U.S. patent application number 11/330565 was filed with the patent office on 2007-07-12 for computer server rack system.
This patent application is currently assigned to International Business Machines Corporation. Invention is credited to Aaron Roger Cox, Jason Earl Minyard.
Application Number | 20070158280 11/330565 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 38231746 |
Filed Date | 2007-07-12 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070158280 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Cox; Aaron Roger ; et
al. |
July 12, 2007 |
Computer server rack system
Abstract
A computer server rack system including posts and side walls
attached to the posts. The side walls include a plurality of
folding rails which are individually movable between a storage
position and an inward extending position wherein the rails project
in an inward direction into the computer server rack system from
the side walls.
Inventors: |
Cox; Aaron Roger; (Tucson,
AZ) ; Minyard; Jason Earl; (Tucson, AZ) |
Correspondence
Address: |
HARRINGTON & SMITH, PC
4 RESEARCH DRIVE
SHELTON
CT
06484-6212
US
|
Assignee: |
International Business Machines
Corporation
|
Family ID: |
38231746 |
Appl. No.: |
11/330565 |
Filed: |
January 11, 2006 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
211/26 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H05K 7/1488
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
211/026 |
International
Class: |
A47F 7/00 20060101
A47F007/00 |
Claims
1. A computer server rack system comprising: posts; and side walls
attached to the posts, wherein the side walls comprise a plurality
of folding rails which are individually movable between a storage
position and an inward extending position wherein the rails project
in an inward direction into the computer server rack system from
the side walls.
2. A computer server rack system as in claim 1 wherein the side
walls each comprise a vertical section with vertical seats for
receiving the rails in the storage position.
3. A computer server rack system as in claim 2 wherein the vertical
seats comprise holes in the vertical section.
4. A computer server rack system as in claim 2 wherein at least one
of the vertical section and the rails comprise finger holes for a
user to flip the rails from the storage position.
5. A computer server rack system as in claim 1 wherein the storage
position comprises a vertically upward position.
6. A computer server rack system as in claim 1 wherein the rails
are pivotably connected to the side walls by hinges.
7. A computer server rack system as in claim 1 wherein the side
walls further comprise a detent system for detent locating the
rails in the storage position.
8. A computer server rack system as in claim 1 wherein, when the
rails are in their inward extending position, the rails are located
about 1U apart.
9. A computer server rail system for a rack, the system comprising:
a wall section adapted to be fixedly connected to a frame of the
rack; and rails pivotably attached to the wall section, wherein the
rails are adapted to be moved between a storage position
substantially flush with the wall section and a support position
extending in a direction away from the wall section.
10. A computer server rail system as in claim 9 wherein the rails
are individually movable between the storage position and the
support position.
11. A computer server rail system as in claim 9 wherein the wall
section comprises a vertical section with vertical seats for
receiving the rails in the storage position.
12. A computer server rail system as in claim 11 wherein the
vertical seats comprise holes in the vertical section.
13. A computer server rail system as in claim 11 wherein at least
one of the vertical section and the rails comprise finger holes for
a user to flip the rails from the storage position.
14. A computer server rail system as in claim 9 wherein the storage
position comprises a vertically upward position.
15. A computer server rail system as in claim 9 wherein the rails
are pivotably connected to the side walls by elongate horizontal
hinges.
16. A computer server rail system as in claim 9 further comprising
a detent system for detent locating the rails in the storage
position.
17. A computer server rail system as in claim 9 wherein, when the
rails are in their support positions, the rails are located about
1U apart.
18. A computer server rack system comprising: a frame; and two of
the computer server rail system as in claim 9, wherein the two
computer server rail systems are attached to opposite lateral sides
of the frame, and wherein the frame and the computer server rail
systems are adapted to have a rack shelf connected to the frame
above, and/or below, and/or at the two computer server rail
systems.
19. A method of configuring a computer server rack system
comprising: providing the rack system with side walls having fold
down rails; and folding selected ones of the rails down from a
storage position to a support position to thereby configure
locations of computer component support surfaces, provided by the
folded down rails, to support computer components thereon.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The invention relates to a rack system for a computer and,
more particularly, to a rail system having movably rails.
[0003] 2. Brief Description of Prior Developments
[0004] Various different types of computer rack systems are know.
