Abstract:
A cable management apparatus includes a cable support, and a connecting member. The cable support includes a first support and a second support. A rail assembly includes an outer rail and an inner rail slidably attached to the outer rail. The first support is rotationally attached to the inner rail and the second support is rotationally attached to the outer rail. The connecting member connects the first and second supports and extends a blocking portion. The first support is capable of changing position relative to the second support while the inner rail and the outer rail stay relatively static. The blocking portion is supported by the supporting member and is capable of disengaging from the supporting member.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention relates to an accessory of a server cabinet, and more particularly to a cable management apparatus attached to a server cabinet to manage the cables connected to a server. 
         [0003]    2. Description of Related Art 
         [0004]    Generally, a server is installed in a cabinet via a pair of rail assemblies. A cable management apparatus is attached to the cabinet behind the server to manage the cables of the server to ensure that the cables are well ordered. The cable management apparatus generally includes a first supporting arm pivotably connected with a second supporting arm. The first and second supporting arms are attached to a rail assembly, and can rotate relative to each other when the server moves with the rail assemblies. But, when the server stays stationary, the first and second supporting arms can not rotate any more and block the access to the rear part of the sever. 
         [0005]    Because of the existence of the above cable management apparatus, maintenance of the components behind the server such as power supply modules becomes inconvenient. The cable management apparatus must be detached from the cabinet to provide access for the maintenance. 
         [0006]    What is desired, therefore, is a cable management apparatus that facilitates the maintenance of servers. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0007]      FIG. 1  is an exploded, isometric view of a cable management apparatus in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0008]      FIG. 2  is similar to  FIG. 1 , but an inverted view; 
           [0009]      FIG. 3  is an assembled view of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0010]      FIGS. 4 and 5  are assembled views of the cable management apparatus of  FIG. 1 , two rail assemblies, and a server, showing two using states respectively; 
           [0011]      FIG. 6  is an assembled, isometric view of a cable management apparatus in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention; and 
           [0012]      FIG. 7  is an assembled, isometric view of the cable management apparatus of  FIG. 6 , two rail assemblies, and a server, showing a using state. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0013]    Referring to  FIGS. 1 ,  2  and  4 , a cable management apparatus in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention is attached between a first rail assembly  80  and a second rail assembly  90 , for managing cables  110  extending from a rear end of a server  100 . The cable management apparatus includes a first supporting arm  10 , a second supporting arm  20 , a connecting member  30 , a plurality of cable retainers  40 , a first locking member  50 , a second locking member  60 , and a supporting member  70 . 
         [0014]    A rear end of the first rail assembly  80  defines a fixing hole  81  (see  FIG. 5 ). 
         [0015]    The first supporting arm  10  is approximately L-shaped, and includes a pole-shaped supporting portion  11 , and a pivot portion  12  vertically extending from a first end of the supporting portion  11 . 
         [0016]    The second supporting arm  20  is approximately L-shaped, and includes a pole-shaped supporting portion  21 , a pivot portion  22  vertically extending from a first end of the supporting portion  21 , and a threaded portion  23  defined at a second end of the supporting portion  21 . 
         [0017]    The connecting member  30  includes a first connecting part  31  and a second connecting part  32 . The first connecting part  31  includes a tube  313 , a discoid-shaped hook portion  311  extending from an end of the tube  313 , and a plurality of circularly distributed hooks  312  vertically extending from a circumference of a bottom of the hook portion  311 . The tube  313  defines an axial hole  3132  therein. The second connecting part  32  includes a fixing pole  323 , a discoid-shaped receiving portion  321  extending from an end of the fixing pole  323 , and a blocking portion  324  radially extending outward from the receiving portion  321 . The receiving portion  321  defines a stepped hole in a middle thereof. The other end of the fixing pole  323  axially defines a threaded hole  3232 , corresponding to the threaded portion  23  of the second supporting arm  20 . 
         [0018]    Each cable retainer  40  may be formed by a wire bent into a U-shape. Distal ends  41  thereof are coiled and in axial alignment to receive a corresponding pole-shape supporting portion  11 ,  21  therethrough. The middle portion is bent toward the coiled ends  41  to form a hook like structure. 
         [0019]    The first locking member  50  is approximately L-shaped, and includes an attaching portion and an extending portion vertically bent from one end of the attaching portion. A pivot part  51  is formed at a distal end of the extending portion. 
         [0020]    The second locking member  60  includes an attaching portion, an extending portion vertically bent from one end of the attaching portion, and an elastic part  62  vertically bent from a distal end of the extending portion. A pivot part  61  is formed at an outer surface of the extending portion. Two cutouts  621  are respectively defined at opposite sides of the free end of the elastic part  62 . 
         [0021]    The supporting member  70  includes a supporting portion  71 , a protrusion  72  extending outward from one end of the supporting portion  71 , and a fixing portion  73  vertically bent from the other end of the supporting portion  71 . The supporting portion  71  defines a fixing hole  74  adjacent the fixing portion  73 . The fixing hole  74  includes a greater section and a smaller section communicating with the greater section. 
