Vertical cable management system with ribcage structure
A cable management system is provided including a rack for holding telecommunications equipment, and a ribcage cable support member along a vertical side of the rack. The ribcage cable support member includes a plurality of forwardly and rearwardly extending ribs. The ribs each include cable retention tabs. A plurality of spools are provided for cable storage on the ribcage cable support member. Holes through the ribcage cable support member allow access between the front and rear portions. An additional rack may be positioned on an opposite side of the ribcage cable support member to the first rack, and two columns of ribs are provided.
1. A cable management system comprising:
a) a mounting fixture including a base, and two upwardly extending side supports configured and arranged for holding telecommunications equipment having cable connection locations, the mounting fixture further having a front, a rear, and a side; and
b) a ribcage cable support member mounted to the mounting fixture and positioned along the side, the ribcage cable support member including:
i) a middle support having a front, a rear, and two sides, the middle support including:
1) a plurality of spools positioned on the front of the middle support, wherein the spools include a cable support extending from the front and a cable retention member spaced from the front; and
2) a plurality of cable passages between the front and the rear; and
ii) two columns of spaced-apart ribs on each side, each column of ribs including a first set of ribs extending away from the front of the middle support, and a second set of ribs extending away from the rear of the middle support, each rib having a first portion interconnected to the middle support and a second portion extending in an angled direction relative to the first portion;
iii) wherein a first cable positioning chamber is defined by the middle support and the first set of ribs at the front of the middle support, and a second cable positioning chamber is defined by the middle support and the second set of ribs at the rear of the middle support; and
iv) wherein ends of the second portions of the first set of ribs of one column define a first vertical plane, and ends of the second portions of the first set of ribs of the other column define a second vertical plane, the cable supports and the cable retention members of the spools being positioned only between the first and second vertical planes.
2. The cable management system of claim 1 , wherein the second portions of each rib extend in a generally perpendicular direction relative to the first portion.
3. The cable management system of claim 1 , wherein the second portion of each rib extends from the first portion in a direction that is at an oblique angle to horizontal.
4. The cable management system of claim 1 , wherein the second portion of each rib in each column extends toward the ribs of the corresponding set in the other column.
5. The cable management system of claim 1 , further comprising telecommunications equipment mounted to the fixture, the equipment defining a plurality of rows of front cable connection locations on a front of the equipment, one of the columns of ribs positioned so as to have a rib adjacent to each row of front cable connection locations, the equipment further defining a plurality of rows of rear connection locations on the rear of the equipment.