Generally, a frame comprising two or more posts is provides which
is adapted to receive shelves or rails for computer components,
such as server components for example. Most computing hardware is
designed to be installed into industry standard rack enclosures
with Electronic Industries Alliance (EIA) compliant post and rail
systems. One problem is that this installation method can be a time
consuming process, especially when installing an entire rack full
of hardware or, even worse, several racks of hardware. In one type
of design, shelves and rails are attached by screws which are
screwed into the frame. In one common installation solution two
separate rails are first assembled and then installed into the
rack's EIA posts of the rack enclosure. This method can require
many parts (22 fasteners alone in one example) to assemble and
secure the rails to the EIA posts. Drawbacks include the
complication of many parts, the necessity for tools, and the
frustration of aligning the rails to the correct EIA post positions
on each side of the rack. Also, reconfiguring the rack requires
this time consuming process to be reversed to detach the rails from
the post before they can be moved to another EIA position.
[0005] A newer and improved installation solution has rails which
are designed to be tool-less installed so they can be secured to
the EIA posts without the additional mounting fasteners. A drawback
is that this method still requires the user to carefully align the
rails to the correct front and rear EIA ear positions during
installation. Another drawback is that these rails come in various
U sizes (such as 1U and 3U sizes) and are still "loose parts"
requiring installation before the computing hardware can be
mounted.
[0006] Another hardware mounting solution incorporates fixed
mounting brackets with rails for multiple 1U positions. Drawbacks
include that these brackets are loose parts requiring installation
into the rack, and the rail positions are limited to U increments
of the preformed bracket so these are not further configurable to
adapt to future position changes.
[0007] There is a desire to provide a rail system which can be
integrally provided with the rest of the rack system or easily
added to existing rack systems. There is a desire to provide a rail
system which is easily and quicokly configurable.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] In accordance with one aspect of the invention, a computer
server rack system is provided including posts and side walls
attached to the posts. The side walls include a plurality of
folding rails which are individually movable between a storage
position and an inward extending position wherein the rails project
in an inward direction into the computer server rack system from
the side walls.
[0009] In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a
computer server rail system for a rack is provided comprising a
wall section adapted to be fixedly connected to a frame of the
rack; and rails pivotably attached to the wall section. The rails
are adapted to be moved between a storage position substantially
flush with the wall section and a support position extending in a
direction away from the wall section.
[0010] In accordance with one method of the invention, a method of
configuring a computer server rack system is provided comprising
providing the rack system with side walls having fold down rails;
and folding selected ones of the rails down from a storage position
to a support position to thereby configure locations of computer
component support surfaces, provided by the folded down rails, to
support computer components thereon.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0011] The foregoing aspects and other features of the invention
are explained in the following description, taken in connection
with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
[0012] FIG. 1 is a front view of a computer server rack system
incorporating features of the invention;
[0013] FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the top of the computer server
rack system shown in FIG. 1;
[0014] FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of the left side of
the top of the computer server rack system shown in FIGS. 1 and
2;
[0015] FIG. 4 is a partial cross sectional view of a detent system
which could be used with the rails of the computer server rack
system; and
[0016] FIG. 5 is an enlarged perspective view similar to FIG. 3 of
the left side of the top of a conventional computer server rack
using a wall section comprising features of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0017] Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a perspective view of a
computer server rack system 10 incorporating features of the
invention. Although the invention will be described with reference
to the exemplary embodiments shown in the drawings, it should be
understood that the invention can be embodied in many alternate
forms of embodiments. In addition, any suitable size, shape or type
of elements or materials could be used.
[0018] The rack system 10 generally comprises a frame with posts 12
and side walls 14 attached to the posts. In the embodiment shown
the posts 12 are part of server cabinet 16. However, the rack
system could be used with just posts and without a cabinet.
Referring also to FIGS. 2 and 3, the posts 12 comprise two front
lateral side posts and two rear lateral side posts. However, the
rack system could be used with only two posts or only a cabinet.
The front and rear posts 12 each comprise an ear section 18 with a
vertical column of mounting holes 20.
[0019] The rack system 10 comprises two of the side walls 14. Each
side wall 14 is connected between a pair of the front and rear
posts 12. The side walls 14 form lateral sides to the interior area
22 of the rack system 10. The interior area 22 forms an area for
receiving computer components, such as server components for
example, or rack shelves. The side walls 14 each comprise a wall
section 24 and a plurality of rails 26. Each wall section 24 is
fixedly mounted to a front and rear pair of the rails 12 and/or the
cabinet 16, such as by fasteners (not shown) for example.
[0020] As seen best in FIG. 3, each wall section 24 has a vertical
section 28 with rail seats 30. In this embodiment the rail seats 30
comprise holes through the vertical section 28. The holes 30 have a
general rectangular shape with finger notches 32 at their front top
sides. However, the finger notches need not be provided and the
holes 30 could have any suitable shape. In an alternate embodiment,
rather than holes, the rail seats could merely comprise recesses in
the vertical section 28.
