Abstract:
A fiber optic cable guide may have an elongated base member that is curved along at least a portion of its length to define and limit the amount of curvature to be applied to a portion of a fiber optic cable while also defining the angular offset applied to the cable. The guide may be releasably attachable to a cable, and may include a cable retention member at each end of the base member that retains the cable with the guide.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/900,520 filed May 22, 2013, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    As the use of optical fibers increases at a rapid rate, there is a corresponding increase in the number of fiber optic cables at any given installation. At a cable installation, fiber optic cables typically have terminal end portions that are mated in an enclosure, such as a patch panel, for example, that may include a panel wall that provides a juncture for incoming and outgoing cables. The panel wall may include connection sleeves, and a pair of fiber optic connectors may be inserted into the opposed ends of the fiber optic connector sleeve to align the fiber optic connectors to a degree such that the optical fibers upon which the fiber optic connectors are mounted are appropriately aligned with one another for transmission of a signal between the cables with minimal loss of signal. 
         [0003]    The amount of space in an enclosure is generally limited and it may not be possible for the cables to extend linearly away from the panel wall in the plane of the connection. Further, in order to accommodate an increased number of cables, the cables may often need to be bent near the terminus through a radius of up to and including ninety degrees. Fiber optic cables however, have bending restraints, one of which is the minimum bend radius. If care is not taken when bending the cable, the bending of the cable may surpass the minimum bend radius of the optical fiber, and this could lead to attenuation, or even breakage of the optical fiber in the cable. 
         [0004]    Cable guides can be used to provide and retain a fixed bend in an optical fiber cable to ensure that the cables are not bent beyond their minimal radius of curvature. Because of the confines of available space it is desirable that the guides be compact while also being functional to retain the cable securely within the guide. The guides should be easily attachable to the cable, and relatively easy to remove from a cable when no longer needed, or for reuse for another cable, for example. In addition, the guides should also be rotatable with the cable relative to the connection plane to allow the bent cables to be displaced and provide access to neighboring cables or connectors that may be underneath the bend. 
         [0005]    There remains a need for an easy to use cable guide that satisfies the above requirements while providing for a desired bending of an optical fiber cable. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0006]    A fiber optic cable guide may have an elongated base member that is curved along at least a portion of its length to define and limit the amount of curvature to be applied to a portion of a fiber optic cable while also defining the angular offset applied to the cable. The guide may be releasably attachable to a cable, and may include a cable retention member at each end of the base member that retains the cable with the guide. 
         [0007]    In an embodiment a fiber optic cable guide includes an elongate support member for being disposed in a longitudinal direction of a fiber optic cable and configured for providing a radius of curvature to the fiber optic cable for changing a direction of the fiber optic cable, and a band having both a first end and a second end connected with the support member and configured to be disposed around the fiber optic cable to fasten the fiber optic cable to the support member. 
         [0008]    In an embodiment, a fiber optic cable guide includes an elongate support member for being disposed in a longitudinal direction of a fiber optic cable and configured for providing a radius of curvature to the fiber optic cable for changing a direction of the fiber optic cable, the elongate support member comprises a first body portion interconnectable with a second body portion, and a flexible band having a first end connected with the first body portion and a second end connected with the second body portion, the flexible band being configured for being wrapped around the fiber optic cable to position the first body portion adjacent the second body portion for interconnection of the first body portion with the second body portion. At least one of the first body portion and the second body portion comprises at least one interlocking element for releasably interconnecting the first body portion with the second body portion, at least the first body portion, the second body portion, the flexible band and the at least one interlocking element are integrally formed. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
         [0009]      FIGS. 1 and 2  depict a representative panel box for fiber optic cable connections according to an embodiment. 
           [0010]      FIGS. 3A-3E  provide various views of a cable guide with a 90° offset according to an embodiment. 
           [0011]      FIGS. 4A and 4B  depict a cable guide before and after installation on a cable boot in accordance to an embodiment. 
           [0012]      FIGS. 5A and 5B  illustrate an alternative cable guide with a 45° offset according to an embodiment. 
           [0013]      FIG. 6  illustrates an alternative interlocking mechanism according to an embodiment. 
           [0014]      FIGS. 7A and 7B  illustrate an alternative cable guide with a 45° offset according to an embodiment. 
           [0015]      FIG. 8  illustrates an alternative cable guide with a 45° offset according to an embodiment. 
