WO2006125952A1 - Cable management systems - Google Patents

Cable management systems Download PDF

Info

Publication number
WO2006125952A1
WO2006125952A1 PCT/GB2006/001780 GB2006001780W WO2006125952A1 WO 2006125952 A1 WO2006125952 A1 WO 2006125952A1 GB 2006001780 W GB2006001780 W GB 2006001780W WO 2006125952 A1 WO2006125952 A1 WO 2006125952A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
row
sockets
assembly according
cables
cable
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/GB2006/001780
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Danny Thijs
Heidi Bleus
Etienne Laeremans
Chris Leahy
Original Assignee
Tyco Electronics Raychem Nv
Tyco Electronics Uk Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Tyco Electronics Raychem Nv, Tyco Electronics Uk Ltd filed Critical Tyco Electronics Raychem Nv
Publication of WO2006125952A1 publication Critical patent/WO2006125952A1/en

Links

Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01R—ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS
    • H01R9/00—Structural associations of a plurality of mutually-insulated electrical connecting elements, e.g. terminal strips or terminal blocks; Terminals or binding posts mounted upon a base or in a case; Bases therefor
    • H01R9/22—Bases, e.g. strip, block, panel
    • H01R9/24—Terminal blocks
    • H01R9/2416—Means for guiding or retaining wires or cables connected to terminal blocks
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04Q—SELECTING
    • H04Q1/00—Details of selecting apparatus or arrangements
    • H04Q1/02—Constructional details
    • H04Q1/06—Cable ducts or mountings specially adapted for exchange installations
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04Q—SELECTING
    • H04Q1/00—Details of selecting apparatus or arrangements
    • H04Q1/02—Constructional details
    • H04Q1/06—Cable ducts or mountings specially adapted for exchange installations
    • H04Q1/066—Cable ducts or mountings specially adapted for exchange installations arranged on the front side
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04Q—SELECTING
    • H04Q1/00—Details of selecting apparatus or arrangements
    • H04Q1/02—Constructional details
    • H04Q1/13—Patch panels for monitoring, interconnecting or testing circuits, e.g. patch bay, patch field or jack field; Patching modules
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04Q—SELECTING
    • H04Q2201/00—Constructional details of selecting arrangements
    • H04Q2201/02—Details of frames

