Abstract:
A rack for mounting electronic equipment includes a pair of vertical support members having a regular pattern of mounting apertures that repeats linearly at a regular interval and a vertically-oriented cable guide, disposed generally adjacent one of the support members, having a plurality of outwardly-extending projections forming cable rings. The cable rings are disposed along the length of the cable guide at a second regular interval that is a whole number multiple of the first regular interval.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]    This application is a continuation of and thus is entitled to the benefit of, and claims priority to, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/192,896, filed Jul. 11, 2002 and entitled “VERTICAL CABLE MANAGEMENT RACK,” which is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/954,344, filed Sep. 17, 2001, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,489,565 and entitled “VERTICAL CABLE MANAGEMENT RACK,” which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Serial No. 60/233,203, filed Sep. 15, 2000 and entitled “VERTICAL CABLE MANAGEMENT RACK.” The entirety of each of these applications is hereby incorporated by reference. 
     
    
     
       FIELD OF THE PRESENT INVENTION  
         [0002]    The present invention relates generally to the field of racks for supporting computer and other electronic equipment, and more particularly to the field of enclosed vertical cable raceways having a multitude of cable rings formed in the sides thereof for precisely routing cables and wires to equipment stored in the rack.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE PRESENT INVENTION  
         [0003]    Racks, frames, cabinets and the like for supporting computer and other electronic equipment are very well known. Similarly, raceways for routing cables and wires to and from that equipment are likewise well known. In particular, a number of raceways have been proposed for routing cables, wires and the like (generally referred to hereinafter as “cables”) vertically through or adjacent to equipment racks, frames, cabinets and the like (generally referred to hereinafter as “racks”). Such raceways may be used to route cables vertically to equipment mounted or otherwise supported on a rack from other equipment on the rack, from overhead or underfloor raceway, or the like. These cables are generally routed in the vertical direction to a point adjacent to the desired equipment and then routed in the horizontal direction to the desired equipment.  
           [0004]    An important characteristic of such raceways is the presence of a plurality of openings in the sides of the raceway through which cables may be routed, thereby facilitating more convenient access between the equipment and the interior of the raceway. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,921,607 to Caveney (“Caveney”) and U.S. Pat. No. 3,705,949 to Weiss (“Weiss”) each disclose a covered wiring duct or wireway which includes side walls having a series of finger-like projections separated by openings. The cables may be routed through the openings by bending them around the projections, thus allowing the cables to be routed with relative precision, and preventing cables from hanging loosely across the face of the rack itself. A gap at the distal ends of each pair of adjacent projections permits cables to be inserted into each respective opening. The gap is narrower than the opening, thus aiding in the retention of the cables within the opening. The distal ends of all the projections may then be covered by a cover, thus providing further retention capability.  
           [0005]    Unfortunately, both the Caveney and the Weiss designs suffer from a number of drawbacks, including most particularly the relatively limited size of the openings. The openings between the Caveney projections are only approximately as large as the size of the projections themselves, and the openings between the Weiss projections, although of a somewhat unusual shape, are actually even smaller in area than the projections. Such small openings are frequently inadequate to handle the large number of cables that are frequently routed horizontally from a certain elevation on a vertical raceway to the equipment mounted thereon. Thus, vertical raceways having larger openings are required. Further, if a cover is to be installed on the Caveney or Weiss raceways, it must be carefully aligned with all of the distal ends of the projections and pressed into place, and no provision is made to allow the cover to be hinged open once installed.  
           [0006]    More recently, a number of raceways have been developed having a small number of widely spaced fingers or other retention members projecting from a trough. Between each pair of adjacent projections is a wide opening which is many times larger than the width of the projections, such that a raceway for a full height rack might have only six or eight sets of projections. Unfortunately, because so few projections are available for the cables to be routed around, this type of raceway does not allow cables to be routed as precisely as with the Caveney and Weiss type of raceway, there is a much greater chance of cables dangling loosely, and/or cables of greater length must be used in order to reach a projection before being bent toward the desired equipment.  