           [0016]      FIGS. 9A and 9B  depict cable guides with compound angular offsets according to an embodiment. 
           [0017]      FIGS. 10A-10C  depict an adjustable offset cable guide according to an embodiment. 
           [0018]      FIGS. 11A-11C  depict an alternative cable guide according to an embodiment. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0019]    As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a fiber optic wall mount cabinet  10  may have a side wall  22  connected at a first end  24  to a bottom wall  28  and at a second end  26  to a top wall  20 . A back wall  30  may be substantially perpendicular to edges of the top wall  20 , the side wall  22 , and the bottom wall  28  so that the side wall, bottom wall, top wall, and back wall form a substantially rectangular enclosure. The back wall  30  may include mounting features, such as key hole mounting slots  58  configured for allowing fastening of the cabinet  10  to a wall surface. 
         [0020]    The cabinet may also have a patch panel wall  32  located within the cabinet for connecting fiber optic cable ( 108 ,  116  in  FIG. 2 ). Such a patch panel wall  32  may extend between the top wall  20  and the bottom wall  28  and substantially parallel to the side wall  22 . The patch panel wall  32  may divide the interior of the cabinet  10  into an incoming chamber  34  and an exiting chamber  36 , thereby creating two surfaces, a first incoming surface  32   a  and a second exiting surface  32   b . The cabinet  10  may have an arrangement of slots  38 ,  40 ,  42 ,  44  in the top wall  20  and the bottom wall  28  to route fiber optic cable into the incoming chamber  34  and out of exiting chamber  36 . Incoming fiber optic cables  108  from a cable source may enter the incoming chamber  34  through slot  38  and be terminated on the incoming surface  32   a . In a like manner, fiber optic cable  116  terminated on exiting surface  32   b  may be routed out of the cabinet  10  through slot  44  to active equipment, such as a server. 
         [0021]    The cabinet  10  may also be provided with a pair of slack management spools  106  that allow for spooling bulk incoming cables  108  while maintaining a minimum bend radius in the cables. Further, strain relief brackets  110 ,  111  may be provided to anchor ties  134 ,  132 , respectively, to the cabinet for bundling the fiber optical cable  108 ,  116  that enters and exits each chamber. Other arrangements of the parts of the cabinet  10 , such as the cable slots and patch panel wall, etc., are also possible. 
         [0022]    The fiber optic wall mount cabinet  10  may also include lockable first cover  46  and second cover  48  to cover the incoming chamber  34  and exiting chamber  36 , respectively. The first cover  46  may be hingedly connected to the side wall  22  such that the first cover  46  is perpendicular to the side wall  22  and substantially closes the incoming chamber  34 . The second cover  48  may be hingedly connected to the back wall  30 , to, when closed, form a second side wall  54  opposite to the side wall  22 , and an exiting front wall  56  level with a closed first cover  46 . When fully open, the second cover  48  may enable full access to the exiting chamber  36  from both the front and side of the cabinet  10 . The first cover  46  and second cover  48  may also include keyed locks  50  and handles  52 , located preferably on the outer edges of each cover, for providing security and accessibility, respectively, to the respective chambers  34 ,  36 . In an alternative embodiment, each cover may be hingeless, completely removable, and releasably secured to the cabinet  10  with snaps, clips, or the like. Other arrangements are also possible. 
         [0023]    The patch panel wall  32  may include a number of removable covers  120  that cover openings in the wall that provide access between the chambers  34 ,  36 . Upon removal of an appropriate number of covers  120 , cable connectors, or adaptors  200  may be installed on the wall  32 . The surfaces  32   a ,  32   b  of the patch panel wall  32  may be configured to accept direct mounting of the adaptors  200 . The patch panel wall  32  may be configured along with the adaptors  200  in a variety of orientations. The fiber optic connector adaptors  200 , may serve as termination points for incoming fiber optic cables  108 , terminated by connectors  122 , and exiting fiber optic cables  116 , terminated by connectors  60 . The use of fiber optic connector adaptors  200  on the patch panel wall  32  allows for simplified detachment and reattachment of fiber optic cables  108 ,  116 . For example, if a server is to be connected to another cable, only a connection change is required. At the incoming surface  32   a , a connector  122  with a first cable may be removed and replaced by a connector  122  of a second cable. Unlike splicing which is a permanent connection, the use of fiber optic cables with connectors, along with the fiber optic connector adaptors of the patch panel wall, may simplify the process of making connection changes. 
