Abstract:
A cable clip configured to receive a plurality of cables includes a plurality of cable receiving openings each adapted to grip a cable located therein. The clip includes an upper member and a lower member, each member including a part of each of the cable receiving openings. Each part of an opening in one of the members aligns with a corresponding part of an opening in the other of the members.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention relates to a cable clip and in particular to a clip for holding a plurality of cables, in a particular relationship to one another. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The main connection point into a computer network is via network switches. Devices such as servers, storage, computers, printers and other end user devices connect to the network by the means of a network switch, typically using copper or fibre ethernet cables. End devices use a local port in the wall or floor, the building cabling is then terminated on patch panels in a communications cabinet. It is there where a vast amount of network cables are used to connect from patch panel to network switch. Also in computer data centres a multitude of network switches connect back to larger distribution or core network switches in the most commonly used network architecture model. Virtualisation is now common place in today&#39;s data centres which also means that many servers have their own network switches built in, which now increases the number of cables that need to be managed. In larger end user locations and data centres, hundreds of cables connect into network switches in each communications cabinet. 
         [0003]    If there is a requirement to carryout work on a network switch it may be necessary to remove some or all of the cables connected to one or more sets of network switch ports. Typically, a network has accompanying documentation in which the network architecture is recorded. Sometimes a technician is tasked with replacing a particular network switch, due to failure, upgrade or some other reason. When this replacement is required, before removing the cables from the switch, each cable must be labeled. Even if the documentation is deemed to be up to date, each cable is usually checked and re-documented or a confirmation of location is recorded before removing the cable for the work to take place. This takes considerable time and usually involves two technicians, one labelling individual cables and the other checking and updating the network architecture documentation to speed up the task. 
         [0004]    Even in a well maintained communications cabinet the vast amount of cables makes the task of removing and refitting a number of cables from and to specific configured switch ports a difficult and time consuming task. It is also common place to find that cables running into a communications cabinet do so in an untidy manner, which makes the task even more difficult and takes even more time. 
         [0005]    Network switch ports tend to be grouped together, typically in fours or multiples of four, sixes or multiples of sixes, and eights or multiples of eight. For example, a forty eight network switch may comprise of four columns each comprising two 6 port switch modules mounted one above the other. 
         [0006]    A cable retention clip is described in WO2008/072004. The clip comprises two separable parts. The cables are held in cable guide members in one part of the clip. The clip is designed to attach to tray. 
         [0007]    It would be desirable to provide an improved means of securing a plurality of cables in a particular order. In particular it would be desirable to provide a means of securing a plurality of cables in a particular order with a particular spacing between the so secured cables. 
         [0008]    The present invention seeks to provide such a device in the form of a clip. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0009]    According to the invention, there is provided a cable clip as specified in claim  1 . 
         [0010]    Preferred features of the invention are set out in the claims dependent on claim  1 , the description and the drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0011]    In the drawings, which illustrate preferred embodiments of the invention, and are by way of example: 
           [0012]      FIG. 1   a  is a schematic representation of a forty eight port copper switch/line card; 
           [0013]      FIG. 1   b  is a schematic representation of a forty eight port fibre switch/line card; 
           [0014]      FIG. 1   c  is a schematic representation of a twenty four port copper switch/line card; 
           [0015]      FIG. 1   d  is a schematic representation of a twenty four port fibre switch/line card; 
           [0016]      FIG. 1   e  is a schematic representation of a sixteen port copper switch/line card; 
           [0017]      FIG. 1   f  is a schematic representation of a twelve port copper switch/line card; 
           [0018]      FIG. 1   g  is a schematic representation of an eight port copper switch/line card; 
           [0019]      FIG. 2   a  is a schematic representation of a cable clip according to a first embodiment of the invention; 
           [0020]      FIG. 2   b  is a schematic representation of the cable clip illustrated in  FIG. 2   a  in an open state for attachment to a group of cables; 
           [0021]      FIG. 2   c  is a schematic representation of the cable clip illustrated in  FIG. 2   a  secured with respect to the group of cables; 
           [0022]      FIG. 3   a  is a schematic representation of a cable clip according to a second embodiment of the invention; 
           [0023]      FIG. 3   b  is a schematic representation of the cable clip illustrated in  FIG. 3   a  in an open state for attachment to a group of cables; 
           [0024]      FIG. 3   c  is a schematic representation of the cable clip illustrated in  FIG. 3   a  secured with respect to the group of cables; 