           [0007]    Still more recently, a new vertical raceway has been made available by Panduit Corp. The Panduit raceway utilizes a PVC trough attached to a steel base. The trough includes a base member and a plurality of narrow finger-like side members extending perpendicularly therefrom. A slit, narrower in width than the fingers, is formed between each pair of adjacent fingers for routing cables therethrough, similar to the Caveney design. Barbs at the distal ends of the fingers limit access to the slits to only a narrow gap, thereby preventing cables which have been installed in the slits from accidentally becoming dislodged. Advantageously, each finger is scored near the base member so that it may easily be broken off and removed, thereby creating a wider opening for receiving cables. A hingeable cover may be attached to the distal ends of the remaining fingers by clipping a plurality of hinges in between the tips of the fingers and attaching the cover thereto. The raceway may be attached to the side of a rack to route cables to electronic components mounted on or in the rack by guiding the cables vertically to a location adjacent to the selected component and then through one of the openings formed between the fingers.  
           [0008]    Unfortunately, the Panduit raceway still suffers from a number of drawbacks. First, once fingers are broken off of the Panduit raceway to create larger openings, they cannot be replaced. Further, if one or more fingers is broken off to create a larger opening, the gap between the fingers which remain to define the opening is quite large, with very little material or structure remaining to retain the cables in the opening, other than the raceway cover. Also, the Panduit cover may be attached only using hinge members which are each mounted on the distal ends of a pair of adjacent fingers, rather than to the trough itself, thus increasing the risk of mechanical failure, particularly as the cover is opened and closed.  
           [0009]    The Panduit, Caveney and Weiss raceways include other drawbacks as well. For example, the unibody construction of the side walls limits the construction and relative dimensions of the projections and the openings created thereby because the projections must be formed from the same material as the rest of the walls, and, in the case of Panduit and Caveney, from the same material as the base of the trough. In addition, the unibody construction limits the installation flexibility otherwise available if the projections could be selectively disposed at various locations along the raceway without affecting the body of the raceway itself.  
           [0010]    Perhaps most significantly, none of the cable rings formed in the sides of known prior art raceways are arranged to align precisely with the equipment mounting locations on the racks to which the raceways are attached. It is well known that the vertical dimension of racks is frequently measured in standardized units. The most common unit of measurement is the “rack mounting unit” (“RMU”). An RMU is commonly defined as 1.75 inches in height. Electrical components as well as accessories, which include horizontal raceways, patch panels, and the like, are also commonly measured in RMU&#39;s. For example, a 2 RMU component is one which is 3.50 inches or less in height. Thus, a rack which has 45 RMU may accommodate components and accessories totaling 45 RMU. Further, to conserve space, components and accessories are frequently installed only at vertical locations corresponding to a whole number of RMU&#39;s in order to avoid interfering with adjacent components and accessories.  
           [0011]    Unfortunately, none of the known prior art raceways take this arrangement into consideration. Thus, the cable rings or similar structures provided on prior art vertical raceways are not properly aligned with the equipment and accessories to which they must route the cables. As a result, the shortest path from the interior of the raceway to the equipment or accessory destination is frequently blocked by the body of one of the finger-like projections. Moreover, smaller components and accessories may not have any cable rings whatsoever disposed next to them. For high density wiring routes, cable rings may become unnecessarily overcrowded because they must be diverted through other cable rings. Thus, a need exists for a cable raceway having cable rings disposed at a standardized interval which corresponds to the mounting locations of the equipment and accessories stored in the rack.  
         SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION  
         [0012]    Briefly summarized, the present invention relates to vertical cable raceways for precisely routing cables to electronic components at particular elevations in a cabinet, frame or other mounting rack. Broadly defined, the cable raceway according to one aspect of the present invention includes: a trough having a base member and two side members; and at least one separable cable guide installed on the edge of a side member, the cable guide including a plurality of projections forming cable rings for guiding cables laterally from the side of the trough.  
           [0013]    In features of this raceway, the cable rings are disposed relative to each other at an interval corresponding to a standard rack mounting unit; the interval is exactly one standard rack mounting unit; a dimension of each cable ring is selected to correspond to a standard rack mounting unit; the trough is made from a first material, which may be a metal, and the cable guide is made from a second material, which may be a plastic; a side member includes an aperture, and the cable guide includes a correspondingly-disposed boss for mating with the aperture when the cable guide is installed on the side member; the cable guide includes at least two planar members forming a channel therebetween, and an edge of a side member is disposed in the channel when the cable guide is installed on the side member; one of the planar members is a planar flange extending generally the length of the cable guide; another of the planar members is a tab which may be one of a series of tabs aligned along the cable guide; the cable guide includes a positioning boss for guiding the cable guide into place on the side member; and a side member includes a slot extending toward the cable guide and the positioning boss is adapted to engage with the slot.  