         [0022]    Referring also to  FIGS. 3 to 5 , in assembly, the hooks  312  of the first connecting part  31  of the connecting member  30  is extended into the stepped hole  322  of the second connecting part  32  from the smaller hole of the stepped hole  322 , and engaged with the step of the stepped hole  322 . The first connecting part  31  is rotationally mounted to the second connecting part  32 . The cable retainers  40  are positioned on the tube  313  of the first connecting part  31 , the supporting portion  11  of the first supporting arm  10 , or the supporting portion  21  of the second supporting arm  20 , via their coiled ends  41 . The cable  110  can be retained by the cable retainers  40 . The supporting portion  11  of the first supporting arm  10  is slidably received in the axial hole  3132  of the tube  313  of the first connecting part  31 , and the threaded portion  23  of the second supporting arm  20  is screwed into the threaded hole  3232  of the fixing pole  323  of the second connecting part  32  of the connecting member  30 . The pivot portion  12  of the first supporting arm  10  and the pivot portion  22  of the second supporting arm  20  are respectively rotationally received in the pivot part  51  of the first locking member  50  and the pivot part  61  of the second locking member  60 . The attaching portions of the first locking member  50  and the second locking member  60  are respectively fixed to rear ends of an inner rail and an outer rail of the second rail assembly  90 . The protrusion  72  of the supporting member  70  is engaged in the fixing hole  81  of the first rail assembly  80 . The fixing portion  73  of the supporting member  70  is inserted into an inner side of the outer rail of the second rail assembly  90 . The elastic part  62  of the second locking member  60  is elastically deformed and passes through the greater section of the fixing hole  74  of the supporting member  70 . The elastic part  62  of the second locking member  60  restores and moves into the smaller section of the fixing hole  74 , and the cutouts  621  of the elastic part  62  are engaged with opposite edges of the smaller section of the fixing hole  74 . 
         [0023]    When the server  100  is completely accommodated in the cabinet, a top of the supporting portion  71  of the supporting member  70  supports the blocking portion  324  of the second connecting part  32  of the connecting member  30 , to prevent the cable management apparatus from damage because of supporting heavy cables  110  for a long time. 
         [0024]    When the server is moved forwards on the rail assemblies  80 ,  90 , the cables  110  are supported by the cable retainers  40  and the first supporting arm  10  rotates relative to the second supporting arm  20 . The cables  110  also supplies a force to prevent the supporting portion  11  of the first supporting arm  10  from sliding in the tube  313  of the first connecting part  31  of the connecting member  30 . The blocking portion  324  is moved off of the supporting member  70 . The cables  110  are maintained in a well ordered manner such that when the server is pushed back, the cables  110  do not get in the way of the server progress. 
         [0025]    When components of the server  100  need to be maintenanced, the elastic part  62  of the second locking member  60  is moved into the greater section of the fixing hole  74  of the supporting member  70  against its elasticity. The fixing portion  73  of the supporting member  70  is drawn out of the outer rail of the second rail assembly  90 , and the protrusion  72  of the supporting member  70  is disengaged from the fixing hole  81  of the first rail assembly  80  to detach the supporting member  70 . The pivot portion  12  of the first supporting arm  10  and the pivot portion  22  of the second supporting arm  20  are respectively pivoted in the pivot part  51  of the first locking member  50  and the pivot part  61  of the second locking member  60 . The first supporting arm  10  and the second supporting arm  20  can move toward the second rail assembly  90 . The supporting portion  11  of the first supporting arm  10  slides in the tube  313  of the first connecting part  31  of the connecting member  30 , until the first supporting arm  10  and the second supporting arm  20  are juxtaposed, and located beside the second rail assembly  90  to leave a space for the technicians to maintain the components of the server  100 . Thus, the relative lengths of two sides the respective triangle can be altered allowing easy service of the servers. 
         [0026]    Referring also to  FIGS. 6 and 7 , a cable management apparatus in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention is similar to that of the first embodiment. The cable management apparatus of this embodiment includes a first supporting arm  10   a , a second supporting arm  20   a , and a connecting member  30   a . The connecting member  30   a  is a helical spring, and both ends of the helical spring are fixed to the corresponding ends of the first supporting arm  10   a  and the second supporting arm  20   a . When components of the server  100  need to be maintenanced. In virtue of the flexibility of the connecting member  30   a , the pivot portions of the first supporting arm  10   a  and the second supporting arm  20   a  are respectively pivoted in the pivot part  51  of the first locking member  50  and the pivot part  61  of the second locking member  60 , until the first and the second supporting arms  10   a ,  20   a  are juxtaposed, and located beside the second rail assembly  90 , to leave a space for the technicians to maintain the components of the server  100 . Thus, the relative lengths of two sides the respective triangle can be altered allowing easy service of the servers. 
         [0027]    The foregoing description of the exemplary embodiments of the invention has been presented only for the purposes of illustration and description and is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. Many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to explain the principles of the invention and their practical application so as to enable others skilled in the art to utilize the invention and various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. Alternative embodiments will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains without departing from its spirit and scope. Accordingly, the scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims rather than the foregoing description and the exemplary embodiments described therein.