         [0024]    To guide the exiting cables  116 , and redirect the cables from their essentially perpendicular orientation with the wall panel  32  to an essentially parallel orientation to the wall panel for exit out of the bottom wall  28 , the cables may be provided with cable guides  300  that clip onto the cables adjacent the terminal ends of the cables. Cable guides  300  as discussed in more detail below, provide a support guide for changing an orientation of the cable while also determining, or limiting the bend radius of the cable to ensure that the cable does not get bent past the minimum bend radius. As previously mentioned, the bending of a fiber optic cable beyond the minimum bend radius can lead to attenuation and loss of signal within the cable. 
         [0025]    While the embodiments in the figures and the discussion below are directed to cable guides for LC type fiber optics, the cable guides may be configured for any type of fiber optic connectors, such as, but not limited to, FC, SC, ST, MPO or MTP types of fiber optic connectors. 
         [0026]      FIG. 3A  depicts an embodiment of a fiber optic cable assembly  302 , having a fiber optic cable  303  with an LC type connector assembly  304  attached to an end thereof. The connector assembly  304  may be configured for being plugged into a patch panel adaptor as discussed above. The end portion of cable  303  may include a shrink-wrap, or alternative protective sleeve  305  and a cable boot  306  for providing strain relief and protecting the cable during bending. A cable guide  310  may be removably attached adjacent the end of the fiber optic cable  303  to provide for a change in direction of the cable while ensuring that the cable does not exceed its minimum bend radius. Cable guide  310  may be configured, as discussed below, to be fitted around the exterior of a cable  303 , and therefore may be attached either prior to, or after the cable is installed or plugged into a connector adaptor. 
         [0027]    In alternative embodiments, a cable guide  310  may be configured to be installed on a cable, essentially anywhere along a cable that may require a bend in the cable. Further, while the cable guide  310  in  FIGS. 3A-3E  is depicted as providing a 90° offset, or bend in the longitudinal direction of the cable, cable guides in this embodiment, or any other embodiment presented herein, may provide any degree of offset, or bend, essentially from 0° (an essentially straight run cable) to 180° (a cable which loops and returns back in the opposite direction) and even beyond 180° if a situation presents in which such is necessary. As examples, a cable guide may be configured to provide a degree of offset, or bend, of approximately any of: 5°, 10°, 15°, 20°, 25°, 30°, 35°, 40°, 45°, 50°, 55°, 60°, 65°, 70°, 75°, 80°, 85°, or 90°, or any value between any of the listed values, or if needed, greater than the listed values. Embodiments as depicted in  FIGS. 5A-5B and 7A-7B  illustrate alternative cable guides that provide for approximately a 45° offset or bend. An alternative embodiment as depicted in  FIGS. 10A-10C  provides for a variably adjustable angle cable guide. 
         [0028]    As illustrated in  FIGS. 3B-3E , a cable guide  310  may have an elongated support section  314  that defines the curvature of the guide and the offset or bend radius for a cable, and at least two retaining sections  316 ,  318  for holding the cable in relation to the support section to retain the cable at the desired offset. As depicted in  FIG. 3A  and shown in greater details in  FIGS. 4A and 4B , retaining section  316  in an embodiment, may be configured to fit around a portion of the cable boot  306  adjacent the terminal end of the cable  303 , and the retaining section  318  may be configured to fit around the cable  303  and sleeve  305  adjacent the end of the cable boot  306 . 
         [0029]    As depicted in  FIG. 3E , the cable guide  310  may be formed of a single unitary piece of material. In this regard,  FIG. 3E  depicts an open guide  310 , while  FIGS. 3B-3D  depict the guide folded over to form a functional cable guide. The guide  310  may include at least support section halves  314   a ,  314   b , that, when mated, together form support section  314 , retaining section portions  316   a ,  316   b  and  316   c  that together form retaining section  316 , and retaining section halves  318   a  and  318   b , that when mated, together form retaining portion  318 . Support section halves  314   a ,  314   b  may be essentially mirror-images of one another in the longitudinal direction of the cable guide. 
