Pivoting cable management assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9277663-B2
Application number	US-201414178522-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 12, 2014
Priority date	Feb 12, 2014
Publication date	Mar 1, 2016
Grant date	Mar 1, 2016

Abstract

According to embodiments of the disclosure, assemblies, and methods for cable management are disclosed. The assembly may include a chassis and a cable management apparatus pivotably connected to the chassis. The chassis may have an interior compartment adapted to receive a first and second electronic component. The first electronic component may be adapted to connect to a first cable assembly and the second electronic component may be adapted to connect to a second cable assembly. The cable management apparatus may include a first bracket and second bracket supporting a management arm, the management arm may include two parallel planar bars, the bars fixedly attached together by one or more members perpendicular to the bars. The management arm may be adapted to support at least one of the first and second cable assemblies and may pivot between an operational position and a service position.

First claim

We claim:

1. A cable management assembly comprising:
a chassis having an interior compartment, the chassis having a first sidewall, a second sidewall, and a bottom sidewall, the first and second sidewalls opposing one another, the bottom sidewall perpendicular to the first and second sidewalls and connected to an edge of the first sidewall and extending to connect to an edge of the second sidewall, the interior compartment configured to receive a first electronic component and a second electronic component, the first electronic component configured to be connected to a first cable assembly and the second electronic component configured to be connected to a second cable assembly, the first sidewall having a first pivot point and the second sidewall having a second pivot point, the first and second pivot points positioned so that while the first and second electronic components are positioned in the interior compartment, sandwiching the second electronic component between the first electronic component and the bottom sidewall, the first and second pivot points lie approximately in a first plane which separates the first and second electronic components, the first plane parallel to the bottom sidewall;
a cable management apparatus, external to the chassis, including:
a first bracket and a second bracket supporting a management arm, the management arm including two parallel planar bars, the bars fixedly attached together by one or more members perpendicular to the bars, the management arm configured to support at least one of the first and second cable assemblies;
the first bracket pivotably connected to the first pivot point and the second bracket pivotably connected to the second pivot point;

wherein the cable management apparatus is pivotable on the chassis between an operational position and a service position, the bars being relatively parallel to the bottom sidewall in the operational position, and the bars deflected from the operational position at an angle with respect to the bottom sidewall in the service position.

2. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first and second cable assemblies and the first and second pivot points are positioned, when within the chassis, at least partially sharing a second plane, the second plane perpendicular to the bottom sidewall and to the first and second sidewalls.

3. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first and second bracket each further include: a pivot embossment; wherein each pivot embossment pivotably connects to the chassis at the first and second pivot points.

4. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first sidewall includes a first latching point and the second sidewall includes a second latching point.

5. The assembly of claim 4 , wherein the cable management apparatus further includes a latch on at least one of the first and second bracket, wherein the latch secures to at least one of the first and second latching points when pivoted into the service position.

6. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the bars are deflected from the operational position by an angle in a range of ten degrees and eighty degrees with respect to the bottom sidewall when in the service position.

7. The assembly of claim 6 , wherein the angle with respect to the bottom sidewall is forty degrees.

8. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first and second bracket include an operational flange, wherein the operational flange is positioned to support the cable management apparatus against the chassis in the operational position.

9. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first and second bracket include a stress relief flange, wherein the stress relief flange is positioned to support the cable management apparatus against the chassis in the service position.

10. The assembly of claim 1 , comprising:
the first electronic component and the second electronic component positioned in the interior compartment.

11. The assembly of claim 10 , wherein the at least one of the first and second cable assemblies and the first and second pivot points are positioned within the chassis, and at least partially share a second plane, the second plane perpendicular to the bottom sidewall and to the first and second sidewalls.

12. The assembly of claim 10 , wherein the first and second bracket each further include: a pivot embossment; wherein each pivot embossments pivotably connect to the chassis at the first and second pivot points.

13. The assembly of claim 10 , wherein the first sidewall includes a first latching point and the second sidewall includes a second latching point.

14. The assembly of claim 13 , wherein the cable management apparatus further includes a latch on at least one of the first and second bracket, wherein the latch secures to at least one of the first and second latching points when pivoted into the service position.

15. A method of assembling a cable management assembly comprising:
structuring a chassis having an interior compartment, the chassis having a first sidewall, a second sidewall, and a bottom sidewall, the first and second sidewalls opposing one another, the bottom sidewall perpendicular to the first and second sidewalls and connected to an edge of the first sidewall and extending to connect to an edge of the second sidewall, the interior compartment configured to receive a first electronic component and a second electronic component, the first electronic component configured to be connected to a first cable assembly and the second electronic component configured to be connected to a second cable assembly, the first sidewall having a first pivot point and the second sidewall having a second pivot point, the first and second pivot points positioned so that while the first and second electronic components are positioned in the interior compartment, sandwiching the second electronic component between the first electronic component and the bottom sidewall, the first and second pivot points lie approximately in a first plane which separates the first and second electronic components, the first plane parallel to the bottom sidewall;
structuring a cable management apparatus, external to the chassis, including: a first bracket and a second bracket supporting a management arm, the management arm including two parallel planar bars, the bars fixedly attached together by one or more members perpendicular to the bars, the management arm configured to support at least one of the first and second cable assemblies;
the first bracket pivotably connected to the first pivot point and the second bracket pivotably connected to the second pivot point;

wherein the cable management apparatus is pivotable on the chassis between an operational position and a service position, the bars being relatively parallel to the bottom sidewall in the operational position, and the bars deflected from the operational position at an angle with respect to the bottom sidewall in the service position.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein at least one of the first and second cable assemblies and the first and second pivot points are positioned, when within the chassis, at least partially sharing a second plane, the second plane perpendicular to the bottom sidewall and to the first and second sidewalls.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the first and second bracket each further include: a pivot embossment; wherein each pivot embossment pivotably connects to the chassis at the first and second pivot points.

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein the first sidewall includes a first latching point and the second sidewall include

Assignees

• Lenovo Entpr Solutions Singapore Pte Ltd

Inventors

• George Mary F
• Kelaher Daniel P
• Wormsbecher Paul A

Classifications

• H05K5/0221

  Locks; Latches · CPC title

• H05K5/0247 Primary

  Electrical details of casings, e.g. terminals, passages for cables or wiring · CPC title

• H05K5/0226

  Hinges · CPC title

• Y10T29/4984

  Retaining clearance for motion between assembled parts · CPC title

• H05K7/1491 Primary

  having cable management arrangements (management of optical cables G02B6/444; in telecommunication cabinets H04Q1/06) · CPC title