Abstract:
A cable management slide system that flexibly follows the displacement of a module into and out of a cabinet housing to allow the rear access ports of the module to be connected to adjacent modules through connectors that are laterally and forwardly positioned with respect to the module. Use of cable management slides on opposite sides of the modules allows one to physically isolate the power cable for the module from the data line of the module thereby inhibiting or preventing electrical interference therebetween.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates generally to cable slides and, more particularly, to a cable management slide that permits a user to make lateral connections to removable rear access equipment. 
     CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     None 
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     None 
     REFERENCE TO A MICROFICHE APPENDIX 
     None 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Removable rear access electronic modules or rack mounted equipment modules are well known in the art. Typically, the modules are slidable mounted so that the module can be removed and replaced from the housing supporting the modules. In order to provide for ease in removeability the access ports for the modules are located on the rear of the module. While rear access ports allow one to retain the removeability and replaceability of a module it is often times difficult to connect the module access ports to other modules in the housing if there is no rear access to the housing. That is, a user has to reach from the front of the cabinet housing to the rear of the cabinet housing in order to connect the modules ports at the rear of the housing, oftentimes without being able to actually see what he or she is doing. 
     The present invention provides an improvement to connecting modules by providing a cable management slide that slideably supports a module while at the same time carrying a cable from the rear of the module to a point lateral of the module where the module can easily be connected to another module or a power source through a flexible cable carrier that rollingly peels away from the slide as the module is displaced to allow a connecting cable carried thereon to maintain connectivity with the rear access ports of the module as the module is slid in or out of the cabinet housing. 
     Another problem encountered with removable mounted medules is that the power cables and the data transmission cables are bundled together to minimize clutter within the housing. In certain instance the power cables produce interference to the signals sent through the data transmission cables. The present invention provides means for spatially isolating the power cables and the data transmission cables to inhibit power cable interference. 
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,819,621 shows an electric cable guiding device that includes two moveable blocks. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 6,161,894 shows flexible electric cable within a sheath. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Briefly, the invention comprises a cable management slide with a carrier that flexibly follows the displacement of a module into and out of a cabinet housing to allow the rear access ports of the module to be connected to connectors that are laterally and forwardly positioned with respect to the rear of the module. The use of cable management slides on opposite sides of the modules allows one to physically isolate the power cable for the module from the data line of the module thereby inhibiting or preventing electrical interference therebetween. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a partial sectional view of a housing and module in the retracted condition; 
     FIG. 2 is a partial sectional view of the housing and module of FIG. 1 in the extended condition; 
     FIG. 3 is an isolated view of a slide with a flexible carrier mounted thereon; 
     FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along lines  4 — 4  of FIG. 3; and 
     FIG. 5 is an isolated view of the cable slide management system showing the slides in a telescoped or extended position. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     FIG. 1 shows a top sectional view of a cable management slide system comprising a housing  10  supporting a module  11 . Located on one side of module  11  is a slide  13  which slideably supports one side of module  11  in housing  10 . Similarly, located on the other side of module  11  is a second slide  13  which slideably supports an opposite side of module  11  in housing  10 . While two slides are shown supporting module  11  in some applications a single slide could be used to slideably support module  11 . Slide  13  is secured to housing  10  by mounts  17  and similarly slide  14  is secured to housing  10  by mounts  18 . 
     Slide  13  includes a top opening  13   a  with a cable  25  having a connector  25   a  thereon extending outward for connection to an adjacent module. Similarly, slide  14  includes a top opening  14   a  with a cable  26  having a connector  26   a  thereon extending outward for connection to an adjacent module. Top opening  13   a  and  14   a  are positioned forward of the rear of module  11  so as to allow connections that normally would be done in the space behind the module to be made in the space lateral of the module thereby making access to connections more operator friendly. 
     FIG. 1 illustrates slide  13  and  14  in the retracted condition. In the retracted condition a flexible cable carrier  21  extends rearward from module  11  and into slide  14 . Secured to flexible cable carrier  21  is a power cable  26 . Similarly, flexible cable carrier  20  extends reward from module  11  and into slide  13 . Secured to flexible cable carrier  20  is a data transmission cable  25 . 