         [0030]    With such a configuration as shown in  FIG. 3E , the support section halves  314   a ,  314   b  may be folded toward one another, about axis X, bending at least connecting portion  316   c  to mate surface  315   a  with surface  315   b , to provide the configuration as depicted in  FIG. 3D . Upon mating of surfaces  315   a  with surface  315   b , retaining section portions  316   a ,  316   b  and  316   c  may form tubular retaining section  316 , defining a passage  320  that is configured to receive a fiber optic cable therein. Likewise, upon mating of surfaces  315   a  with surface  315   b , retaining section halves  318   a  and  318   b  may be mated together to form the retaining section  318 , defining a passage  322  that is also configured to receive the fiber optic cable therein. As depicted, retaining section halves  318   a  and  318   b  may be half-tubular sections that when mated form an essentially full-tubular retaining member. 
         [0031]    The guide  310  may be provided with some type of locking members configured to retain sections  314   a ,  314   b  together, as in the closed configuration of  FIG. 3D . In an embodiment as shown in  FIGS. 3A-3E , the locking members may be configured as clips  331   a ,  332   a ,  333   a  disposed on one or more of the parts, such as  314   a ,  314   b ,  318   a , and/or  318   b , that are configured to interlock with corresponding mating parts  331   b ,  332   b ,  333   b  when mated together. The clips may be configured with different configurations or be provided at alternative locations, and the number of clips provided may be more or less than three clips as shown. Additional configurations of locking mechanism as well as additional locations and variations are presented further below. 
         [0032]    The two sections  314   a ,  314   b  may also include alignment projections  340 , and corresponding recesses  342  for guiding the sections into alignment for installation and mating, and retaining the sections in alignment during use.  FIG. 3E  depicts the projections  340 , on the section  314   a , and the corresponding recesses on the section  314   b . In alternative embodiments, the projections  340  may be disposed on either, or both, of the sections  314   a ,  314   b , and the corresponding recesses may be disposed on the other of the sections, so that, upon mating, each projection fits into a corresponding recess of the opposing section. 
         [0033]    In an embodiment, the cable guide  310  may be formed of a polymeric material. The cable guide  310  may be injection molded as a unitary part, or may be formed by other methods. The material, or materials, for cable guide  310  may therefore be pliable at least along section  316   c  so that the two support section halves  314   a  and  314   b  may be folded towards one another about axis X to mate the two section halves and form support section  314 . In addition, the material used may have some resiliency so that the clips  331   a ,  332   a , and  333   a  may engage and be disengaged from their corresponding mating parts  331   b ,  332   b , and  333   b.    
         [0034]      FIGS. 4A and 4B  depict the installation of a cable guide  310  in relation to a cable boot  306  (fiber optic cable  303  is omitted for clarity).  FIG. 4A  depicts a cable boot  306  placed in relation to an open cable guide  310  for installation of the cable guide on the boot. The cable boot  306  may include a recessed portion  307  configured for receiving the band ( 316   a ,  316   b  and  316   c ) of retaining section  316  therein.  FIG. 4B  depicts a closed cable guide  310  disposed around the cable boot  306  with the band of retaining section  316  disposed within the recessed portion  307  to thereby inhibit sliding movement between the cable boot and the guide to prevent the boot from coming out of the guide. In an embodiment, the fit between the band and the recessed portion in a radial direction may be loose to allow for rotation of the guide  310  relative to the boot and thereby allow for a position of a cable to be moved and allow for access of possibly additional cables within an installation as discussed above. 
         [0035]      FIGS. 5A-5B and 7A-7B  represent alternative embodiments of cable guides having approximately a 45° offset for changing a fiber optic cable direction by about 45°. A cable guide  410  as represented in  FIGS. 5A and 5B  may also be molded as one piece in a form similar to the representation of  FIG. 3E  as discussed previously. The guide  410  may have two support section halves  414   a  and  414   b  that may be mated via bending a connection section  416   c  that is flexible and allows the halves to be folded and mated to provide a support section  414  in the configuration as shown in the drawings. In a similar manner as described above with reference to  FIG. 3E , each of the support section halves  414   a ,  414   b  may correspondingly include a portion  416   a ,  416   b  that together with section  416   c  may form tubular retaining section  416 , defining a passage  420  that is configured to receive a fiber optic cable therein. Likewise, each of the support section halves  414   a ,  414   b  may correspondingly include section halves  418   a  and  418   b  that may be mated together to form the retaining section  418 , defining a passage  422  that is also configured to receive a fiber optic cable therein. 
