Abstract:
Cable routing duct for orderly carriage of and branching off or routing of wires, cables, fiber optics, tubular elements and the like, having a series of accessible chambers interrupted by wire accommodation slots. Access panels pivot about living hinges fashioned of co-injected plastic materials to allow access to the chambers.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCES TO CO-PENDING APPLICATIONS 
     This patent application is a continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 08/745,428 entitled “CABLE ROUTING DUCT” filed on Nov. 12, 1996, now abandoned. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention is for a cable routing duct, and more particularly, pertains to a cable routing duct having a series of accessible chambers and adjacent accommodation slots for cables or like-shaped elements. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     Routing of cables is like unraveling fishing line or uncoiling a rattlesnake. Cable management has always been a time consuming, labor intensive task, usually requiring dexterity and patience, and extensive manual time-consuming labor. 
     The present invention overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art by providing a cable routing duct which can be easily installed with simple tools, such as a drill and screwdriver, and with simple hardware, such as screws or nuts and bolts, and which can easily be configured by a simple cutting device, such as a saw or shears. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The general purpose of the present invention is to provide a cable routing duct. 
     According to one embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a one-piece cable routing duct, including a series of rectangular-shaped chambers having common back, top and bottom planar members. Each chamber includes an access panel which includes, at one end, a living hinge of co-injected plastic materials, and at the other end, a latch member. The latch member engages a hook member to provide a secured chamber. A three-sided wire or cable accommodation slot separates adjacent chambers and provides for branching of cables, or like-shaped elements, such as wire, tubes, optical fibers, etc., from the interior of the chambers for routing to external components or devices. Any number of chambers can be opened in succession or on an individual basis, as desired, to easily insert or remove cables without disturbing other branched cables which are contained by unopened chambers. The access panels, when opened for cable insertion, spring to an open position about the co-injected living hinges to allow passage of cables to the interior of the chambers without interference from the access panel, which is conveniently held out of the way by the spring memory of the co-injected material living hinges. 
     An alternate embodiment discloses a cable routing duct having angular and memory relationships between planar members which promote positive locking of planar members. 
     One significant aspect and feature of the present invention is a cable routing duct having a series of accessible chambers separated by cable accommodation slots. 
     An additional significant aspect and feature of the present invention is access panels which secure by hook and latch engagement. 
     Another significant aspect and feature of the present invention is access panels having co-injected living hinges. 
     Still another significant aspect and feature of the present invention is a cable routing duct where the required number of chambers may be opened for access while at the same time leaving other chambers and cables undisturbed. 
     A further significant aspect and feature of the present invention is co-injected hinges exhibiting a spring-open memory to provide for positioning of access panels for non-interfering access to a chamber. 
     Another significant aspect and feature of the present invention is a cable routing duct which can be manufactured in various sizes, each with the same general profile and capabilities, to retain various sizes and numbers of cables. 
     Another significant aspect and feature of the present invention is a cable routing duct with a flat rear surface to provide a mounting means for attaching to frames or other media via holes punched in the rear mounting surface or by two-sided adhesive tape. 
     Another significant aspect and feature of the present invention is the incorporation of an angle between the planar back member and the planar bottom member for providing a positive locking method between planar members of the accessible chambers. 
     Having thus described significant aspects and features of the present invention, it is the principal object of the present invention to provide a cable routing duct. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Other objects of the present invention and many of the attendant advantages of the present invention will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals designate like parts throughout the figures thereof and wherein: 
     FIG. 1 illustrates an isometric view of a cable routing duct constructed according to the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 illustrates a rotated isometric view of the cable routing duct; 
     FIG. 3 illustrates a cross sectional end view of the cable routing duct along line  3 — 3  of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 4 illustrates the cable routing duct of FIG. 3 having a plurality of cables residing therein and a cable ready for entering therein; 
     FIG. 5 illustrates an isometric view of the cable routing duct containing a plurality of cables; 
     FIG. 6, an alternative embodiment, illustrates an end view of a cable routing duct incorporating angular relationship between the planar bottom member and the planar back member; and, 
     FIG. 7 illustrates the cable routing duct of FIG. 6 where the latch members are in positive engagement with the hook members to form a closed cable routing duct. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     FIG. 1 illustrates an isometric view of a cable routing duct  10  constructed according to the present invention. The cable routing duct  10  is constructed of suitable length, in channel form, of a flexible and suitable plastic material, and includes individual living hinge members which allow access to the interior chambers of the cable routing duct  10  for the purpose of cable routing, distribution branching, and the like. The cable routing duct  10  includes a planar back member  12 , a planar top member  14 , and a planar bottom member  16 . The planar top member  14  includes one end of a plurality of cable or wire accommodation slots  18   a - 18   n  aligned at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the cable routing duct  10  and extending about the longitudinal axis. Wire slot  18   a  can be further defined to designate an upper horizontal wire slot portion  18   a - 1 , a vertical wire slot portion  18   a - 2 , and a lower horizontal wire slot portion  18   a - 3 . Remaining wire slots  18   b - 18   n  can also be defined