Abstract:
Method and apparatus are provided for securing a cable. The apparatus includes: a substantially cone-shaped member having an elongate opening along the axis of the cone in which a cable is placeable in use; a holding member having at least one open-sided aperture in which the cone-shaped member is houseable in use; wherein the widest diameter of the cone-shaped member is greater than the diameter of the open-sided aperture of the holding member. The method of securing a cable may include: placing a cable in a substantially cone-shaped member having an elongate opening along the axis of the cone in which the cable is placeable; and inserting the cone-shaped member in a holding member having at least one open-sided aperture.

Description:
FIELD OF INVENTION 
       [0001]    This invention relates to the field of securing cables. In particular, the invention relates to securing cables to prevent improper unplugging. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    Data centers represent some of the most demanding performance technology in the communications infrastructure market. Choosing the right cabling and cable management system is one of the most important aspects of data center design. Reliability, in combination with extreme density, should guide the choice of products. 
         [0003]    In the market of virtualization, physical connections are shared by more and more virtual machines and workloads. In this context cable security and reliability are keys to guarantee business continuity. Moreover, the density growth of servers in datacenters increases the number of cables per square meter and so increases the risk of improper unplugging of cables due to the cables&#39; weight and maintenance in the datacenters. 
         [0004]    Cabling best practices are not enough to prevent improper unplugging. There is a need to protect plugged cables and electronic or electrical elements&#39; connectors in case of improper unplugging due to overweight of cable in connectors or violent wresting of cables. 
         [0005]    With time and the increase of the cable density, the risk of improper unplugging of cables increases. 
         [0006]    Whatever the root causes, the outcomes are often the same, in that electronic or electrical equipment is unplugged and, in the worse case, their connectors are broken. In addition, this leads to the services of the electronic equipment being are disrupted. 
         [0007]    This problem arises in all forms of infrastructure in which there is dense cabling including datacenters, telecommunication centers, electrical equipment hubs, as well as moving vehicles such as aircraft, boats, rockets, etc. 
         [0008]    Existing solutions to this problem are focused on the resilience and robustness of each cable itself or imply usage of hardened connectors. Main drawbacks of these solutions are extra cost of each cable because of their design, and an important loss of agility manipulating this kind of cables because they are less flexible. 
         [0009]    Therefore, there is a need in the art to address the aforementioned problems. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0010]    According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a cable securing apparatus, comprising: a substantially cone-shaped member having an elongate opening along the axis of the cone in which a cable is placeable in use; a holding member having at least one open-sided aperture in which the cone-shaped member is houseable in use; wherein the widest diameter of the cone-shaped member is greater than the diameter of the open-sided aperture of the holding member. 
         [0011]    The substantially cone-shaped member may have a cut-away segment extending radially from the elongate opening, wherein the cut-away section extends radially between approximately 10 degrees and approximately 135 degrees. 
         [0012]    Preferably, the substantially cone-shaped member may be in the form of a truncated cylindrical cone. 
         [0013]    The elongate opening along the axis of the cone may have a diameter concentric with the axis of the cone and substantially similar to the diameter of a cable. Different diameters of cables may be accommodated by providing various substantially cone-shaped members with differing diameters of elongate opening. 
         [0014]    The substantially cone-shaped member is formed of a flexible material in order to accommodate a cable placeable in the cone-shaped member in use. 
         [0015]    The holding member may be formed of a solid material and fixed in position providing a secure positioning of the substantially cone-shaped member in use. The holding member may have multiple open-sided apertures for housing multiple cone-shaped members each having a cable extending therethrough in use. 
         [0016]    The at least one open-sided aperture of the holding member may be in the form of a tapered cylindrical aperture with a taper generally corresponding in angle with the angle of the substantially cone-shaped member. 
         [0017]    The holding member may have a closing plate for closing the at least one open-sided aperture once at least one substantially cone-shaped member is placed in the at least one open-sided aperture. 
         [0018]    According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of securing a cable, comprising: placing a cable in a substantially cone-shaped member having an elongate opening along the axis of the cone in which the cable is placeable; inserting the cone-shaped member in a holding member having at least one open-sided aperture; wherein the widest diameter of the cone-shaped member is greater than the diameter of the open-sided aperture of the holding member thereby preventing the cone-shaped member being pulled through the open-sided aperture of the holding member in a given direction. 