           [0014]    In a second aspect of the present invention, a cable raceway for routing cables to electronic equipment includes: a trough having a base member and two side members, at least one of the side members including a primary longitudinal portion extending from the base member and a secondary longitudinal portion, the secondary longitudinal portion being inwardly offset from the primary longitudinal portion; and a cable guide, including a plurality of projections, disposed along a distal edge of the secondary longitudinal portion and extending in a direction generally perpendicular to the base member of the trough, wherein the cable guide extends laterally beyond the secondary longitudinal portion, and wherein the primary longitudinal portion extends laterally beyond the cable guide.  
           [0015]    In features of the second aspect, the primary and secondary longitudinal portions are planar in form and the primary and secondary longitudinal portions are generally parallel to each other; the cable guide includes a channel and a distal edge of the secondary longitudinal portion is disposed within the channel; a second side member includes a primary longitudinal portion extending from the base member and a secondary longitudinal portion inwardly offset from the primary longitudinal portion, wherein a second cable guide includes a plurality of projections and is disposed along a distal edge of the secondary longitudinal portion of the second side member and extends in a direction generally perpendicular to the base member of the trough, wherein the cable guide extends laterally beyond the secondary longitudinal portion of the second side member, and wherein the primary longitudinal portion of the second side member extends laterally beyond the cable guide; and the primary longitudinal portions of the side members define a maximum width of the cable raceway and the width defined by the outermost surfaces of the cable guides is less than the maximum width of the cable raceway.  
           [0016]    In a third aspect of the present invention, a rack for mounting electronic equipment includes: a pair of vertical support members for supporting at least one electronic component, wherein the vertical support members define a plurality of mounting locations; and a vertical cable raceway disposed generally adjacent one of the vertical support members, the raceway having a trough and a plurality of outwardly extending projections forming a plurality of cable rings, wherein each cable ring is disposed at a height corresponding to one of the mounting locations defined by the vertical support members.  
           [0017]    In features of the third aspect, the mounting locations are disposed at a standard interval from each other; the standard interval corresponds to a whole number of standard rack mounting units; the standard interval is a single standard rack mounting unit; a cable ring is disposed adjacent to each of substantially all of the mounting locations and aligned therewith; and each cable ring is disposed at a height corresponding to a whole number of standard rack mounting units.  
           [0018]    The present invention also includes a method of routing cables in a equipment mounting rack, wherein the method includes the steps of: providing a rack having a plurality of equipment and accessory mounting locations at positions corresponding to a standardized rack mounting unit; providing a vertical cable raceway having a trough and a plurality of outwardly extending projections forming a plurality of cable rings; and attaching the raceway to the rack such that each cable ring is aligned with a mounting location.  
           [0019]    In features of this method, the step of providing a rack includes providing a rack having a plurality of equipment and accessory mounting locations at intervals of one rack mounting unit; and the step of providing a vertical cable raceway includes providing a vertical cable raceway having a plurality of outwardly extending projections forming a plurality of cable rings disposed at intervals of one rack mounting unit.  
           [0020]    In another aspect of the present invention, a rack for mounting electronic equipment includes: a pair of vertical support members for supporting at least one electronic component; a vertical cable raceway disposed generally adjacent one of the vertical support members and having a trough and a plurality of outwardly extending projections forming a plurality of cable rings, wherein each projection includes a reinforced base tapering to a narrow shaft and a crosspiece disposed at the distal end of the shaft, wherein each cable ring and each shaft have a vertical dimension, and wherein the vertical dimension of each cable ring is substantially larger than the vertical dimension of each shaft.  
           [0021]    In features of this aspect, the vertical dimension of the each cable ring is more than three times as large as the vertical dimension of each shaft; and the distance between the centers of adjacent projections is substantially equal to a standard rack mounting unit.  
