Network cabinet

• US 7,880,084 B2
• Filed: 06/23/2010
• Issued: 02/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panduit Corporation
• Original Assignee: Panduit Corporation
• Inventors: Dybek, Christopher A., Appino, Bruce R., McGrath, Michael J., Hibner, Max W., Adducci, Samuel J.
• Primary Examiner(s): PATEL, DHIRUBHAI R
• Application Number:
  US12/821,751
• Publication Number:
  US 20100264788A1
• Time in Patent Office: 223 Days
• Field of Search: 174/50, 174/59, 174/62, 174/17.R, 174/58, 174/54, 361/796, 361/600, 361/724, 361/601, 312/265.1, 312/265.2, 312/265.3, 312/265.4, 312/223.1, 220/4.02
• US Class Current: 174/50
• CPC Class Codes: H02B 1/202 Cable lay-outs
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/32 using mounting clamps
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/186 for supporting telecommunication equipment selecting apparatus H04Q1/02

Abstract

A network cabinet is provided comprising a base member, two pairs of vertical frame rail members connected to the base member, and a top cover supported by at least one of the vertical frame rail members. The base member defines an opening and another opening is defined in the top cover. The vertical frame rail members are positioned spaced apart from four sidewalls from four corners of the cabinet formed by the four sidewalls, where each sidewall comprises a panel or a door. The two pairs of vertical frame rail members and the four sidewalls define at least one cable management pathway and at least a portion of the cable management pathway is vertically aligned with at least a portion of the opening of the base member and the opening of the top cover.

Claims

1. A network cabinet, comprising:

multiple sidewalls defining an exterior and at least one corner;

a base structure including first and second side to side base beams extending along respective axes and first and second front to back base beams extending along respective axes; and

first and second vertical frame rails, the first vertical frame rail having a lower portion intersecting the axis of the first front to back base beam, the second vertical frame rail having a lower portion intersecting the axis of the second front to back base beam, at least a portion of the first side to side base beam extending between the first and second vertical frame rails, the first vertical frame rail nearest the at least one corner also being spaced from the at least one corner.

2. The network cabinet of claim 1, wherein the axes of the front to back base beams intersect the axes of the side to side base beams at multiple points of intersection, the lower portion of each of the first and second vertical frame rails being disposed at one of the multiple points of intersection.

3. The network cabinet of claim 2, wherein the multiple sidewalls include four sidewalls defining four corners.

4. The network cabinet of claim 3, further comprising third and fourth vertical frame rails, wherein the multiple points of intersection include four points of intersection, and the first, second, third and fourth vertical frame rails each define a lower portion disposed at one of the four points of intersection, each of the vertical frame rails nearest one of the four corners also being spaced from the one corner.

5. The network cabinet of claim 2, wherein the first and second side to side base beams intersect the first and second front to back base beams so as to circumscribe in plan view a rectangularly shaped open area.

6. The network cabinet of claim 3, wherein the axes of the front to back base beams are parallel to planar surfaces of two of the four sidewalls.

7. The network cabinet of claim 6, wherein the first front to back base beam is nearest a first of the two sidewalls and also spaced from the first of the two sidewalls so as to define an open area therebetween.

8. The network cabinet of claim 7, wherein the second front to back base beam is nearest a second of the two sidewalls and also spaced from the second of the two sidewalls so as to define an open area therebetween.

9. The network cabinet of claim 7, further including a top cover supported by at least the first vertical frame rail, the top cover defining an opening, at least a portion of the opening being vertically aligned with the open area defined between the first front to back base beam and one of the sidewalls.

10. The network cabinet of claim 1, further including a first equipment rail, the first equipment rail nearest the first vertical frame rail also being spaced from the first vertical frame rail.

11. The network cabinet of claim 10, wherein a second equipment rail nearest the second vertical frame rail is also spaced from the second vertical frame rail, the first and second equipment rails having axes parallel to axes of the first and second vertical frame rails.

12. The network cabinet of claim 1, wherein the axes of the front to back base beams are perpendicular to the axes of the side to side base beams.

13. The network cabinet of claim 1, further including a first cable management unit connected to one of the vertical frame rails, the first cable management unit including an elongated finger portion nearest the first vertical frame rail and having an axis substantially perpendicular to an axis of the first vertical frame rail.

14. The network cabinet of claim 13, wherein the first cable management unit includes a cable retainer portion having an axis substantially perpendicular to the axis of the finger portion.

15. The network cabinet of claim 14, wherein the first cable management unit is connected to one side surface of the first vertical frame rail, and a second cable management unit is connected to another side surface of the first vertical frame rail opposing the one side surface.

16. The network cabinet of claim 15, wherein the axis of the finger portion of the first cable management unit is substantially parallel to the axis of the finger portion of the second cable management unit.

17. The network cabinet of claim 16, wherein the axes of the front to back base beams are parallel to planar surfaces of two of the multiple sidewalls, the first front to back base beam is nearest one of the two sidewalls and also spaced from one of the sidewalls so as to define an open area therebetween, and the first and second cable management units are spaced from the open area in a lateral direction perpendicular to axes of the first and second vertical frame rails.

18. The network cabinet of claim 15, further including multiple slack management spools connected to a surface of the first vertical frame rail between the one side surface and the other side surface, each of the multiple slack management spools including an elongated spool body nearest the first vertical frame rail and having an axis parallel to the axis of the finger portion of each of the first and second cable management units.

19. The network cabinet of claim 18, wherein each of the multiple slack management spools includes an elongated stop wall having an axis perpendicular to the axis of the spool body.

20. The network cabinet of claim 13, wherein the axis of the finger portion of each of the first and second cable management units is parallel to the axes of the first and second front to back base beams.

21. The network cabinet of claim 1, wherein the multiple sidewalls include two opposing sidewalls separated by a distance, the axes of the front to back base beams intersecting a planar surface of each of the two opposing sidewalls, each of the front to back base beams having a length along the axis that is less than the distance separating the two opposing sidewalls.

22. The network cabinet of claim 21, wherein the multiple sidewalls include another two opposing sidewalls separated by a distance, the axes of the side to side base beams intersecting a planar surface of each of the other two opposing sidewalls, each of the side to side base beams having a length along the axis that is less than the distance separating the other two opposing sidewalls.

23. The network cabinet of claim 1, wherein the base structure further includes mounts connected to the multiple sidewalls.

24. The network cabinet of claim 1, wherein all of the vertical frame rails are spaced from all of the sidewalls.

25. The network cabinet of claim 1, wherein each of the first and second vertical frame rails is unitary.