         [0036]    Guide  410  may also include some type of locking members configured to retain sections  414   a ,  414   b  together, as in the closed configuration of  FIG. 5A . While some examples of interlocking mechanisms are disclosed, the disclosure is not meant to be limited to the examples, as various configurations of locking features may be employed. In an embodiment, while not shown, the locking members may be configured as clips, such as clips  331   a ,  332   a ,  333   a  discussed previously, that are configured to interlock with corresponding mating parts when mated together. 
         [0037]    Additional types of locking members may also be used. One example of an additional interlock configuration  450 , as represented by the illustration in  FIG. 6  taken along line VI-VI of  FIG. 5 , includes displaceable projections  454  on at least one of the mating surfaces of the support section halves  414   a ,  414   b  and corresponding receiving orifices  455  on the other of the mating surfaces. An orifice  454  may have a reduced dimension opening  456 , and the projections  454  may be resiliently displaceable towards one another to allow passage of the projections through the opening. Upon passage of the shoulder portions  458  through the opening  456 , projection  454  may return to their original position to engage the projections within the orifice  454  as shown in  FIG. 6 . To release the engagement, a tool may be configured to be insertable into the orifices  455  to force the projections  454  together so they may be withdrawn back out through the opening  456 . A configuration of projections  454  and orifices  456  may also guide the sections into alignment for installation and mating, and therefore any additional alignment devices, such as projections  340  in  FIG. 3E , may not be needed. 
         [0038]      FIGS. 7A-7B  represent an alternative embodiment of a 45° cable guide  510 . An embodiment depicted in  FIGS. 7A and 7B  may have a support structure  514  that may be similar to the support section  314  as discussed above for the 90° guide in  FIGS. 3A-3E . A cable guide  510  as represented in  FIGS. 7A and 7B  may also be molded as one piece in a form similar to the representation of  FIG. 3E  as discussed previously. The guide  510  may have two support section halves  514   a  and  514   b  that may be mated and connected together via a flexible connection section  516   c  that allows the halves to be folded and mated to provide the configuration as shown in the drawings. In a manner as described above with reference to  FIG. 3E , each of the support section halves  514   a ,  514   b  may correspondingly include a portion  516   a ,  516   b  that together with section  516   c  may form tubular retaining section  516 , defining a passage  520  that is configured to receive a fiber optic cable therein. Likewise, each of the support section halves  514   a ,  514   b  may correspondingly include section halves  518   a  and  518   b  that may be mated together to form the retaining section  518 , defining a passage  522  that is also configured to receive a fiber optic cable therein. 
         [0039]    The configuration of guide  510  in  FIGS. 7A and 7B , also includes interlocking clips  531   a  and  532   a  that are configured to interlock with corresponding engagement portions  531   b  and  532   b  to retain the support section halves  514   a  and  51   b  together in a mating engagement.  FIGS. 7A and 7B  provide an alternative configuration for the location of the clips  531   a  and  532   a . The number and location of interlocking members (clips/projections) may be a function of the material used to form the guides. For example, if a more rigid polymer is used to form the section halves  518   a  and  518   b  a single clip  532   a , as shown in  FIG. 7B , may be sufficient for retaining a fiber optic cable within the retaining section  518 . On the other hand, if a more flexible polymer is used, the upper portion of the sections  518   a  and  518   b  (in  FIG. 7B ) may open, and an alternative clip, such as clip  333   a  in  FIG. 3D  may be needed to hold the retaining sections  518   a  and  518   b  together. 
         [0040]    For reference purposes only, with reference to  FIGS. 3B and 5B , an X-direction may define a left-to-right direction of the page, a Y-direction may define a top-to-bottom direction of the page, and a Z-direction may be into-and-out-of the page. With this orientation, the angular offset provided by the corresponding cable guides  310  and  510  may be considered to be in the plane of the page, or offset in the Y-direction with respect to the X-direction. In an alternative embodiment as shown in  FIG. 8 , a cable guide  600  may be configured to provide an offset in the Z-direction with respect to the X-direction. In  FIG. 8 , an offset of about 55° is depicted. Such a Z offset may be essentially any angle as may be needed for a desired purpose. As examples, a cable guide may be configured to provide a degree of offset, or bend in the Z-direction, of approximately any of: 5°, 10°, 15°, 20°, 25°, 30°, 35°, 40°, 45°, 50°, 55°, 60°, 65°, 70°, 75°, 80°, 85°, or 90°, or any value between any of the listed values, or if needed, greater than the listed values. 
