Recessed Cable Management Hooks for Compact Equipment

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing cable management systems for metal fabrication equipment protrude from and add bulk to the equipment housing, complicating portability and increasing weight, as they are externally mounted.

Innovation Solution

An integrated cable management system with recessed pockets and complementary cable management hooks that pivot into the housing, allowing cables to be managed without protrusion, and can be used to pull the enclosure, reducing the need for additional handles and minimizing the equipment's footprint.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If cable management systems are externally mounted to equipment enclosures, then cable management function is provided, but the system protrudes from and adds bulk to the equipment housing, thereby increasing weight and complicating portability

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecable management functionVSAvoidequipment weight

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSWeight of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The cable management hooks are nested within recessed pockets integrated into the equipment housing. When not in use, the hooks are stored inside the housing contours, making the equipment profile sleek and compact. When needed, the hooks can be deployed outward to perform cable management functions, thus eliminating the need for permanent external protrusions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

Solution Approach 2:

The cable management hooks are designed to be movable rather than fixed, allowing them to transition between a retracted position (within the housing) and an extended position (for cable management). This dynamic design enables the system to adapt its form factor based on operational needs, reducing weight and bulk when the hooks are not in use.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Ease of operation

If cable management systems are externally mounted to equipment enclosures, then cable management function is provided, but the system protrudes from and adds bulk to the equipment housing, thereby complicating portability

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecable management functionVSAvoidequipment footprint

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSLength of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The cable management hooks are nested within recessed pockets integrated into the equipment housing. When not in use, the hooks are stored inside the housing contours, making the equipment profile sleek and compact. When needed, the hooks can be deployed outward to perform cable management functions, thus eliminating the need for permanent external protrusions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

Solution Approach 2:

The cable management hooks are designed to be movable rather than fixed, allowing them to transition between a retracted position (within the housing) and an extended position (for cable management). This dynamic design enables the system to adapt its form factor based on operational needs, reducing weight and bulk when the hooks are not in use.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

3Ease of operation

If cable management systems are externally mounted to equipment enclosures, then cable management function is provided, but the system adds bulk to the equipment housing

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecable management functionVSAvoidequipment volume

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSVolume of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The cable management hooks are nested within recessed pockets integrated into the equipment housing. When not in use, the hooks are stored inside the housing contours, making the equipment profile sleek and compact. When needed, the hooks can be deployed outward to perform cable management functions, thus eliminating the need for permanent external protrusions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

Solution Approach 2:

The cable management hooks are designed to be movable rather than fixed, allowing them to transition between a retracted position (within the housing) and an extended position (for cable management). This dynamic design enables the system to adapt its form factor based on operational needs, reducing weight and bulk when the hooks are not in use.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentUS10391580B2Integrated cable management system and apparatus

Publication Date: 2019.08.27 ILLINOIS TOOL WORKS INC

AI summary

A cable management system for a manufacturing apparatus. The cable management system includes a housing having a front panel and a rear panel and a recessed pocket integrated into at least one of the front panel and the rear panel. The cable management system further includes a cable management hook movably mounted to the recessed pocket and having a shape complementary to the recessed pocket so as to be configured to move between an open position external to a shape of the housing and a closed position that is integrated with the shape of the housing.