Definitions

  • This invention relates to cable management systems, which may be useful, for example, in managing the patch cords connected to telecommunications patch panels, as widely known and used in the telecommunications industry.
  • the invention accordingly provides a cable connection socket assembly comprising a stack of two or more rows of connection sockets, each row of sockets extending laterally in relation to (the upright sense of) the stack, and comprising a cable support member positioned laterally adjacent to one or both ends of at least one of the rows of sockets, which support means is arranged to support cables, when connected in use to a socket in the laterally adjacent row, in such configuration that a portion of each cable extends from the respective socket at least to the end of the row in substantially parallel alignment with that row.
  • the assembly according to this invention has the advantage that the cables are supported neatly and more-or-less in the same plane as the row of sockets with which those cables are connected, at least as far as the end of the row, thus allowing the usual cable slack to be positioned beyond the end of the row and preferably behind the frontal plane of the sockets, where any drooping of the slack will not hinder access to the lower rows of sockets within the stack.
  • the cable slack beyond the ends of the socket rows may be positioned anywhere that does not unduly interfere with installation of cable plugs into the sockets.
  • the slack will be "pushed around the corner" of the stack of socket rows, this disposition being especially useful in preferred embodiments of the invention where the stack is to be mounted within a standard cabinet of limited width or "footprint", as known per se, for example in telecommunications patch panels and cross-connect facilities.
  • the cable support members may be of suitable size and shape to enable the assembly to fit neatly within the standard cabinet.
  • the support members may have a cable support surface of substantially the same width as the group of cables to be supported thereon, possibly when the cables are laid side-by-side in a single layer, or when the cables are gathered together in a narrower but thicker bunch.
  • the support members will preferably have attached thereto a cable tie or other restraint to retain the cables in position on the support.
  • the support members are preferably formed to guide the cables around the corner of the stack as closely as possible to the stack itself. Where the cables have a critical bend radius beyond which they must not be bent, as known per se in the case of optical fibre cables, the support means will be formed to guide the cables around a radius above the critical radius.
  • references to cables herein may in some circumstances include individual electrical or optical conductors, rather than, or in addition to, multi-conductor cables.
  • the term "stack" is used to indicate two or more rows (usually, but not necessarily, substantially horizontal rows) of the connection sockets mounted one above the other, usually, but not necessarily, with the socket entrances co-planar with one another, for example constituting a substantially vertical "wall” of sockets.
  • the reference to “substantially parallel alignment" of a portion of each cable with its associated row of sockets is not to be read in any strict geometrical sense, but is intended to reflect the disposition of that cable portion along, but naturally spaced from, the front of the row at approximately the same level as the row.
  • the thus-disposed cable portions will accordingly be aligned in or close to a plane, preferably a substantially horizontal plane, which extends through all the sockets in the row in the direction of plug insertion therein in use.
  • a plane preferably a substantially horizontal plane, which extends through all the sockets in the row in the direction of plug insertion therein in use.
  • all, or at least a majority, of the thus-disposed cable portions will be arranged to lie closely below the associated row of sockets, so as to facilitate subsequent new or altered installation of plugs therein.
  • assemblies according to the invention may have a single cable support member at only one end of each row of sockets, it is preferable to provide two support members per row, one at each end of the row.
  • each row of sockets contains two subsets of the sockets respectively orientated to left and right, as known per se, for example in telecommunications patch panels, especially in the preferred form where each row of sockets comprises two straight half-rows arranged at an angle to each other resembling a shallow "V" when viewed from above.
  • Figure 1 shows schematically in perspective a cable connection socket assembly according to the invention comprising a stack of twelve rows of connection sockets suitable for telecommunications patch panel cross-connections;
  • Figure 2 shows in left and right perspectives the assembly of a first patch panel, having a row of connection sockets bent in the middle of the row to form a shallow "V" shape, as viewed from above, into a support frame of kind known per se, with cable support members according to this invention attached to the frame in position to be adjacent to the ends of the socket rows in each patch panel to be attached to the frame of the assembly;
  • FIG 3 shows schematic top, front, and side views of the assembly shown in Figure 1, with the position of the patch cables or "cords" schematically indicated;
  • Figure 4 shows an assembly of only six patch panels, otherwise similar to those shown in Figures 1 and 3, mounted in a standard cabinet as known per se in telecommunications switching facilities.
  • a stack of angled patch panels 1 is formed by attachment of the patch panels to a suitable support frame (shown in self-explanatory manner in Figure 2), to which frame are also attached side panels 3 with cable slack supports 2 projecting at positions to the rear of the frontal plane of the patch panel connection sockets, as known per se.
  • Incoming cables 5 are respectively routed and connected to the rear of the corresponding connection sockets.
  • Patch cords 7 having plugs of any suitable type at their ends are plugged into selected sockets and are routed along the front of the row of sockets and into the laterally adjacent cable support members 8 attached to the support frame according to the present invention.
  • the patch cords extending from their first plugged-in ends are thus guided along the row of sockets and around the comer of the patch panel stack, where the slack (indicated in broken lines) can be arranged around the cable slack supports 2 as known per se, from which each cable or cord returns to another connection socket, usually in a different row, into which socket the second end of the patch cord is plugged.
  • a portion of the cord 7 near its second end is supported by the adjacent cable support member 8 in alignment with the relevant row of sockets, in a manner similar to the first end portion of the cord.
  • the cable support members 8 are provided with an adjustable securing member (strap) 9 to retain the installed cables or patch cords in place.
  • a pass-through duct 4 is provided to contain portions of the patch cords crossing between the leftwards-angled sockets and the rightwards-angled sockets on the respective halves of the illustrated angled patch panels.
  • Figure 4 shows schematically the resulting neat and compact disposition of the patch cords or other cables within a standard telecommunications cabinet, which is shown from the front with one of its protective doors partly open, and from the rear with the incoming cables extending side-by-side into the rear of the connection sockets.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Computer Networks & Wireless Communication (AREA)
  • Installation Of Indoor Wiring (AREA)

Abstract

A cable connection socket assembly comprising a stack of two or more rows of connection sockets, each row of sockets extending laterally in relation to the stack, and comprising a cable support member positioned laterally adjacent to one or both ends of at least one of the rows of sockets, which support means is arranged to support cables, when connected in use to a socket in the laterally adjacent row, in such configuration that a portion of each cable extends from the respective socket at least to the end of the row in substantially parallel alignment with that row.