         [0019]    The substantially cone-shaped member may be sufficiently flexible to clamp around the cable if pulled in the given direction. The given direction may be away from a connection of the cable to equipment. 
         [0020]    Placing the cable in the substantially cone-shaped member may place the cable through a cut-away segment of the substantially cone-shaped member extending radially from the elongate opening. 
         [0021]    Closing the at least one open-sided aperture may be carried out by attaching a closing plate across the open-sided apertures of the holding member. 
         [0022]    According to a third aspect of the present invention there is provided a method substantially as described with reference to the figures. 
         [0023]    According to a fourth aspect of the present invention there is provided a system substantially as described with reference to the figures. 
         [0024]    The described aspects of the invention provide the advantage of preventing improper unplugging of electronic or electrical equipment whilst using standard cabling. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0025]    The subject matter regarded as the invention is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the concluding portion of the specification. The invention, both as to organization and method of operation, together with objects, features, and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following detailed description when read with the accompanying drawings. 
           [0026]    Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the following drawings in which: 
           [0027]      FIG. 1  is an exploded perspective view of an example embodiment of an apparatus in accordance with the present invention; 
           [0028]      FIGS. 2A and 2B  are perspective views of alternative embodiments of the cone-shaped member of an apparatus in accordance with the present invention; 
           [0029]      FIG. 2C  is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the holding member of an apparatus in accordance with the present invention; 
           [0030]      FIGS. 3A to 3C  are perspective views of the component of the apparatus of  FIG. 1  in three stages of a method of securing a cable in accordance with the present invention; and 
           [0031]      FIG. 4  is a flow diagram of an example embodiment of a method in accordance with the present invention. 
       
    
    
       [0032]    It will be appreciated that for simplicity and clarity of illustration, elements shown in the figures have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements may be exaggerated relative to other elements for clarity. Further, where considered appropriate, reference numbers may be repeated among the figures to indicate corresponding or analogous features. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0033]    In the following detailed description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the invention. However, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known methods, procedures, and components have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the present invention. 
         [0034]    Method and apparatus are provided for protecting each individual cable from improper unplugging, whatever the cause of the unplugging may be. The term cable is used herein to mean any form of elongate flexible electrical conductor including but not limited to wires, leads, flexes, etc. 
         [0035]    The described apparatus is positioned upstream on a cable from connectors to electronic or electrical equipment. The apparatus will resist any force on the cable instead of the connectors themselves. The apparatus includes a smarter collar circling each cable fitting in an armed and resilient structure. No excessive pressure will be transmitted to the connectors or the equipment itself. 
         [0036]    This apparatus may be provided in an infrastructure in which multiple cables are present. For example, the infrastructure may be a datacenter in which multiple electronic components are housed each having connecting cables. In another example, the infrastructure may be embedded in a moving vehicle such as aircraft, boat, rocket, etc. 
         [0037]    The apparatus provides a cone-shaped member which encloses a cable at a position along the cable. The cone-shaped member is sized to comply with different cable diameters. The apparatus also provides a holding member in the form of a fixed comb member for securing one or more cables by securing the cone-shaped members in holes in the comb member. 
         [0038]    The described apparatus is a hardening system to be installed at a step or position before connectors to equipment. The apparatus includes a cone-shaped member which acts as a collar to reduce tracking pressure at the surface of a cable. The cone-shaped member once applied on a cable is parked in a robust comb member. Any force applied to the cable in a direction away from the equipment will force the cone-shaped member into the comb member and thereby tighten the grip of the cone-shaped member around the cable preventing any slip or movement of the cable within the cone-shaped member. 
         [0039]    The apparatus helps to:
       Protect equipment plugs from a violent pull;   Protect cable connectors from violent pull;   Protect cable connectors from bending or folding;   Spread equally the weight pressure on the cable at the apparatus level;   Secure by design at the cable level and not at a bulk of cable level.       
 
         [0045]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , an exploded view shows example embodiments of the components of the described cable securing apparatus. The cable securing apparatus  100  is formed of three parts: a cone-shaped member  110 , a holding member  120  (also referred to as a comb member), and an, optional, closing plate  130 . 
