Features for cable managers and other electronic equipment structures

Abstract

A cable manager includes a backbone assembly and at least one side wall extending from the backbone assembly. The at least one side wall optionally includes one or more cable finger units. The backbone assembly includes a spine member having an extruded construction. The spine member includes one or more channels extending substantially an entire length thereof to facilitate easy attachment, removal and/or repositioning of a structure relative to the spine member. The cable manager optionally includes an accessory rod, a half-spool assembly, a cable finger accessory, a strap/buckle accessory, and/or a door assembly having an interference-free hinge set.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of installing a buckle accessory on an accessory structure of a cable manager, the method comprising:
 providing a buckle member having a socket and at least one slot;   providing a buckle support member having a protrusion extending from one side and a mounting boss extending from an opposite side, the mounting boss having a generally rectangular cross-sectional shape;   arranging the protrusion of the buckle support member through the socket of the buckle member;   positioning the buckle support member such that the mounting boss is arranged through an aperture of the accessory structure; and   rotating the buckle support member such that the generally rectangular cross-sectional shape of the mounting boss extends transversely across the aperture, thereby obstructing the mounting boss from passing back through the aperture.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising positioning a strap for bundling cables through the at least one slot of the buckle member. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the protrusion is a split snap having at least a pair of snap sections that are deflectable toward one another to facilitate receipt of the split snap within the socket. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the buckle member includes at least one arcuate boss that is concentrically arranged relative to the socket. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the buckle support member includes a circular trough that is concentrically arranged relative to the protrusion. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising seating the at least one arcuate boss within the circular trough. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the at least one arcuate boss is slidable within the circular trough such that the buckle member is capable of free rotation relative to the buckle support member. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the buckle member is rotatable 360 degrees relative to the buckle support member. 
     
     
         9 . A method of installing a buckle accessory on an accessory structure of a cable manager, the method comprising:
 providing a buckle member having at least one slot, a socket, and at least one arcuate boss concentrically arranged relative to the socket;   providing a buckle support member having a protrusion extending from one side and a mounting boss extending from an opposite side, wherein the protrusion is surrounded by an uninterrupted circular trough, and wherein the mounting boss has a generally rectangular cross-sectional shape;   arranging the protrusion of the buckle support member through the socket of the buckle member;   seating the at least one arcuate boss of the buckle member within the uninterrupted circular trough;   positioning the buckle support member such that the mounting boss is arranged through an aperture of the accessory structure; and   rotating the buckle support member such that the generally rectangular cross-sectional shape of the mounting boss extends transversely across the aperture, thereby obstructing the mounting boss from passing back through the aperture.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising positioning a strap for bundling cables through the at least one slot of the buckle member. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the protrusion is a split snap having at least a pair of snap sections that are deflectable toward one another to facilitate receipt of the split snap within the socket. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the at least one arcuate boss is slidable within the uninterrupted circular trough such that the buckle member is capable of free rotation relative to the buckle support member. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the buckle member is rotatable 360 degrees relative to the buckle support member. 
     
     
         14 . A method of installing a buckle accessory on an accessory structure of a cable manager, the method comprising:
 providing a buckle member having at least one slot, a socket, and a pair of arcuate bosses concentrically arranged relative to the socket and protruding separately from a common surface of the buckle member, wherein a gap fully separates a first one of the pair of bosses from a second one of the pair of bosses;   providing a buckle support member having a protrusion extending from one side and a mounting boss extending from an opposite side, wherein the protrusion is surrounded by an uninterrupted circular trough, and wherein the mounting boss has a generally rectangular cross-sectional shape;   arranging the protrusion of the buckle support member through the socket of the buckle member;   seating the pair of arcuate bosses of the buckle member within the uninterrupted circular trough;   positioning the buckle support member such that the mounting boss is arranged through an aperture of the accessory structure; and   rotating the buckle support member such that the generally rectangular cross-sectional shape of the mounting boss extends transversely across the aperture, thereby obstructing the mounting boss from passing back through the aperture.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising positioning a strap for bundling cables through the at least one slot of the buckle member. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the protrusion is a split snap having at least a pair of snap sections that are deflectable toward one another to facilitate receipt of the split snap within the socket. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the pair of arcuate bosses is slidable within the uninterrupted circular trough such that the buckle member is capable of free rotation relative to the buckle support member. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the buckle member is rotatable 360 degrees relative to the buckle support member.