Bend radius guide

• US 10,295,777 B1
• Filed: 04/17/2018
• Issued: 05/21/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyndryl Incorporated
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Gutierrez Flores, Marco Mauricio
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Eric
• Application Number:
  US15/955,179
• Time in Patent Office: 399 Days
• Field of Search: 385135
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4478 Bending relief means
• CPC Class Codes: H01B 7/18 Protection against damage caused by wear, mechanical force or pressure; Sheaths; Armouring
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 11/00 Arrangements of electric cables or lines between relatively-movable parts
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/02 Details

Abstract

Aspects of the present disclosure relate to a cable bend radius guide. The cable bend radius guide comprises a flexibly rigid linear material of a predetermined length having a plurality of pairs of corresponding bend radius markers each separated by a predetermined distance along the predetermined length. The cable bend radius guide further comprises at least one constraint configured to fasten a first bend radius marker and a second bend radius marker of each pair of bend radius markers together to cause a portion of the flexibly rigid linear material between the first bend radius maker and second bend radius marker of each pair of bend radius markers to generate a substantially circular loop having a minimum bend radius corresponding to a cable'"'"'s minimum bend radius.

Claims

1. A cable bend radius guide comprising:

a flexibly rigid linear material of a predetermined length having a plurality of pairs of corresponding bend radius markers each separated by a predetermined distance along the predetermined length, wherein each pair of bend radius markers of the plurality of pairs of bend radius markers are distinguishable from each other; and

at least one restraint configured to fasten a first bend radius marker and a second bend radius marker of at least one respective pair of bend radius markers together to cause a portion of the flexibly rigid linear material between the first bend radius marker and second bend radius marker of the at least one respective pair of bend radius markers to generate a substantially circular loop having a bend radius corresponding to a cable'"'"'s minimum bend radius.

2. The cable bend radius guide of claim 1, wherein each pair of bend radius markers have distinct colors such that each pair of bend radius markers are visually distinguishable from each other.

3. The cable bend radius guide of claim 1, wherein the at least one restraint is movable along the predetermined length such that any pair of bend radius markers can be fastened together.

4. The cable bend radius guide of claim 1, wherein the at least one restraint includes a restraint coupled to the first bend radius marker and the second bend radius marker of each pair of bend radius markers.

5. The cable bend radius guide of claim 4, wherein each restraint is a magnet, wherein each pair of bend radius markers is fastened via a magnetic force generated by the magnetic restraints.

6. The cable bend radius guide of claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of pairs of bending guides disposed along the predetermined length in between each pair of bend radius markers, wherein the plurality of pairs of bending guides are configured to receive and retain a cable when the cable is bent along the cable bend radius guide.

7. The cable bend radius guide of claim 1, further comprising:

a pair of bending guides disposed along the predetermined length configured to receive and retain a cable when the cable is bent along the cable bend radius guide, wherein the pair of bending guides is repositionable along the predetermined length.

8. The cable bend radius guide of claim 1, wherein each of the bend radius markers are repositionable along the predetermined length of the cable bend radius guide.

9. The cable bend radius guide of claim 8, wherein each of the bend radius markers are configured to be anchored to the cable bend radius guide.

10. The cable bend radius guide of claim 1, wherein the flexibly rigid linear material is a galvanized steel wire.

11. A cable bend radius guide comprising:

a galvanized steel wire of a predetermined length having at least three pairs of corresponding bend radius markers each separated by a predetermined distance along the predetermined length, wherein each pair of bend radius markers of the at least three pairs of bend radius markers are distinct colors such that they are visually distinguishable from each other;

a pair of restraints coupled to each of the pairs of bend radius markers configured to fasten a first bend radius marker and a second bend radius marker of each pair of bend radius markers together to cause a portion of the galvanized steel wire between the first bend radius marker and second bend radius marker of each pair of bend radius markers to generate a substantially circular loop having a bend radius corresponding to a cable'"'"'s minimum bend radius;

a pair of bending guides disposed along the predetermined length configured to receive and retain a cable when the cable is bent along the cable bend radius guide, wherein the pair of bend radius guides are repositionable along the predetermined length.

12. The cable bend radius guide of claim 11, wherein each of the at least three pairs of corresponding bend radius markers are repositionable along the predetermined length and are configured to be anchored to the cable bend radius guide.

13. The cable bend radius guide of claim 11, wherein each of the pairs of restraints are repositionable along the predetermined length.

14. The cable bend radius guide of claim 11, wherein at least one pair of bend radius markers corresponds to a fiber optic cable, wherein at least one pair of bend radius markers corresponds to a power cable, and wherein at least one pair of bend radius markers corresponds to a networking cable.

15. A method comprising:

providing a cable bend radius guide, the cable bend radius guide comprising;

a flexibly rigid linear material of a predetermined length having a plurality of pairs of corresponding bend radius markers each separated by a predetermined distance along the predetermined length, wherein each pair of bend radius markers of the plurality of pairs of bend radius markers are distinguishable from each other; and

at least one restraint configured to fasten a first bend radius marker and a second bend radius marker of each pair of bend radius markers together;

obtaining a cable requiring bending;

conjoining a first pair of bend radius markers by holding the first bend radius marker and the second bend radius marker of the first pair of bend radius markers together such that they are in proximity to each other and are adjacent, wherein conjoining the first pair of bend radius markers generates a substantially circular loop having a bend radius corresponding to the cable'"'"'s minimum bend radius;

restraining the first pair of bend radius markers using the at least one restraint; and

bending the cable using the substantially circular loop as a reference such that the cable'"'"'s bend radius is at least the minimum bend radius.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the at least one restraint is movable along the cable bend radius guide and configured to restraint each pair of bend radius markers.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

determining a minimum bend radius of a second cable requiring bending;

repositioning the first pair of bend radius markers based on the determined minimum bend radius of the second cable requiring bending;

anchoring the first pair of bend radius markers to the repositioned location;

conjoining the first pair of bend radius markers to generate a second substantially circular loop having a second bend radius corresponding to the second cable'"'"'s minimum bend radius; and

bending the second cable using the second substantially circular loop as a reference such that the second cable'"'"'s bend radius is at least the determined minimum bend radius.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein there is at least one restraint detachably coupled to each of the bend radius markers of the plurality of pairs of bend radius markers.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein each pair of bend radius markers of the plurality of pairs of bend radius markers are distinguishable from each other by text, wherein at least one text distinguishing a respective pair of bend radius markers references a cable type associated with the respective pair of bend radius markers.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the cable bend radius guide further comprises a pair of bending guides, wherein the pair of bending guides are repositionable along the length of the cable bend radius guide, wherein bending the cable using the substantially circular loop includes routing the cable through the pair of bending guides to facilitate bending.