Description

CABLE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS
This invention relates to cable management systems, which may be useful, for example, in managing the patch cords connected to telecommunications patch panels, as widely known and used in the telecommunications industry.
The invention accordingly provides a cable connection socket assembly comprising a stack of two or more rows of connection sockets, each row of sockets extending laterally in relation to (the upright sense of) the stack, and comprising a cable support member positioned laterally adjacent to one or both ends of at least one of the rows of sockets, which support means is arranged to support cables, when connected in use to a socket in the laterally adjacent row, in such configuration that a portion of each cable extends from the respective socket at least to the end of the row in substantially parallel alignment with that row.
The assembly according to this invention has the advantage that the cables are supported neatly and more-or-less in the same plane as the row of sockets with which those cables are connected, at least as far as the end of the row, thus allowing the usual cable slack to be positioned beyond the end of the row and preferably behind the frontal plane of the sockets, where any drooping of the slack will not hinder access to the lower rows of sockets within the stack.
The cable slack beyond the ends of the socket rows may be positioned anywhere that does not unduly interfere with installation of cable plugs into the sockets. Preferably the slack will be "pushed around the corner" of the stack of socket rows, this disposition being especially useful in preferred embodiments of the invention where the stack is to be mounted within a standard cabinet of limited width or "footprint", as known per se, for example in telecommunications patch panels and cross-connect facilities. In such cases, the cable support members may be of suitable size and shape to enable the assembly to fit neatly within the standard cabinet.
It may be preferable for the support members to have a cable support surface of substantially the same width as the group of cables to be supported thereon, possibly when the cables are laid side-by-side in a single layer, or when the cables are gathered together in a narrower but thicker bunch. The support members will preferably have attached thereto a cable tie or other restraint to retain the cables in position on the support.
The support members are preferably formed to guide the cables around the corner of the stack as closely as possible to the stack itself. Where the cables have a critical bend radius beyond which they must not be bent, as known per se in the case of optical fibre cables, the support means will be formed to guide the cables around a radius above the critical radius.
It will be understood that references to cables herein may in some circumstances include individual electrical or optical conductors, rather than, or in addition to, multi-conductor cables. The term "stack" is used to indicate two or more rows (usually, but not necessarily, substantially horizontal rows) of the connection sockets mounted one above the other, usually, but not necessarily, with the socket entrances co-planar with one another, for example constituting a substantially vertical "wall" of sockets. The reference to "substantially parallel alignment" of a portion of each cable with its associated row of sockets is not to be read in any strict geometrical sense, but is intended to reflect the disposition of that cable portion along, but naturally spaced from, the front of the row at approximately the same level as the row. The thus-disposed cable portions will accordingly be aligned in or close to a plane, preferably a substantially horizontal plane, which extends through all the sockets in the row in the direction of plug insertion therein in use. Preferably all, or at least a majority, of the thus-disposed cable portions will be arranged to lie closely below the associated row of sockets, so as to facilitate subsequent new or altered installation of plugs therein.
While assemblies according to the invention may have a single cable support member at only one end of each row of sockets, it is preferable to provide two support members per row, one at each end of the row. This is advantageous when each row of sockets contains two subsets of the sockets respectively orientated to left and right, as known per se, for example in telecommunications patch panels, especially in the preferred form where each row of sockets comprises two straight half-rows arranged at an angle to each other resembling a shallow "V" when viewed from above. Specific embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:
Figure 1 shows schematically in perspective a cable connection socket assembly according to the invention comprising a stack of twelve rows of connection sockets suitable for telecommunications patch panel cross-connections;
Figure 2 shows in left and right perspectives the assembly of a first patch panel, having a row of connection sockets bent in the middle of the row to form a shallow "V" shape, as viewed from above, into a support frame of kind known per se, with cable support members according to this invention attached to the frame in position to be adjacent to the ends of the socket rows in each patch panel to be attached to the frame of the assembly;
Figure 3 shows schematic top, front, and side views of the assembly shown in Figure 1, with the position of the patch cables or "cords" schematically indicated; and
Figure 4 shows an assembly of only six patch panels, otherwise similar to those shown in Figures 1 and 3, mounted in a standard cabinet as known per se in telecommunications switching facilities.
Referring to Figures 1 to 3, a stack of angled patch panels 1 is formed by attachment of the patch panels to a suitable support frame (shown in self-explanatory manner in Figure 2), to which frame are also attached side panels 3 with cable slack supports 2 projecting at positions to the rear of the frontal plane of the patch panel connection sockets, as known per se. Incoming cables 5 are respectively routed and connected to the rear of the corresponding connection sockets.
Patch cords 7 having plugs of any suitable type at their ends are plugged into selected sockets and are routed along the front of the row of sockets and into the laterally adjacent cable support members 8 attached to the support frame according to the present invention. The patch cords extending from their first plugged-in ends are thus guided along the row of sockets and around the comer of the patch panel stack, where the slack (indicated in broken lines) can be arranged around the cable slack supports 2 as known per se, from which each cable or cord returns to another connection socket, usually in a different row, into which socket the second end of the patch cord is plugged. A portion of the cord 7 near its second end is supported by the adjacent cable support member 8 in alignment with the relevant row of sockets, in a manner similar to the first end portion of the cord.
The cable support members 8 are provided with an adjustable securing member (strap) 9 to retain the installed cables or patch cords in place. A pass-through duct 4 is provided to contain portions of the patch cords crossing between the leftwards-angled sockets and the rightwards-angled sockets on the respective halves of the illustrated angled patch panels.
Figure 4 shows schematically the resulting neat and compact disposition of the patch cords or other cables within a standard telecommunications cabinet, which is shown from the front with one of its protective doors partly open, and from the rear with the incoming cables extending side-by-side into the rear of the connection sockets.

