Cable Management Arm Pivot Bars for Server Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Cables in computing systems, such as blade server systems, restrict movement and access to electronic components during installation, servicing, or maintenance, and can cause damage due to unordered distribution and misalignment.
Innovation Solution
A cable management arm with a pair of latches and pivotable support bars that move to preset positions to provide clearance from cables, allowing orderly distribution and preventing misalignment, while maintaining cable connectivity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If cables are connected to electronic components in a computing system, then power and communication are facilitated, but cables restrict movement and access to electronic components during installation, servicing, or maintenance
Solution Approach 1:
The cable management system is segmented into multiple support bars that can be independently positioned. Each support bar can be individually adjusted to manage different cables, allowing access to electronic components while maintaining cable organization and connectivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The support bars are designed to be movable and adjustable to different preset positions. This dynamic capability allows the cable management system to adapt during installation, servicing, or maintenance operations, providing clear access to electronic components when needed while maintaining cable management when not in use.
2Ease of operation
If cables are allowed to distribute freely in a computing system, then cable connectivity is maintained, but unordered distribution causes damage and misalignment
Solution Approach 1:
The system provides preset positions for support bars that are pre-determined to optimize cable distribution. By moving support bars to these predetermined positions, cables are automatically guided into proper alignment and orderly distribution, preventing damage and misalignment before issues occur.
Solution Approach 2:
The support bars act as intermediary elements between the cables and the electronic components. These intermediaries guide and organize cables, ensuring orderly distribution and proper alignment while preventing direct contact that could cause damage or misalignment.
3Ease of operation
If electronic components are accessed during servicing, then maintenance can be performed, but cables must be disconnected which may lead to misalignment upon reconnection
Solution Approach 1:
The movable support bars can be dynamically repositioned to preset locations that provide clear access to electronic components during servicing. This allows maintenance personnel to access components without disconnecting cables, and when reconnection is needed, the preset positions ensure proper alignment is maintained.
Solution Approach 2:
The cable management function is extracted from the electronic components themselves and placed onto separate, movable support bars. This separation allows cables to be managed independently from the components they serve, enabling component access without cable disconnection and maintaining alignment through the support bar positioning system.
Data Source
AI summary
Example implementations relate to a cable management arm for a computing system. The cable management arm includes a pair of latches, a pair of first bars, and a second bar. The pair of latches is detachably connectable to a chassis of the computing system. Each first bar has a first end pivotably connected to a respective latch of the pair of latches, and a second end connected to the second bar for defining an open space therebetween. The open space provides a non-interfering entrance for accessing the one or more electronic components from rear side of the chassis. The second bar supports the cables connected to the one or more electronic components. The pair of first bars is pivotable relative to the pair of latches such that the second bar is movable to a plurality of preset positions for providing the clearance from the cables during service event, for instance.