Patents Represented by Attorney, Agent or Law Firm Christopher S. Clancy
  • Patent number: 6484367
    Abstract: A two-piece cable tie is provided that can be more readily assembled and achieves a low insertion force while maintaining desired strap retention force. The cable tie includes a metal locking device that is bent at a predetermined bend angle and then precisely located within a locking device receiving cavity. The cable tie includes a strap including a first end and a free end and a locking head secured to the first end of the strap along a strap attachment axis. The locking head includes a strap accepting channel in the head that has a strap entry end and a strap exit end on opposite ends of a strap accepting channel axis. The strap accepting channel divides the locking head into a first part and a second part, with the first part being secured to the first end of the strap and the second part including metal locking device receiving cavity adjacent to and open toward the strap exit end of the locking head and an extending wall located between the receiving cavity and the strap accepting channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2002
    Assignee: Panduit Corp.
    Inventors: Jack E. Caveney, Robert J. Krisel, James A. Brownlee
  • Patent number: 6478499
    Abstract: An adjustable corner fitting suitable for use with a cable raceway duct system includes first and second interconnectable arcuate base members and first and second interconnectable covers. One of the base members has at least one arcuate slot and the other of the base members has at least one boss positionable within the at least one slot. The arcuate slot has a curvature and a length that constrains the boss within the slot and allows pivoting of the first base member relative to the second base member about a pivot point within a predetermined range of relative angular movement when the first and second interconnectable arcuate base members are mated. One of the covers has at least one slot and the other has at least one latch positionable within the slot of the one cover.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2002
    Assignee: Panduit Corp.
    Inventors: Kurt J. Fugman, James L. Walke
  • Patent number: 6477746
    Abstract: A cable tie for releasably bundling together a plurality of elongated objects. The cable tie includes an elongated band for circumscribing the plurality of elongated objects, and a locking head disposed thereon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2002
    Assignee: Panduit Corp.
    Inventor: Lennart Axelsson
  • Patent number: 6473942
    Abstract: A cable tie is provided having a lowered cable strap insertion force. The cable tie includes a strap with a first end and a free end, a locking head having a strap accepting channel, and a metal locking device mounted within a metal locking device receiving cavity of the head having a fixed end mounted to a support of the locking head and a free end positioned within the strap accepting channel. The locking head includes a recessed pocket provided between the fixed end and the strap accepting channel that defines a reduced thickness support membrane that allows controlled deflection of the fixed end to achieve lower strap insertion force. By making the recessed pocket open into the metal locking device receiving cavity, molding and aesthetic advantages can be achieved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2002
    Assignee: Panduit Corp.
    Inventors: Jack E. Caveney, James A. Brownlee
  • Patent number: 6476327
    Abstract: A raceway section forms part of a raceway system for routing, protecting and enclosing cabling, and includes a base member, which may be U-shaped, and two split covers independently removably attached to side walls of the base member, such as by a hook and buckle attachment system. The base member defines a cable receiving channel and a longitudinally extending top opening. The split covers each have a laterally extending cover portion, an outside edge portion, and an inside edge portion, wherein the split covers each cover a portion of the longitudinally extending top opening such that a substantial amount of the top opening is covered. The inside edge portions are juxtaposed to form a longitudinally extending slot sufficiently wide to allow the removal or insertion of a cable through the slot without removal of the split covers. For insertion or removal of larger cables or bundles, one or both split covers can be removed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2002
    Assignee: Panduit Corp.
    Inventors: William A. Bernard, Nicolas Youssef
  • Patent number: 6471171
    Abstract: A bracket system for attachment to a rail is disclosed. The bracket system includes a first bracket having a front portion, a first side portion, a second side portion opposite the first side portion, and a top portion. Each of the first and second side portions of the first bracket have a notch for securing the first bracket to the rail. The bracket system also includes a second bracket having a front portion, a first side portion, a second side portion opposite the first side portion, and a top portion. Each of the first and second side portions of the second bracket have a notch for securing the second bracket to the rail. The first side portion of the first and second brackets each have at least one slot, and the second side portion of the first and second brackets each have a tab. The at least one slot of the first bracket is configured to receive the tab of the second bracket when the second bracket is inverted and attached to the first bracket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2002
    Assignee: Panduit Corp.
    Inventor: Charles VanderVelde
  • Patent number: 6459038
    Abstract: An up-spout fitting useful for mounting onto various duct sections of a cable duct system having a base and side walls with a hinge arrangement. The up-spout fitting includes at least a pair of up-spout fitting halves. Each fitting half includes, a base element having a complementary hinge arrangement on at least one side thereof and side walls projecting upward from the base element and defining an outlet aperture that is open on at least one side of the fitting half and open on both a bottom and a top of the fitting half. The pair of fitting halves are mountable onto the duct section with respective outlet apertures facing each other to form a common outlet aperture substantially closed on the sides while remaining open on both the top and bottom to allow cable passage therethrough. By making the side walls of each fitting L-shaped, rotational opening of individual fitting halves can be achieved without interference with the other fitting half or cables located within the duct and fitting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2002
    Assignee: Panduit Corp.