Claims

CLAIMS:
1. A cable connection socket assembly comprising a stack of two or more rows of connection sockets, each row of sockets extending laterally in relation to the stack, and comprising a cable support member positioned laterally adjacent to one or both ends of at least one of the rows of sockets, which support means is arranged to support cables, when connected in use to a socket in the laterally adjacent row, in such configuration that a portion of each cable extends from the respective socket at least to the end of the row in substantially parallel alignment with that row.
2. An assembly according to claim 1, wherein the cable support members are arranged to support the cables in substantially the same plane as the row of sockets with which those cables are connected, at least as far as the end of the row.
3. An assembly according to claim 1 or 2, wherein cable slack is positioned beyond the end of the row and (preferably) behind the frontal plane of the sockets, whereby any drooping of the slack will not hinder access to the lower rows of sockets within the stack.
4. An assembly according to any preceding claim, wherein the cable support members are of suitable size and shape to enable the assembly to fit neatly within a standard telecommunications patch panel cabinet or cross-connect cabinet.
5. An assembly according to any preceding claim, wherein the support members have a cable support surface of substantially the same width as the group of cables to be supported thereon, either when the cables are laid side-by-side in a single layer, or when the cables are gathered together in a narrower but thicker bunch.
6. An assembly according to any preceding claim, wherein at least one of the cable support members has attached thereto a cable tie or other restraint to retain the cables in position on the support member.
7. An assembly according to any preceding claim, wherein the support members are formed to guide the cables closely around the corner of the stack.
8. An assembly according to any preceding claim, wherein the cables to be installed therein have a critical bend radius beyond which they must not be bent, and the support means is formed to guide the cables around a radius above the critical radius.
9. An assembly according to any preceding claim, wherein the cable support members are arranged to support all, or at least a majority, of the said cable portions so that they lie closely below the associated row of sockets.
10. An assembly according to any preceding claim, having a single cable support member at only one end of each row of sockets.
11. An assembly according to any of claims 1 to 9, having two support members per row, one at each end of the row.
12. An assembly according to any preceding claim, wherein each row of sockets contains two subsets of the sockets respectively orientated to left and right.
13. An assembly according to claim 12, wherein each row of sockets comprises two straight half-rows arranged at an angle to each other resembling a shallow "V" when viewed from above.
14. An assembly according to any preceding claim, having the said cables connected to at least some of the sockets.
15. An assembly according to any preceding claim, when installed in a standard telecommunications cabinet,
* * * * * * *
PCT/GB2006/001780 2005-05-26 2006-05-16 Cable management systems WO2006125952A1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB0510692.7 2005-05-26
GB0510692A GB0510692D0 (en) 2005-05-26 2005-05-26 Cable management systems

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO2006125952A1 true WO2006125952A1 (en) 2006-11-30

Family

ID=34834637

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/GB2006/001780 WO2006125952A1 (en) 2005-05-26 2006-05-16 Cable management systems

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GB (1) GB0510692D0 (en)
WO (1) WO2006125952A1 (en)

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20100006709A1 (en) * 2006-12-11 2010-01-14 Tyco Electronics Raychem Bvba Cable retention clip

Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5337400A (en) * 1992-10-28 1994-08-09 Northern Telecom Limited Distribution frame and optical connector holder combination
EP0795935A2 (en) * 1996-03-15 1997-09-17 Molex Incorporated Telecommunications cable management
US6424781B1 (en) * 1999-03-01 2002-07-23 Adc Telecommunications, Inc. Optical fiber distribution frame with pivoting connector panels
US20020125800A1 (en) * 2001-03-06 2002-09-12 Knudsen Clinton M. Termination and splice panel
US20030008568A1 (en) * 1999-01-11 2003-01-09 Adc Telecommunications, Inc. Vertical cable management system with ribcage structure

Patent Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5337400A (en) * 1992-10-28 1994-08-09 Northern Telecom Limited Distribution frame and optical connector holder combination
EP0795935A2 (en) * 1996-03-15 1997-09-17 Molex Incorporated Telecommunications cable management
US20030008568A1 (en) * 1999-01-11 2003-01-09 Adc Telecommunications, Inc. Vertical cable management system with ribcage structure
US6424781B1 (en) * 1999-03-01 2002-07-23 Adc Telecommunications, Inc. Optical fiber distribution frame with pivoting connector panels
US20020125800A1 (en) * 2001-03-06 2002-09-12 Knudsen Clinton M. Termination and splice panel

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20100006709A1 (en) * 2006-12-11 2010-01-14 Tyco Electronics Raychem Bvba Cable retention clip
US8262035B2 (en) * 2006-12-11 2012-09-11 Tyco Electronics Raychem Nv Cable retention clip

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB0510692D0 (en) 2005-06-29

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