Abstract:
A cable removal device comprises a body comprising a head portion and a rear portion, the rear portion adapted as a handle portion, the head portion comprising a bent portion extending from a front end of the head portion, the bent portion further containing tabs surrounding a gap that extends inward from the front end, the gap adapted to allow the bent portion to extend over a latch release tab of a cable connector device while the latch release tab is maintained in a latched position, without contact therewith until a subsequent movement of the body causes the body to contact the latch release tab and thereby move the latch release tab into a released position that disengages the cable connector device from a commodity connector device.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a cable removing device, and deals more particularly with removing a cable from a connector—such as a standard RJ-45 or RJ-11 connector—with a cable removal device. 
     One type of commonly-used connector for operably connecting a cable to a device is a so-called “RJ-45”, or “Registered Jack-45”, connector. An RJ-45 connector provides a connection having 8 wires, and such connectors are commonly used in local area networks such as Ethernet networks. Another type of commonly-used connector is an “RJ-11”, or “Registered Jack-11”, connector. An RJ-11 connector provides a connection having 4 or 6 wires, and such connectors are commonly used with telephone equipment—and to a lesser extent, also with local area networks. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is directed toward cable removal. In one embodiment, a cable removal device according to the present invention comprises: a body comprising a head portion and a rear portion, the rear portion adapted as a handle portion, the head portion comprising a bent portion extending from a front end of the head portion, the bent portion further containing tabs surrounding a gap that extends inward from the front end, the gap adapted to allow the bent portion to extend over a latch release tab of a cable connector device while the latch release tab is maintained in a latched position, without contact therewith until a subsequent movement of the body causes the body to contact the latch release tab and thereby move the latch release tab into a released position that disengages the cable connector device from a commodity connector device. In another embodiment, the present invention comprises using such cable remover device to remove a cable. 
     These and other aspects of the present invention may be provided in one or more embodiments. It should be noted that the foregoing is a summary and thus contains, by necessity, simplifications, generalizations, and omissions of detail; consequently, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the summary is illustrative only and is not intended to be in any way limiting. Other aspects, inventive features, and advantages of the present invention, as defined by the appended claims, will become apparent in the non-limiting detailed description set forth below. 
     The present invention will be described with reference to the following drawings, in which like reference numbers denote the same element throughout. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  illustrates an embodiment of a cable removal device according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  provides further detail of a front end of the cable removal device, and  FIG. 3  provides further detail of an optional guide portion of the device; 
         FIG. 4  provides a view of a head portion of the cable removal device; 
         FIG. 5  provides a view of the cable removal device illustrating optional aspects whereby a head portion and/or handle portion are extendable; and 
         FIGS. 6-8  depict an optional aspect whereby the head portion of the cable device pivots. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Cables are often plugged into places where a person&#39;s hands cannot easily fit, such as behind a rack of electronic equipment or in a recessed area. When a person attempts to unplug (i.e., remove) the cable, the cable may be ripped out because the person is unable to reach the latch release tab affixed to the end of the cable. This may destroy the cable and/or the connector into which the cable was plugged. Embodiments of the present invention are directed toward cable removal, using a cable remover that is designed to lessen the likelihood of damage during the removal process. 
     An embodiment of the present invention protects the cable from damage, and allows a person to safely remove the cable without having to use his or her hands to reach the latch release tab that disengages attachment from the connector and thereby enables the cable to be safely removed. An embodiment of the cable removal device is designed to enter small cavities which may have limited accessibility and/or which may require approaching the cavity from an angle. The cable removal device is preferably lightweight, and is designed to be easy to use and intuitive in its operation. By way of illustration but not of limitation, one material from which the cable removal device may be constructed, at least in part, is aluminum. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 1 , an embodiment of the cable removal device  100  is illustrated, as well as an example of a known cable connector device  110  (referred to equivalently herein as a cable connector  110 ) which is attached to an end of a cable  120 . The cable connector  110  includes a latch release tab  130 , and is adapted for plugging into a known commodity connector device (not shown, and referred to equivalently herein simply as a commodity connector), as is readily understood by those of ordinary skill in the art. Typically, the commodity connector is contained within an electronic device or recessed into a location such as a wall socket, as is also readily understood by those of ordinary skill in the art. An operable connection is made by plugging cable connector  110  into a commodity connector, using known techniques, which causes the latch release tab  130  to engage such that the cable connector  110  thereby holds the cable  120  in place within the commodity connector. 
     It is known for technicians to attempt cable removal using a screwdriver to depress a latch release tab  130  of a cable connector  110 . However, the screwdriver sometimes damages the cable connector  110 , which may include breaking the latch release tab  130 , piercing a shielding gasket that surrounds the entrance to the commodity connector, damaging the interior surface of the commodity connector, and so forth. Cable removal device  100 , by contrast, is designed to avoid this type of damage. As shown in further detail in  FIG. 2 , a front end portion  140  of a head portion  170  is designed to include a bent portion comprising tabs  144  surrounding a gap  142 . The bent front end, and more particularly the tabs  144 , prevents the device  100  from entering the interior cavity of a commodity connector. This design also lessens the likelihood that device  100  will damage the shielding gasket that surrounds the entrance to the commodity connector. (Shielding gaskets are commonly constructed from thin deposits of silicone, copper, or similar materials, and are thus susceptible to damage from scratching or other abrasion.) 
