US20070040082A1

US20070040082A1 - Cable fixer for an electronic device

Info

Publication number: US20070040082A1
Application number: US11/195,708
Authority: US
Inventors: Cheng-Ming Nien
Original assignee: Inventec Appliances Corp
Current assignee: Inventec Appliances Corp
Priority date: 2005-08-03
Filing date: 2005-08-03
Publication date: 2007-02-22

Abstract

A cable fixer includes a clamp member and a cable-collecting body. The clamp member has upper and lower clamping arms, a lateral sidewall interconnecting the clamping arms, and a bolt extending outwardly from the lateral sidewall in a direction opposite to the clamping arms. The body has a rear wall formed with an opening for access thereinto. The opening is defined by an opening-confining wall that includes a leading portion defining an entrance and a terminating portion having a dimension smaller than that of the leading portion. The body further has two resilient restricting elements extending from opposite sides of the opening-confining wall into the terminating portion. The body can be mounted on the bolt of the clamp member by pushing the cable-collecting body against the bolt in such a manner that the latter extends into the terminating portion against urging action of the restricting elements.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a cable fixer, more particularly to a cable fixer for holding a plurality of cables of an electronic device (such as cables for connecting a computer to several peripheral accessories) in a neat and tidy manner.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Due to rapid advance of modern electronic technology, more and more electronic devices, such as a central processing unit of a computer, require a large number of cables for connecting the same with the peripheral accessories, such as a printing machine, a fax machine, and a digital copier.
A network system generally known as Ethernet is required to be established in a firm, a business establishment or an office, where a plurality of computers are to share a single printer and to access shared files (such as photographs, MP3s, Spreadsheets documents) via a Hub.
A server and a modem cooperatively play a major role when pluralities of interconnected computers in the LAN are to access the Internet. Since several minor electronic apparatuses (such as gateway devices, route devices, Hubs) are also needed in forming the Ethernet, the larger the apparatus becomes the more the cables are needed for interconnecting the computers. In case, the cables disposed around the electronic device are not arranged in an orderly way, accidentally collision to the cables by the user may occur, and consequently decreases an aesthetic appearance of the entire environment.
Generally, a conventional cable fixer (not shown) is mounted securely on the wall of housing to hang the cable thereon, thereby keeping the same away from the floor. However, since the electronic device (such as a personal computer) is required to be shifted from one place to another due to several reasons, the conventional cable fixer left on the wall may decrease the aesthetic appearance of the ambient surrounding. Thus, a more efficient cable fixer is badly required to keep a plurality of cables of an electronic device in a tidy manner.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The object of the present invention is to provide a cable fixer that can be mounted on a table edge and that can hold a plurality of cables in a neat and tidy manner in order to eliminate the aforesaid disadvantage of the conventional cable fixer.
In one aspect of the present invention, a cable fixer is provided to include: a clamp member for clamping a table edge, and including upper and lower clamping arms, a lateral sidewall interconnecting the upper and lower clamping arms, and a bolt extending outwardly from the lateral sidewall in a direction opposite to the upper and lower clamping arms; and a cable-collecting body having a rear wall formed with an opening for access thereinto, the opening being defined by an opening-confining wall that includes a leading portion defining an entrance and a terminating portion having a dimension smaller than that of the leading portion, the cable-collecting body further having a pair of resilient restricting elements extending from opposite sides of the opening-confining wall into the terminating portion. After positioning the clamp member on the table edge, the cable-collecting body can be mounted on the bolt of the clamp member by pushing the cable-collecting body against the bolt in such a manner that the latter extends into the terminating portion against urging action of the restricting elements, thereby preventing untimely removal of the cable-collecting body from the clamp member.
In a second aspect of the present invention, a cable fixer is provided to include: a clamp member for clamping a table edge, and including upper and lower clamping arms, a lateral sidewall interconnecting the upper and lower clamping arms, and a bolt extending outwardly from the lateral sidewall in a direction opposite to the upper and lower clamping arms, the bolt including an enlarged head and a shank having a cross-section smaller than the enlarged head; and a cable-collecting body having a rear wall formed with an opening for access thereinto, the opening being defined by an opening-confining wall that includes a leading portion defining an entrance and a terminating portion having a dimension smaller than that of the leading portion, the cable-collecting body further having a pair of resilient restricting elements extending from opposite sides of the opening-confining wall into the terminating portion. After assembly, the shank of the head is received snugly within the terminating portion of the opening by virtue of the restricting elements, thereby preventing untimely disengagement of the cable-collecting body from the clamp member.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other features and advantages of this invention will become more apparent in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment of this invention, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1(A) is a perspective view of a clamp member employed in the cable fixer of the present invention;
FIG. 1(B) is a rear view of cable-collecting body employed in the cable fixer of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view, illustrating how the clamp member is inserted into the cable-collecting body in order to form the cable fixer of the present invention; and
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the cable fixer of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCCRIPTIONS OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIGS. 1(A) and 1(B), the preferred embodiment of a cable fixer according to the present invention is shown to include a clamp member 10 and a cable-collecting body 11.
The clamp member 10 includes upper and lower clamping arms 101,102, a lateral sidewall 104 interconnecting the upper and lower clamping arms 101,102, and a bolt 103 extending outwardly from the lateral sidewall 104 in a direction opposite to the upper and lower clamping arms 101,102. The bolt 103 has an enlarged head 1030 and a shank 1031 having a cross-section smaller than the enlarged head 1030. When it is desired to mount the clamp member 10 on the edge of a table (not shown), the upper and lower clamping arms 101, 102 are pressed onto the table edge. A fastener screw (not shown) can be inserted through a hole 1021 in the lower clamping arms 102 so as to engage threadedly the table, thereby preventing untimely falling of the clamp member 10 from the table edge.
The cable-collecting body 11 has opposite front and rear wall. FIG. 1B illustrates a rear view of the cable-collecting body 11. The rear wall of the cable-collecting body 11 is formed with an opening 111 for access into the body 11. The opening 111 is defined by an opening-confining wall 111W (see FIG. 2) that includes a leading portion 1111 defining an entrance and a terminating portion 1112 having a dimension smaller than that of the leading portion 1111. The cable-collecting body 11 further has a pair of resilient restricting elements 1113 (see FIG. 2) extending from opposite sides of the opening-confining wall 111W into the terminating portion 1112. The terminating portion 1112 has a dimension the same as the shank 1031 in order to receive snugly the shank 1031 within the terminating portion 1112 of the opening 111. Preferably, the restricting elements 1113 can be resilient protrusions made from plastic material. Alternately, a pair of resilient strips can serve as the resilient elements 1113.
Referring to FIG. 2, when it is desired to fasten the cable-collecting body 11 on the bolt 103 of the clamp member 10, the cable-collecting body 11 is pushed against the bolt 103 in such a manner that the latter extends into the terminating portion 1112 against urging action of the restricting elements 1113 (shown by arrow X in FIG. 2), thereby retaining the shank 1031 of the bolt 103 within the terminating portion 1112 of the opening 111 in the rear wall of the cable-collecting body 11. After assembly, the shank 1031 of the bolt 103 is received snugly within the terminating portion 1112 of the opening 111 by virtue of the restricting elements 1113, thereby preventing untimely disengagement of the cable-collecting body 11 from the clamp member 10 (see FIG. 3). Under this condition, the cable-collecting body 11 is prevented disengagement from the clamp member 10. An important aspect to note is that the front wall of the cable-collecting body 11 is formed with a plurality of connecting ports (not visible) of different configurations for receiving the coupling ends of the connecting cables (not shown). Since the structure and configuration of the connecting ports are not the relevant features of the present invention, a detailed description of the same is omitted herein for the sake of brevity.
FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of the cable fixer of the present invention. The clamp member 10 of the cable fixer can be detachably mounted on the table edge, thereby minimizing the occupying space of the cable fixer of the present invention. In addition, the problem of damaging the wall of the room due to fixing of the conventional cable fixer is eliminated. The aesthetic appearance of the wall is maintained subsequently. 2) The cables connecting for the electronic device (such a computer) to the peripheral accessories (such as printer, a fax machine) can be kept within the cable-collecting body 11 in a neat-and-tidy manner, thereby enhancing an aesthetic appearance of the working environment, i.e. where one is working. The occupying space of the cables around the electronic device is according minimized.
While the present invention has been described in connection with what is considered the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is understood that this invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments but is intended to cover various arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent arrangements.

