U.S. patent application number 10/817638 was filed with the patent office on 2005-10-06 for mounting fastener for a rack.
Invention is credited to Westphall, Paul E..
Application Number | 20050218091 10/817638 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 35053145 |
Filed Date | 2005-10-06 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050218091 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Westphall, Paul E. |
October 6, 2005 |
Mounting fastener for a rack
Abstract
A mounting fastener for a rack having a clip and a fastener
coupled to the clip, wherein the fastener has a first shaped
exterior adapted for insertion of the fastener into a first shaped
aperture of the rack. The mounting fastener also includes a
mounting adapter selectively disposed adjacent the fastener,
wherein the mounting adapter has a second shaped exterior adapted
for insertion of the adapter into a second shaped aperture of the
rack.
Inventors: |
Westphall, Paul E.;
(Tomball, TX) |
Correspondence
Address: |
HEWLETT PACKARD COMPANY
P O BOX 272400, 3404 E. HARMONY ROAD
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY ADMINISTRATION
FORT COLLINS
CO
80527-2400
US
|
Family ID: |
35053145 |
Appl. No.: |
10/817638 |
Filed: |
April 2, 2004 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
211/26 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47B 81/064 20130101;
H05K 7/1401 20130101; H05K 7/1411 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
211/026 |
International
Class: |
A47F 007/00 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A mounting fastener for a rack, comprising: a clip; a fastener
coupled to the clip, wherein the fastener has a first shaped
exterior adapted for insertion of the fastener into a first shaped
aperture of the rack; and a mounting adapter selectively disposed
adjacent the fastener, wherein the mounting adapter has a second
shaped exterior adapted for insertion of the adapter into a second
shaped aperture of the rack.
2. The mounting fastener of claim 1, wherein the clip comprises a
resilient U-shaped structure.
3. The mounting fastener of claim 1, wherein the fastener comprises
a threaded hole.
4. The mounting fastener of claim 3, wherein the fastener is
secured within the clip.
5. The mounting fastener of claim 1, wherein the fastener comprises
a boss member having the first shaped exterior.
6. The mounting fastener of claim 1, wherein the first shaped
exterior is circular and the second shaped exterior is
rectangular.
7. The mounting fastener of claim 1, wherein the mounting adapter
is disposed substantially around the fastener.
8. A system, comprising: a rack device; and a rack-mounting
assembly, comprising: a clip; a fastener having a boss portion
disposed within the clip, wherein the boss portion has a first
external shape permitting insertion of the boss portion into a rack
aperture; and an insert removably disposed about the boss portion
and having a second external shape permitting insertion of the
insert into a different rack aperture.
9. The system of claim 8, wherein the rack device comprises a rack
structure adapted to support a plurality of rack-mountable
components via the rack-mounting assembly.
10. The system of claim 8, wherein the rack-mountable device
comprises a server.
11. The system of claim 8, wherein the rack-mountable device
comprises a power supply.
12. The system of claim 8, wherein the rack-mountable device
comprises a programmable logic controller.
13. The system of claim 8, wherein the first external shape
comprises a circular circumference and the second external shape
comprises a polygonal circumference.
14. The system of claim 8, wherein the insert comprises a C-shaped
structure.
15. The system of claim 8, wherein the clip comprises a pair of
members springably biased toward one another.
16. A system, comprising: means for coupling a rack-mountable
device to a first shaped rack aperture; and means for adapting the
means for coupling to a second shaped rack aperture.
17. The system of claim 16, comprising the rack-mountable
device.
18. The system of claim 16, comprising a rack having at least one
of the first and second shaped rack apertures.
19. The system of claim 18, comprising the rack-mountable device
mounted in the rack.
20. A method, comprising the acts of: providing a rack-mounting
assembly comprising a clip and a fastener engageable with a first
shaped mounting aperture of a rack; and providing a
fastener-to-aperture adapter engageable with a second shaped
mounting aperture of the rack.
21. The method of claim 20, wherein providing the rack-mounting
assembly comprises forming a U-shaped clip having a pair of members
biased toward one another.
22. The method of claim 20, wherein providing the rack-mounting
assembly comprises positioning the fastener at least partially
within the clip.
23. The method of claim 20, wherein providing the
fastener-to-aperture adapter comprises jacketing the fastener at
least partially with the fastener-to-aperture adapter.
24. The method of claim 20, wherein providing the rack-mount
assembly comprises providing an internally threaded boss member of
the fastener at least partially within a resilient U-shaped
structure of the clip.
25. The method of claim 20, comprising providing a rack-mountable
device that is selectively mountable into a first rack without the
fastener-to-aperture adapter and is selectively mountable into a
second rack with the fastener-to-aperture adapter disposed about
the fastener.
