Techniques for managing a set of cables

• US 7,040,491 B1
• Filed: 11/26/2002
• Issued: 05/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Emc IP Holding Company LLC (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: EMC Corporation (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Cavanaugh, Barry, Claprood, Edward J.
• Primary Examiner(s): NOVOSAD, JENNIFER ELEANORE
• Application Number:
  US10/304,935
• Time in Patent Office: 1,260 Days
• Field of Search: 211/26, 361/829, 361/657, 361/724, 361/725, 361/752, 361/826, 174/50, 174/58, 174/63, 174/65.G, 248/906, 220/4.02, 439/535
• US Class Current: 211/26
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/1425 of standardised dimensions, e.g. 19"-subrack

Abstract

A cable management system has a chassis, a communications interface and an access panel assembly. The cable management system a chassis which is configured to hold a set of circuit boards. The communications interface is disposed adjacent a side of the chassis. The access panel assembly is coupled to the side of the chassis and is disposed adjacent the communications interface. The access panel assembly includes (i) a frame portion which defines a frame opening, (ii) a set of bushings coupled to the frame portion, the set of bushings defining a set of cable ports and an access port within the frame opening defined by the frame portion, and (iii) a cover portion which is configured to substantially cover the access port defined by the set of bushings.

Claims

1. A cable management system, comprising:

a chassis which is configured to hold a set of circuit boards;

a communications interface disposed adjacent a side of the chassis; and

an access panel assembly coupled to the side of the chassis and disposed adjacent the communications interface, the access panel assembly including (i) a frame portion which defines a frame opening, (ii) a set of bushings coupled to the frame portion, the set of bushings defining a set of cable ports and an access port within the frame opening defined by the frame portion, and (iii) a cover portion which is configured to substantially cover the access port defined by the set of bushings.

2. The cable management system of claim 1 wherein each of (i) the frame portion, (ii) the set of bushings and (iii) the cover portion of the access panel assembly includes metallic material to form an electromagnetic interference barrier.

3. The cable management system of claim 2 wherein each bushing of the set of bushings defines a slot adapted to permit a mid-portion of a cable to pass between the access port and a respective cable port of the set of cable ports while the mid-portion of that cable continues to extend through the frame opening.

4. The cable management system of claim 2 wherein the frame portion defines the frame opening, the frame opening including a substantially rectangular area;

and wherein each bushing of the set of bushings is disposed in a respective corner of the substantially rectangular area defined by the frame portion.

5. The cable management system of claim 2 wherein each bushing of the set of bushings defines (i) a respective aperture, as one of the set of cable ports, in an X-Y plane, and (ii) a surface adapted to substantially support a set of cables passing through that respective aperture in a Z-direction which is substantially perpendicular to the X-Y plane, the surface having a radius which is substantially greater than or equal to one inch.

6. The cable management system of claim 5 wherein the cover portion of the access panel assembly substantially extends in the X-Y plane;

and wherein each bushing includes a flange portion having the surface, at least part of that flange portion overlapping part of the cover portion in the X-Y plane.

7. The cable management system of claim 2 wherein the frame portion includes a rigid metallic edge that defines the frame opening, and wherein each bushing of the set of bushings includes a rigid metallic structure which rigidly fastens to the rigid metallic edge of the frame portion.

8. The cable management system of claim 2, further comprising:

cable ties which are configured to hold a set of cables in stable positions, each cable tie being coupled to one of the chassis, the communications interface and the access panel assembly.

9. The cable management system of claim 1 wherein the access port defined by the set of bushings has a height and width which are sized to enable (i) a typical user'"'"'s hand and (ii) a cable connector to pass entirely therethrough prior to the cover portion substantially covering the access port.

10. The cable management system of claim 1 wherein the access panel assembly includes, as the set of bushings, multiple metallic bushings;

and wherein the cover portion is adapted to reside between the multiple bushings to form, in combination with the multiple metallic bushings, a portion of a Faraday cage.

11. The cable management system of claim 1 wherein the chassis is configured to hold each circuit board in a plane which is substantially perpendicular to a plane defined by the access panel assembly.

12. An access panel assembly, comprising:

a frame portion which defines a frame opening;

a set of bushings coupled to the frame portion, the set of bushings defining a set of cable ports and an access port within the frame opening defined by the frame portion;

wherein the access panel assembly includes, as the set of bushings, multiple metallic bushings; and

a cover portion which is configured to substantially cover the access port defined by the set of bushings.

13. The access panel assembly of claim 12 wherein each of (i) the frame portion, (ii) the set of bushings and (iii) the cover portion includes metallic material to form an electromagnetic interference barrier.

14. The access panel assembly of claim 13 wherein each bushing of the set of bushings defines a slot adapted to permit a mid-portion of a cable to pass between the access port and a respective cable port of the set of cable ports while the mid-portion of that cable continues to extend through the frame opening.

15. The access panel assembly of claim 13 wherein the frame portion defines the frame opening, the frame opening including a substantially rectangular area;

and wherein each bushing of the set of bushings is disposed in a respective corner of the substantially rectangular area defined by the frame portion.

16. The access panel assembly of claim 13 wherein each bushing of the set of bushings defines (i) a respective aperture, as one of the set of cable ports, in an X-Y plane, and (ii) a surface adapted to substantially support a set of cables passing through that respective aperture in a Z-direction which is substantially perpendicular to the X-Y plane, the surface having a radius which is substantially greater than or equal to one inch.

17. The access panel assembly of claim 16 wherein the cover portion substantially extends in the X-Y plane;

and wherein each bushing includes a flange portion having the surface, at least part of that flange portion overlapping part of the cover portion in the X-Y plane.

18. The access panel assembly of claim 13 wherein the frame portion includes a rigid metallic edge that defines the frame opening, and wherein each bushing of the set of bushings includes a rigid metallic structure which rigidly fastens to the rigid metallic edge of the frame portion.

19. The access panel assembly of claim 13, further comprising:

cable ties which are configured to hold a set of cables in stable positions, each cable tie being coupled to the frame portion.

20. The access panel assembly of claim 12 wherein the access port defined by the set of bushings has a height and width which are sized to enable (i) a typical user'"'"'s hand and (ii) a cable connector to pass entirely therethrough prior to the cover portion substantially covering the access port.

21. The access panel assembly of claim 12 wherein the cover portion is adapted to reside between the multiple bushings to form, in combination with the multiple metallic bushings, a portion of a Faraday cage.

22. The access panel assembly of claim 12 wherein each of the multiple metallic bushings includes a metallic coating for electromagnetic interference shielding.