Abstract:
A ducting system for managing fiber optic, or other sorts of cabling. The duct has perforated circular punchouts in its sides. To drop cables to equipment below, the user simply punches out one of the circular perforated sections in the duct. This will leave a hole, which is sized to receive a downspout. Instead of punchouts, holes for the downspout could simply be drilled in the initial product. Regardless, the downspout is dropped to its full extent through and out of the duct through the hole, and is then retained by a grommet which bears against the interior of the duct. Once the downspout is secured in the hole, the selected cables are dropped from the duct through the hole, down the downspout, and into standard ribbed flex tubing, which may be force fit onto the downspout.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
   Not applicable. 
   STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
   Not applicable. 
   TECHNICAL FIELD 
   This invention relates to the field of routing, protecting, and concealing cabling. More specifically, the present invention is relevant to the action of dropping cables from raceway duct systems. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   Raceway duct systems are used to route, protect and conceal cabling. This cabling may comprise data, voice, video, fiber optic, or power cabling. This type of duct system can have numerous configurations. The most typical kind of ducting occurs in longitudinal sections which have a trough and a lid. There are also a variety of other types of sections included with these systems, such as 90° elbows, 45° elbow fittings, t-fittings, four way intersections (or x-sections), and others. These systems often times run the cable through ducts which are run along the ceiling in a facility. The type of facility referred to might be, e.g., a telecommunications facility, or a computer equipment center office. These types of facilities often include numerous, often time hundreds or thousands of computing equipment racks. The duct work is used to deliver the cables to the appropriate pieces of equipment in these racks. Because the cabling is run along the ceiling of such facilities, the cabling must be “dropped” to the equipment. 
   The prior art techniques for dropping cable to equipment from a ceiling duct system are labor intensive and costly. The most common technique used to accomplish this is disclosed in prior art  FIG. 1 . Referring to the figure, we see a prior art fiber optic raceway system with a cable drop assembly  10 . These types of prior art systems are used to drop cabling between two standard ducts. These ducts are first standard duct  12  and second standard duct  14 . Each of these will be well known to those skilled in the art as common 4 inch trough-type ducts which are usually sold in 6 foot sections. These trough sections have 4 inch sides and a four inch floor (all in cross section). They are typically constructed in durable plastic and are rather thick. In fact, they are usually manufactured with a thickness of ⅛ inch, which makes this type of duct very durable. This protects the cable from trauma and fire. But its thickness makes it virtually impossible to cut with a standard utility knife, or other cutting equipment which might be available to technicians in the field. 
   The prior art methods involve the time consuming method of creating a drop at a junction between two existing in the ducts. Referring to  FIG. 1 , first and second ducts,  12  and  14  respectively, are normally connected using a single connector. 
   This kind of connector is often referred to as a junction kit by those skilled in the art. Junction kits are used snap fit two longitudinal sections together. For example, two 6 foot sections can be snapped together to form a continuous 12 foot section. 
   Occasionally, it will be necessary to access some of the cables running through the two sections and deliver them to equipment below. This equipment is usually located in what are known as telco or server racks. 
     FIG. 1  shows a prior art technique of dropping cables in such a circumstance. When it is necessary to drop a group of cables (a subcomponent of the plurality presently included in the duct) the technician will install a drop unit  16  in between ducts  12  and  14 . Drop unit  16  is T-shaped and is used to drop the cables which have been separated from the bundle to be delivered to equipment below. The dropping occurs through a lower portion  18 . Lower portion  18  enables the cable to run down to the equipment, e.g., server racks, routers, and other telecommunications or computing equipment. The techniques for doing this will be well known to those skilled in the art. T-shaped drop units like that shown as drop unit  16  are readily available in the market. Both ends of the “T” in junction  16  are connected to ducts  12  and  14  using a first junction kit  22  and a second junction kit  24 , respectively. First junction kit  22  and second junction kit  24  are commercially available. They are each used to snap the junction in between the ducts. A third junction kit  26  may be used to connect the lower part of the T to a vertical duct  20 . Vertical duct  20  may be used to direct the cabling downward to protectively access it to the equipment it is designated for. 
