Abstract:
A cable management apparatus includes two mounting brackets, a cable management arm connected between the two mounting brackets and slidable vertically, and two elevating mechanisms. Each of the elevating mechanisms includes opposite sides respectively rotatably connected to one of the mounting brackets and abutting a bottom of the cable management arm. When the elevating mechanisms are rotated relative to the mounting brackets, the elevating mechanisms drive the cable management arm to slide vertically. The cable management arm defines a number of positioning holes. Each of the elevating mechanisms includes a locating pin to be operable to engage in one of the corresponding positioning holes to prevent the rotation of the elevating mechanisms.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    1. Technical Field 
         [0002]    The present disclosure relates to a cable management apparatus for electronic equipment. 
         [0003]    2. Description of Related Art 
         [0004]    Electronic equipment, such as a server, includes a chassis and a plurality of functional modules, such as cooling modules, storage modules, and power supply modules, mounted in the chassis. The functional modules are interconnected through cables. Therefore, a cable management apparatus is fastened to a rear end of the chassis to facilitate cable management. 
         [0005]    However, the cable management apparatus often has to be detached from the chassis through the rear end of the chassis, when a functional module is inserted into or is removed from the chassis, which is inconvenient. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0006]    Many aspects of the present embodiments can be better understood with reference to the drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present embodiments. Moreover, in the drawings, all the views are schematic, and like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views. 
           [0007]      FIG. 1  is an assembled, isometric view of an embodiment of a cable management apparatus. 
           [0008]      FIG. 2  is a partially exploded view of the cable management apparatus of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0009]      FIG. 3  is a partial, enlarged, and inverted view of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0010]      FIG. 4  shows the cable management apparatus of  FIG. 3  in a different state. 
           [0011]      FIGS. 5 and 6  are assembled views of the cable management apparatus of  FIG. 1 , an electronic device, and a rack, but showing the cable management apparatus in different using statuses. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0012]      FIGS. 1 ,  5 , and  6  illustrate an embodiment of a cable management apparatus of the present disclosure. The cable management apparatus is mounted at a back of an electronic device  100 , such as a server  100 . The server is mounted to a pair of rails  201  of a rack  200 . The electronic device  100  includes a plurality of functional modules  101 , such as power supplies, data storage devices, and cooling modules, which may be withdrawn from the back of the electronic device  100 . Cables  102  of the functional modules  101  are supported on the cable management apparatus. The cable management apparatus includes a cable management arm  10 , two mounting brackets  20 , and two elevating mechanisms  30 . 
         [0013]      FIGS. 2 and 3  shows that the cable management arm  10  includes a base plate  11  and a rear flange  12 , perpendicularly connected to a rear side of the base plate  11 . A front flange  15  is perpendicularly connected to a front side of the base plate  11 , and two end plates  13  extending up from opposite ends of the base plate  11 . Two blocks  14  protrude from the rear flange  12  and are respectively adjacent to the end plates  13 . A slide slot  141  is defined in each of the blocks  14  and extends in a direction perpendicular to the end plates  13 . The rear flange  12  defines two first locating holes  121 , each respectively communicating with the slide slots  141  and adjacent to ends of the slide slots  141  near the corresponding end plates  13 . In addition, two second locating holes  123  are respectively communicating with the slide slots  141  and are adjacent to the ends of the slide slots  141 , away from the corresponding end plates  13 . Each of the end plates  13  defines two fixing holes  132 . The front flange  15  defines two slide slots  152  under the base plate  11 , respectively adjacent to the two end plates  13 . The slide slots  152  extend in parallel with the slide slots  141 . 
         [0014]    Each of the mounting brackets  20  includes a mounting plate  23  and a fixing plate  21  extending from a side of the mounting plate  23 . The fixing plate  21  defines a fixing hole  213 . The mounting plate  23  defines two vertical slide slots  231 . A curved connection portion  233  is formed at a bottom side of the mounting plate  23 . 
         [0015]    Each of the elevating mechanisms  30  includes a supporting member  31 , two wheels  32 , an operation member  33 , a resilient member  34 , a connecting pole  35 , and a pivot pole  36 . 
         [0016]    The supporting member  31  includes a planar main body  311 , a curved first coupling portion  312  formed on a first side of the main body  311 , and a curved second coupling portion  313  formed on a second side of the main body  311  opposite to the first coupling portion  312 . The first coupling portion  312  radially defines two notches  3112 . The second coupling portion  313  radially defines a notch  3132 . 
         [0017]    Each of the wheels  32  defines a pivot hole  322 . 
         [0018]    The operation member  33  includes a cylindrical mounting portion  331  axially defining a mounting hole  3311 , an arc-shaped handle  332  with opposite ends respectively connected to opposite ends of the mounting portion  331 , a locating pin  333  extending rearwards from an outside of the handle  332  and parallel to the mounting portion  331 . An annular first abutting portion  3313  protrudes on an inner wall of the mounting portion  331 , adjacent to a rear end of the mounting portion  331 . An annular second abutting portion  3314  protrudes on the inner wall of the mounting portion  331 , adjacent to a front end of the mounting portion  331 . The second abutting portion  3314  is thicker than the first abutting portion  3313  in the radial direction of the mounting portion  331 . 
         [0019]    In one embodiment, the resilient member  34  is a coil spring. 
         [0020]    The connecting pole  35  includes a pole body  351  and a cap  352  formed on an end of the pole body  351 . 
