GB2447429A

GB2447429A - Cable tray bracket

Info

Publication number: GB2447429A
Application number: GB0704634A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Angus Milnes
Original assignee: Craven & Co Ltd
Current assignee: Craven & Co Ltd
Priority date: 2007-03-09
Filing date: 2007-03-09
Publication date: 2008-09-17
Also published as: GB0704634D0

Abstract

A bracket 10 for supporting a cable tray from a supporting member, e.g. the underside of a work surface, has a body 12 to be supported from the supporting member, a pair of first hooks 18 located in a first horizontal plane and a pair of second hooks 20 located in a second horizontal plane. When viewed perpendicular to the horizontal plane, one pair of hooks is located within, or is coincident with, the other pair of hooks. A pair of brackets 10 may support a first basket 30 on their respective first hooks 18, and a second basket 40 on their second hooks 20 such that one of the baskets 30,40 is located within the other. This arrangement allows power and data cables to be separated whilst saving the space and number of brackets required when compared with having two baskets placed side by side or on top of one another.

Description

CABLE TRAY BRACKET

The present invention relates to an improved cable management system for separating data and power cables and a bracket for the said system.

There are many types of cable management systems that currently exist. These include cable ties that can be used to bundle together cables and plastic trunking that can be used to group together cables. One particular type of cable management system consists of a long narrow metal basket attached to the underside of a worksurface. The basket is supported from the underside of the worksurface by two brackets, one at either end of the basket, which are either screwed into the underside of the worksurface or clamped around a horizontal beam. Data and power cables, running from a source to a device, are placed in the basket. Although this cable management system keeps the cables tidy, having power cables and data cables together causes crosstalk. This results in signal degradation. It is therefore desirable to separate power and data cables. This can be done by using two cable baskets side-by-side supported by a total of four brackets. Whilst this reduces crosstalk, the two cable baskets take up a large amount of space under the worksurface. Further, twice the number of brackets is required to support the baskets. This results in an increased cost and an increased installation time.

A further drawback of the above cable management system is that a different type of bracket is required for each width of cable basket. This increases the cost of the individual brackets.

It is therefore desirable to provide a flexible cable management system in which data cables and power cables can be separated whilst minimising the amount of space required.

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a bracket for supporting a cable tray from a supporting member, comprising: a body portion adapted to be supported from the supporting member; a pair of first hooks located in a first horizontal plane; a pair of second hooks located in a second horizontal plane; wherein, when viewed perpendicular to the horizontal plane, the first/second pair of hooks is located inwardly of, or is coincident with, the second/first pair of hooks.

The supporting member may be a desktop or a horizontally extending beam, for example.

The bracket may further comprise first and second leg portions extending down from either side of the body portion; one first hook is located on the first leg portion and the other first hook is located on the second leg portion. Alternatively, the first hooks may be formed in the body portion.

In either case, a second hook may be located on the first leg portion and a second hook may be located on the second leg portion. Alternatively, the second hooks may be formed in the body portion. Further, the first horizontal plane may be coincident with the second horizontal plane.

Generally the hooks will all lie in the same (vertical) plane, perpendicular to the horizontal plane or planes.

The first hooks may be in the form of T-slots, as may the second hooks.

There may be least one hole in the body portion, adapted to accept a screw to be screwed into the supporting member. Alternatively, the bracket may further comprise a clamping member that is removably attached to the bracket so that the bracket may be clamped around a supporting member such as a horizontal bar running underneath a desktop.

To make it more versatile, the bracket may comprise a first part and a second part, each part having a body portion having means for attaching the part to the supporting member, a first hook and a second hook. The first and second part may be connected together by means of a tongue and groove fitting.

According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a cable management system comprising: first and second brackets as described above, each attached to a supporting member; a first basket supported by first hooks on the first bracket and by first hooks on the second bracket; and a second basket supported by second hooks on the first bracket and by second hooks on the second bracket; wherein one of the baskets is located within the other basket.

The present invention may include any combination of the features or limitations referred to herein, except a combination of such features as are mutually exclusive.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a bracket according to a first embodiment of the invention; Figure 2 shows a cross-sectional view of T-slots; Figure 3 shows a bracket attached to a horizontal beam; Figure 4 shows a perspective view of a bracket attached to a horizontal beam; Figure 5 shows a cable management system using brackets according to the first embodiment of the invention; Figure 6 shows a cable management system similar to that shown in Figure 5; Figure 7 shows a twodimensional view of a bracket according to a second embodiment of the invention; Figure 8 shows a two-dimensional view of a bracket according to a third embodiment of the invention; and, Figure 9 shows a cable management system using brackets according to the third embodiment of the invention.

Figure 1 shows a bracket generally at 10 for supporting a two cable trays from the underside of a desktop. The bracket 10 comprises two identical parts 2.