   After vertical duct  20 , the cabling being dropped will be inserted into what is known to those skilled in the art as corrugated (or ribbed) split tubing. Corrugated split tubing comes having a one inch, two inch, or sometimes even three inch inside diameter. Thus, it forms a conduit having a smaller cross sectional smaller size than the ducts have. This split tubing is also split along its length to allow access for inserting and removing cables therefrom. It is used to direct the cables to their particular destinations in smaller bundles. 
   The installation of the drop cabling systems such as that shown in  FIG. 1  is extremely time consuming. It may take the average technician over 24 hours to complete the drop of a small number of cables. This creates significant human resource issues and costs. 
   Another negative is the cost of these systems. The drop unit  16 , and the three junction kits  22 ,  24 , and  26  are somewhat expensive. Much more expansive than the simple straight ducting and split tubing. This in many cases, makes the  FIG. 1  process, though effective in protecting the cabling, unreasonably expensive. 
   Besides the  FIG. 1  system, another prior art technique exists. This alternative system is known commercially as an Express Exit™ system. It is sold by ADC, Inc. This ADC system lifts the selected cables, which are intended to be dropped out from above the duct. Once the dropped cables are raised out from above the duct, they are directed to specified equipment below in protective ducting or ribbed split tubing. The ADC product, however, has proved to be a difficult system to use. Especially in situations in which the space within the technician is allowed to work above the duct is limited. In many situations, the technician will be precluded from using the ADC system because there is insufficient work space above the duct (which typically runs along the ceiling of the facility). Furthermore, the installation of the ADC system has proven to be labor intensive, and it has significant part costs—much like the system disclosed in  FIG. 1 . 
   Therefore, there is a need in the art for a system that is much easier and less time consuming to use, but still allows for the adequate protection of cables being dropped out of an overhead, or otherwise placed duct. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention overcomes the above-stated disadvantages in the prior art systems by providing a cable duct with apertures along its sides. The cable duct system of the present invention may also involve the use of knockout sections which form the apertures. The cable duct system (like most) is adapted to receive a plurality of cables. The duct itself has a longitudinal floor, a first longitudinally extending side, and a second longitudinally extending side opposing the first side, wherein one of the sides or the floor define an aperture for dropping a bundle of cables from the duct to equipment below it. The holes may be in the sides or floor of the duct, but preferably, are in the sides spaced apart so that cables can optionally be dropped at different positions. 
   Another novel feature of the cable duct system of the present invention is a downspout which is inserted through each of the holes in the duct. This downspout has first and second ends, the first end which is adapted to be inserted through the holes provided in the ducting and then cause to depend from the ducting. The downspout is also adapted to receive and guide at least one cable there through to make the dropping of the cables more convenient. The second end of the downspout has a grommet. The grommet retains the second end of the downspout by bearing against an internal surface of the duct. The first end of the downspout is sized so that it can be force fit into the internal surface of a standard piece of ribbed split tubing. Ribbed split tubing is standard in the industry, and the forced fit enables this tubing to be suspended along with the downspout from the duct. The fiber optic (or other kind of cable) is protectively held in all of these devices. The downspout can alternatively have any radius of curvature to meet the specifics of its environment. In one preferred embodiment disclosed herein, however, two downspouts are provided. One having a two-inch radius of curvature. The other having a three-inch radius of curvature. The two different sizes may be used together or separately to meet industry ideals. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The present invention is described in detail below with reference to the attached drawing figures, wherein: 
       FIG. 1  is a side view of a conventional system for dropping cable from a fiber-optic cable raceway. 
       FIG. 2  is a side view of the duct of the present invention. 
       FIG. 3  is a perspective view of one end of the duct of the present invention in use enabling the dropping of cables to computing equipment. 