    Inventors: Dennis J. Waszak, William A. Bernard
  • Patent number: 6447326
    Abstract: A patch cord connector for electrically and mechanically connecting a plurality of wires from a cable into a patch panel. The connector includes a housing having a cable entry aperture, a load bar retainable in the housing for arraying termination points of the plurality of wires into a predetermined configuration, and a printed circuit board having a first set of terminals for engaging the arrayed termination points of the plurality of wires and a second set of terminals for engaging the patch panel. The first and second sets of terminals are electrically connected by the printed circuit board. The housing includes a retention mechanism for retaining the cable and providing strain relief relative to the cable entry aperture and/or includes complementary support structure between the housing and the terminal to provide strain relief to the printed circuit board.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2002
    Assignee: Panduit Corp.
    Inventors: William O. Teach, Russell A. Vanderhoof
  • Patent number: 6443403
    Abstract: A routing clamp for routing a bundle of elongated members along a mounting surface having an aperture therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2002
    Assignee: Panduit Corp.
    Inventors: Barry O. Page, Kevin L. Nelson, Victor D. Potter
  • Patent number: 6439523
    Abstract: A system for attaching an enclosure to a fiber optic rack is disclosed. The system includes at least one bracket having a mounting aperture pattern which at least partially matches the rack aperture patterns presently in use.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2002
    Assignee: Panduit Corp.
    Inventors: Philip B. Chandler, Jr., Michael T. Vavrik
  • Patent number: 6437244
    Abstract: A hinged duct system with a hinged cover is provided that includes a base member and a duct cover. The base member has a bottom wall and sidewalls defining a receiving channel. A distal end of at least one of the sidewalls includes a base hook having an inwardly directed flange portion and a convex portion extending outwardly from the receiving channel towards the at least one sidewall. A distal end of the convex portion is spaced from the flange portion to define a cavity therebetween. The duct cover is hingedly attached to the at least one sidewall. The duct cover includes at least one curved end portion forming a hinge end section. The hinge end section includes a cover hook having a distal end receivable in the base member cavity and a cover flange spaced inwardly from the cover hook. When the duct cover is mounted to the base member the cover flange abuts the convex portion of the base hook with a pre-load pressure that creates a point of contact pressure engagement point on the convex portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2002
    Assignee: Panduit Corp.
    Inventor: Charles Vander Velde
  • Patent number: 6437243
    Abstract: The reenterable wireway system of the present invention includes a channel-shaped slotted duct, an integrally co-extruded U-shaped cover assembly and discrete latches. The duct has an elongate base and two substantially parallel duct walls extending generally perpendicularly from the base with each of the walls disposed adjacent respective longitudinal edges thereof. The duct walls include at least a pair of adjacent duct fingers which define a slot permitting selective routing of wires of the bundle. The cover assembly has an elongate planar center element with a plurality of hinges and a plurality of corner elements, which have a first component co-planar with the central element, and a second component depending normal to the first component disposed. The orientation of the first and second components may be changed when the cover is molded to be biased in a “remain-open” position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2002
    Assignee: Panduit Corp.
    Inventors: Charles F. VanderVelde, Donald C. Wiencek
  • Patent number: 6427952
    Abstract: A cable management ring for managing the routing paths of electrical or communication wires, cords, cables and other elongated elements includes a pair of arms extending from a baseplate, at least one of the arms being L-shaped and constructed so that it can be rotatably flexed to a fully open position with respect to the other arm. The baseplate of the ring includes one of a variety of mounting mechanism for attaching the ring to a rack or other desired mounting surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2002
    Assignee: Panduit Corp.
    Inventors: Jack E. Caveney, Joseph A. Dukes
  • Patent number: 6422764
    Abstract: A termination clamp for the optical fiber of a fiber optic cable is disclosed. The clamp includes a crimpable housing, adapted to receive first and second clamp members. The fiber extends between the clamp members and crimping of the housing secures the fiber within the termination. One clamp member includes an exit chamfer to avoid bending of the fiber during crimping.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2002
    Assignee: Panduit Corp.
    Inventor: Samuel M. Marrs
  • Patent number: 6419400
    Abstract: A coupler having converging corner-wall sections is disclosed. Convergence thereof provides the draft necessary to remove the coupler form a conventional plastic mold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2002
    Assignee: Panduit Corp.
    Inventors: Jerry A. Wiltjer, Edward G. Blomquist
  • Patent number: D462253
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2002
    Assignee: Panduit Corp.
    Inventors: Jack E. Caveney, John J. Bulanda, Scott R. Hartman
  • Patent number: D463253
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2002
    Assignee: Panduit Corp.
    Inventor: Mark E. Canty