Cable management assembly, system and method
View Patent ↗A cable management assembly, and method related thereto, including a riser panel having an interface portion and a plurality of cable management devices. The interface portion having a plurality of shaped apertures. The cable management devices having attachments that correspond to the shaped apertures to secure the cable management devices to the panel at selected vertical and horizontal locations. The cable management assembly being configured to extend between two adjacent telecommunications racks or to couple to the end of a telecommunications rack.
1. A cable management assembly for coupling to a telecommunications structure, the cable management assembly comprising:
(a) a panel configured to couple to a telecommunications structure, the panel including a first interface portion and a plurality of shaped apertures formed in the first interface portion, the shaped apertures being arranged in an array of columns and rows; and
(b) a plurality of cable management devices for retaining excess cabling, the devices being configured to prevent cable damage, each of the devices including a tab corresponding to the shaped aperture, the tab being located on a cylindrical pin body, the tab flexibly engaging one of the shaped apertures to detachably snap-fit the cable management device to the panel, each of the cable management devices further being configured to secure to the panel at randomly selected vertical and horizontal locations.
2. The cable management assembly of claim 1 , wherein the tab of each of the cable management devices is a first tab, and wherein each of the devices further includes a second tab corresponding to the shaped apertures.
3. The cable management assembly of claim 1 , wherein the cable management devices are rotated about a longitudinal axis of the device when inserted within a selected shaped aperture to detachably secure the devices to the panel.
4. The cable management assembly of claim 1 , wherein the cable management devices are spools, each of the spools having a curved construction to prevent cable damage.
5. A cable management assembly, comprising:
(a) a panel including:
(i) a interface portion having a width and a length, the interface portion defining a plurality of shaped apertures, the shaped apertures being arranged in a repeated pattern such that the repeated pattern of shaped apertures extends along a majority of the length and across a majority of the width of the interface portion; and
(ii) flanges oriented generally perpendicular in relation to the interface portion, the flanges defining holes for mounting the panel to a telecommunications structure; and
(b) a plurality of cable management devices for retaining excess cabling, the plurality of cable management devices being spools, each of the spools having a curved construction to prevent cable damage, each of the devices having an arrangement that attaches the device to the panel at randomly selected vertical and horizontal locations.
6. The cable management assembly of claim 5 , wherein the repeated pattern of shaped apertures includes an array of columns and rows of shaped apertures.
7. The cable management assembly of claim 5 , wherein each of the shaped apertures includes a first receiving aperture portion, a notch aperture portion, and a slide aperture portion extending between the first receiving aperture portion and notch aperture portion.
8. The cable management assembly of claim 7 , wherein the first receiving aperture portion has a first diameter and the notch aperture portion has a second diameter, the first diameter being greater than the second diameter.
9. The cable management assembly of claim 8 , wherein the first receiving aperture portion is vertically aligned with the notch aperture portion of the shaped aperture.
10. The cable management assembly of claim 8 , wherein the first receiving aperture portion is laterally offset from the notch aperture portion such that the slide aperture portion extends diagonally between the first receiving aperture portion and the notch aperture portion.
11. The cable management assembly of claim 7 , wherein the slide aperture portion of some of the shaped apertures is configured to permit the cable management devices to rotate in a first direction when being attached to the panel.
12. The cable management assembly of claim 11 , wherein the slide aperture portion of others of the shaped apertures is configured to permit the cable management devices to rotate in a second direction opposite the first direction when being attached to the panel.
13. The cable management assembly of claim 7 , wherein the slide aperture portions of some of the shaped apertures are configured in an opposing orientation to the slide aperture portions of others of the shaped apertures.
14. The cable management assembly of claim 7 , further including other cable management devices different from that of the spools, the other cable management devices having attachments configured to correspond to the receiving aperture portion, the notch aperture portion, and the slide aperture portion of the shaped apertures.
15. The cable management assembly of claim 7 , wherein the arrangements of the cable management devices that attach the devices to the panel include first and second pin connections, at least one of the first and second pin connections including a groove having a groove diameter less than a primary diameter of the at least one pin connection.
16. The cable management assembly of claim 15 , wherein the groove diameter of the at least one pin connection corresponds to a diameter of the notch aperture portions of the shaped apertures for detachably securing the cable management device within a selected shaped aperture of the panel.
17. The cable management assembly of claim 16 , wherein the other of the first and second pin connections includes a groove having a groove diameter corresponding to the diameter of the notch aperture portions of the shaped apertures.
18. The cable management assembly of claim 17 , wherein the groove of the first pin connection and the groove of the second pin connection engage the notch aperture portions of selected first and second shaped apertures when the cable management device is detachably secured to the panel.
19. The cable management assembly of claim 18 , wherein the repeated pattern of shaped apertures includes columns of shaped apertures, the selected first and second shaped apertures being located in a single column of shaped apertures.
20. The cable management assembly of claim 15 , wherein the first pin connection is vertically and laterally offset from the second pin connection of the cable management device.
21. The cable management assembly of claim 5 , wherein the shaped apertures define an opening having a square configuration.
22. The cable management assembly of claim 21 , wherein the arrangements of the cable management devices that attach the devices to the panel include first and second hook attachments configured to engage the square openings and detachably secure the cable management devices to the panel.
23. The cable management assembly of claim 5 , wherein the arrangements of the cable management devices that attach the devices to the panel include tabs configured to flexibly engage the shaped apertures and detachably snap-fit the cable management devices to the panel.
24. The cable management assembly of claim 5 , wherein the attachments of the cable management devices are rotationally inserted within selected first and second shaped apertures to detachably secure the devices to the panel.
25. A cable management assembly of claim 5 , wherein the arrangements of the cable management devices that attach the devices to the panel include at least one protrusion sized and configured for insertion into the shaped apertures, from a front side of the interface portion toward a back side of the interface portion.
26. A cable management assembly, comprising:
(a) a panel including:
(i) a interface portion having a width and a length, the interface portion defining a plurality of shaped apertures, the shaped apertures being arranged in a repeated pattern such that the repeated pattern of shaped apertures extends along a majority of the length and across a majority of the width of the interface portion; and
(ii) flanges oriented generally perpendicular in relation to the interface portion, the flanges defining holes for mounting the panel to a telecommunications structure; and
(b) a plurality of cable management devices for retaining excess cabling, the plurality of cable management devices including a spool, the spool having a curved construction with a minimum bend radius to prevent cable damage, each of the devices having an arrangement that attaches the device to the panel at randomly selected vertical and horizontal locations.