       FIG. 4  is an end view of one end of the duct of the present invention in use enabling the dropping of cables to computing equipment. 
       FIG. 5  is a side view of one end of the duct of the present invention in use enabling the dropping of cables to computing equipment. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention provides a system and method for managing the dropping of fiber-optic, or other sorts of cabling from a duct or other systems to the equipment with minimal cost and effort. 
   The subject matter of the present invention is described with specificity to meet statutory requirements. However, the description itself is not intended to limit the scope of this patent. Rather, the inventors have contemplated that the claimed subject matter might also be embodied in other ways, to include different steps or combinations of steps similar to the ones described in this document, in conjunction with other present or future technologies. Moreover, although the term “step” may be used herein to connote different elements of methods employed, the term should not be interpreted as implying any particular order among or between various steps herein disclosed unless and except when the order of individual steps is explicitly described. Further, the present invention is described in detail below with reference to the attached drawing figures, which are incorporated in their entirety by reference herein. 
   You will note the use of the terms aperture and hole throughout this application. Each of these terms is to be given it&#39;s broadest meaning. The terms are intended to include any type of opening. E.g., holes, gaps, or slits would all fall within the definitions of each of these terms. The use of either term should not be construed as imparting any specific shape unless otherwise specified. 
     FIGS. 2 through 5  show the duct system of the present invention.  FIG. 2  shows a side view of one section of a duct  40  of the present invention. This duct will be very similar to ducts known to those skilled in the art, except that it is provided with knockout portions (see  64  and  68 ) which may be physically removed by force to form apertures (not pictured in  FIG. 2 ). These resulting apertures may be seen in  FIG. 3 . Referring to  FIG. 3 , we see the apertures  66  and  86  exist, in the depicted embodiment, in the sides of the duct. They will be used to remove and drop cables from the duct  40  in a method to be described hereinafter. 
   Structurally speaking, the duct has a trough shape. As can be seen from  FIGS. 2–5 , the duct  40  comprises an upper portion  42  and a lower portion  44 . It also has two ends  54  and  56 . In cross section, the duct can be seen to have a first side  43  and a second side  45 . The duct also has a floor  46  which along with sides  43  and  45  defines the trough shape of the duct. The bulk of the cabling will be run through the trough. The trough is defined by three longitudinal walls—the sides  43  and  45  and the floor  46 . 
   Provided on top of the duct, a lid is installed (not pictured). The lid snaps onto and closes off the top of the trough along its entire length. It can be snapped on or off to create access to the cables included in the trough. These lids are well known to those skilled in the art, and are the most conventional way to top off the duct. The snapping in of the lid is done into lid-receiving channels. A first lid receiving channel  48  travels along the top of longitudinally extending side  45 . An identical lid receiving channel extends along the upper part of the longitudinally extending opposite side  43  of the duct. Channel  48  is defined by a first ridge  50  and a second ridge  52  formed on the second side  45  of the duct. An identical arrangement is disposed on the other side  43  (not specifically labeled). In inwardly formed member on each side of the lid is used to snap in on top of the duct in a fashion that will be well known to those skilled in the art. 
   Side  45  also has a first plurality of reinforcing ribs  58  and a second plurality of reinforcing ribs  60  below the first plurality. These are used to reinforce the duct and give it more structural integrity. 
   In  FIG. 2  it may be seen that a knock out portion  64  in side  45  is provided by creating an outline of weakness around the portion  64  to define it. Here, in the preferred embodiment, perforations  62  have been used. The perforations  62  make knock out portion  64  easily removable form the ⅛ inch duct wall by a users fingers. The user simply pushes against portion  64  to snap it out of the duct. 
   It is import ant to note that other methods of weakening the duct wall, other than perforating it, could be employed to form the outline of weakness. For example, the wall could simply be thinned out along the outline. Chemical agents could also be employed to chemically weaken the outline. 
