Cable management device and method of cable management

• US 8,014,170 B2
• Filed: 10/27/2006
• Issued: 09/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Belkin International Incorporated (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Belkin International Incorporated (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Lane, Steven, Mori, Kenneth, Iida, Yoko
• Primary Examiner(s): Norris; Jeremy C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Getachew; Abiy
• Application Number:
  US11/588,964
• Publication Number:
  US 20070039755A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,775 Days
• Field of Search: 361/731, 361/826, 439/51, 439/4
• US Class Current: 361/826
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 3/13 and engaging it by snap action F16L3/1203 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0227 Cooperation and interconnection of the input arrangement with other functional units of a computer G06F3/023 - G06F3/037 take precedence

Abstract

An electrical device (800, 1100, 1700, 1800) includes: a housing (810, 1110) having a top portion (811, 1111); a bottom portion (816, 1316) opposite the top portion; and a first side portion (917, 1217) between the top portion and the bottom portion; and a first cable management element (850) located at the first side portion, and having a first flexible tube (851) with a first opening (852) along a length of the first flexible tube.

Claims

1. An electrical device comprising:

a housing comprising;

a top portion;

a bottom portion opposite the top portion;

a first side portion between the top portion and the bottom portion; and

a second side portion between the top portion and the bottom portion;

a first cable management element located at the first side portion, and comprising;

a first flexible tube with a first opening along a length of the first flexible tube; and

one or more first electrical connectors located at the second side portion,

wherein;

the first opening opens towards the top portion; and

the first flexible tube has a hollow interior coupled to the first opening and extending the length of the first flexible tube.

2. The electrical device of claim 1, wherein:

the first flexible tube is capable of containing portions of one or more cables.

3. The electrical device of claim 2, wherein:

the one or more cables are only coupled to one or more foreign electrical apparatuses and not to the electrical device.

4. The electrical device of claim 2, wherein:

a width of the first opening is smaller than a diameter of at least one of the one or more cables.

5. The electrical device of claim 4, wherein:

the first opening expands to allow insertion into the first flexible tube of the at least one of the one or more cables with the diameter larger than the width of the first opening.

6. The electrical device of claim 1, wherein:

the first flexible tube is cylindrical.

7. The electrical device of claim 1, wherein:

a part of the housing comprises a rigid plastic;

the first flexible tube comprises a flexible material; and

friction on a surface of the flexible material is higher than friction on a surface of the rigid plastic.

8. The electrical device of claim 1, wherein:

the first flexible tube comprises polyethylene.

9. The electrical device of claim 1, wherein:

a first part of the first side portion, a first part of the bottom portion, a first part of the top portion, and the first flexible tube comprise a first material.

10. The electrical device of claim 9, wherein:

a second part of the first side portion, a second part of the bottom portion, and a second part of the top portion comprise a second material different than the first material.

11. The electrical device of claim 10, wherein:

the first material comprises polyethylene; and

the second material comprises a rigid plastic.

12. The electrical device of claim 1, wherein:

the housing comprises a rigid plastic.

13. The electrical device of claim 1, wherein:

the first side portion has a first end and a second end opposite the first end; and

the first flexible tube and the first opening of the first flexible tube extend from the first end to the second end.

14. The electrical device of claim 1, further comprising:

a second cable management element comprising;

a second flexible tube with a second opening along a length of the second flexible tube.

15. The electrical device of claim 14, wherein:

the housing further comprises;

a third side portion between the top portion and the bottom portion; and

the second cable management element is located at the third side portion.

16. The electrical device of claim 15, wherein:

the third side portion is adjacent to the first side portion.

17. The electrical device of claim 15, wherein:

the third side portion is located opposite to the first side portion.

18. The electrical device of claim 14, further comprising:

one or more third cable management elements, each of the one or more third cable management elements comprising;

a third flexible tube with a third opening along a length of the third flexible tube.

26. The electrical device of claim 1, wherein:

the length of the first flexible tube is approximately equal to a length of the first side portion.

27. The electrical device of claim 1, wherein:

the housing further comprises;

a third side portion between the top portion and the bottom portion and adjacent to the first side portion;

the first opening is substantially parallel to at least a portion of a surface of the top portion;

the first flexible tube further comprises two or more apertures;

the two or more apertures are coupled to the hollow interior of the first flexible tube;

a first aperture of the two or more apertures is adjacent to the second side portion;

a second aperture of the two or more apertures is adjacent to the third side portion; and

the length of the first flexible tube is approximately equal to a length of the first side portion.

31. The electrical device of claim 1, wherein:

the two or more openings comprise a third opening;

at least a part of the third opening is substantially perpendicular to the first opening; and

the second and third openings are coupled directly to the first opening.

19. A cable management device comprising:

a casing comprising;

a first surface;

a second surface opposite the first surface;

a third surface between the first surface and the second surface;

a fourth surface between the first surface and the second surface; and

a fifth surface between the first surface and the second surface and between the third surface and the fourth surface;

a first electrical connector at the first surface;

a second electrical connector at the fourth surface; and

a first pipe with a first aperture,

wherein;

the first pipe is located at the fifth surface;

the first aperture opens towards the first surface and extends a length of the first pipe;

the first pipe has a hollow interior coupled to the first aperture and extending the length of the first pipe; and

the hollow interior has openings in the first pipe adjacent to the third surface and the fourth surface.

20. The cable management device of claim 19, wherein:

the casing has a hole extending from the first surface to the second surface.

21. The cable management device of claim 19, wherein:

the first pipe comprises a flexible material.

22. The cable management device of claim 19, wherein:

the first aperture is substantially planar with at least a portion of the first surface.

23. The cable management device of claim 19, wherein:

the first electrical connector is a universal serial bus port; and

the second electrical connector is a universal serial bus port.

24. The cable management device of claim 19, wherein:

the first surface has a first section and a second section;

the first section comprises acrylonitrile butadiene styrene; and

the second section and the first pipe comprise polyethylene.

25. The cable management device of claim 19, further comprising:

one or more second pipes located adjacent to the casing,

wherein;

each of the one or more second pipes has a second aperture extending a length of each of the one or more pipes.

28. An electrical device comprising:

a housing comprising;

a top portion;

a bottom portion opposite the top portion;

a first side portion between the top portion and the bottom portion; and

a second side portion between the top portion and the bottom portion;

a first tube with two or more openings, a first opening of the two or more openings is along a length of the first tube; and

one or more first electrical connectors located at the second side portion,

wherein;

the first tube is located at the first side portion;

the first tube has a hollow interior coupled to the two or more openings, the hollow interior extending the length of the tube; and

at least a part of a second opening of the two or more openings is substantially perpendicular to the first opening of the two or more openings.

29. The electrical device of claim 28, wherein:

the length of the first tube is approximately equal to a length of the first side portion.

30. The electrical device of claim 28, wherein:

a first part of the first side portion, a first part of the bottom portion, a first part of the top portion, and the first tube comprise a first material; and

a second part of the first side portion, a second part of the bottom portion, and a second part of the top portion comprise a second material different than the first material.