         [0041]    Alternatively, as shown in  FIGS. 9A and 9B , an offset may be provided in both the Y-direction (in this depiction into-and-out-of the page) and the Z-direction (in this depiction, now top-to-bottom).  FIG. 9A  depicts a cable guide  310 -Z, which has the 90° X-Y offset of the guide  310  as shown in  FIG. 3B , while also providing a 45° offset in the Z-direction. Similarly,  FIG. 9B  depicts a cable guide  510 -Z, which has the 45° X-Y offset of the guide  510  as shown in  FIG. 5B , while also providing a 90° offset in the Z-direction. Such compound offsets may also be of essentially any angular orientation as may be required. For example, the offset from the X-axis in the Y direction may be anywhere from 0° to 90°, and the offset from the X-axis in the Z-direction may be from 0° to 90°. Some specific examples of offsets from the X-axis in degrees corresponding to Y and Z directions may therefore by approximately any of: 0/10; 0/20; 0/30; 0/40; 0/50; 0/60; 0/70; 0/80; 0/90; 10/0; 10/10; 10/20; 10/30; 10/40; 10/50; 10/60; 10/70; 10/80; 10/90; 20/0; 20/10; 20/20; 20/30; 20/40; 20/50; 20/60; 20/70; 20/80; 20/90; 30/0; 30/10; 30/20; 30/30; 30/40; 30/50; 30/60; 30/70; 30/80; 30/90; 40/0; 40/10; 40/20; 40/30; 40/40; 40/50; 40/60; 40/70; 40/80; 40/90; 50/0; 50/10; 50/20; 50/30; 50/40; 50/50; 50/60; 50/70; 50/80; 50/90; 60/0; 60/10; 60/20; 60/30; 60/40; 60/50; 60/60; 60/70; 60/80; 60/90; 70/0; 70/10; 70/20; 70/30; 70/40; 70/50; 70/60; 70/70; 70/80; 70/90; 80/0; 80/10; 80/20; 80/30; 80/40; 80/40; 80/60; 80/70; 80/80; 80/90; 90/0; 90/10; 90/20; 90/30; 90/40; 90/50; 90/60; 90/70; 90/80; and 90/90 and any values between any of the listed values. 
         [0042]    In an additional embodiment, as represented by  FIGS. 10A-10C , a cable guide  610  may be configured as an adjustable angle guide for providing variable offset for a cable as may be needed at an installation. With such a configuration, the cable retaining sections  616  and  618  may essentially be the same as the sections  516  and  518  as previously discussed. Similarly, support section  614  may have two mating support section halves  614   a  and  614   b , as well as a clip  631   a , that may engage with the support section  614   b . As shown, clip  631   a , may be integrally molded with support section  614   a , and may have a J-shaped configuration to provide a stronger interlocking engagement with the support section  614   b . Additional J-shaped clips  640  and  650  may also be provided, and may be integrally molded with support section half  614   b  (in the manner that  631   a  is integral with  614   a ), and may wrap around and engage with a slot in the other support section half  614   a , such that they interlock in the same manner as clip  631   a  engages support section half  614   b . As with the other embodiments, the guide  610  may also be molded as an integral piece. 
         [0043]    An original configuration of the guide  610 , after molding and mating section halves  614   a  and  614   b , may be represented by the depiction of  FIG. 10B , wherein the support section halves  614   a  and  614   b  may be relatively straight and extend parallel to the X-axis. To provide for an adjustable angle, guide  610  may include a strap  660  that is able to be pulled longitudinally with respect to the support section  614 , in the direction P as shown in  FIG. 10A . Strap  660  may be integrally molded to the clip portion  631   a  such that when the guide  610  is folded to mate the support section halves  614   a  and  614   b , strap  660  will be disposed parallel to the support section  614 . Each of the clips  640  and  650 , when interlocked with the opposite support section, may define a space adjacent the bottom of the support section halves  614   a  and  614   b  for passage of the strap  660  therethrough. The height of the space may be approximately the same as the thickness of the strap  660 . Thus, after clipping and mating the section halves  614   a  and  614   b , strap  660  may be fed through the clips  640  and  650  to provide a configuration as shown in  FIG. 10B . Alternatively, strap  660  may be placed along the support sections  614   a  and  614   b , and clips  640  and  650  may be clipped and fastened around the strap  660 . 
