Cable exit trough with insert
AssigneeADC Telecommunications, Inc.
InventorsMichael J. Wentworth, Brian L. Johnson, Wayne Johnson, Thomas W. Kampf, Alex Watts
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A cable exit trough defining an insert aperture for receiving a modular cable management inserts. The modular insert providing an additional cable management device such as a curved guidewall. The cable management device may alternatively be fixed to the cable exit trough. Removable snap-mounted flanges may also be included in the exit trough. The exit trough may also include an exit cover having a cover plate and a pivot plate hingedly mounted thereto for easy access to the trough.
Claims11
A cable exit trough mountable to a lateral trough section, the lateral trough section including an upstanding side terminating in a top edge, the exit tough comprising:
- a U-shaped bracket portion sized to receive a portion of the upstanding side of the lateral trough section adjacent to the top edge of the lateral trough section;
- the bracket portion including an outer projecting member, an inner projecting member and a connecting member to form the U-shaped bracket portion, the outer projecting member positionable outside the lateral trough section, the inner projecting member positionable inside the lateral trough section, the connecting member positionable adjacent to the top edge of the lateral trough section, the bracket portion including first and second ends, and a middle therebetween;
- first and second lead-in portions extending upwardly from the bracket portion at the first and second ends, respectively, each lead-in portion converging toward the other lead-in portion and extending in an upward direction when the exit trough is mounted to the lateral trough section;
- and
- an exit trough portion extending from the middle of the bracket portion in a direction away from the lateral trough section when the exit trough is mounted to the lateral trough section, the exit trough portion defining a cable pathway in communication with each cable pathway of each lead-in portion, the exit trough portion including a convexly curved bottom trough surface having an upstanding guidewall dividing the cable pathway of the exit trough portion, the exit trough portion also including two convexly curved upstanding side surfaces on opposite sides of the bottom trough surface.
A cable exit trough mountable to a lateral trough section, the lateral trough section including an upstanding side terminating in a top edge, the exit tough comprising:
- a U-shaped bracket portion sized to receive a portion of the upstanding side of the lateral trough section adjacent to the top edge of the lateral trough section;
- the bracket portion including an outer projecting member, an inner projecting member and a connecting member to form the U-shaped bracket portion, the outer projecting member positionable outside the lateral trough section, the inner projecting member positionable inside the lateral trough section, the connecting member positionable adjacent to the top edge of the lateral trough section, the bracket portion including first and second ends, and a middle therebetween;
- first and second lead-in portions extending upwardly from the bracket portion at the first and second ends, respectively, each lead-in portion converging toward the other lead-in portion and extending in an upward direction when the exit trough is mounted to the lateral trough section;
- an exit trough portion extending from the middle of the bracket portion in a direction away from the lateral trough section when the exit trough is mounted to the lateral trough section, the exit trough portion defining a cable pathway in communication with each cable pathway of each lead-in portion, the exit trough portion including a convexly curved bottom trough surface, the bottom trough surface defining an insert aperture, the exit trough portion also including two convexly curved upstanding side surfaces on opposite sides of the bottom trough surface;
- and
- a removable insert received by the insert aperture, the insert forming a portion of the bottom trough surface.
A cable exit trough mountable to a lateral trough section, the lateral trough section including an upstanding side terminating in a top edge, the exit tough comprising:
- a U-shaped bracket portion sized to receive a portion of the upstanding side of the lateral trough section adjacent to the top edge of the lateral trough section;
- the bracket portion including an outer projecting member, an inner projecting member and a connecting member to form the U-shaped bracket portion, the outer projecting member positionable outside the lateral trough section, the inner projecting member positionable inside the lateral trough section, the connecting member positionable adjacent to the top edge of the lateral trough section, the bracket portion including first and second ends, and a middle therebetween;
- first and second lead-in portions extending upwardly from the bracket portion at the first and second ends, respectively, each lead-in portion converging toward the other lead-in portion and extending in an upward direction when the exit trough is mounted to the lateral trough section;
- an exit trough portion extending from the middle of the bracket portion in a direction away from the lateral trough section when the exit trough is mounted to the lateral trough section, the exit trough portion defining a cable pathway in communication with each cable pathway of each lead-in portion, the exit trough portion including a convexly curved bottom trough surface, the bottom trough surface defining an insert aperture, the exit trough portion also including two convexly curved upstanding side surfaces on opposite sides of the bottom trough surface.
A cable exit trough mountable to a lateral trough section, the lateral trough section including an upstanding side terminating in a top edge, the exit tough comprising:
- a U-shaped bracket portion sized to receive a portion of the upstanding side of the lateral trough section adjacent to the top edge of the lateral trough section;
- the bracket portion including an outer projecting member, an inner projecting member and a connecting member to form the U-shaped bracket portion, the outer projecting member positionable outside the lateral trough section, the inner projecting member positionable inside the lateral trough section, the connecting member positionable adjacent to the top edge of the lateral trough section, the bracket portion including first and second ends, and a middle therebetween;
- first and second lead-in portions extending upwardly from the bracket portion at the first and second ends, respectively, each lead-in portion converging toward the other lead-in portion and extending in an upward direction when the exit trough is mounted to the lateral trough section, each lead-in portion defining a slot and hole for receiving a removable, snap-mounted, downwardly depending flange;
- first and second removable flanges snap-mounted to and downwardly depending from the lead-in sections respectively, each flange defining a cable pathway between the flange and the inner projecting member of the bracket portion;
- an exit trough portion extending from the middle of the bracket portion in a direction away from the lateral trough section when the exit trough is mounted to the lateral trough section, the exit trough portion defining a cable pathway in communication with each cable pathway of each lead-in portion, the exit trough portion including a convexly curved bottom trough surface and two convexly curved upstanding side surfaces on opposite sides of the bottom trough surface.
An insert piece to be received into a cable exit trough having an aperture in a bottom trough surface therein;
- the insert piece comprising:
- a curved major surface having a first convex side and a second concave side, the surface also having edges;
- guide tabs extending from at least two edges of the major surface toward the concave side of the major surface;
- each guide tab including a detent ridge configured to engage an edge of a retaining wall of the cable exit trough;
- and
- a plurality of alignment pins protruding from the concave side of the major surface, the alignment pins spaced to be received by alignment holes in the cable exit trough.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.