Vertical cable manager with slam-shut door

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10141728-B1
Application number	US-201715649821-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Jul 14, 2017
Priority date	Jul 14, 2017
Publication date	Nov 27, 2018
Grant date	Nov 27, 2018

Abstract

A vertical cable manager includes a base frame and a door. The base frame has upper and lower support legs and upper and lower crossbars between the support legs. The door has retractable hinge pins at corners of the door. The crossbars have hinge rod receptacles to receive respective hinge pins and elastic latch members having a flexible arm and a catch portion. The catch portions secure the hinge pins in the hinge rod receptacles with the door closed and are deflectable through elastic deformation of the flexible arm to allow travel of the hinge pins through the hinge rod receptacles and past the catch portions when the door is moved from an open to a closed position.

First claim

We claim:

1. A vertical cable manager, comprising:
a base frame comprising a backbone, first and second upper support legs attached to a first end of the backbone, first and second lower support legs attached to a second end of the backbone, opposite the first end, an upper crossbar attached between the first and second upper support legs, and a lower crossbar attached between the first and second lower support legs; and
a door comprising a door panel and hinge pin assemblies secured to the door panel and positioned at respective corners of the door panel, each hinge pin assembly including a retractable hinge pin; wherein
the upper and lower crossbars each comprise first and second hinge rod receptacles to receive respective hinge pins and first and second elastic latch members;
the elastic latch members each comprise a base portion that connects to the crossbar, a flexible arm extending from the base portion, and a catch portion extending from the flexible arm and disposed at a distal end of the flexible arm, opposite the base portion; and
the catch portions secure the respective hinge pins in the respective hinge rod receptacles with the door in a closed position and are deflectable through elastic deformation of the flexible arm to allow travel of the hinge pins through the hinge rod receptacles and past the catch portions when the door is moved from an open to a closed position.

2. The vertical cable manager of claim 1 , wherein the base frame further comprises a cable finger unit mounted on the base frame.

3. The vertical cable manager of claim 2 , wherein:
the base frame comprises a plurality of slots and an aperture; and
the cable finger unit comprises a plurality of protrusions configured to engage the plurality of slots in the base frame to position the cable finger unit and a flexible snap member configured to engage the aperture in the base frame to secure the cable finger unit to the base frame.

4. The vertical cable manager of claim 2 , wherein the cable finger unit comprises a base and a plurality of fingers extending from the base, each finger having a L-shaped configuration.

5. The vertical cable manager of claim 1 , wherein the backbone comprises a back panel, a first side panel positioned on a first side of the back panel, and a second side panel positioned on a second side of the back panel, opposite the first side.

6. The vertical cable manager of claim 1 , wherein:
the backbone comprises a plurality of support tabs; and
the first and second upper support legs and first and second lower support legs each comprises support tab apertures to receive the support tabs.

7. The vertical cable manager of claim 1 , wherein opposing retractable hinge pin assemblies retract in opposite directions.

8. The vertical cable manager of claim 1 , wherein the door comprises:
first and second door handle assemblies; and
first and second cable assemblies, each cable assembly connected at opposite ends to opposing hinge pin assemblies and engaging a respective door handle assembly; wherein
rotation of the door handle assemblies moves the cable assemblies, which move the retractable hinge pins of respective hinge pin assemblies from an extended position to a retracted position.

9. The vertical cable manager of claim 8 , wherein each hinge pin assembly comprises:
a hinge pin receiver secured to the door panel and configured to receive the retractable hinge pin; and
a spring disposed within the hinge pin receiver and positioned between a portion of the hinge pin receiver and the retractable hinge pin to bias the retractable hinge pin towards the extended position.

10. The vertical cable manager of claim 8 , wherein each cable assembly comprises a cable and splices connected to each end of the cable, wherein the splices engage respective retractable hinge pins to connect the cable assemblies to the hinge pin assemblies and the cable extends through a channel in the door handle assembly.

11. A base frame for a vertical cable manager, the base frame comprising:
a backbone, first and second upper support legs attached to a first end of the backbone, first and second lower support legs attached to a second end of the backbone, opposite the first end, an upper crossbar attached between the first and second upper support legs, and a lower crossbar attached between the first and second lower support legs; wherein
the upper and lower crossbars each comprise first and second hinge rod receptacles to receive respective retractable hinge pins of a door and first and second elastic latch members;
the elastic latch members each comprise a base portion that connects to the crossbar, a flexible arm extending from the base portion, and a catch portion extending from the flexible arm and disposed at a distal end of the flexible arm, opposite the base portion; and
the catch portions secure the respective hinge pins in the respective hinge rod receptacles with the door in a closed position and are deflectable through elastic deformation of the flexible arm to allow travel of the hinge pins through the hinge rod receptacles and past the catch portions when the door is moved from an open to a closed position.

12. The base frame of claim 11 , wherein the base frame further comprises a cable finger unit mounted on the base frame.

13. The base frame of claim 12 , wherein:
the base frame comprises a plurality of slots and an aperture; and
the cable finger unit comprises a plurality of protrusions configured to engage the plurality of slots in the base frame to position the cable finger unit and a flexible snap member configured to engage the aperture in the base frame to secure the cable finger unit to the base frame.

14. The base frame of claim 12 , wherein the cable finger unit comprises a base and a plurality of fingers extending from the base, each finger having a L-shaped configuration.

15. The base frame of claim 11 , wherein the backbone comprises a back panel, a first side panel attached on a first side of the back panel, and a second side panel attached on a second side of the back panel, opposite the first side.

16. The base frame of claim 11 , wherein:
the backbone comprises a plurality of support tabs; and
the first and second upper support legs and first and second lower support legs each comprises support tab apertures to receive the support tabs.

Assignees

• Panduit Corp

Inventors

• Valenti Joshua A
• Zumbek Kevin M
• O'Young Jason
• Fritz Robert L
• Gleghorn Nathan A

Classifications

• H02G3/0493

  Service poles · CPC title

• H02G3/0437

  Channels · CPC title

• H02G3/0418 Primary

  Covers or lids; Their fastenings · CPC title

• H02B1/44

  Hinged covers or doors · CPC title

• E05Y2900/208

  for metal cabinets · CPC title