         [0021]    The pivot pole  36  includes a pole body  361  and a cap  363  formed on an end of the pole body  361 . 
         [0022]    In assembly, one of the mounting brackets  20  and one of the elevating mechanisms  30  are mounted to each of opposite ends of the cable management arm  10 . The mounting plate  23  of the mounting bracket  20  abuts a corresponding end plate  13 , with the slide slots  231  of the mounting bracket  20  respectively aligning with the fixing holes  132  of the end plate  13 . Two fasteners  802  respectively extend through the slide slots  231  and are fastened in the corresponding fixing holes  132 , to slidably mount the mounting bracket  20  to the cable management arm  10  along the extension direction of the slide slots  231 . 
         [0023]    The connection portion  233  of the mounting bracket  20  is engaged in the notch  3132  of the second coupling portion  313  of the supporting member  31 . The pole body  361  of the pivot pole  36  rotatably extends though the second coupling portion  313  of the supporting member  31  and the connection portion  233  of the mounting bracket  20 , with the cap  363  abutting a front end of the second coupling portion  313 . The second coupling portion  313  is deformed to tightly hold the pivot pole  36 . Therefore, the pivot pole  36  is fixed to the supporting member  31 . The supporting member  31  is rotatably connected to the mounting bracket  20 . 
         [0024]    The wheels  32  of the elevating mechanism  30  are respectively engaged in the notches  3112  of the first coupling portion  312  of the supporting member  31  and axially aligned with the first coupling portion  312 . The resilient member  34  is received in the mounting hole  3311  of the operation member  33 . The resilient member  34  axially extends through the first abutting portion  3313  and abuts the second abutting portion  3314 . The pole body  351  of the connecting pole  35  extends though the mounting hole  3311 , the resilient member  34 , the first coupling portion  312  of the supporting member  31 , and the pivot hole  322  of the wheels  32 , with the cap  352  abutting a rear end of the resilient member  34 . The first coupling portion  312  is deformed to tightly hold the connecting pole  35 , to fix the connecting pole  35  to the supporting member  31 . 
         [0025]    The operation member  33  is manipulated to make an end of the pole body  351  opposite to the cap  352  to be slidably engaged in a corresponding slide slot  152  of the cable management arm  10 , and make the locating pin  333  to be received in a corresponding slide slot  141  of the cable management arm  10 . The handle  332  abuts the rear flange  12 , with the resilient member  34  compressed. The wheels  32  rotatably abut a bottom of the base plate  11  of the cable management arm  10 . 
         [0026]      FIGS. 3 and 5  show that the cable management apparatus is mounted to the rear end of the electronic device  100 . Two screws are extending through the fixing holes  213  of the mounting brackets  20  and are fastened to the corresponding rails  201 . The handles  332  of the operation members  33  are manipulated to make the locating pins  333  slide along the corresponding slide slots  141  of the cable management arm  10 , until the locating pins  333  engage in the second locating holes  123  in response to the resilient members  34  are restored. At that time, the cable management arm  10  is arranged adjacent to a bottom of the electronic device  100 . 
         [0027]    When one of the functional modules  101  arranged at the lower portion of the electronic device  100  needs to be withdrawn, the handles  332  of the operation members  33  are pulled to disengage the locating pins  333  from the second locating holes  123 . At the same time, the resilient members  34  are compressed with the second abutting portions  3314  to move towards the caps  352  of the corresponding connecting poles  35 . The operation members  33  are driven away from each other to make the locating pins  333  slide along the corresponding slide slots  141  towards the corresponding first locating holes  121 . At the same time, the supporting members  31  are pivoted up relative to the corresponding mounting bracket  20 , with the wheels  32  rolling along the bottom of the base plate  11  of the cable management arm  10  towards the corresponding mounting bracket  20  to drive the cable management arm  10  up. When the locating pins  333  of the operation members  33  align with the corresponding first locating holes  121 , the resilient members  34  are restored to drive the operation members  33  to move forwards to engage the locating pins  333  in the first locating holes  121 , thereby to fix the operation member  33  and the supporting member  31 . Therefore, the cable management arm  10  is fixed between the mounting bracket  20 , adjacent to a top of the electronic device  100 , to provide a space for withdrawing the functional module  101  arranged at the lower portion of the electronic device  100 . 
         [0028]      FIGS. 4 and 6  show when one of the functional modules  101  arranged at the upper portion of the electronic device  100  needs to be withdrawn, the operation members  33  are pulled to disengage the locating pins  333  from the first locating holes  121  with the resilient members  34  compressed. The operation members  33  are driven towards each other with the locating pins  333  sliding towards the corresponding second locating holes  123 . At the same time, the supporting members  31  are pivoted down relative to the corresponding mounting bracket  20  with the cable management arm  10  sliding down. When the locating pins  333  of the operation members  33  align with the corresponding second locating holes  123 , the resilient members  34  are restored to drive the operation members  33  to move forwards to engage the locating pins  333  into the second locating holes  123 , to fix the operation member  33  and the supporting member  31 . Therefore, the cable management arm  10  is fixed between the mounting bracket  20  adjacent to a bottom of the electronic device  100  to provide a space for withdrawing the functional module  101  arranged at the upper portion of the electronic device  100 . 
         [0029]    It is to be understood, however, that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present disclosure have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the disclosure, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in the matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the disclosure to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.