           [0022]    In yet another aspect of the present invention, a cable raceway for routing cables to electronic equipment includes: a channel assembly having a trough and a plurality of projections extending therefrom, the projections for guiding cables laterally from a side of the trough, wherein each projection has a distal end; and a cover assembly having a cover and a plurality of hinge supports, wherein the cover is disposed at the distal ends of the projections, wherein the structure of each hinge support is reinforced relative to the structure of the projections to support the weight of the cover, and wherein each hinge support is disposed adjacent to a plurality of projections.  
           [0023]    In features of this aspect of the present invention, each hinge support has a proximal end and a distal end, the hinge support being supported at its proximal end by the trough, and the distal end of the hinge support supporting the cover; cable rings are formed by adjacent pairs of projections; the projections are generally T-shaped; a narrow gap is formed in each cable ring between adjacent projections, and the vertical dimension of the gap is substantially smaller than the vertical dimension of the cable ring; each hinge support includes a hinge and the cover may be hinged open and supported on the hinges; the projections are disposed at intervals substantially equal to one standard rack mounting unit; the hinge support has a vertical dimension substantially equivalent to the projection intervals; the trough defines two sides, at least one hinge support is disposed along each side, and the cover may be hinged open about the hinge supports on either side of the trough; and each hinge support has a vertical dimension substantially equal to a single rack mounting unit.  
           [0024]    In still another aspect of the present invention, a cable raceway for routing cables to electronic equipment includes: a double-channel assembly having at least one base member and at least one pair of side members, forming two separate back-to-back channels, and a plurality of projections extending from the side members for guiding cables laterally from a side of the double-channel assembly; and a pair of cover assemblies, each having a cover having at least two lateral edges and at least one hinge disposed along each lateral edge, wherein the cover may be hinged open about the hinges along either lateral edge of the cover.  
           [0025]    In a feature of this aspect, the cable raceway includes a plurality of lock assemblies, wherein each hinge has an individual lock assembly associated therewith, each lock assembly being selectively deployable in at least two states, wherein the deployable states include a locked state wherein the cover may be hinged open about the hinge corresponding to the lock assembly, and an unlocked state wherein the cover may be separated from the channel at the hinge corresponding to the lock assembly.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0026]    Further features, embodiments, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description with reference to the drawings, wherein:  
         [0027]    [0027]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a vertical cable raceway in accordance with a first preferred embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0028]    [0028]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the vertical cable raceway of FIG. 1 in a typical rack mounting arrangement;  
         [0029]    [0029]FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of a portion of the vertical cable raceway of FIG. 1;  
         [0030]    [0030]FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a portion of the vertical cable raceway of FIG. 2 illustrating the attachment of the cover assembly to the channel assembly;  
         [0031]    [0031]FIG. 5 is a top cross-sectional view of the vertical cable raceway of FIG. 2 taken along line  5 - 5 ;  
         [0032]    [0032]FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of portions of the cover assembly shown in FIG. 1, including the hinge/lock block assembly;  
         [0033]    [0033]FIG. 7 is a rear perspective view of the hinge block of FIG. 6;  
         [0034]    [0034]FIG. 8 is a rear perspective view of the lock of FIG. 6;  
         [0035]    [0035]FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a vertical cable raceway in accordance with a second preferred embodiment of the present invention; and  
         [0036]    [0036]FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a vertical cable raceway in accordance with a third preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0037]    [0037]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a vertical cable raceway  10  in accordance with a first preferred embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the vertical cable raceway  10  comprises a channel assembly  20  and a cover assembly  60 . The channel assembly  20  includes a trough  22  and a plurality of cable guides  36 . The trough  22  has a base member  24  and two side members  26 ,  28  extending perpendicularly therefrom. The trough  22  may be formed from a sheet of suitable metal, such as aluminum or steel, and bent into shape, or it may be machined or extruded from a suitable metal material. As perhaps best illustrated in FIG. 3, each side member  26 ,  28  includes a plurality of circular apertures  30  for mounting the trough  22  to a rack  12 , frame, cabinet or the like, as shown in FIG. 2, and an evenly-spaced series of small rectangular apertures  32  extending along its outer edge for mounting the cable guides  36  thereto.  