Claims

1. A cable fixer comprising:

a clamp member for clamping a table edge, and including upper and lower clamping arms, a lateral sidewall interconnecting the upper and lower clamping arms, and a bolt extending outwardly from the lateral sidewall in a direction opposite to the upper and lower clamping arms; and

a cable-collecting body having a rear wall formed with an opening for access thereinto, the opening being defined by an opening-confining wall that includes a leading portion defining an entrance and a terminating portion having a dimension smaller than that of the leading portion, the cable-collecting body further having a pair of resilient restricting elements extending from opposite sides of the opening-confining wall into the terminating portion;

wherein, after positioning the clamp member on the table edge, the cable-collecting body can be mounted on the bolt of the clamp member by pushing the cable-collecting body against the bolt in such a manner that the latter extends into the terminating portion against urging action of the restricting elements, thereby preventing untimely removal of the cable-collecting body from the clamp member.

2. The cable fixer as defined in claim 1, wherein the bolt includes an enlarged head and a shank integrally formed with the enlarged head, the terminating portion having a dimension the same as the shank in order to receive snugly the shank within the terminating portion of the opening.

3. A cable fixer comprising:

a clamp member for clamping a table edge, and including upper and lower clamping arms, a lateral sidewall interconnecting the upper and lower clamping arms, and a bolt extending outwardly from the lateral sidewall in a direction opposite to the upper and lower clamping arms, the bolt including an enlarged head and a shank having a cross-section smaller than the enlarged head; and

wherein, after assembly, the shank of the head is received snugly within the terminating portion of the opening by virtue of the restricting elements, thereby preventing untimely disengagement of the cable-collecting body from the clamp member.

4. A cable fixer comprising:

a clamp member, including upper and lower clamping arms for clamping a table edge and a bolt extending outwardly in a direction opposite to the upper and lower clamping arms; and

5. The cable fixer as defined in claim 1, wherein the bolt includes an enlarged head and a shank integrally formed with the enlarged head, the terminating portion having a dimension the same as the shank in order to receive snugly the shank within the terminating portion of the opening.

6. A cable fixer comprising: