Patent ID: 8070112

Claim:
A overhead cable management system, comprising: a) an overhead cable pathway structure defining a cable-carrying region in which cables run in a first direction; and b) an arrangement of cable storage devices, each cable storage device being mounted to the overhead cable pathway structure, each cable storage device including: i) a mounting bracket that mounts the cable storage device to the overhead cable pathway structure, the mounting bracket: 1) defining a cable pathway exit having a curved surface that guides excess cable out of the overhead pathway structure in a second direction transverse to the first direction, the cable pathway exit having an inner portion located within the cable-carrying region and an outer portion located outside the cable-carrying region of the overhead cable pathway structure; 2) defining only two spool-attachment locations; and 3) including a first plurality of discrete fingers located along a first edge of the cable pathway exit and a second plurality of discrete fingers located along a second edge of the cable pathway exit, the discrete fingers retaining the exiting excess cable within the cable pathway exit, the discrete fingers extending along a substantial majority of the length of the cable pathway exit such that at least a first finger of each plurality of discrete fingers is located on the inner portion of the cable pathway exit and at least a second finger of each plurality of discrete fingers is located on the outer portion of the cable pathway exit; and ii) two cable storage spools releasably attached to the mounting bracket at the two spool-attachment locations, the two cable storage spools being pivotally separable from one another; the cable storage spools being located outside the cable-carrying region of the overhead cable pathway structure; iii) wherein during storage use, the cable storage spools are oriented such that excess cable stored on each cable storage spool is wrapped about the cable storage spool in the second direction transverse to the first direction; c) wherein each cable storage device of the arrangement of cable storage devices is spaced from an adjacent cable storage device such that each spool of the arrangement is pivotally separated from adjacent spools without pivoting the adjacent spools.