26. A system, comprising: a rack unit; and a threaded clip
fastener, comprising: a pair of resilient clip members extending
opposite one another; an internally threaded boss mounted between
the pair of resilient clip members, wherein the internally threaded
boss has a first external shape to facilitate insertion of the
internally threaded boss through a first rack-mounting aperture; a
mounting aperture adapter, comprising: an opening to facilitate
placement of the mounting aperture adapter about the internally
threaded boss; and a boss having a second external shape
surrounding the opening to facilitate insertion of the boss through
a second rack-mounting aperture different from the first
rack-mounting aperture.
27. The system of claim 26, wherein the rack unit comprises a
rack-mountable server.
28. The system of claim 26, wherein the rack unit comprises a rack
structure comprising a plurality of legs adapted to support a
plurality of rack-mountable devices.
29. The system of claim 26, wherein the first external shape is
substantially cylindrical and the second external shape is
substantially rectangular.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] This section is intended to introduce the reader to various
aspects of art, which may be related to various aspects of the
present invention that are described and/or claimed below. This
discussion is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with
background information to facilitate a better understanding of the
various aspects of the present invention. Accordingly, it should be
understood that these statements are to be read in this light, and
not as admissions of prior art.
[0002] In the computer industry, components are often mounted in a
rack via fasteners, which couple to apertures along the legs of the
rack. The two standard aperture shapes are round and square
openings. As a result, the fasteners are different depending on the
type of opening, i.e., round or square, disposed in the rack. This
variation in mounting fasteners and apertures increases costs and
complicates mounting of components, because multiple fasteners are
provided to ensure mountability of the component with the different
types of racks.
SUMMARY
[0003] A mounting fastener for a rack having a clip and a fastener
coupled to the clip, wherein the fastener has a first shaped
exterior adapted for insertion of the fastener into a first shaped
aperture of the rack. The mounting fastener also includes a
mounting adapter selectively disposed adjacent the fastener,
wherein the mounting adapter has a second shaped exterior adapted
for insertion of the adapter into a second shaped aperture of the
rack.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0004] Advantages of one or more disclosed embodiments may become
apparent upon reading the following detailed description and upon
reference to the drawings in which:
[0005] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a fastener
assembly and a rack-mountable device exploded from a rack in
accordance with embodiments of the present invention;
[0006] FIG. 2 is a partial perspective view illustrating the rack
and the fastener assembly in accordance with embodiments of the
present invention;
[0007] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the fastener assembly in
accordance with embodiments of the present invention;
[0008] FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the fastener assembly in
accordance with embodiments of the present invention;
[0009] FIG. 5 is a side view of the fastener assembly in accordance
with embodiments of the present invention;
[0010] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an adapter for the fastener
assembly in accordance with embodiments of the present invention;
and
[0011] FIG. 7 is a partial perspective view illustrating a leg of
the rack and the fastener assembly in accordance with embodiments
of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0012] One or more specific embodiments of the present technique
will be described below. In an effort to provide a concise
description of these embodiments, not all features of an actual
implementation are described in the specification. It should be
appreciated that in the development of any such actual
implementation, as in any engineering or design project, numerous
implementation-specific decisions must be made to achieve the
developers' specific goals, such as compliance with system-related
and business-related constraints, which may vary from one
implementation to another. Moreover, it should be appreciated that
such a development effort might be complex and time consuming, but
would nevertheless be a routine undertaking of design, fabrication,
and manufacture for those of ordinary skill having the benefit of
this disclosure.
[0013] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a rack assembly 2
having a threaded clip fastener assembly 4 and a rack-mountable
device 6, exploded from the rack assembly 2, in accordance with
embodiments of the present invention. The illustrated fastener
assembly 4 comprises a threaded clip fastener 8 and a mounting
aperture adapter 10. As discussed in detail below, the threaded
clip fastener 8 and mounting aperture adapter 10 facilitate
attachment of the fastener assembly 4 to different types of rack
assemblies 2. For example, the threaded clip fastener 8 alone is
mountable to a round opening, while inclusion of the mounting
aperture adapter 10 with the threaded clip fastener 8 facilitates
mounting to a square opening. Therefore, the fastener assembly 4
facilitates coupling of an attachable apparatus, such as device 6,
to the rack assembly 2 with either a round or a square-shaped
configuration of apertures 12 disposed on a leg or rack structure
14 of the rack assembly 2.
