Cable management solution for rack-mounted computers

• US 6,305,556 B1
• Filed: 10/26/2000
• Issued: 10/23/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Company (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Mayer, David W.
• Primary Examiner(s): GIBSON, ROBERT W
• Application Number:
  US09/697,274
• Time in Patent Office: 362 Days
• Field of Search: 211/26, 211/175, 211/189, 361/826, 361/727, 361/829, 361/683, 312/223.2
• US Class Current: 211/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/18 Packaging or power distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/1491 having cable management arrangements management of optical cables G02B6/444; in telecommunication cabinets H04Q1/06

Abstract

A hinging cable management arm is disposed inside a rack behind a slidingly mounted computer. The arm folds and unfolds as the computer slides into and out of the rack. Cables from the computer are secured to the arm with cable ties. The arm includes two elongate members hingingly coupled to one another at one end. At the other end, one member is hingingly coupled to the rack and one member is hingingly coupled to a sliding computer mount. Each elongate member has a u-shaped profile. The hinged couplings are implemented using swaged pins. The cable ties are straps made with hook-and-loop fabric. The straps are made captive to the elongate members by anchoring them at a first slot and threading them through a second slot. They are wrapped over the computer cables and around the profile of the elongate members until the hook-and-loop material secures to itself.

Claims

1. Apparatus for managing computer cables in a rack, comprising:

a cable management arm comprising first and second elongate members, each having first and second ends, the first ends hingingly coupled to one another, the second end of the first elongate member adapted for hinged coupling to the rack, the second end of the second elongate member adapted for hinged coupling to a sliding computer mount; and

a plurality of cable ties distributed along the length of the cable management arm for securing the computer cables thereto;

wherein;

at least one of the elongate members comprises first and second slots for receiving one of the plural cable ties;

the one cable tie comprises a strap; and

one end of the strap is anchored at the first slot and the rest of the strap is threaded through the second slot and wrapped around the profile of the at least one elongate member.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

at least one of the cable ties is made of fabric having hooks on one side and loops on the other side.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

each of the first and second elongate members comprises a u-shaped cross section.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein:

the computer cables are retained substantially within the u-shaped cross section of the elongate members.

3. Apparatus for managing computer cables in a rack, comprising:

a cable management arm comprising first and second elongate members, each having first and second ends, the first ends hingingly coupled to one another, the second end of the first elongate member adapted for hinged coupling to the rack, the second end of the second elongate member adapted for hinged coupling to a sliding computer mount; and

a plurality of cable ties distributed along the length of the cable management arm for securing the computer cables thereto;

wherein;

the hinged coupling between the first ends of the elongate members comprises a swaged pin.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein:

the swaged pin comprises a body portion and a stem portion, both having a circular cross section, the body portion having a diameter larger than that of the stem portion, the junction between the stem portion and the body portion defining a shoulder;

the first end of one of the elongate members comprises a first bracket defining first and second large holes;

the first end of the other elongate member comprises a second bracket defining a third large hole and a small hole;

the first, second and third large holes are large enough to clear the body portion, and the small hole is large enough to clear the stem portion but not the body portion;

the first and second large holes are disposed between the third large hole and the small hole;

the body portion passes through the first, second and third large holes, the stem portion passes through the small hole, the shoulder is adjacent to an inside surface of the second bracket surrounding the small hole, and the stem portion is swaged over an outside surface of the second bracket surrounding the small hole.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein:

the end of the pin opposite the stem portion is not swaged.

12. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein:

the computer cables are threaded between the cable ties and the elongate members and pass around the pin.

6. Apparatus for managing computer cables in a rack, comprising:

a cable management arm comprising first and second elongate members, each having first and second ends, the first ends hingingly coupled to one another, the second end of the first elongate member adapted for hinged coupling to the rack, the second end of the second elongate member adapted for hinged coupling to a sliding computer mount; and

a plurality of cable ties distributed along the length of the cable management arm for securing the computer cables thereto;

wherein;

the hinged coupling between the first elongate member and the rack comprises a rack coupler and a swaged pin.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein:

the swaged pin comprises a body portion and a stem portion, both having a circular cross section, the body portion having a diameter larger than that of the stem portion, the junction between the stem portion and the body portion defining a shoulder;

one of the rack coupler and the first elongate member comprises a first bracket defining first and second large holes;

the other one of the rack coupler and the first elongate member comprises a second bracket defining a third large hole and a small hole;

the first, second and third large holes are large enough to clear the body portion, and the small hole is large enough to clear the stem portion but not the body portion;

the first and second large holes are disposed between the third large hole and the small hole;

the body portion passes through the first, second and third large holes, the stem portion passes through the small hole, the shoulder is adjacent to an inside surface of the second bracket surrounding the small hole, and the stem portion is swaged over an outside surface of the second bracket surrounding the small hole.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein:

the end of the pin opposite the stem portion is not swaged.

9. Apparatus for managing computer cables in a rack, comprising:

a cable management arm comprising first and second elongate members, each having first and second ends, the first ends hingingly coupled to one another, the second end of the first elongate member adapted for hinged coupling to the rack, the second end of the second elongate member adapted for hinged coupling to a sliding computer mount; and

a plurality of cable ties distributed along the length of the cable management arm for securing the computer cables thereto;

wherein;

the hinged coupling between the second elongate member and the sliding computer mount comprises a sliding computer mount coupler and a swaged pin.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein:

the swaged pin comprises a body portion and a stem portion, both having a circular cross section, the body portion having a diameter larger than that of the stem portion, the junction between the stem portion and the body portion defining a shoulder;

one of the sliding computer mount coupler and the second elongate member comprises a first bracket defining first and second large holes;

the other one of the sliding computer mount coupler and the second elongate member comprises a second bracket defining a third large hole and a small hole;

the first, second and third large holes are large enough to clear the body portion, and the small hole is large enough to clear the stem portion but not the body portion;

the first and second large holes are disposed between the third large hole and the small hole;

the body portion passes through the first, second and third large holes, the stem portion passes through the small hole, the shoulder is adjacent to an inside surface of the second bracket surrounding the small hole, and the stem portion is swaged over an outside surface of the second bracket surrounding the small hole.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein:

the end of the pin opposite the stem portion is not swaged.