Modular compter cable spool

Abstract

Keeping computer, router and switch cables organized can be challenging as cables may have excess length which can become entangled with each other and which can be susceptible to damage. The enclosed invention relates to a modular spool. Many copies of the spool may be linked together to a large number with ease and convenience. They may also be easily separated for convenient maintenance. Each spool has a male connector on one end and a female connector on the other end, so that one spool design can result in large lengths of connected spools. The spools may be connected by a bayonet style system or by screws or pins after alignment with a notch and key system.An alternative embodiment has an array of nubs which matches an array of nub ports which may be aligned by the shape of the plates at the end of the spools.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONReferences Cited[0001]U.S. Pat. No. 3,606,002 Miller[0002]U.S. Pat. No. 4,416,373 deLarosiere, Pierre J.[0003]U.S. Pat. No. 5,096,063 Schreiter, Michael E[0004]U.S. Pat. No. 6,497,382 King[0005]U.S. Pat. No. 7,637,771 Lauren[0006]U.S. Pat. No. 7,651,047 Peng et al[0007]Personal computers are usually serviced by multiple cables which serve a variety of functions such as mouse, printer, internet, speakers and many more. Routers and switches can have even more cables. But these cables can be hard to organize. The excess length of the various cables allows them to become tangled which can make minor computer repairs an exercise in disentanglement. Even worse, these excess wires can become vulnerable to physical damage due to people stepping on them or chair casters running over them. Since this damage to the wires can result in random and intermittent signal corruption, these excess lengths of cable are a source of system vulnerability which can be hard to iso...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The invention is a spool that can be easily connected to other spools to organize cables for computers, routers, or switches. The spools can be joined to create an infinite number of identical spools. The spools are easy to link and disconnect, making cable management, adding, or removal of cables simple. The spool has male and female connectors on each end and can be joined using a variety of methods such as a bayonet system or a screw or cotter pin combination. The spool can be made as a single plastic part from a mold.

Problems solved by technology

But these cables can be hard to organize.

The excess length of the various cables allows them to become tangled which can make minor computer repairs an exercise in disentanglement.

Even worse, these excess wires can become vulnerable to physical damage due to people stepping on them or chair casters running over them.

Since this damage to the wires can result in random and intermittent signal corruption, these excess lengths of cable are a source of system vulnerability which can be hard to isolate and remedy.

Often times, cables are cut to custom length and the connectors attached by hand but these connections can have less reliability that factory made connections, and are expensive.

The cable organization field has been busy recently with several types of spools, however, none of the prior art has a modular spool which both wraps the excess cable around a spool and organizes multiple spools together in a modular fashion.

Laursen in U.S. Pat. No. 7,637,771 describes a cable management system that couples spools to the system of a vertical panel using a bayonet style connection but this system appears to be hard to install and not economically or spatially efficient.

Schreiter, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,096,063, describes a system of modular spools but the spools connect in the lateral direction rather than the longitudinal direction and so would not be effective for organizing computer cables In U.S. Pat. No. 4,416,373, deLarosiere discloses a method for stacking bottles but this too, does not provide the ease of assembly or lateral stability needed to organize computer cables.

A product has been found which was purchased in Canada, circa 2003, which had a bayonet system for connecting hollow football shaped spheres end to end but this was not a spool shape to easily collect excess cable and was deemed unusable by the consumer of the product.

It lacked the ease of use and stability which an array of nubs and matching ports provides.

This product is particularly unsuitable for router cables due to spatial requirements since it was not a spool.

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