         [0038]    [0038]FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of a portion of the vertical cable raceway  10  of FIG. 1. Each cable guide  36  includes a linear projection support bracket  38  and a plurality of T-shaped projections  40  extending therefrom. The projection support bracket  38  has a planar flange  42  and a series of tabs  44  forming a channeled recess  46  therebetween. Evenly-spaced bosses  48  are disposed on the inward-facing surfaces of at least some of the tabs  44  for mating with the rectangular apertures  32  in the side members  26 ,  28  of the trough  22 . The cable guide  36  may be mounted on a side member  26 ,  28  of the trough  22  by aligning the bosses  48  on the tabs  44  with the rectangular apertures  32  in the trough  22  and then inserting the side member  26 ,  28  into the channeled recess  46  between the planar flange  42  and the series of tabs  44 . As the side member  26 ,  28  is inserted, the bosses  48 , which are preferably beveled, may make contact with the side member  26 ,  28 , thus urging the lateral deflection of the tabs  44 . As the edge of the side member  26 ,  28  is seated in the bottom of the channeled recess  46 , the bosses  48  spring back into the rectangular apertures  32  and are thereafter retained therein, thus preventing the cable guide  36  from being removed.  
         [0039]    In a feature of the present invention, one or more slots  34  may extend inward from the edge of each side member  26 ,  28 , and at least one positioning boss  35  may be disposed on each projection support bracket  38 . Alignment of the cable guide  36  with the side member  26 ,  28  may then be facilitated by aligning the positioning boss  35  with the slot  34  and inserting it therein. This causes the other bosses  48  to be properly aligned with the rectangular apertures  32 , and the continuing disposition of the positioning boss  35  within the slot  34  aids in guiding the cable guide  36  onto the edge of the side member  26 ,  28  until fully seated thereon.  
         [0040]    Each T-shaped projection  40  includes a reinforced base  50 , a shaft  52  and a crosspiece  54 . Each pair of adjacent T-shaped projections  40  defines a cable ring  56  formed by the respective bases  50 , shafts  52  and crosspieces  54  of the projections  40  and the body of the projection support bracket  38 . An opening into each cable ring  56  is provided by a gap  58  between the ends of the crosspieces  54  of each pair of adjacent projections  40 . This gap  58  permits cables to be inserted into the ring  56  by passing them sideways through the gap  58 , as described further hereinbelow.  
         [0041]    The respective projections  40  are evenly spaced along the length of the cable guide  36  at a standardized spacing. In the embodiment shown and described, the spacing between the respective projections  40  is equal to a single standard rack mounting unit (“RMU”), but it should be obvious that other standard spacings could be used such as spacings measured in alternative units or spacings which are multiples of the RMU. By using such a standard spacing, it is ensured that a cable ring  56  is disposed at, and dedicated to, each RMU along the height of a rack  12 . The benefit of this will become further evident below.  
         [0042]    Because the cable guide  36  is formed separately from the trough  22  and subsequently attached thereto, rather than being formed integrally therewith, the cable guide  36  may be formed from a different material than the trough  22 . Thus, although the trough  22  may preferably be formed from metal, the cable guides  36  may be injection-molded from plastic in order to create rounded or beveled edges along the edges of the T-shaped projections  40 . The rounded edges of the cable rings  56  do not chafe cables inserted therein like the sharp metal edges of prior art raceways would, while the rounded edges and corners of the edges of the ends of the crosspieces  54  enable cables being installed in the cable rings  56  to be smoothly guided through the gaps  58 . In addition, by forming the shafts  52  of the projections  40  from plastic rather than from sheet metal, the width of the shafts  52  may be reduced while still providing the requisite strength and resiliency, thus allowing the cable rings  56  to be widened considerably relative to the width of the shafts  52 . As a result, each cable ring  36  includes a C-shaped opening having concave top and bottom portions and a narrow entry gap  58  relative to the width and height of the ring  56 , thus maximizing the utility of the cable ring  56  in receiving and retaining a greater number of cables therein than was previously possible.  
         [0043]    [0043]FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a portion of the vertical cable raceway  10  of FIG. 2 illustrating the attachment of the cover assembly  60  to the channel assembly  20 . The cover assembly  60  includes a cover  62  and a plurality of hinge supports  64 . The cover  62  may be formed from sheet metal. Flanges  66  are formed along the lateral edges of the cover  62  to provide strength along the length of the cover  62  as well as for use with the hinging mechanism of the hinge supports  64  as described below. The cover  62  also includes a plurality of openings  68 , perhaps best illustrated in FIG. 6, for use with the hinge supports  64 . Each hinge support  64  includes a cover support  70 , a cover support bracket  72  and a hinge/lock block assembly  74 .  
