Supports: racks – Special article – Electrically powered
Reexamination Certificate
2002-01-30
2003-11-11
Chin-Shue, Alvin (Department: 3634)
Supports: racks
Special article
Electrically powered
Reexamination Certificate
active
06644480
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The subject matter disclosed here generally relates to racks, and more particularly, to an adjustable rackmount assembly with a locking key.
BACKGROUND
A “rack” is a frame or cabinet for holding other equipment, such as servers and/or other computer components. Most computer racks are between 24 and 42 “rack units” in height, with each rack unit being 1.75 inches. A standard rack is 19 inches wide; however, wider racks are also available. For example, Hewlett-Packard Company, of Palo Alto, Calif., offers various “NetServer” rack configurations including its line of “System/E” and “System/U” products. Each of these products has a width of approximately 23.5 inches and a depth of 36.5 inches. However, other commonly-used racks have different depths.
Various “rackmount kits” are also available from Hewlett-Packard in order to provide support members (including, but not limited to, racks and slides) for mounting various components inside its NetServer racks. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,021,909 to Tang et al. (and assigned at issuance to Hewlett-Packard Company) discloses a rail system for use in an equipment enclosure and is incorporated by reference here. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 6,230,903 to Abbot (also assigned at issuance to Hewlett-Packard Company) discloses a rack support rail system and is also incorporated by reference here. However, these conventional rackmount assemblies are limited to 36.5 inch deep rack configurations and can not be easily, or safely, used with racks having other depth dimensions.
SUMMARY
These and other drawbacks of conventional technology are addressed here by providing an adjustable rackmount assembly, including a first support member having a plurality of first longitudinal slots, a second support number having a plurality of second longitudinal slots, a longitudinally-extending tab arranged in each of the second longitudinal slots, and a key for engaging at least one of the tabs and securing the first support member adjacent to the second support member.
The technology described here also relates to a key for securing a first support member adjacent to a second support member of an adjustable rack mount assembly, the key including a torso; at least one pair of arms, extending from each side of the torso, for supporting the torso over the first support member; and at least one head, extending from an end of the torso, for slidably engaging the second support member through a hole in the first support member.
In yet another embodiment, the subject matter described here generally relates to a rack, including a base; at least two columns extending from the base; a first support member, having a plurality of first longitudinal slots, extending from one of the two columns; a second support member, having a plurality of second longitudinal slots, extending from another of the two columns; a tab extending from one end and into each of the longitudinal slots; and a key for securing the first support member adjacent to the second support member; where the key includes a torso; two heads, each head extending from opposite ends of the torso and through adjacent first longitudinal slots, for slidably engaging tabs in adjacent second longitudinal slots; two pairs of arms for supporting the torso over the first support member, each pair of arms arranged near opposite ends of the torso and each arm on one of the pairs extending from opposite sides of the torso; and a hand arranged at the end of each arm for abutting the surface of the first support member that faces away from the second support member.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5546277 (1996-08-01), Zandbergen
patent: 5571256 (1996-11-01), Good et al.
patent: 5791498 (1998-08-01), Mills
patent: 6021909 (2000-02-01), Tang et al.
patent: 6230903 (2001-05-01), Abbott
patent: 6422399 (2002-07-01), Castillo et al.
Chin-Shue Alvin
Purol Sarah
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