           [0025]      FIG. 4   a  is a schematic representation of the three clips according to the first aspect of the invention connected to the cables extending from three groups of four ports; 
           [0026]      FIG. 4   b  is a schematic representation of twelve clips according to the first aspect of the invention connected to the cables extending from two rows of six groups of four ports; 
           [0027]      FIG. 4   c  is a schematic representation of the twelve clips according to the first aspect of the invention connected to the cables extending from two rows of six groups of four ports; 
           [0028]      FIGS. 5   a  to  5   d  illustrate cable clips according to the first aspect of the invention configured to receive different numbers of cables; 
           [0029]      FIGS. 6   a  to  6   d  illustrate cable clips according to a third aspect of the invention configured to receive different numbers of cables from rows of ports stacked one on top of the other; 
           [0030]      FIGS. 7   a  to  7   c  illustrate cable clips according to the second embodiment of the invention configured to receive different numbers of cables; 
           [0031]      FIGS. 8   a  and  8   b  illustrate a clip according to a third embodiment of the invention; 
           [0032]      FIG. 9  illustrates a clip according to a fourth embodiment of the invention; and 
           [0033]      FIGS. 10   a  and  10   b  illustrates a clip according to a fifth embodiment of the invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0034]      FIGS. 1   a  to  1   g  illustrate different port configurations for different types of cabling. For example,  FIG. 1   a  illustrates a forty eight port switch/line card for copper cables, whereas  FIG. 1   b  illustrates a forty eight port switch/line card for fibre optic cables. The respective diameters of copper and fibre optic cables differ. Also, the distance between adjacent ports differs depending on the type of wire. 
         [0035]    It can be seen from  FIGS. 1   a  to  1   c  and  1   e  that ports may be arranged in rows above one another. 
         [0036]    Also, it can be seen from  FIGS. 1   a  to  1   g  that ports may be grouped together in different numbers. For example, in  FIG. 1   b  the ports are grouped together in fours, whereas in  FIGS. 1   a  and  1   c  the ports are grouped together in sixes. 
         [0037]    As will be understood by one skilled in the art of networking, that each port receives a cable, and it is essential that the correct cable is connected to the correct port due to specific configuration on each specific port. 
         [0038]    Current methods rely on labelling individual cables and removing and replacing them one by one. 
         [0039]    The invention seeks to provide a cable clip that allows cables to be grouped together. The invention further seeks to provide a cable clip that allows cables to be grouped together with a specific spacing between adjacent cables. The advantage of such a clip is that cables can be removed from the ports as a group and re-inserted into the ports as a group. This makes the exercise of documenting the cabling architecture much simpler since rather than each cable of the group being documented individually, a group of cables can be documented as an entity. 
         [0040]    Also, the removal and reinsertion of the cables is made simpler, because the clip ensures that the cables are spaced apart such that if one of the cables is aligned with one of the ports, then all of the cables are aligned with all of the ports in the group. 
         [0041]      FIGS. 2   a  to  2   c  illustrate a clip  10  comprising upper and lower members  10   a,    10   b  joined together at one end by a hinge  11 , a fastener  12  is provided at the other end of the upper member  10   a.  The fastener  12  engages with a protrusion  13  of the lower member  10   b  to fasten the clip  10  closed. The fastener  12  includes a portion  12   a  which the user engages to prise the fastener  12  away from the protrusion  13  to allow the clip to open. 
         [0042]    The upper and lower members  10   a,    10   b  each include a wall  10   c,    10   d.  Each wall  10   c,    10   d  includes a plurality of semi-circular openings  10   e,    10   f,  which align to form circular openings as can be appreciated from  FIGS. 2   a  and  2   c  in particular. 
         [0043]    To use the clip  10  a technician takes the clip illustrated in  FIG. 2   a  and pulls the fastener  12  away from the protrusion  13 . The hinge  11  may be sprung such that the clip is inclined to open when the fastener  12  is disengaged from the protrusion  13 . 
         [0044]    The technician then passes the open clip  10  over a group of cables  14  the ends  15  of which are connected to ports. The circular openings are spaced apart such that they will readily align with the cables, because the spacing between the centres of adjacent openings is matched to the distances between the centres of adjacent ports. There is only a relatively small number of port configurations in use, so different clips may be manufactured to match the spacings of the different port configurations. 
         [0045]    The technician closes the clip which secures the cables in position with respect to one another. For the sake of clarity, in the Figures the cables are shown having a smaller diameter than the openings in the clips in which they lie. However, practically the openings would be sized such each cable is an interference fit in the opening. This allows the clip to grip the cable. This may be achieved by providing a compressible lining to the openings, or simply fabricating the openings such that they are of substantially the same diameter as the cable. Again, there is only a small number of different diameters of cable and hence clips may be fabricated to match the different diameters of cable used. 