         [0044]    Referring again to FIG. 3, each cover support  70 , which may be injection-molded from plastic, includes a body portion  76 , a hinge pivot shaft  78  disposed at one end of the body portion  76  and inner and outer mounting tabs  80 ,  82  disposed at the opposite end. The hinge pivot shaft  78  may be supported by support members  84  which are inwardly offset to create a channeled area  86  between the end of the body portion  76  and the hinge pivot shaft  78 , perhaps best illustrated in FIG. 5. This channeled area  86  is adapted to receive the edge of one of the flanges  66  along the lateral edges of the cover  62  when the cover  62  is hinged open, as further described hereinbelow.  
         [0045]    Like the channel  46  formed by the tabs  44  of the projection support bracket  38 , a channeled recess  88  is formed between the inner and outer mounting tabs  80 ,  82  of the cover support  70 , as perhaps best shown in FIG. 5. A boss  90  is disposed on the inward-facing surface of the outer tab  82  for mating with one of the rectangular apertures  32  in the side members  26 ,  28  of the trough  22 . The cover support  70  may be mounted on a side member  26 ,  28  of the trough  22 , adjacent to one or more cable guides  36  by aligning the boss  90  on the inward-facing surface of the outer tab  82  with a rectangular aperture  32  in the trough  22  and then inserting the side member  26 ,  28  into the channeled recess  88  between the inner and outer tabs  80 ,  82 . As the side member  26 ,  28  is inserted, the boss  90 , which is preferably beveled, may make contact with the side member  26 ,  28 , thus urging the lateral deflection of the outer tab  82 . As the edge of the side member  26 ,  28  is seated in the bottom of the channeled recess  88 , the boss  90  springs back into the rectangular aperture  32  and is thereafter retained therein, thus preventing the cover support  70  from being removed. Further strength may be imparted by passing fasteners through mounting apertures in the cover supports  70  and the trough  22 .  
         [0046]    The shape of the sides of the body portion  76  is similar to the shape of the sides of the T-shaped projections  40 . Each side of the body portion  76 , together with the T-shaped projection  40  adjacent thereto, defines a cable ring  56  formed by the base  50 , shaft  52  and crosspiece  54  of the adjacent projection  40  and the correspondingly-shaped side of the body portion  76 . An opening into each cable ring  56  is provided by a gap  58  between the end of the crosspiece  54  of the adjacent T-shaped projection  40  and the similar protrusion on the side of the body portion  76 . This gap  58  permits cables to be inserted into the ring  56  by passing them sideways through the gap  58 , as described further hereinbelow. The cover support  70  is preferably one RMU in size, and the cable rings  56  formed above and below it are preferably of the same dimensions as the cable rings  56  formed by the cable guides  36 . Once again, the benefit of this will become further evident below.  
         [0047]    Referring to FIGS. 3 and 5, the cover support  70  may be further strengthened by the use of a cover support bracket  72  formed from sheet metal. A tab  92  may be disposed at one end of the bracket  72  to be inserted into an undercut  91  in the end of the body portion  76  of the cover support  70 , and the body of the cover support bracket  72  may rest against the body portion  76  of the cover support  70 . In this position, the end of the cover support bracket  72  is disposed between, and substantially coplanar with, the inner mounting tabs  80  of the cover support  70 . The same fasteners used to secure the outer mounting tab  82  of the cover support  70  to the side member  26 ,  28  of the trough  22  may also be used to attach the cover support bracket  72  on the opposite surface of the side member  26 ,  28 .  
         [0048]    [0048]FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of portions of the cover assembly  60  shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 7 is a rear perspective view of the hinge block  94  of FIG. 6. Each hinge/lock block assembly  74  includes a hinge block  94  and a lock assembly  96 . The hinge block  94  has a pair of locating bosses  98 , a lock boss  100 , a lock stop  102 , a pivot face  104  disposed in a recessed area between two inwardly facing support faces  105 , and a lock knob hole  106 . The block  94  is installed on the inside of the cover  62  with the lock boss  100  and locating bosses  98  protruding through openings  68  in the cover  62 . The lock assembly  96  includes a lock  108 , a lock knob  110  and a wave spring washer  112 . The lock knob  110  includes a recessed area  114 , a lock knob shaft  116  having a pair of lock knob slots  118  therein, and an axial central hole  120 . The spring washer  112  is retained around the shaft  116  in the recessed area  114  to frictionally maintain the lock  108  in the desired disposition, and the shaft  116  is inserted through the lock knob hole  106  in the hinge block  94  with the washer  112  disposed between the knob  110  and the outside surface of the cover  62 .  
