a second plane relative to the first section and spaced away from the inside of the wall when the strain relief is attached to the wall. The first and second planes may or may not be parallel to one another. Round and U-shaped holes are spaced on the offset section for receiving the tie wraps, cable wraps, or other fasteners. Thus, the cables extend from an opening in the wall and transverse to the first section. At the second section, the cables are secured by tie wraps or other fasteners to the holes, such that strain is directed away from the connectors and adapters. The second section of the bracket also secures the cables a constant distance from the port opening, thereby preventing bending of the cables at or near the connectors in the opening. The second section may also serve the function of separating groups of cables and preventing entanglement when the terminating ends of the cables are moved relative to the port opening.
In the preferred embodiment, the third or transition section extends between the first and offset section at a slope away from the first section and inner wall of the furniture. This slope provides an area between the wall and the strain relief device for the tie wraps or other fasteners to be used without having to remove the device from the wall, once installed. It can be readily determined that the angle of the slope of the transition section is not critical to the function of the offset section. The slope of the transition section may be abrupt, such as 90°, causing the bracket to have more of a Z-shape, or the transition section may have a gradual slope, providing more of an S-shape. The function of the transition section will be served as long as the first section and offset section are maintained a constant distance from the cable connectors or adapters.
In a method for installing a strain relief bracket, a wall plate is removed from the furniture wall panel, or, if appropriate, a hole is made in the wall. The length of excess cable to reach from the tie wraps at the second (offset) section to a termination point at the connector or wall plate is determined. The end of the cable is then connectorized for connection with the connector plate. The cable is next secured to the offset section of the strain relief bracket by tie wraps or cable wraps. Double-sided tape or other such adhesion means as hook-and-loop or glue is applied to the inside of the strain relief bracket. The strain relief bracket is then hooked around the edge of the port opening and pressed against the inside of the furniture wall panel for securement thereto. The end of the first section of the strain relief bracket is then clamped around the edge of the port opening using pliers or other such clamping devices. The connectorized cable is connected to the connector plate and finally plugged into the wall.
This invention, although disclosed for conventional and modular furniture wall arrangements, may be used with other applications that have apertures for receiving cables from an external source and require strain relief for such cables and connectors.


REFERENCES:
patent: 5821458 (1998-10-01), Wenzel
patent: 5918837 (1999-07-01), Vicain
patent: 6013875 (2000-01-01), Fridenberg et al.
patent: 6073890 (2000-06-01), Daoud
patent: 6080010 (2000-06-01), Daoud

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