     To illustrate the displacement of module  11  within housing  10  reference should be made to FIG. 2 which shows module  11  cantileverly extending outward from housing  10 . FIG. 1 shows the flexible carrier  20  extending rearwardly out of slide  13  and onto the back side of module  11 . Similarly, FIG. 1 shows flexible cable carrier  21  extends rearwardly out of slide  13  and onto the back side of module  11 . FIG. 2 shows that the flexible cable carrier  21  extending laterally outward from slide  14  and the flexible cable carrier  20  extending laterally outward from slide  13 . As can be seen from viewing FIG.  1  and FIG. 2 the flexible carriers  20  and  21  are allowed to rollingly peel away from their respective slides to allow the cables attached thereto to follow with the module  11  as the module is displaced outwardly in housing  10 . 
     FIG. 3 shows a perspective of a retracted slide  14  having a panel  34  for attachment to a side of a module and the flexible cable carrier  21  extending rearwardly from the end of slide  14 . 
     FIG. 4 shows a cross sectional view taken along lines  4 — 4  of FIG. 3 to reveal the slide  14  and the rails of the slide as well as the flexible cable carrier  20 . Flexible cable carrier  20  is shown positioned along but not adhered to wall surface  14   c  of slide  14 . To maintain the flexible cable carrier  20  in position the flexible carrier  20  has a first end secured to the rear of module  11  (FIG. 1) and a second end secured to a front portion of slide  14  with the resiliency of flexible carrier causing the flexible cable carrier  20  to normally extend along open face member  14   c  when the module is in the retracted condition. When the module  11  is pulled away from the housing  10  the flexible carrier  20  rollingly peels away from open face member  14   c  to allow the flexible carrier  20  to follow the module  11 . 
     Slide  14  comprises a U-shaped open face member having a first top rail  30  and a second top rail  31  spaced therefrom on one end and a first bottom rail  30   a  and a second bottom rail  31   a  spaced therefrom on the other end to form a track for a set of nestable telescoping slide members  32 ,  33  and  34 . That is, upper end  32   b  of member  32  slides within upper rails  30  and  31  and lower end  32   a  of member  32  slides within lower rails  30   a  and  31   a.  In addition, member  33  slides within the upper U-shaped member end  32   b  and the lower U-shaped member  32   a.  Similarly, member  34  upper end  34   b  slides within upper end  33   b  and member  34  lower end  34   a  slides within the lower end  33   b.  The slideability of members  32 ,  33  and  34  with respect to one another allows the slide members to telescope outward to cantileverly support the module  11  while the access ports on the rear of module  11  remain connected. 
     To illustrate the cantilever and slideable support of module  11  reference should be made to FIG. 5 which shows an isolated view of the slides  13  and  14  in the outwardly telescoped condition with module  11  cantileverly supported therebetween. In the outwardly telescoped condition the member  34  is shown positioned forward of slide  14  allowing for exposure of face  14   c  on slide  14 . With the cable carrier  21  positioned along face  14   c  and member  34  slidable forward it is apparent that the carrier  21  can flex and rollingly peel away from member  34  with the forward motion of the module  11 . Similarly, the flexible cable carrier  20  can follow along a similar opening in slide  13 . At the same time the carriers  20  and  21  are allowed to follow the open faces of the slides the connectors  26   a  and  25   a  are maintained laterally of the module to facilitate connection to another module. In addition it is noted that the power cable can be positioned on one side of module  11  and the data transmission cable can be positioned on the opposite side to thereby inhibit or eliminate electrical interference therebetween. The cables can be extended upwardly or downwardly from slide  13  and  14  to allow for ease of connection to modules positioned above or below module  11 . 
     In the embodiment shown the flexible carrier  20  and  21  are shown as separate members with the respective cables secured thereto by ties or clips. A further feature of the invention is that the data transmission and the power cable could be integrally formed with the flexible carrier thereby eliminate the need to secure the power and data transmission cables to a separate carrier. 
     The cable management system shown in FIG. 5 includes two slides; however, the cable management slide could also be made with a single slide for positioning a module in an extended or retracted condition with the slide having an open face member therein with a carrier, extending along the open face member when the slide is in a retracted condition with the carrier peeling away-from the open face member as the slide is moves from a retracted condition to an extended condition to allow the carrier or cable length to be kept at a minimum. 
     A further aspect of the invention is the method of connecting modules comprising the steps of mounting a module  11  on a slide  14  having an open face member  14   a  and securing one end of a flexible carrier  21  to a rear of a module  11  and extending the flexible carrier  21  within the slide  14  to allow the flexible carrier to flex as the module  11  is moved from a retracted condition to an extended condition. If two supports are used one can secure a second flexible carrier  20  to the module  11 . In order to provide electrical isolation one can secure a data cable to the module in a spaced condition from a power cable to the module. The method can further include the step of forming an opening at a forward end of the slide to allow for extending a cable from a rear of the module to a position lateral of the module.