Cross Reference to Related Applications:

[0001] This application claims benefit to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/882,736, filed on August 5, 2019, the entirety of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein.

Field of the Invention

[0002] The present invention relates to a horizontal cable manager, and more particularly to a horizontal cable manager with a magnetic hinged door.

Background of the Invention

[0003] FIG. 1 illustrates prior art horizontal cable managers 80 mounted to a rack 50 positioned adjacent to a vertical cable manager 100. The horizontal cable managers 80 are visually mismatched because the vertical cable manager 100 includes finger projections that have an increased length. As a result, the front face of the horizontal cable managers 80 is set back from the front face of the vertical cable managers 100.

[0004] FIG. 2 illustrates a side view of the prior art horizontal cable manager 80. The top and bottom of the horizontal cable manager include molded-in hinge receptacles. The hinge receptacle receives an extruded plastic door or a metallic door with plastic snap-in hinge elements. The opening and closing of this hinge door require a considerable amount of force. [0005] As a result, it would be desirable to provide a horizontal cable manager with improved aesthetics including longer finger projections to match the vertical cable manager. It is also desirable to provide a horizontal cable manager with an improved hinge door that requires less force to open and close.

Summary of the Invention

[0006] A horizontal cable manager routes cables in and around a network rack. The horizontal cable manager includes a body with a back and a plurality of fingers extending from the back of the body. The plurality of fingers are arranged in an upper row extending from an upper portion of the back and a lower row extending from a lower portion of the back. The upper row of fingers and the lower row of fingers are parallel to each other to create a pathway for routing the cables therein. The distal end of at least one finger has a hinge pin holder or a cable management flag. The horizontal cable manager also includes a door hingedly attached to the fingers extending from the body. The door has a front, a back, a top edge, a bottom edge, and at least one hinge pin receptacle positioned along the top edge or the bottom edge of the door. The hinge pin receptacle houses a magnet for enabling the door to attach to the hinge pin holder of the at least one finger to hold the door in a closed position.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0007] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of prior art horizontal cable managers mounted to a rack positioned adjacent to a vertical cable manager.

[0008] FIG. 2 is a left side view of the horizontal cable manager of FIG. 1.

[0009] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the horizontal cable manager of the present invention mounted to a rack positioned adjacent to a vertical cable manager.

[0010] FIG. 4 is a front perspective view of the horizontal cable manager of FIG. 3 mounted to a rack positioned adjacent to a vertical cable manager.

[0011] FIG. 5 is a front perspective view of the horizontal cable manager of FIG. 3 mounted to the rack.

[0012] FIG. 6 is a front perspective view of the horizontal cable manager of FIG. 3.

[0013] FIG. 7 is a front perspective view of the horizontal cable manager of FIG. 6 with the hinge door removed.

[0014] FIG. 8 is a front perspective view of the horizontal cable manager hinge door of FIG. 6

[0015] FIG. 9 is a rear perspective view of the horizontal cable manager hinge door of FIG. 8. [0016] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the hinge receptacle of the horizontal cable manager hinge door of FIG. 9.

[0017] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the horizontal cable manager of FIG. 6 with the hinge door partially rotated.

[0018] FIG. 12 is a left side view of the horizontal cable manager of FIG. 6 with the hinge door opened and rotated around the upper hinge.

[0019] FIG. 13 is a left side view of the horizontal cable manager of FIG. 6 with the hinge door opened and rotated around a lower hinge.

[0020] FIG. 14 is a front perspective view of multiple horizontal cable managers having varying heights mounted to a rack.

[0021] FIG. 15 is side view of an alternative horizontal cable manager of the present invention. [0022] FIG. 16 is a top right perspective view of an alternative horizontal cable manager of the present invention.

[0023] FIG. 17 is a top left perspective view of the alternative horizontal cable manager of FIG. 16.

Detailed Description

[0024] FIGS. 3-5 illustrate the horizontal cable manager 150 of the present invention mounted to a standard 19” wide network rack 50. As described below, the horizontal cable manager 150 includes longer finger projections. The length of the fingers places the front surface 192 of the door 190 near the front of an adjoining vertical cable manager 100. For example, as illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, the front surface 192 of the door 190 of the present invention is near the front surface 112 of the door 110 of the vertical cable manager 100. As a result, the overall aesthetics of the horizontal cable manager 150 mounted adjacent to the vertical cable manager 100 have improved. [0025] As illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6, the horizontal cable manager 150 includes a body 152 and a door 190. The body 152 includes a back 154 with a plurality of fingers 170 extending therefrom. The length of the fingers 170 has been extended compared to the fingers of the prior art horizontal cable manager 80. The fingers 170 are arranged in an upper row extending from the upper portion 156 of the back 154 and a lower row extending from the lower portion 158 of the back 154. The upper and lower rows of the fingers 170 are parallel to each other and create a pathway for routing cables therein. The fingers 170 are angled toward the vertical center of the body 152 to provide a technician access to any equipment 60 installed above or below the horizontal cable manager 150.