The bracket parts 2 are manufactured from plastic by injection moulding but may be manufactured from metal or any other suitable material.

Each part 2 comprises a main body portion 12 and a leg portion 16. The body portion 12 has a horizontal part 11 and a vertical part 13 that extends perpendicular from one end of the horizontal part 11 s as to form an L-shape. The leg portion 16 is flexible and extends from the body portion 12 in the region of the intersection of the horizontal part 11 and the vertical part 13 in a direction substantially parallel to, but in the opposite direction to, the vertical part 13. The body portion 12 is hollow and is open along the underside of the L-shape (i.e. the horizontal side of the horizontal part 11 opposite to the side from which the vertical part 13 extends is open). The vertical part 13 of the body portion 12 has a horizontal flat surface 15 at the end furthest away from the horizontal part 11, which in use is in contact with the underside of the desktop to which the bracket is attached. The flat surface 15 has a hole 14 in it that is of a suitable size to accept a screw so that the bracket part may be screwed to the underside of the desktop to which the bracket is to be attached.

A first, outer, hook 18 is located on each leg portion 16 and a second, inner, hook 20 is formed in each body portion 12. The second hook 20 is in the form of corresponding T-slots formed in both the front and rear surfaces of the horizontal part 11.

The first hook 18 and the second hook 20 lie within a vertical plane that is parallel to the front and rear surfaces of the horizontal part 11. The cross-section of the bracket part 2, in the vertical plane, is substantially constant over the width of the bracket part 2.

Figure 2 shows the shape of the T-slots 100 in detail. The slot comprises a vertical slot 102 and a horizontal slot 104 at the top of the vertical slot so as to create a T-shape. The horizontal slot 104 has a downward recess 106 in either end. The lowest points of the recesses 106 are lower than the top of the vertical slot 102.

The body portion 12 has a vertically extending tongue 22 and a vertically extending groove 24, having substantially the same dimensions, located on the horizontal part 11 on the opposite end from which the vertical part 13 extends. By this tongue and groove arrangement, two identical parts 2 can be connected together to form a complete symmetrical bracket 10.

Depending on the width of cable baskets 30, 40 to be supported, the two parts 2 may be either fixed together, using the tongue and groove arrangement, or spaced apart by a required distance. If the bracket parts 2 are to be spaced apart a horizontal spacer (not shown) may be used to ensure that they are spaced apart by the correct distance. The spacer has a vertically extending tongue and a vertically extending groove on each end that are of the same dimensions as those on the bracket parts 2. A first part 2 is interlocked with one end of the spacer and a second part 4 is interlocked with the second part of the spacer.

As opposed to screwing the bracket into the underside of a desktop, the bracket may be clamped around a horizontal beam attached to a desk. In order to clamp the bracket around a beam a separate clamping member 60 is required. The bracket 10 can be fitted to any size of beam but a different type of clamping member 60 is required for each size of beam. Referring to Figure 3 and Figure 4, a bracket part 2, is placed either side of a horizontal beam so that the vertical part 13 and the horizontal part 11 of each bracket part 2 is in contact with a vertical side and the lower horizontal side of the beam. The clamping member 60 is then fitted so it is in contact with the upper horizontal surface of the beam and is attached to both bracket parts 2. If the depth of the beam is deeper than the height of the height of the vertical part 13 then a top-hat' shaped clamping member is used, Figure 3A. If the depth of the beam is the same as the height of the vertical part 13 then a flat clamping member 60 is used, Figure 3B. If the depth of the beam is less that the height of the vertical part 13 then an inverted top-hat' shaped clamping member 60 is used, Figure 3C. All of the types of clamping member 60 have holes 62, that when the clamping member is in place, correspond to the holes 14 in the bracket parts 2. To secure the bracket 10, a bolt may be inserted from the underside of the bracket through the holes 14 in the bracket parts 2 and then through the corresponding holes 62 in the clamping member. A nut is threaded onto the top of each bolt to secure the clamping member 60 in place.

Any other suitable fixing means, such as a part integrally formed on the clamping member 60, may be used to fix the clamping member 60 to the bracket 10.

