Abstract:
The invention relates to a cable organization device ( 10 ) with a body ( 12 ) formed of resilient material. The body comprises cavities for holding the cables ( 20 ). Each cavity ( 20 ) comprises a cable holding section ( 22 ) for accommodating a cable, and a relatively small input section ( 24 ). The cable can be introduced in the respective cavity ( 20 ) through the input section in that the input section is opened with resilient deformation by the sections ( 26 ) of the cable defining the input section.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    This invention relates to a cable management device. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    For ease of handling, cables such as telecommunications cables may be tied in a bundle by use of flexible plastic ties having an elongate tongue portion with an eye at one end, through which eye the other end of the tongue portion may be threaded, to form a loop around the cables, cooperating latching formations on the eye and tongue portion engaging to prevent the loop from being released. This generally results in the bundle of cables assuming a round shape when viewed in cross-section. This may be undesirable, for example making it difficult to visually trace the paths of individual cables. Another technique is to lace the cables using fine thread, such as nylon thread. This is however time consuming and may result in damage to the cables due to the thread embedding into the cable. Also, subsequent lengthwise adjusting the position of individual cables is difficult or impossible. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    In one aspect, the invention provides a cable management device having cable retaining cavities, each cavity having a cable retaining portion for accommodating a respective cable and a relatively narrow entrance portion through which the cable may be inserted into the respective cavity by opening of said entrance portion under resilient deformation of portions of the cable defining the entrance portion. 
         [0004]    The cavities may be arranged in a row, with the entrance portions of the cavities disposed at one side of the device. 
         [0005]    There may be two rows of the cavities, disposed at opposite sides of the device. The cavities of one said row may be disposed at lengthwise locations along the respective side so that these locations are, reckoned in the directions of extent of the rows, displaced in the lengthwise direction with respect to the locations of adjacent cavities in the other row. The cavities within each said row may be equi-spaced along the row, the spacing between adjacent cavities being the same in each row, and said displacement in the lengthwise direction being by one half the spacing between adjacent cavities. 
         [0006]    The portions of the cable management device defining the entrance portion may be parts of tongue-like portions disposed between adjacent cavities. 
         [0007]    The cable management device may be formed as a moulded body of resilient plastics material. 
         [0008]    The invention also provides a cable assembly having a cable run formed of a plurality of side-by side cables, the cables being retained in a cable management device as above described. There may be a plurality of the devices arranged at spaced locations along the length of the cable run. Preferably cables of said cable run are disposed at correspondingly located ones of the cavities on each device. 
         [0009]    The invention also provides a method of running a plurality of cables in which the cables are engaged and retained in the cavities of the cable management device of the invention. 
         [0010]    The cables may be engaged and retained in the cavities of the cable management device before said cables are run. The running of said plurality of cables may be performed by pulling the cables while engaged and retained in the cavities of the cable management device. 
         [0011]    The mentioned cables may be telecommunications cables. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0012]    The invention is further described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: 
           [0013]      FIG. 1  is a plan view of a cable management device formed in accordance with the invention; 
           [0014]      FIG. 2  is a side view of the cable management device of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0015]      FIGS. 3 and 4  are opposite side perspective views of the cable management device of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0016]      FIGS. 5 to 8  are scrap views illustrating how a cable is inserted into the cable management device of  FIG. 1 , and 
           [0017]      FIG. 9  is a perspective view of a cable assembly incorporating a plurality of devices shown in  FIGS. 1 to 4 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0018]    The cable management device  10  shown is in the form of a plastics moulding having a flat elongate generally rectangular body  12 . At each of two opposed longer sides,  14 ,  15 , the body  12  has a respective row  16 ,  18  of cable retaining cavities  20 . The cavities  20  have a part circular cable retaining portion  22 , and a relatively narrow entrance portion  24  open to the respective side  14  or  15  of the body. The entrance portions  24  are defined between tongue-like portions  26  of body  12 . Except for end ones of the portions  26 , these are between adjacent ones of the cavities  20  in each row  16 ,  18 . As shown, except for end ones, each portion  16  has an outstanding part  36  and at the outer end thereof, a sidewardly enlarged head part  38 . The end tongue-like portions  26   a  only define curved tongue-like projections. 