in a like fashion and are illustrated where required. The upper portions of wire accommodation slots  18   a - 18   n  and deformed stiffeners  20   a - 20   n  delineate upper rectangular planar areas  14   a - 14   n  which are part of the planar top  14 . Living hinges  22   a - 22   n , which are of co-injected materials, extend from the upper rectangular planar areas  14   a - 14   n  to connect in continuous fashion to access panels  24   a - 24   n , respectively. Each living hinge is a co-injected dual durometer living hinge. Individual planar rectangular access panels, illustrated in vertical alignment, connect in continuous fashion to living hinges  22   a - 22   n , respectively, and include latch members  26   a - 26   n  extending inwardly. The planar bottom member  16  includes the other end of a plurality of cable or wire accommodation slots  18   a - 18   n  aligned at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the cable routing duct  10  and extending about the longitudinal axis. The lower portions of wire accommodation slots  18   a - 18   n  and deformed stiffeners  28   a - 28   n  delineate lower rectangular planar areas  16   a - 16   n  which are part of the planar bottom member  16 . Hook members  32   a - 32   n  are located at the outboard ends of the lower planar areas  16   a - 16   n  to mate with the corresponding latch members  26   a - 26   n  on an individual basis. A plurality of mounting holes  34   a - 34   n  are located in the planar back member  12 . A plurality of chambers  36   a - 36   n  are formed by corresponding and respective portions of the back member  12 , the uninterrupted portion of the top member  14 , the deformed stiffeners  20   a - 20   n , the upper planar areas  14   a - 14   n , the living hinges  22   a - 22   n , the access panels  24   a - 24   n , the latch members  26   a - 26   n , the uninterrupted portion of the bottom member  16 , the deformed stiffeners  28   a - 28   n , the lower planar areas  16   a - 16   n , and the hook members  32   a - 32   n . 
     FIG. 2 illustrates a rotated isometric view of the cable routing duct  10 , where all numerals correspond to those elements previously or otherwise described. 
     FIG. 3 illustrates a cross sectional end view of the cable routing duct  10  along line  3 — 3  of FIG. 1, where all numerals correspond to those elements previously or otherwise described. Access panel  24   b  can be opened to a position as indicated by dashed lines; and cables, wires, tubes, optical fibers, or other types of lines can be inserted into the interior of the cable routing duct  10  and distributed as illustrated later in detail. 
     MODE OF OPERATION 
     FIG. 4 illustrates the cable duct of FIG. 3 having a plurality of cables  38   a - 38   e  residing in the chamber  36   a  (see FIG. 5) of the cable routing duct  10  and extending into chamber  36   b , where all numerals correspond to those elements previously or otherwise described. Cable  38   d  is illustrated as exiting the interior area of the cable routing duct  10  from the upper horizontally aligned wire portion  18   a - 1  of the wire accommodation slot  18   a . Cable  38   e  exits the interior area of the cable routing duct  10  from the lower horizontally aligned wire portion  18   b - 3  of the wire accommodation slot  18   b . Access panel  24   b  is rotated about the living hinge  22   b , as illustrated by arrow  40 , to allow access to the chamber  36   b  for placement of cable  38   f  into the chamber  36   b  subsequent to manual disengagement of latch member  26   b  from hook member  32   b . The co-injected materials of the living hinges  22   a - 22 n exhibit memory to keep the access panels  24   a - 24   n  positioned away from the openings to the chambers  36   a - 36   n  so as to allow unimpeded and unobstructed entrance to the chambers  36   a - 36   n  without the need of manually positioning and holding the access panels out of the way. Manual disengagement is accomplished by manually depressing and flexing the lower planar area  16   b  upwardly. Access panels  24   c - 24   n , of FIG. 5, would also be opened in a like fashion to allow further access and entry of the cable  38   f , or other such cables or tubular devices, into the chambers  36   c - 36   n . The extrusion can be of a mixture of polyvinylchloride, such as by Geon, and an extrusion grade urethane. 
     FIG. 5 illustrates an isometric view of the cable routing duct  10  containing a plurality of cables  38   a - 38   f , where all numerals correspond to those previously or otherwise described. Illustrated in particular is the exiting of the cables  38   d  and  38   e  from the wire accommodation slots  18   a  and  18   b , respectively. 
     FIG. 6, an alternative embodiment, illustrates an end view of a cable routing duct  100  where each component is the same as previously or otherwise described for the cable routing duct  10 , but incorporating a different angular relationship between the planar bottom member  16 , including lower planar areas  16   a - 16   n , and the planar back member  12 . Access panels  24   a - 24   n  are molded in line with the planar top member  14 , including upper planar areas  14   a - 14   n , and with living hinges  22   a - 22   n . The planar bottom member  16 , including lower planar areas  16   a - 16   n , are molded at an angle 42 of 94.5°, for purposes of illustration, to the planar back member  12 . In use, access panels  24   a - 24   n  are rotated about the living hinges  22   a - 22   n  to engage, on an individual basis, the hook members  32   a - 32   n  at the ends of the lower planar areas  16   a - 16   n . as illustrated in FIG.  7 . The memory exhibited across the junction of the planar back member  12  and planar bottom member  16  which form angle  42  urges the bottom member  16 , including lower planar areas  16   a - 16   n , and the hook members  32   a - 32   n  in a direction which attempts to maintain a 94.5° angle between the planar back member  12  and the planar bottom member  16  and lower planar areas  16   a - 16   n  even though substantially a 90° angle is maintained due to the self-limiting engagement of the latch members  26   a - 26   n  with the hook members  32   a - 32   n . Inclusion of angle  42  between the planar back member  12  and the planar bottom member  16  urges positive locking of the lower planar areas  16   a - 16   n  to the access panels  24   a - 24   n.    
     FIG. 7 illustrates an end view of the cable routing duct  100  of FIG. 6, where the latch members  26   a - 26   n  are in forced positive engagement with the hook members  32   a - 32   n , where all numerals correspond to those elements previously or otherwise described. Angle  42  is resultantly and collectively reduced and urged toward a right angle  42   a , substantially, with the engagement of the latch members  26   a - 26   n  with hook members  32   a - 32   n  to form a closed cable routing duct. 
     Various modifications can be made to the present invention without departing from the apparent scope hereof. 
     