[0021] The rails 26 are connected to the vertical section 28 by
pivots or hinges 34. The rails 26 have a general rectangular shape
with a finger notch 33 at a top front side. However, in an
alternate embodiment the finger notch might not be provided and the
rails could have any suitable shape. The hinges 34 are located at
the bottom of the holes 30 and the bottoms of the rails 26. In this
embodiment the hinges comprise elongate hinges extending the entire
length of the holes 30. However, in alternate embodiments any
suitable system for connecting the rails to the wall sections
between a storage position and a support position extending into
the area 22 could be provided. In the embodiment shown, the hinges
34 pivotably connect the bottoms of the rails 26 to the wall
section 28 for movement between an up storage position A and a down
inward extending position B.
[0022] In the storage position A the rail 26 is located in the rail
seat 30. Thus, the rail 26 does not substantially extend into the
area 22. The rail 26 is substantially flush with the interior
facing surface of the vertical section 28 of the wall section 24.
In the storage position A the finger holes 32, 33 align to form a
generally circular hole which is sized and shaped to receive a
person's finger to allow easier access of a user's finger behind
the rail 26 for easier movement of the rail from the storage
position A to the inward extending position B. In the storage
position A the rail 26 is substantially vertically orientated.
[0023] In the down inward extending position B the rail 26 extends
in an inward direction into the area 22 from the wall section 24.
In this position B the rail 26 is substantially horizontal. The
rails 26 each comprise a surface 36 which form top support surfaces
when the rail 26 is in the down substantially horizontal position.
The surface 36 forms a support surface for supporting a computer
component, such as a server component, thereon. The surfaces 36 are
recessed inside the seats 30 when the rails 26 are retracted into
their storage positions A. Thus, rails 26 in their storage
positions A are not able to support computer components and, in
fact, the computer components can fit between the side walls 14 at
the stored rails without interference from the stored rails.
[0024] The rails 26 are individually movable between their storage
positions A and their support positions B. Therefore, the positions
of the rails 26 can be easily configured to locate computer
components thereon by merely flipping selected ones of the rails up
and down. This allows for easy configuration and reconfiguration of
locations of the computer components in the area 22. As seen in
FIG. 4, the rail system could comprise a detent system 38 for
detent locating the rail 26 at its storage position and/or its
support position. However, the detent system need not be provided.
In addition to being able to support computer components on
opposing pairs of the flipped down rails 26, areas of the side
walls 14 having the rails 26 flipped up can have rack shelves
located in the area 22 and attached to the posts 12 at the holes
20. The rails 26, when flipped up, do not interfere with locating
the rack shelves in the area 22. Thus, the computer server rack
system 10 can be provided with both rack shelves and the integral
hinged rails 26.
[0025] This invention incorporates a rack with a series of
individual fold down rails; preferably vertically spaced at 1U
increments between the front and rear EIA posts on both the right
and left side of the rack. These integrated rails 26 are
permanently attached, but they are hinged allowing them to be
folded down for use or folded up to be concealed during new
hardware installation or while reconfiguring an existing
install.
[0026] The figures illustrate the built-in "rapid rails" which can
be rapidly stored or deployed for supporting a computer component.
The top two U position rails are shown folded away for storage
while the remaining rails are shown in the folded-out position,
ready for use. The hinged rails can fold up or down depending on
installation need. The rails can be provided as an integrated
"wall" of rapid rails.
[0027] In addition to the idea of a rack 10 with these rapid rails
already built-in, another possibility is to adapt this invention to
allow a wall of rails or partial wall of rails to be added into
existing standard racks. A wall or partial wall of rapid rails
could attach to existing EIA ear positions in these racks. This
concept is illustrated in FIG. 5. In this embodiment a multi-rail
system 40 is provided with a wall section 42 and individually flip
rails 26. The wall section 42 can be attached to the conventional
rack frame 44 by fasteners 48 at the holes 46.
[0028] With the invention, configurable built-in rails can be
provided in a computer server rack system. This can provide a rapid
rail system for rapid deployment of the selected rails or rapid
storage and/or redeployment of selected rails. A cutout on the
interior wall and the rail edge can provide finger grip access to
fold the rail down. Rails can have detents to hold them in up
and/or down positions. Preferably, only rails that are needed are
folded down. This allows for any U sized configuration; 1U, 2U, 3U,
4U, 5U, etc. The interior wall 24 provides side support for the
mounted computer component or shelf. The built-in rails align with
each 1U position and flip up/down as needed. Standard EIA mount
spacing can be provided and the invention can be used in an
existing rack cabinet chassis.
[0029] It should be understood that the foregoing description is
only illustrative of the invention. Various alternatives and
modifications can be devised by those skilled in the art without
departing from the invention. Accordingly, the invention is
intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications and
variances which fall within the scope of the appended claims.
* * * * *