         [0044]    Since strap  660  is movable longitudinally with respect to the support section  614 , in the direction of the arrow P, a displacement or pulling of the strap though the clip  640  in the direction of the arrow P may cause the support section to be deflected downwardly away from the X-axis to a configuration such as shown in  FIGS. 10A and 10C , for example. To hold the guide  610  in an angled position within the clip  640  adjacent the rear end of the clip, there may be provided a fastening arrangement that may include a cantilevered flexible locking armature  670 . The armature  670  may include at least one saw-tooth-shaped engaging protrusion  672  (two are shown) directed towards the strap  660 . A series of engaging recesses  676 , separated by ridges  678  may be provided in the strap  660  at essentially equal intervals on a side of the strap disposed towards the protrusion teeth  672 . Upon pulling the strap  660  through the clip  640 , the ridges  678  may displace the teeth  672  out of the recesses  676  to allow the strap to be pulled though the clip. Upon release of the pulling tension, the support sections  614   a  and  614   b  will want to return to their original non-bent configuration, thereby pulling the strap  660  in the opposite direction wherein the teeth  672  will move back into the recesses  676  and will engage with the ridges  678  to hold the strap in position within the clip  640 , to hold the clip in an angled configuration as shown in  FIG. 10C . 
         [0045]    For release of the strap  660 , the armature  670  may also include a manual release tab  684  that may be manually displaceable to move the teeth  672  out of engagement with the ridges  678 . 
         [0046]    In the previous embodiments the cable guides include a support section that is disposed within radius of curvature of an installed cable. In an alternative embodiment as depicted in  FIGS. 11A and 11B , a cable guide  710  may include a support section  714  that is external to the radius of curvature of an installed cable  703  and cable boot  706 . Support section  714  may be formed from two substantially mirror image halves (similar to the support sections of the previous embodiments), or alternatively, as shown, may have a portion  714   a  that forms a substantial part of the support section, and a portion  714   b  fits into a corresponding slot in portion  714   a . Guide  710  may also include some type of locking members configured to retain sections  714   a ,  714   b  together. As in previous embodiments, the locking members may be configured as clips, such as clips  331   a ,  332   a  as in  FIG. 3E , or projections  454  as in  FIG. 6 . A flexible retention band  716  may extend between the support sections  714   a ,  714   b  and be configured to fit around a portion of the cable boot to pull the cable into the curvature of the support section  714 . 
         [0047]    Such a guide  710  may include retention flanges  717   a ,  717   b  at the ends thereof that are half-tubular in shape. Flanges  717   a  may be configured to fit into the recessed portion  707  of the boot  706  and together may fit around about half of the circumference of the boot in the recessed portion. Flanges  717   b  may be configured to be disposed adjacent an end of the cable boot  706 . and together may fit around about half of the circumference of the cable  703 . Flanges  717   a ,  717   b  may extend further than about half of the circumference as shown in  FIG. 11C  (taken along view XI-XI in  FIG. 11A ), and form an opening that is less than the circumference of the boot or cable respectively, so that the boot or cable deflect the flanges outwardly upon installation, whereby the boot or cable may then be held within the flanges. 
         [0048]    This disclosure is not limited to the particular systems, devices and methods described, as these may vary. The terminology used in the description is for the purpose of describing the particular versions or embodiments only, and is not intended to limit the scope. 
         [0049]    In the above detailed description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof. In the drawings, similar symbols typically identify similar components, unless context dictates otherwise. The illustrative embodiments described in the detailed description, drawings, and claims are not meant to be limiting. Other embodiments may be used, and other changes may be made, without departing from the spirit or scope of the subject matter presented herein. It will be readily understood that the aspects of the present disclosure, as generally described herein, and illustrated in the figures, can be arranged, substituted, combined, separated, and designed in a wide variety of different configurations, all of which are explicitly contemplated herein. 
         [0050]    The present disclosure is not to be limited in terms of the particular embodiments described in this application, which are intended as illustrations of various aspects. Many modifications and variations can be made without departing from its spirit and scope, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Functionally equivalent methods and apparatuses within the scope of the disclosure, in addition to those enumerated herein, will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the foregoing descriptions. Such modifications and variations are intended to fall within the scope of the appended claims. The present disclosure is to be limited only by the terms of the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. It is to be understood that this disclosure is not limited to particular methods, reagents, compounds, compositions or biological systems, which can, of course, vary. It is also to be understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only, and is not intended to be limiting. 