       
         
               
             
               
               
               
             
           
               
                   
               
               
                 CABLE ROUTING DUCT 
               
               
                 PARTS LIST 
               
               
                   
               
             
             
               
                   
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 10 
                 cable routing duct 
               
               
                   
                 12 
                 planar back member 
               
               
                   
                 14 
                 planar top member 
               
               
                   
                 14a-n 
                 upper planar areas 
               
               
                   
                 16 
                 planar bottom member 
               
               
                   
                 16a-n 
                 lower planar areas 
               
               
                   
                 18a-n 
                 slots, wire accommodation 
               
               
                   
                 18a-1 
                 upper horizontal portion 
               
               
                   
                 18a-2 
                 vertical portion 
               
               
                   
                 18a-3 
                 lower horizontal portion 
               
               
                   
                 20a-n 
                 deformed stiffeners 
               
               
                   
                 22a-n 
                 living hinges 
               
               
                   
                 24a-n 
                 access panels 
               
               
                   
                 26a-n 
                 latch members 
               
               
                   
                 28a-n 
                 deformed stiffeners 
               
               
                   
                 32a-n 
                 hook members 
               
               
                   
                 34a-n 
                 mounting holes 
               
               
                   
                 36a-n 
                 chambers 
               
               
                   
                 38a-f 
                 cables 
               
               
                   
                 40 
                 arrow 
               
               
                   
                 42 
                 angle 
               
               
                   
                 42a 
                 right angle