         [0049]    [0049]FIG. 8 is a rear perspective view of the lock  108  of FIG. 6. The lock  108  has a center hole  122 , a first rib  124  on the inside of the center hole  122 , a pair of lock stops or ribs  126  outside the center hole  122 , a circular groove  128  extending circumferentially between the lock stops  126 , a screw hole  130  and a lock hook  132 . Referring again to FIG. 6, the center hole  122  mounts onto the lock knob shaft  116  with the rib  124  in one of the lock knob slots  118 . The lock  108  is positioned so that the hinge block lock stop  102  is trapped in the circular groove  128  formed between the lock stops  126 , the length of which serves to limit the rotation of the knob  110  and to define the open and closed positions of the lock  108 . A screw is installed through the screw hole  130  and into the central hole  120  of the lock knob  110  to retain it thereto.  
         [0050]    In a preferred embodiment, at least two hinge/lock block assemblies  74  are disposed along each lateral edge of the cover  62  to enable the cover  62  to be hinged open on either lateral edge, as illustrated in FIG. 2. A cover support  70  and cover support bracket  72  corresponding to each hinge/lock block assembly  74  are disposed at appropriate locations on the trough  22 . Referring again to FIG. 5, the cover  62  may then be mounted onto the trough  22  by first placing the locks  108  along at least one lateral edge of the cover  62  in their open positions. The cover  62  is then positioned so that each corresponding cover support hinge pivot shaft  78  is trapped between the flange  66  along that lateral edge of the cover  62  and the pivot face  104  of the hinge block  94 . The vertical load of the cover  62  is supported by one of the hinge block support faces  105  resting on the end of the hinge pivot shaft  78 . Once the hinge/lock block assemblies  74  are placed in this position, the lock knobs  110  may be rotated to their closed positions. In the closed position, each lock hook  132  is positioned over its respective hinge pivot shaft  78  and between the support members  84 . When so closed, the hinge pivot shaft  78  thus functions as a pin enclosed within a generally cylindrical barrel formed by the lock hook  132 , the cover flange  66 , and the hinge block pivot face  104 . The cylindrical shape of the barrel is created by the arcuate surfaces of the hinge block pivot face  104  and the underside of the lock hook  132 . In this arrangement, the axis of rotation of each lock knob  110  is generally perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the hinge block  94  about the cover support hinge pivot shaft  78 .  
         [0051]    In a preferred embodiment, the cover support  70  and cover support brackets  72  of the hinge/lock block assemblies  74  are interspersed between cable guides  36  along the side members of the trough  22 , as illustrated in FIG. 2. Because all of the cable rings  56  formed along the cable guides  36 , all of the cable rings  56  formed between the ends of the cable guides  36  and the cover supports  70  disposed therebetween, and all of the cover supports  70  themselves are preferably each a single RMU in vertical length, each cable ring  56  is thus disposed at a particular RMU segment location along the rack  12  to which the vertical cable raceway  10  is attached. Further, as described previously, electrical components and accessories such as horizontal raceways  16 , patch panels (not shown) and other cable routing apparatuses are frequently sized and measured in whole numbers of RMU&#39;s. Thus, by installing such components and accessories at particular RMU segment locations along the rack  12 , an installer can be assured that at least one cable ring  56  will substantially always be located laterally adjacent to each component or accessory so installed. In an exception to this arrangement, a component or accessory having a height of only a single RMU and disposed immediately adjacent one of the cover supports  70  may not have a cable ring  56  located laterally adjacent thereto. Thus, for example, a rack  12  of 45 RMU which uses a cover assembly  60  having three hinge supports  64  as illustrated herein would have forty-two usable cable rings  56 , meaning that 93% of the RMU&#39;s in the rack  12  would have a cable ring  56  immediately adjacent thereto. Similarly, a rack  12  of 20 RMU which uses a cover assembly  60  having two hinge supports  64  as illustrated herein would have eighteen usable cable rings  56 , meaning that 90% of the RMU&#39;s in the rack  12  would have a cable ring  56  immediately adjacent thereto. It should be understood, however, that cable supports  70  may alternatively be designed with a structure forming a cable ring  56  without departing from the scope of the present invention.  