     The gap  142  is positioned to extend inwardly from the edge of front end portion  140 , and to thereby straddle the latch release tab  130  when a person positions the device  100  in an area containing a plugged-in cable prior to being ready to pull the cable, thereby allowing the cable removal device  100  to pass over the latch release tab  130  without depressing the tab  130 . Thus, the tab  130  is not damaged in this process. A slight maneuvering of the cable removal device  100  then activates the latch release tab  130  when the person is ready to remove the cable. Preferably, this maneuvering comprises downward movement of handle portion  180  (see  FIG. 1 ) to cause corresponding upward movement of the bent portion extending from the front end portion  140 , which in turn causes a surface  150  of the front end portion  140  to contact the tab  130  and thereby depress it. 
       FIG. 1  also shows a guide portion  160 , which is shown in further detail in  FIG. 3 . Guide portion  160  is an optional aspect of device  100 , and may be constructed (by way of illustration but not of limitation) from nylon. A screw  162  or other connector may be used to attach the guide portion  160  to the head portion  170 , by way of illustration but not of limitation. When provided, guide portion  160  assists a person using the cable removal device  100  in locating the cable connector  110  by following along the cable  120  to its entrance into cable connector  110  (which in turn is positioned within a commodity connector), and guide portion  160  may also serve to hold the cable  120  in place during the removal operation. The guide portion  160  is preferably designed to be slid around the cable  120  so that the device  100  can safely enter the area in which the cable connector  110  is located, while the gap  142  passes over the latch release tab  130  without damage thereto. 
       FIG. 4  provides a view showing further detail of head portion  170  of the cable removal device  100 . An exemplary placement of guide portion  160  relative to front end portion  140  is depicted, by way of illustration but not of limitation. 
     Referring again to  FIG. 1 , a handle portion  180  of the cable removal device  100  is depicted. This handle portion  180  may optionally be extendable. In addition or instead, the above-discussed head portion  170  of the cable removal device  100  may optionally be extendable. See  FIG. 5 , where an alternative embodiment  101  of the cable removal device containing these extendable portions  171 ,  181  is illustrated. Extending the reach of the cable removal device  100  in either or both of these aspects may increase a person&#39;s ability to reach the cable connector  110  in various locations, such as when the cable connector  110  is placed close to a wall, or when cable connector  110  is seated within a relatively deeper cavity of a commodity connector, and so forth. As one alternative to providing an extendable handle or extendable head portion, the cable removal device  100  may be manufactured with a head portion  170  and/or handle portion  180  of various static lengths. 
     Optionally, the head portion  170  may pivot, thereby allowing the cable removal device  100  to approach a cable connector  110  from varying angles. This optional pivoting aspect will now be described with reference to  FIGS. 6-8 , where the pivoting head portion and the handle portion to which it attaches are now denoted by reference numbers  172  and  182  (respectively), and where the cable removal device providing this pivoting aspect is now denoted by reference number  102 . 
     In one embodiment, the head portion  172  of a pivoting cable removal device  102  pivots between 0 and 90 degrees in either direction, as shown in  FIG. 6 . Such pivoting may increase a person&#39;s ability to access a cable connector  110  in a location that requires reaching around a corner, or which cannot be accessed from a straight line for other another reason, for example. 
       FIG. 7  illustrates a side view of one embodiment of a pivoting cable removal device  102 . As shown therein, a pin  190  attaches the head portion  172  to the handle portion  182  and serves as a pivot point. An actuator  200  is added to the handle portion  182 , where this actuator  200  can be depressed by a user to cause downward movement of a release mechanism  210  which is attached to the handle portion  182  by a screw  214  or similar connector. The downward movement of release mechanism  210  causes a protruding portion  212  of release mechanism  210  to become disengaged from, or otherwise removed from contacting, the head portion  172 , and this in turn allows the head portion  170  to pivot. 
       FIG. 8  illustrates a top view of one embodiment of a pivoting cable removal device  102 . Pin  190 , which serves as the pivot point, is shown therein. One or more cavities  220 , which serve to lock the head portion  172  at particular rotational configurations, are also shown. Cavities  220  are preferably drilled into head portion  172  for the protruding portion  212  to sit in when actuator  200  is not pressed downward. The cavities  220  thus preferably provide a seat for protruding portion  212  of release mechanism  210  to prevent rotation and allow the tool to lock at angles of 0, 90, and 180 degrees. 
     Using an embodiment of the present invention provides advantages which have been discussed above, including ease of removing cables while providing less likelihood of damaging cables, latch release tabs, connectors, shielding gaskets, and so forth. Use of a cable removal tool such as device  100 ,  101 , or  102  for removing a cable is also within the scope of the present invention. 
     While embodiments of the present invention have been described, additional variations and modifications in those embodiments may occur to those skilled in the art once they learn of the basic inventive concepts. Therefore, it is intended that the appended claims shall be construed to include the described embodiments and all such variations and modifications as fall within the spirit and scope of the invention.