         [0046]    The cone-shaped member  110  may be formed of a flexible plastics or rubber material also being resilient. In this example embodiment, the cone-shaped member  110  is in the form of a truncated cylindrical cone having an elongate aperture  111  along the axis of the cone in which a cable may be placed. 
         [0047]    In order to allow a cable to be placed in the elongate aperture  111 , the cone-shaped member  110  has a cut-away portion  112 . The cut-away portion  112  may extend radially at an angle of between approximately 10 degrees and approximately 135 degrees. In the illustrated embodiment, the cut-away portion  112  has an angle of approximately 90 degrees. The cut-away portion  112  must enable a cable to be located in the elongate aperture  111  whilst ensuring that the elongate aperture  111  surrounds a cable sufficiently to hold the cable in place and prevent the cable from slipping out of the elongate aperture  111 . 
         [0048]    The cone-shaped member  110  may have an first end  127  with a wider diameter tapering to a second end  128  having a smaller truncated diameter of the cone. 
         [0049]    In use, the flexible, resilient cone-shaped member  110  may be flexed to allow a cable to be inserted into the elongate aperture  111 . In use, as explained further in relation to  FIGS. 3A to 3C , the cone-shaped member  110  may be squeezed into an aperture which will tighten the grip of the flexible cone-shaped member  110  around the cable. 
         [0050]    The holding member  120  may be in the form of a comb shaped member with at least one aperture  121  and, possibly, a row of apertures  121  to  126  having open sides such that a cone-shaped member  110  attached around a cable may be inserted into an aperture  121 - 126 . 
         [0051]    The holding member  120  may be formed of a hard, rigid material, such as metal, and may be fixed in position, for example, in a rack, against a wall or other permanent fixture. 
         [0052]    The holding member  120  may be in the shape of a rectangular prism with the apertures  121 - 126  being cylindrical or tapered cylindrical in shape. In the case of the apertures being of tapered cylindrical shape, the angle of tapering may correspond to the angle of the truncated cone of the cone-shaped member  110 . 
         [0053]    The open sides of the apertures  121 - 126  may be positioned along one wall  129  of the rectangular prism. The open sides of the apertures  121 - 126  may be just sufficiently wide to allow a cable on which the cone-shaped member  110  is positioned to pass. 
         [0054]    The apertures  121 - 126  may each have a diameter of a size between the diameter of the first end  127  of the cone-shaped member  110  and the diameter of the second end  128  of the cone-shaped member  110 . In use, the smaller diameter, second end  128  of the cone-shaped member  110  is positioned within an aperture  121 - 126 . 
         [0055]    A closing plate  130  may be provided for positioning along the wall  129  of the rectangular prism having the openings of the apertures  121 - 126 . The closing plate  130  may be secured by various attachment means including clips, hinges, screw fastenings, sliding rails, etc. 
         [0056]    In another embodiment, no closing plate may be needed if the open sides of the apertures  121 - 126  are only sufficiently wide to allow a cable to pass through so that, in use, the cone-shaped members  110  cannot move sideways out of the open sides of the apertures  121 - 126 . 
         [0057]    Referring to  FIGS. 2A and 2B , additional example embodiments of the cone-shaped member  110  are shown. In  FIG. 1 , the cone-shaped member  110  is shown having a cut-away portion  112  of an angle of approximately 90 degrees. 
         [0058]    In  FIGS. 2A and 2B , the cone-shaped members  210 ,  220  have a cut-away portion  212 ,  222  of a smaller angle of approximately 45 degrees. These alternative embodiments of the cone-shaped member  210 ,  220 , show other options in the possible range of the cut-away portions  212 ,  222 . 
         [0059]    In addition,  FIG. 2B  shows a smaller diameter of elongate aperture  221  suitable for a smaller cable or wire than the elongate aperture  211  of  FIG. 2A . 
         [0060]    Referring to  FIG. 2C , an additional example embodiment of the holding member  260  is shown. In this embodiment, the holding member  260  may be a flat plate with less depth  267  of apertures  261 - 266 . In this embodiment, a force on the cone-shaped member is applied by the circumference of the aperture  261 - 266  in the flat plate. 