         [0019]      FIGS. 5 to 8  illustrate the manner in which a cable  30  is inserted into a cavity  20  of the device  10 . As shown, the cable  30  is advanced to the device  10  so as to approach the entrance portion  24  of the cavity. By continuance of that movement, the cable contacts ends of the tongue-like portions  26  at either side of the entrance portion  24  ( FIG. 7 ) then, by camming action, causing the tongue-like portions  26  to resiliently bend outwardly ( FIG. 7 ) to increase the width of the entrance portion  24  of cavity  20  until the cable passes through entrance portion  24  to enter the cable retaining portion  22  of the cavity. Then, under natural resilience, the tongue-like portions  26  revert to their initial form, to close the entrance portion  22  of the cavity  20 , so that the cable  30  is neatly accommodated in the cavity  20 , and removal is resisted by the parts  38  of the tongue like portions  26  defining entrance portion of the cavity. 
         [0020]    Cables  30  can be removed by sidewardly pulling on the cable to cause the ends of the tongue-like portions  26  to be resiliently outwardly deformed to enable the cable to pass out through the so enlarged entrance portion, after which the portions  26  revert to their rest positions ( FIG. 1 ) under natural resilience. 
         [0021]    As shown, the cavities  20  of the row  16 ,  18  at one side of the device  10  are offset with respect to those in row  18 ,  16  at the other side, by an amount equal to one half of the pitch distance between cavities in a row. By this, it is possible, as shown, to reduce the side to side distance between the centres of cavities in one row and the centres of the cavities in the other row, so that the side to side dimension of the device  10  is reduced, a more compact arrangement of inserted cable is achieved, and less material is required to form the device  10 . Also, this may result in a somewhat more flexible device, which may be desirable in facilitating deformation of the device  10  as a whole, to permit insertion or removal of a cable  30  from a cavity  20  where an adjacent one or ones of the cavities are already occupied by cables. 
         [0022]    The cable assembly  40  in  FIG. 9  has a cable run  42  having a number of cables  30  connected to cable management devices  10  as described above. The devices  10  are arranged at spaced locations along the cable run, and receive cables  30  forming the cable run in respective ones of the cavities  20 . Accordingly, the cables are maintained in a neat and orderly physical arrangement. By, for example, ensuring that each cable  30  is received in a respective cavity  30  at the same location on each device  10 , it is easy to visually identify individual cables along the length of the cable run, even if the cables carry no specific external identification markings. 
         [0023]    In the described arrangement, the cavities are circular, in view of the intended use with the described circular cables. The part-circle representing the periphery of the cable retaining portion  22  of the cavity may represent about a 60-85% segment of a circle. For example, entrance portion  24  may present a gap for cable entrance that is, in the natural configuration of the device  10 , about 20% less than the cable diameter. Generally, the diameter of the cable retaining portion  22  may be about 25% more than the diameter of the cable  30 . Of course, the shape and size of the cavities may be adapted in accordance with the shape and size of the cables  30  with which the device is to be used. 
         [0024]    The device may be made from any suitable material, particularly material having suitable natural resilience. It has been found that flexible polycarbonate material is suitable. 
         [0025]    Use of devices  10  has been found to greatly facilitate laying cable. By providing devices  10  at spaced locations along the length of a cable run, the cables can for example be readily pulled through cavities. This is particularly so where pulling the cables around bends is necessary. 
         [0026]    The described construction has been advanced merely by way of example and many modifications and variations may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, which includes every novel feature and combination of features herein disclosed. 
         [0027]    Throughout this specification and the claims which follow, unless the context requires otherwise, the word “comprise”, and variations such as “comprises” and “comprising”, will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated integer or step or group of integers or steps but not the exclusion of any other integer or step or group of integers or steps. 
         [0028]    The reference in this specification to any prior publication (or information derived from it), or to any matter which is known, is not, and should not be taken as an acknowledgment or admission or any form of suggestion that that prior publication (or information derived from it) or known matter forms part of the common general knowledge. 
       LIST OF PARTS 
       [0029]      10  cable management device 
         [0030]      12  body 
         [0031]      14 ,  15  sides 
         [0032]      30  cable 
         [0033]      16 ,  18  rows 
         [0034]      20  cavities 
         [0035]      22  cable retaining portion 
         [0036]      24  entrance portion 
         [0037]      26  tongue-like portion 
         [0038]      36  outstanding part 
         [0039]      38  head part 
         [0040]      40  cable assembly 
         [0041]      42  cable run