[0014] The illustrated rack assembly 2 has a four-legged frame,
which forms the rack structure 14. Other embodiments of the rack
assembly 2 may have different configurations and components, such
as a two-legged frame, shelves, outer housing panels, electrical
wiring, and so forth. Thus, the rack assembly 2 generally provides
support and storage for a number of different types of components,
as represented by device 6. For example, device 6 may comprise a
server, power supply, stereo component, control system,
programmable logic controller, input device, display device, or
other electronic or computer components. Moreover, the apertures 12
of the rack structure 14 may have different geometries or mounting
configurations, such as a square, rectangular, polygonal,
triangular, key-hole, oblong, or other shaped-opening.
[0015] The fastener assembly 4 facilitates coupling of an
attachable apparatus, such as the device 6, with multiple different
rack assemblies 2 by adapting the threaded clip fastener 8 to those
different shaped apertures 12. Such cooperation may be facilitated
by insertion or removal of the mounting aperture adapter 10 from a
position within the threaded clip fastener 8. In other words, the
fastener assembly 4 facilitates coupling to one shaped aperture 12
(e.g., a round opening) using the threaded clip fastener 8 alone,
and facilitates coupling to a different shaped aperture 12 (e.g., a
square opening) with the mounting aperture adapter 10 coupled to
the threaded clip fastener 8.
[0016] In the illustrated embodiment, the fastener assembly 4 also
facilitates coupling of the device 6 to the rack structure 14 by
ensuring cooperation between a bolt 16, the aperture 12, and the
threaded clip fastener 8 (e.g., a threaded hole in the fastener).
Specifically, FIG. 1 illustrates the device 6 having a mounting ear
18, which aligns with the aperture 12. During mounting, the bolt 16
passes through a hole in the mounting ear 18 and engages the
threaded clip fastener 8 and the aperture 12 of the rack structure
14. In one embodiment, threads on the bolt 16 engage or interlock
with threads on the threaded clip fastener 8 to secure the device 6
to the rack structure 14. Again, depending on the particular
configuration of the aperture 12 (e.g., round or square), the
optional mounting aperture adapter 10 cooperates with the threaded
clip fastener 8 to facilitate coupling of the threaded clip
fastener 8 and device 6 to the rack structure 14. In the
illustrated embodiment, the aperture 12 has a round shape and the
threaded clip fastener 8 alone is configured for this round shape.
Thus, the optional mounting aperture adapter 10 is not disposed
within the threaded clip fastener 8. However, other embodiments may
have different shapes of the aperture 12, which can conformingly
receive the threaded clip fastener 8 without the mounting aperture
adapter 10.
[0017] FIG. 2 is a partial perspective view illustrating the rack
structure 14 and the threaded clip fastener 8 in accordance with
embodiments of the present invention. As illustrated, the aperture
12 has a round or circular configuration 20, which receives a
central boss or cylindrical member (i.e., boss portion 44 of FIG.
5). of the threaded clip fastener 8 without the mounting aperture
adapter 10. However, as mentioned above, alternative embodiments of
the threaded clip fastener 8 may have a central member of another
shape, such as a square, rectangular, polygonal, triangular, or
oval shape, which conforms to a particular configuration of the
aperture 12. For illustrative purposes, the threaded clip fastener
8 is shown in both clipped 22 and unclipped 24 positions relative
to the rack structure 14. During assembly, this central boss or
cylindrical member extends through and substantially conforms to
the circular configuration 20 as the threaded clip fastener 8 wraps
around opposite sides of the rack structure 14 over the aperture
12.
[0018] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the threaded clip fastener 8
in accordance with embodiments of the present invention.
Specifically, FIG. 3 illustrates the threaded clip fastener 8
comprising a threaded hole 30 extending through a U-shaped clip
body 32. The threaded hole 30 also extends through an interior
L-shaped support structure 33, which supports a boss member 44 (see
FIG. 5) having the threaded hole 30. Surrounding the L-shaped
support structure 33 and the boss member 44 (see FIG. 5), the
U-shaped clip body 32 has a lip 34, a spine 36, and a base 38
forming a resilient U-shaped structure. The lip 34 further
comprises a plurality of angled sections 40, which progressively
close onto the base 38. Thus, the U-shaped clip body 32 of this
embodiment facilitates sliding engagement of the threaded clip
fastener 8 about the rack structure 14 until the tongue 33 contacts
the edge of the rack structure 14 (See FIGS. 2 and 3). In certain
embodiments, the engagement between the tongue 33 and the edge of
the rack structure 14 facilitates anti-rotation control of the
threaded clip fastener 8, thereby facilitating threaded engagement
of the threaded hole 30 with the bolt 16. Additionally, the
plurality of angled sections 40 resiliently compress the threaded
clip fastener 8 about the rack structure 14 to secure the threaded
hole 30 in alignment with the aperture 12. For example, the
U-shaped clip body 32 may comprise a material, such as stainless
steel, spring steel, or even plastic. Other embodiments of the
threaded clip fastener 8 may comprise different geometric
configurations and materials.
