Horizontal cable manager

• US 8,014,171 B2
• Filed: 12/14/2007
• Issued: 09/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panduit Corporation
• Original Assignee: Panduit Corporation
• Inventors: Knaack, Russell A., Kelly, Thomas C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bui; Hung S
• Application Number:
  US11/956,388
• Publication Number:
  US 20080151524A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,362 Days
• Field of Search: 361825-826, 361/807, 361/810, 248/121, 248/122.1, 248/200, 248/278.1, 248/637, 174/68.1, 174/72.R, 174/72.A
• US Class Current: 361/826
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 1/064 horizontal management arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 1/066 arranged on the front side
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 1/068 arranged on the rear side
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 1/09 Frames or mounting racks not otherwise provided for

Abstract

A cable manager provides horizontal cable management of adjacent patch panels or network equipment on network distribution racks. The cable manager includes a central section and a front cable routing section and is mountable on a network rack. The front cable routing section extends from the front side of the central section and includes a first plurality of spaced fingers. The cable manager can also include a rear cable routing section that includes a second plurality of spaced fingers. The first plurality of spaced fingers and the second plurality of spaced fingers may be sloped to provide hand access. One or more passthrough openings can be provided in the central section to allow routing of cabling from the front section to the rear section. An air dam may be inserted into the passthrough openings to control the flow of cool inlet air. Either or both of the front and rear sections can include a removable cover.

Claims

1. A cable manager mountable to a network rack, comprising:

a central section having a longitudinal width sized to fit within the network rack, a predefined height, a front side, a rear side, and rack mounting holes provided on opposite longitudinal ends of the central section; and

a front cable routing section extending from the front side of the central section, the front cable routing section including a first plurality of spaced fingers extending transversely from the front side of the central section, wherein each of the first plurality of spaced fingers has a first proximate end at the central section and a first distal end opposite the central section, and wherein the first distal end slopes outwardly from the first proximate end such that the first proximate end is located closer relative to a center of the front cable routing section than the first distal end.

2. The cable manager of claim 1, wherein each of the fingers in the first plurality of spaced fingers has an arcuate surface that provides bend radius control.

3. The cable manager of claim 1, wherein the first plurality of spaced fingers are arranged in multiple spaced rows.

4. The cable manager of claim 1, wherein the front cable routing section includes a first half and a second half that are connected together to form the front cable routing section.

5. The cable manager of claim 4, wherein the first and second halves are substantially identical and one of the halves is rotated substantially 180°

with respect to the other half before forming the front cable routing section.

6. The cable manager of claim 4, wherein the first and second halves each have at least one of a first dimension and a second dimension, and wherein the front cable routing section is at least one of a first size, second size and a third size.

7. The cable manager of claim 1, further comprising a rear cable routing section extending from the rear side of the central section, the rear cable routing section including a second plurality of spaced fingers extending transversely from the rear side of the central section, wherein each of the second plurality of spaced fingers has a second proximate end at the central section and a second distal end opposite the central section, and wherein the second distal end slopes outwardly from the second proximate end such that the second proximate end is located closer relative to a center of the rear cable routing section than the second distal end.

8. The cable manager of claim 7, wherein spacing between the second plurality of spaced fingers accommodates a punch down process.

9. The cable manager of claim 7, wherein the second plurality of spaced fingers are arranged in multiple spaced rows.

10. The cable manager of claim 7, wherein a length of each of the fingers in the second plurality of spaced fingers provides a substantially equal cable capacity to the front side of the central section.

11. The cable manager of claim 7, wherein the rear cable routing section includes a first half and a second half that are connected together to form the rear cable routing section.

12. The cable manager of claim 11, wherein the first and second halves are substantially identical and one of the halves is rotated substantially 180°

with respect to the other half before forming the rear cable routing section.

13. The cable manager of claim 11, wherein the first and second halves each have at least one of a first dimension and a second dimension, and wherein the rear cable routing section is at least one of a first size, a second size and a third size.

14. The cable manager of claim 7, wherein the central section includes at least one passthrough opening that provides access between the front cable routing section and the rear cable routing section.

15. The cable manager of claim 14, further comprising an air blocking device that fits within the passthrough opening and blocks air flow from passing between the front cable routing section and the rear cable routing section when inserted.

16. The cable manager of claim 1, wherein the front side of the central section includes a first stepped down portion adjacent the first proximate end of each of the first plurality of spaced fingers.

17. The cable manager of claim 7, wherein the rear side of the central section includes a second stepped down portion adjacent the second proximate end of each of the second plurality of spaced fingers.