         [0046]    The clip  10  is typically formed as a single or dual piece component by moulding plastics, metal or other durable and flexible material. 
         [0047]    The upper member  10   a  includes a flat surface  16 . The flat surface  16  may have a label applied with an indication of the ports to which the cables are attached. Such a label may be pre-marked or the technician may write out the label as he is working. 
         [0048]      FIGS. 3   a  to  3   c  illustrate an alternative embodiment of the invention. The cable clip  20  is again formed from a single piece of plastic, metal or other durable and flexible material. The clip  20  includes an upper and lower members  20   a,    20   b  which are joined together at a  21 . The upper and lower members  20   a,    20   b  each have an end  20   f.  To open the cable clip  20  the technician simply uses his fingers to push the upper and lower members  20   a,    20   b  apart. The clip  20  may then be passed over cables  14 . When the technician ceases to hold the upper and lower members  20   a,    20   b  apart and they return to the closed configuration as shown in  FIG. 3   c.    
         [0049]    The bend  21  in the clip  20  may have a label applied with an indication of the ports to which the cables are attached. Such a label may be pre-marked or the technician may write out the label as he is working. 
         [0050]      FIGS. 4   a  to  4   c  illustrate how the cable clips of the invention may be used. 
         [0051]    In  FIG. 4   a  the ports are grouped together in fours in a single row. A cable clip  10  having four openings for receiving individual cables is provided. 
         [0052]    In  FIG. 4   b  the ports are grouped together in fours in two rows. Again, cable clips  10  having four openings for receiving individual cables are provided. 
         [0053]    In  FIG. 4   c  the ports are grouped together in twelves in two rows. Cable clips  10  having twelve openings for receiving individual cables are provided. 
         [0054]    It will be appreciated from  FIGS. 4   b  and  4   c  in particular that with the cables secured in clips  10  working with the cables is simpler for a technician. For example, in  FIG. 4   b  all the cables  14  extend downward from the ports, whereas in  FIG. 4   c  the cables attached to the upper row of cables extend upward and from the lower row downward. Moving the upper row of cables from the position shown in  FIG. 4   b  to that shown in  FIG. 4   c  is much simpler with the cables clipped together using the cable clips of the invention. 
         [0055]      FIGS. 5 to 7  illustrate three different embodiments of cable clip and for each embodiment a number of variants in terms of the number of cables each clip can receive. 
         [0056]      FIGS. 5   a  to  5   c  illustrate the clip  10  configured to receive four, six and eight cables respectively. In  FIG. 5   c , each opening is lined with a compressible material  16 . 
         [0057]      FIGS. 6   a  to  6   d  illustrate clips  30  configured to attached to cables engaged in ports arranged one row above another, with the ports grouped in fours, sixes, eights and twelves respectively. 
         [0058]      FIGS. 7   a  to  7   d  illustrate the cable clip  20  configured to receive four, six, eight and twelve cables respectively. 
         [0059]      FIGS. 8   a  and  8   b  illustrate a clip  10  where the openings  10   e ′,  10   f  are U-shaped in order that an aligned pair of openings  10   e ′,  10   f  may accommodate two cables  14 . By increasing the depth of the parallel sided part of the U-shaped openings  10   e ′,  10   f  a greater number of cables  14  may be accommodated within an aligned pair of openings. 
         [0060]      FIG. 9  illustrates a further alternative clip  10  featuring a lock  40  to lock together the upper and lower members  10   a,    10   b.  The lock  40  comprises a bore  41  in the lower member  10   a  and bore  41 ′ in the fastener  12 , the bores  41 ,  41 ′ being aligned, and a screw  42 . The bore  41  is threaded and receives the correspondingly threaded screw  42 . The screw  42  has a head  42 ′ requiring a special tool to engage therewith, thereby preventing tampering with the clip  10 . 
         [0061]      FIGS. 10   a  and  10   b  illustrate a further alternative embodiment of the invention. The clip  10  illustrated in  FIGS. 10   a  and  10   b  has a single shallow U-shaped opening  50  in each of the upper and lower members  10   a,    10   b.  For ease of understanding only three cables  14  are illustrated in  FIG. 10   b . It can be appreciated that once the clip  10  is closed, cables  14  cannot slide past one another. Equally, the openings  50  may also be filled with cables  14 , adjacent cables  14  touching one another. 
         [0062]    The cable clip of the invention will make the task of a technician much simpler, saving time and hence cost. It will also reduce the risk of cables being inserted into incorrect ports therefore reducing errors, downtime and consequently even more time and cost.