         [0061]    In use, a cone-shaped member  110 ,  210 ,  220  surrounding a cable, is inserted into an aperture  121 - 126  in the holding member  120 . The cone-shaped member  110 ,  210 ,  220  may have its wider circumference on the side of the holding member  120  on which the electronic equipment is located. Any force applied to the cable in the direction of the smaller circumference will force the cone-shaped member  110 ,  210 ,  220  further into the aperture  121 - 126  thereby squeezing the flexible but resilient material of the cone-shaped member  110 ,  210 ,  220  to, in turn, squeeze around the cable holding it firmly in place and not allowing any force to be transmitted past the holding member  120 . The cut-away portion  112 ,  212 ,  222  may be less than 135 degrees or the cable may be allowed to inadvertently come out of the elongate aperture  111 . 
         [0062]    Referring to  FIGS. 3A ,  3 B, and  3 C, a series of diagrams  310 ,  320 ,  330  show the method of use of the described cable securing apparatus. 
         [0063]    In  FIG. 3A , the cone-shaped member  110  is placed around a cable  301 . The elongate aperture  111  of the cone-shaped member  110  may be provided in different diameters to suit different cables or wires. The cone-shaped member  110  is placed around a cable  301  by using the flexibility of the material of the cone-shaped member  110  to open the elongate aperture  111  slightly to allow the cable  301  to be inserted. 
         [0064]    Referring to  FIG. 3B , the cone-shaped member  110 A,  110 B is shown in place surrounding a cable  301  and inserted into one of the apertures  121 ,  122  of the holding member  120 . 
         [0065]    In a first position, the cone-shaped member  110 A sits on a top side  302  of the holding member  120  with the first end  127  of the cone-shaped member  110  protruding from the aperture  122  whilst the second end  128  is within the aperture  121 . 
         [0066]    In a second position, in which a force has been applied to the cable  301 , the cone-shaped member  110 B sits deeper into the aperture  122  and the elongate aperture  111  surrounding the cable  301  has tightened. 
         [0067]      FIG. 3C , shows the placement of the closing plate  130  over the apertures  121 - 126  of the holding member  120  thereby securing the one or more cone-shaped members  110  within the apertures  121 - 126  of the holding member  120 . 
         [0068]    The closing plate  130  may be hinged on the holding member  120  such that it only requires securing at one end of the holding member  120 . In another embodiment, the closing plate  130  may be slid into place on runners on either side of the wall  129  having the open sides of the apertures  121  to  126 . 
         [0069]    Referring to  FIG. 4 , a flow diagram  400  shows an example embodiment of a method of securing a cable using the described apparatus. 
         [0070]    A cable is placed  401  in the cone-shaped member. The cone-shaped member may then be inserted  402  into an open-sided aperture of the comb holding member with the widest part of the cone on the opposite side of the aperture to the expected force. 
         [0071]    Other cone-shaped members surrounding additional cables may be inserted  403  in other apertures of the comb holding member. 
         [0072]    The open-sided apertures may be closed  404  with a closing plate of the comb holding member. 
         [0073]    The described method and apparatus protect a cable or wire from an improper unplug by installing a hardening cone system made-up of soft material, like rubber or plastic just before connectors of electronic components. More specifically, the method and apparatus described fitting the cone-shaped member into a comb holding member, which acts as a collar to reduce tracking pressure at the surface of each individual cable or wire. 
         [0074]    The flowchart and block diagrams in the Figures illustrate the architecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementations of systems, methods, and computer program products according to various embodiments of the present invention. In this regard, each block in the flowchart or block diagrams may represent a module, segment, or portion of instructions, which comprises one or more executable instructions for implementing the specified logical function(s). In some alternative implementations, the functions noted in the block may occur out of the order noted in the figures. For example, two blocks shown in succession may, in fact, be executed substantially concurrently, or the blocks may sometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending upon the functionality involved. It will also be noted that each block of the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, can be implemented by special purpose hardware-based systems that perform the specified functions or acts or carry out combinations of special purpose hardware and computer instructions. 
         [0075]    Improvements and modifications can be made to the foregoing without departing from the scope of the present invention.