[0019] FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the threaded clip fastener 8 in
accordance with embodiments of the present invention. Specifically,
FIG. 4 illustrates eyelets 42, which attach the threaded hole 30 to
the U-shaped clip body 32. However, other embodiments of the
threaded clip fastener 8 may have an integral nut, latching
mechanism, or other tool-based or tool-free mechanisms. For
example, the threaded hole 30 may be tapped directly into the base
38 of the threaded clip fastener 8.
[0020] FIG. 5 is a side view of the threaded clip fastener 8 in
accordance with embodiments of the present invention. Specifically,
FIG. 5 illustrates a boss portion 44 and a footing 46 of the
U-shaped clip body 32. During mounting, the threaded clip fastener
8 slidably and springably extends about the rack structure 14 in
alignment with the aperture 12, such that the boss portion 44 fits
into the aperture 12 (see positions 24 and 22 in FIG. 2). In this
embodiment, a round-shaped boss portion 44 facilitates secure
attachment within the correspondingly round-shaped aperture 12.
However, other embodiments of the boss portion 44 may comprise a
different shape, which is adapted to fit a particular configuration
of the aperture 12. For example, the boss portion 44 may have a
square, rectangular, polygonal, triangular, boss-shaped, hook
shaped, oblong, or other shaped-structure.
[0021] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the optional mounting
aperture adapter 10 in accordance with embodiments of the present
invention. Specifically, FIG. 6 illustrates an embodiment of the
mounting aperture adapter 10 having a base portion 60, a raised
square portion or boss 62, a clip portion 64, and a round opening
66. Inserted within the threaded clip fastener 8 (not shown), the
mounting aperture adapter 10 wraps the round opening 66 about the
boss portion 44 (see FIG. 5), such that the mounting aperture
adapter 10 changes the round-shaped exterior of the boss portion 44
to the square-shaped exterior of the raised square portion 62. As
discussed below with reference to FIG. 7, this raised square
portion 62 extends through and conforms to a square-shaped aperture
12, while the U-shaped clip body 32 of the threaded clip fastener 8
wraps around the rack structure 14. Other embodiments of the
optional mounting aperture adapter 10 may have other shapes for the
raised portion 62, thereby facilitating adaptation to other shapes
of the aperture 12.
[0022] FIG. 7 is a partial perspective view illustrating the rack
structure 14 and the fastener assembly 4 in accordance with
embodiments of the present invention. Specifically, FIG. 7
illustrates an embodiment of the rack structure 14 comprising a
square contour 70 of the aperture 12. As illustrated in FIG. 7,
embodiments of the threaded clip fastener 8 and mounting aperture
adapter 10 are shown in both an unattached position 71 and an
attached 72 position relative to the rack structure 14.
[0023] In the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 7, the mounting
aperture adapter 10 slidably engages the threaded clip fastener 8
and the clip portion 64 extends springably around the boss portion
44. Thus, the square portion 62 surrounds the boss portion 44 for
insertion into the square contour 70 of the aperture 12. In certain
embodiments, the mounting aperture adapter 10 may comprise material
that facilitates attachment by being tacky, flexible, malleable, or
elastic. For example, the mounting aperture adapter 10 may comprise
plastic, stainless steel, or spring steel. Further, the opening 66
provides some flexibility in the clip portion 64, thereby
facilitating elastic expansion and contraction about the boss
portion 44.
[0024] During mounting of the threaded clip fastener 8, the raised
square portion 62 fits geometrically within the square contour 70
of aperture 12 on the rack assembly 2, thereby facilitating
mounting with the rack structure 14 as demonstrated by the attached
position 72. In other words, this square fit between the raised
square portion 62 and the square contour 70 functions both to
retain the threaded clip fastener 8 at the aperture 12 and, also,
to prevent rotation of the threaded clip fastener 8 as the bolt 16
threads into the threaded hole 30. As discussed above, the attached
position 72 of the fastener assembly 4 also facilitates secure
coupling of the rack-mountable device 6 to the rack assembly 2.
Again, other embodiments of the raised portion 62 may comprise a
shape different from the contour 70, such as discussed above.
[0025] While the invention may be susceptible to various
modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments have been
shown by way of example in the drawings and will be described in
detail herein. However, it should be understood that the invention
is not intended to be limited to the particular forms disclosed.
Rather, the invention is to cover all modifications, equivalents
and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the
invention as defined by the following appended claims.
* * * * *