   Alternatively still, simple holes could be drilled into the duct instead of creating knocked out portions. These holes could simply be pre-manufactured as part of the molding process, or actively removed through drilling. Other cutting processes could be used instead. 
   Portion  64  is not the only knockout portion in the duct of the present invention. There are also a plurality of knocked out portions with weakened outlines  68  which run down the rest of side  45  of the duct. These knock outs are the same as portion  64 . 
   There are also knockouts on back side  43 . Though not pictured in  FIG. 2 , the opposite side  43  of duct  40  possesses the same kinds of knock out portions shown on side  45 . formed by weakened outlines. Though these are not pictured in  FIG. 2 , there are evident in  FIGS. 3 through 5 . The embodiment shown in  FIGS. 2 through 5  shows the same duct  40  of  FIG. 2 , except that the knock-out portions (alternatively preformed holes) on both sides  43  and  45  of duct  40  have been removed. 
   Though  FIGS. 2–5  show an embodiment in which both sides of the duct have knockouts, it will be recognized that knockouts or simple holes could be placed on only one side of the duct rather than both. It is also possible that fewer numbers or more of these knock out portions or holes could be provided on either side of the duct. Knockouts could even be provided in the floor  46  of the duct  40 . 
   Duct  40  of the present invention could be used alone, as it is pictured in  FIG. 2  with cables being removed through the duct through the holes directly into split tubing and then run to the equipment as desired. 
   The preferred embodiment is provided, however, with optional downspouts. These downspouts are used to protectively conduct the cabling into the split tubing. A first downspout  70  is disclosed in  FIGS. 3 through 5 . This downspout has a 3 inch radius of curvature. This particular radius of curvature enables the spout to be more practical for use in common cable running applications. E.g., for use with particular server-rack arrangements. 
   Downspout  70  has essentially two parts. A grommet  71  (see  FIG. 4 , grommet  71  is not shown in  FIGS. 3 and 5 ) and a spout  74 . Grommet  71  defines a hole through which the dropped cables will be run. This hole, though not particularly visible in the figures, is the same as a hole  79  defined through an opposite downspout  77 . The grommet  71  serves to retain downspout  70  into the duct from within. To do so, grommet  71  bears against the inside surface of the duct to hold the downspout within it. Spout  74  is used to fit through aperture  62  and includes a guide channel defined by a surface  76 . The top of spout  76  has been removed, thus the cable or cables will be exposed above where enter into corrugated split tubing  90  as shown. The selected fibers/cables will be slid down this channel defined by surface  76  and thus partially exposed before being dropped into corrugated split-tubing in a manner which will be described hereinafter. It also protects the cable which is run through it. 
   Downspout  70  is installed into the duct by inserting a first end  75  of the downspout through hole  66  and sliding the downspout through the hole until the inside surface of grommet  71  engages the inside surface of the duct, as can be seen in  FIG. 4 . 
     FIG. 4 , as well as  FIGS. 3 and 5  shown that the opposite side  43  of the duct  40  includes a downspout  77  which extends from the other side of the duct. See  FIG. 4 . It has a grommet  72 , just like grommet  71  of downspout  70 . In fact, downspout  77  is essentially a mirror image of downspout  70 , and is installed in the same manner as well. 
   The spout  74  of downspout  70  has a cable receiving inside surface  76 . The downspout  70  is adapted to receive the cable and drop it into a split tubing  90  shown below. First end  71  of the spout is adapted with a radius which makes it able to be force fit within the standard inside diameter of a typical split tubing, e.g., split tubing  90 . For installation purposes, the downspout is slid into through hole  66 , then the selected cables to be dropped at that point are slid down cable receiving inside surface  76  into split tubing  90 , and then an outside surface  78  of spout  74  is forcibly slid into the split tubing  90 . Because the radius of outside surface  78  is slightly greater than the inner diameter of split tubing  90 , the force fit will be enabled. 