         [0051]    As used in this document, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural references unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meanings as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. Nothing in this disclosure is to be construed as an admission that the embodiments described in this disclosure are not entitled to antedate such disclosure by virtue of prior invention. As used in this document, the term “comprising” means “including, but not limited to.” 
         [0052]    While various compositions, methods, and devices are described in terms of “comprising” various components or steps (interpreted as meaning “including, but not limited to”), the compositions, methods, and devices can also “consist essentially of” or “consist of” the various components and steps, and such terminology should be interpreted as defining essentially closed-member groups. 
         [0053]    With respect to the use of substantially any plural and/or singular terms herein, those having skill in the art can translate from the plural to the singular and/or from the singular to the plural as is appropriate to the context and/or application. The various singular/plural permutations may be expressly set forth herein for sake of clarity. 
         [0054]    It will be understood by those within the art that, in general, terms used herein, and especially in the appended claims (e.g., bodies of the appended claims) are generally intended as “open” terms (e.g., the term “including” should be interpreted as “including but not limited to,” the term “having” should be interpreted as “having at least,” the term “includes” should be interpreted as “includes but is not limited to,” etc.). It will be further understood by those within the art that if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is intended, such an intent will be explicitly recited in the claim, and in the absence of such recitation no such intent is present. For example, as an aid to understanding, the following appended claims may contain usage of the introductory phrases “at least one” and “one or more” to introduce claim recitations. However, the use of such phrases should not be construed to imply that the introduction of a claim recitation by the indefinite articles “a” or “an” limits any particular claim containing such introduced claim recitation to embodiments containing only one such recitation, even when the same claim includes the introductory phrases “one or more” or “at least one” and indefinite articles such as “a” or “an” (e.g., “a” and/or “an” should be interpreted to mean “at least one” or “one or more”); the same holds true for the use of definite articles used to introduce claim recitations. In addition, even if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is explicitly recited, those skilled in the art will recognize that such recitation should be interpreted to mean at least the recited number (e.g., the bare recitation of “two recitations,” without other modifiers, means at least two recitations, or two or more recitations). Furthermore, in those instances where a convention analogous to “at least one of A, B, and C, etc.” is used, in general such a construction is intended in the sense one having skill in the art would understand the convention (e.g., “a system having at least one of A, B, and C” would include but not be limited to systems that have A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and/or A, B, and C together, etc.). In those instances where a convention analogous to “at least one of A, B, or C, etc.” is used, in general such a construction is intended in the sense one having skill in the art would understand the convention (e.g., “a system having at least one of A, B, or C” would include but not be limited to systems that have A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and/or A, B, and C together, etc.). It will be further understood by those within the art that virtually any disjunctive word and/or phrase presenting two or more alternative terms, whether in the description, claims, or drawings, should be understood to contemplate the possibilities of including one of the terms, either of the terms, or both terms. For example, the phrase “A or B” will be understood to include the possibilities of “A” or “B” or “A and B.” 
         [0055]    In addition, where features or aspects of the disclosure are described in terms of Markush groups, those skilled in the art will recognize that the disclosure is also thereby described in terms of any individual member or subgroup of members of the Markush group. 
         [0056]    As will be understood by one skilled in the art, for any and all purposes, such as in terms of providing a written description, all ranges disclosed herein also encompass any and all possible subranges and combinations of subranges thereof. Any listed range can be easily recognized as sufficiently describing and enabling the same range being broken down into at least equal halves, thirds, quarters, fifths, tenths, etc. As a non-limiting example, each range discussed herein can be readily broken down into a lower third, middle third and upper third, etc. As will also be understood by one skilled in the art all language such as “up to,” “at least,” and the like include the number recited and refer to ranges which can be subsequently broken down into subranges as discussed above. Finally, as will be understood by one skilled in the art, a range includes each individual member. Thus, for example, a group having 1-3 cells refers to groups having 1, 2, or 3 cells. Similarly, a group having 1-5 cells refers to groups having 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 cells, and so forth. 
         [0057]    Various of the above-disclosed and other features and functions, or alternatives thereof, may be combined into many other different systems or applications. Various presently unforeseen or unanticipated alternatives, modifications, variations or improvements therein may be subsequently made by those skilled in the art, each of which is also intended to be encompassed by the disclosed embodiments.