[0026] Each end 160 of the back 154 includes a plurality of holes 162 for receiving fasteners 70 to secure the body 152 of the horizontal cable manager 150 to the network rack 50.

[0027] The distal end 172 of each finger 170 has either a cable management flag 174 or a hinge pin holder 182. Each cable management flag 174 includes a first member 176, a second member 178, and a third member 180. Each member of the cable management flags can differ in size, length, and shape depending on the location of the finger and the height of the horizontal cable manager. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 7, the cable management flags 174 located near the ends 160 of the body 152 are wider than the cable management flags 174 located near the center of the body 152. The cable management flags 174 extending from aligned fingers 170 in the upper and lower rows are identical.

[0028] As illustrated in FIG. 7, the distal end 172 of the aligned fingers 170 in the upper and lower rows include two sets of hinge pin holders 182. However, if desired, the distal end 172 of the fingers 170 could have additional hinge pin holders. The hinge pin holders 182 are generally U-shaped members 184 designed to hold a ferrous hinge pin 186. As discussed below, the hinge pin holder 182 accepts one of the hinge receptacles 200 extending from the back 194 of the door 190. [0029] FIGS. 8-11 illustrate the door 190 of the horizontal cable manager 150. The front 192 of the door 190 includes design elements similar to the design features found on the Panduit Patchrunner 2 vertical cable manager door. For example, the door 190 includes a pentagon with two right angles and chevron character lines.

[0030] The back 194 of the door 190 includes a plurality of hinge receptacles 200. The hinge receptacles 200 are positioned along the top edge 196 and the bottom edge 198 of the door 190. Each hinge receptacle 200 includes a rare earth magnet 202 which allows the door 190 to attach to the ferrous hinge pins 186 held by the hinge pin holders 182 at the distal end 172 of the fingers 170 of the body 152. Each hinge receptacle 200 also includes a plurality of strengthening ribs 204.

[0031] The rare earth magnets 202 and the ferrous hinge pin 186 form a magnetic hinging mechanism that allows for an effortless attachment of the door 190 to the cable manager body 152. The magnetic hinging mechanism also allows for the door 190 to easily open with a mild pulling force on either the top or bottom edge 196, 198, respectively, of the door 190.

[0032] The hinge receptacle 200 and the hinge pin holder 182 are oriented in such a way as to allow the door 190 to be opened and rotated up to 190 degrees around the upper hinge pins 186 (see FIG. 12) or rotated up to 190 degrees around the lower hinge pins 186 (see FIG. 13). When the door 190 is opened upward around the upper hinge pins 186 past 180 degrees, the door 190 will rest in an open position against the first members 176 of the cable management flags 174 to facilitate access to the cables routed inside the cable manager body 152. When the door 190 is opened downward around the lower hinge pins 186, it can be allowed to hang downward at 180 degrees to facilitate access to cables inside the cable manager body 152.

[0033] The door 190 can also be completely removed from the cable manager body 152, if desired, by pulling on the door 190 horizontally away from the cable manager body 152. [0034] FIG. 14 illustrates the horizontal cable manager 150 and the hinged door 190 of the present invention having varying heights. For example, the horizontal cable manager 150 can be designed so it is 2 rack units (2RU), 3 rack units (3RU), or 4 rack units (4 RU) high. The height of the hinged door 190 is adjusted to accommodate the heights of the various horizontal cable managers 150.

[0035] FIG. 15 illustrates an alternative horizontal cable manager 210 embodiment. The horizontal cable manager 210 includes additional magnets 220 at each hinge location. The additional magnets 220 hold the door 214 in an open position by toggling the door 214 into a hold open detent position when the door 214 reaches the fully open position of about 110 degrees from closed. The hold open detent is easily defeated by applying a force to close the door 214.

[0036] Another alternative embodiment is illustrated in FIGS. 16 and 17. The magnets 320 are installed in the door 314 and the cable manager body 312 in such a way that the axis of the magnetic force forms the hinge axis for the door 314. The door 314 is opened by defeating the shear magnetic attraction on the opening side and rotating the door 314 along the hinge axis formed by either the upper magnets 320 or the lower magnets 320.

[0037] The door could also include a number of stiffening ribs as dictated by the door size, the necessary flexibility, and molding warp.

[0038] Furthermore, while the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that changes, and modifications may be made without departing from the teaching of the invention. The matter set forth in the foregoing description and accompanying drawings is offered by way of illustration only and not as limitation.