   A second downspout  80  with a 2 inch radius of curvature is disclosed being installed through a second hole  86  in duct  40 . This downspout  80 , like the first downspout, will have a grommet like that disclosed for downspout  70 . Though the grommet on downspout  80  is not shown, it would be the same as grommet  82  shown on a downspout opposite (in side  43 ). This not-pictured grommet will retain downspout  80  within the duct in the same manner disclosed for downspout  70  already. Essentially, downspout  80  is identical to downspout  70 , except that its radius of curvature has been minimize. This makes it more apt for different applications. For example, it may be advantageous with some server-rack configurations to drop the cabling more tightly to the duct. One skilled in the art will recognize that different radii of curvature for different downspouts could be used for different kinds of applications in order to drop cabling at different distances from duct  40 . All of these different curvatures and displacements should be considered within the scope of the present invention, and the present invention is not of course limited to the two radii of curvature identified here. Other radii or even configurations could be used and still fall within the scope of the present invention. 
   Though the installation techniques used with the present invention may be already somewhat evident, they are essentially the steps of first creating the apertures (or knockouts) in one of said sides or floor. You could put the apertures anywhere. In one of the sides, or in the floor. But as can be seen in  FIGS. 2–5 , the preferred embodiment has holes spaced along both sides ( 43  and  45 ) of the duct  40 . These holes may be formed as premanufactured or drilled holes, or as the result of knockouts described above. 
   Once the duct is installed, normally at the ceiling of a facility, it will be likely that a systems administrator will eventually have to drop groups of cables from the duct. To do so, the user will simply physically remove a knockout proximate a location into which a single, or a plurality of cables need to be dropped. The knocked out portion of the duct, when removed, will create an aperture at the place a group of cables is to be dropped. If the holes are premanufactured or predrilled into the duct walls, this step will not be necessary. 
   After the hole has been created, in the preferred method, a downspout will be installed. This is done by removing the lid, if this has not yet been done, and then inserting the spout portion, e.g., first end  75  of spout  70  through the aperture  66  created. The insertion is done by first positioning the downspout  70  such that it is curved upward. After its full insertion, it will then be curved downward such that it depends from the duct. It will be held in by the grommet  71 . 
   Once the downspout  70  has been fully inserted, the split tubing  90  can be forced fit around the spout at first end  75 . As described above, this is a forced fit. The spout will then be securely held within the tubing. Tubing  90  will then be run to the equipment in a manner known to those skilled in the art. 
   Now that the spout and tubing have been installed, the user is ready to run the cable intended to be dropped. This is done by simply snaking it from inside the duct, though the spout, down the tubing, and to the equipment where it will be connected. 
   Once the necessary connections have been made, the remaining cables from the duct are resituated in the duct, and the lid is reinstalled. The process is then complete. 
   Again, the ducting system of the present invention is a significant improvement over the prior art available. The ducting of such systems is typically of such a thickness, e.g., at least ⅛ inch thick, such that it is difficult if not impossible to cut through it with a utility knife of other tool used by a technician in the field. The knock outs, or alternatively drilled holes, enable the user to gain access at any point along the duct if necessary in order to drop fibers. This gives the technician great levity in terms of accessing different cables at different points and then dropping them to equipment as desired. 
   As can be seen, the present invention and its equivalents are well adapted to provide a new and useful equipment housing which may be used to monitor equipment. Many different arrangements of the various components depicted, as well as components not shown, are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. 
   The present invention has been described in relation to particular embodiments, which are intended in all respects to be illustrative rather than restrictive. Alternative embodiments will become apparent to those skilled in the art that do not depart from its scope. Many alternative embodiments exist but are not included because of the nature of this invention. A skilled programmer may develop alternative means of implementing the aforementioned improvements without departing from the scope of the present invention. 
   It will be understood that certain features and subcombinations are of utility and may be employed without reference to other features and subcombinations and are contemplated within the scope of the claims. Not all steps listed in the various figures need be carried out in the specific order described.