Figure 5 shows a cable management system in which first and second brackets 10, 10' of the above-described type are used to support two cable trays 30, 40. The bracket parts 2 are screwed into the underside of a desk through the holes 14 in the body portion 12 and are spaced apart by a distance such that the first hooks 18 are spaced by the same distance as the width of the first basket 30 and the second hooks 20 are spaced by the same distance as the width of the second basket 40. The first and second brackets 10, 10' are spaced apart by a distance that is less than the length of the first and second baskets 30, 40. The second basket 40 is hooked into the four second hooks 20 so that it is supported at both sides and at both ends. This is done by aligning the two sides 41 of the basket 40 with the two vertical slots 102 of the T-slots 100, moving the basket vertically upwards through the slots 102, moving to basket horizontally to one side through the horizontal slots 104, and then moving the basket vertically downwards so that the sides 41 of the basket 40 are located in the recesses 106. The first basket 30 is hooked into the four first hooks 18 so that it is supported at both sides and at both ends. This is done by aligning the basket 30 in between the legs 16 of each bracket 10, pushing the basket 30 vertically upwards, and then pulling it vertically downwards so that the sides 31 of the basket 30 are supported by the hooks 18. Even though the distance between the outer edge of the pair of first hooks 18 is less than the width of the basket 30, since the legs 16, first hooks 18 and basket 30 are flexible, the basket 30 can be hooked into the first pair of hooks 18 with ease. The second basket 40 is deeper than the vertical distance between the first hooks 18 and the second hooks 20 and is narrower than the first basket 30. This means that the second basket 40 is partially located within the first basket 30. Power cables are then placed in one basket and data cables are placed in the other basket.

Having a pair of brackets 10 that can support two long cable baskets 30, 40 means that power cables and data cables can be separated, thus reducing crosstalk, without requiring two pairs of brackets. Since the brackets 10 comprise two separate parts 2, cable baskets of different widths can be accommodated with a single type of bracket.

Locating one of the baskets within the other basket, at least as seen from above, also saves a considerable amount of space when compared with having two baskets placed side by side or on top of one another.

Figure 6 shows a cable management system in which the bracket parts 2 are interlocked together. The first and second baskets 30, 40 are chosen so that the width of them corresponds to the spacing of the first hooks 18 and second hooks 20 respectively. It will be apparent that in this arrangement it is not necessary for the brackets 10 to be in two parts.

Figure 7 shows a second type of bracket 10 that is similar to the bracket shown in Figure 1. The difference is that the bracket parts 2 have no leg portions 16 and the first hooks 18 are in the form of T-slots formed in both the front and rear surfaces of the horizontal parts 11. The first hooks 18 are substantially the same as the second hooks 20.

Figure 8 shows a third type of bracket 10 that is similar to the bracket shown in Figure 1. The difference is that the second hooks 20 are also located on the leg portions 16 and are substantially the same as the first hooks.

Figure 9 shows a cable management system using two brackets 10 of the type shown in Figure 8. The arrangement is similar to that shown in Figure 3.

However, the second basket 40 has a main part 42 that is narrower than the width of the first basket 30 and has horizontally extending portions 44 either side of the main part 42 that extend to approximately the same width as the first basket 30. This means that the brackets 10 can support the first and second baskets 30, 40 at the same time and the second basket is partially located within the first basket 30, thus saving space.

Claims

CLAIMS: ].. A bracket (10) for supporting a cable tray from a

supporting member, comprising: a body portion (12) adapted to be supported from the supporting member; a pair of first hooks (18) located in a first horizontal plane; a pair of second hooks (20) located in a second horizontal plane; wherein when viewed perpendicular to the horizontal plane, one pair of hooks (20) is located within, or is coincident with, the other pair of hooks (18).
2. A bracket according to claim 1, further comprising first and second leg portions (16) extending from either side of the body portion (12); wherein a first hook (18) is located on the first leg portion and a first hook (18) is located on the second leg portion.
3. A bracket according to claim 1, wherein the first hooks (18) are formed in the body portion (12).
4. A bracket according to claim 2, wherein a second hook (20) is located on the first leg portion (16) and a second hook (20) is located on the second leg portion (16)
5. A bracket according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the second hooks (20) are formed in the body portion (12)
6. A bracket according to claim 5, wherein the first horizontal plane is coincident with the second horizontal plane.

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7. A bracket according to claim 3, wherein the first hooks (18) are in the form of T-slots.
8. A bracket according to claim 5, wherein the second hooks (20) are in the form of T-slots.
9. A bracket according to any preceding claim, wherein there is at least one hole in the horizontal plane in the body portion (12), adapted to accept a screw to be screwed into the supporting member.
10. A bracket according to any preceding claim, further comprising a clamping member (60) that is removably attached to the bracket (10) so that the bracket may be clamped around a supporting member.
11. A bracket according to any preceding claim, wherein the bracket comprises a first part (2) and a second part (4), each part having a body portion (10) having means for attaching the part (14) to the supporting member, a first hook (18) and a second hook (20).
12. A bracket according to claim 11, wherein the first and second part may be connected together by means of a tongue and groove fitting.
13. A cable management system comprising: first and second brackets (10, 10') according to any preceding claim, each attached to a supporting member; a first basket (30) supported by first hooks (18) on the first bracket and by first hooks on the second bracket (18'); a second basket (40) supported by second hooks (20) on the first bracket and by the second hooks on the second bracket (20'); and wherein one of the baskets (40) is located within the other basket (30).