         [0052]    In operation, the vertical cable raceway  10  may be attached to the side of a rack  12  using some or all of the circular apertures  30  in one side member  26 ,  28  of the trough  22  and suitable fasteners. As illustrated, the rack  12  may include one or more pairs of vertical support members  14  to which the raceway  10  may be attached directly, or the raceway  10  may alternatively be mounted adjacent the vertical support members  14  using some other additional support structure (not shown). With the cover  62  either hinged open on the side of the raceway  10  adjacent to the rack or removed entirely, cables may easily be installed vertically through the raceway  10  merely by moving the cables sideways into the trough  22 . If one or more cable needs to be routed horizontally from the trough  22  to a component or accessory installed on or in the rack, each such cable may be bent and inserted sideways through the gap  58  in one of the cable rings  56  immediately adjacent to the chosen component or accessory. Other cables may likewise be routed through the same cable ring  56 , a different cable ring  56  to the same component or accessory, or to a different location altogether. Once all cable routing in both the vertical and horizontal directions is complete, the cover  62  may then be closed, in order to retain the respective cables in place, by either hinging the cover  62  closed and locking it as described previously, or by installing the unattached cover  62  on the cover supports  70 , also as described previously.  
         [0053]    [0053]FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a vertical cable raceway  210  in accordance with a second preferred embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the vertical cable raceway  210  comprises a double-channel assembly  220  and a pair of cover assemblies  60 . The double-channel assembly  220  includes a double-trough  222  and two sets of cable guides  36 . The double-trough  222  has a base member  24  and two double-side members  226 ,  228  extending perpendicularly therefrom, thereby forming two separate, back-to-back channels from a double-trough  222  having an H-shaped cross-section. The cable guides  36  and all other components of the raceway  210  of the second preferred embodiment are identical to those of the raceway  10  of the first preferred embodiment, with the second set of components being assembled and utilized in the same way as the first except in reverse.  
         [0054]    [0054]FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a vertical cable raceway  310  in accordance with a third preferred embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the vertical cable raceway  310  comprises a modified single-channel assembly  320  and a cover assembly  60 . The modified channel assembly includes an alternative trough  322  and a set of cable guides  36 . The alternative trough  322  has a base member  24  and two modified side members  326 ,  328  extending perpendicularly therefrom. Unlike the trough  22  of the first preferred embodiment, each side member  326 ,  328  is bifurcated into primary and secondary planar members  325 ,  327  by a pair of closely spaced longitudinal bends  329 . The secondary planar member  327  of each side member  326 ,  328  is thus offset slightly inward from, but parallel to, the primary planar member  325  of the side member  326 ,  328 . The offset provides sufficient lateral space to accommodate the width of the cable guides  36  and cover supports  70  such that, when mounted on the trough  322 , they do not extend beyond the outermost surfaces of the side members  326 ,  328 . This feature thus helps to prevent the components of the raceway  310  from interfering with the rack  12  and the components and cables mounted thereon. The cover assembly  60 , cable guides  36  and all other components of the raceway  310  of the third preferred embodiment are identical to those of the raceway  10  of the first preferred embodiment. Also, it should be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art that the double-channel assembly  220  may be similarly modified.  
         [0055]    It will therefore be readily understood by those persons skilled in the art that the present invention is susceptible of broad utility and application. Many embodiments and adaptations of the present invention other than those herein described, as well as many variations, modifications and equivalent arrangements, will be apparent from or reasonably suggested by the present invention and the foregoing description thereof, without departing from the substance or scope of the present invention. Accordingly, while the present invention has been described herein in detail in relation to its preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that this disclosure is only illustrative and exemplary of the present invention and is made merely for purposes of providing a full and enabling disclosure of the invention. The foregoing disclosure is not intended or to be construed to limit the present invention or otherwise to exclude any such other embodiments, adaptations, variations, modifications and equivalent arrangements, the present invention being limited only by the claims appended hereto and the equivalents thereof.