U.S. patent application number 11/638064 was filed with the patent office on 2008-06-12 for fixing bracket.
This patent application is currently assigned to Inventec Corporation. Invention is credited to Chih-Peng Chuang.
Application Number | 20080135705 11/638064 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 39496832 |
Filed Date | 2008-06-12 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080135705 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Chuang; Chih-Peng |
June 12, 2008 |
Fixing bracket
Abstract
The present invention discloses a fixing bracket for fixing a
serve including two sides each disposed with positioning pillars
and a fixing hole to a rectangular rack including four rods each
disposed with a plurality of through holes. The fixing bracket
includes a bracket body, reinforcing portions bending and extending
from two sides of the bracket body, a hinge structure connected to
one end of the bracket body, and a fixing piece connected to one
end of the hinge structure. With the well-built structure of the
bracket body and the reversible fixing piece, the fixing bracket
for fixing the server to the rack is easy to install and
durable.
Inventors: |
Chuang; Chih-Peng; (Taipei,
TW) |
Correspondence
Address: |
EDWARDS ANGELL PALMER & DODGE LLP
P.O. BOX 55874
BOSTON
MA
02205
US
|
Assignee: |
Inventec Corporation
Taipei
TW
|
Family ID: |
39496832 |
Appl. No.: |
11/638064 |
Filed: |
December 12, 2006 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
248/243 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H05K 7/1489
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
248/243 |
International
Class: |
A47B 57/06 20060101
A47B057/06 |
Claims
1. A fixing bracket for fixing a server comprising two sides each
disposed with positioning pillars and a fixing hole to a
rectangular rack comprising four rods each disposed with a
plurality of through holes, the fixing bracket comprising: a
bracket body formed with positioning adjustment holes and a fixing
through hole, the positioning adjustment holes matching the
positioning pillars respectively, and the fixing through hole
matching the fixing hole; a hinge structure connected to the
bracket body; and a fixing piece connected to the hinge
structure.
2. The fixing bracket of claim 1, wherein the bracket body is made
of metal.
3. The fixing bracket of claim 1, wherein the bracket body further
comprises reinforcing portions bending and extending from two sides
flanking the positioning adjustment holes and the fixing through
hole in such a way that a cross-section of the bracket body assumes
a C-shape.
4. The fixing bracket of claim 1, wherein the positioning
adjustment holes each comprise a large-diameter portion and an
elongated portion communicating with the large-diameter
portion.
5. The fixing bracket of claim 1, wherein the fixing through hole
is elongated.
6. The fixing bracket of claim 1, wherein both the fixing hole and
the fixing through hole are penetrated by a fixing element.
7. The fixing bracket of claim 6, wherein the fixing element is
exemplified by one of a screw and an element for fixing the fixing
hole and the fixing through hole to each other.
8. The fixing bracket of claim 1, wherein the hinge structure
comprises a first hinging portion and a second hinging portion, the
first hinging portion being formed by extending and bending one end
of the bracket body, and the second hinging portion being formed by
extending and bending one end of the fixing piece.
9. The fixing bracket of claim 8, wherein an shaft penetrates both
the first hinging portion and the second hinging portion such that
the bracket body and the fixing piece can be reversed relative to
each other by rotation around the shaft.
10. The fixing bracket of claim 1, wherein the fixing piece is
disposed with through holes.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to a fixing bracket, and more
particularly, to a fixing bracket for fixing a server to a
rack.
[0003] 2. Description of the Prior Art
[0004] With use of computer and multi-function requirements for
computer rapidly increasing, no doubt is cast on the importance of
servers playing an administrator's role. In the eyes of a business,
whether the business is a fast-expanding enterprise or an Internet
service provider (ISP) with a big consumer base, servers have to
meet the need for the growth and expansion of the Internet and thus
a stand-alone server is never fit to meet the need. For this
reason, there are always additional severs. And installation and
management of the additional severs are becoming complicated. A
foreseeable issue is that manufacturers will need a fixing
technology that not only makes installation of servers easier and
more efficient but also cuts production costs.
[0005] Known methods for securing servers in position involve
fixing the servers on a rectangular rack in such a way that the
servers are vertically aligned, and the rack is made up of a
plurality of upright support beams; the servers cannot be fixed to
the rack without a transversely lying L-shaped fixing bracket.
[0006] Referring to FIG. 1, a conventional fixing bracket 100 fixes
a server 200 to a rack 300. Two opposing long sides of the fixing
bracket 100 together form a registering portion 101 bending inward
and having a slit. The fixing bracket 100 comprises a short side.
The short side of the fixing bracket 100 connects with the two
opposing long sides of the fixing bracket 100, extends and bends 90
degrees outward to form a first fixing plate 103. The first fixing
plate 103 is disposed with a plurality of through holes 105. Two
sides of the server 200 are disposed with positioning pillars 201.
Each of the positioning pillars 201 comprises a neck portion 2011
and a head portion 2013. The neck portion 2011 has a diameter less
than that of the head portion 2013, and is slidable into the slit
of the registering portion 101. The head portion 2013 is received
on the inner side of the registering portion 101. The rack 300 is
rectangular and comprises four L-shaped support beams 300a, 300b,
300c and 300d each having a plurality of through holes 301.
[0007] An installation process performed in accordance with the
fixing technology begins with two aforesaid fixing brackets 100.
The installation process involves: aligning the two fixing brackets
100 in such a way that the registering portions 101 face each
other, and that the first fixing plates 103 face the support beams
300c and 300d respectively; aligning the through holes 105 of the
first fixing plates 103 with the through holes 301 of the support
beams 300c and 300d; locking the first fixing plates 103 to the
support beams 300c and 300d with screws 9 and nuts 10 so as to fix
the two fixing brackets 100 to the rack 300; pushing horizontally
the server 200 toward the support beams 300a and 300b to allow the
head portions 2013 of the positioning pillars 201 disposed on the
two sides of the server 200 to register with the inner sides of the
registering portions 101 respectively and allow the neck portions
2011 to slide along the slits of the registering portions 101;
pushing the server 200 until second fixing plates 205 formed on two
sides of the server 200 abut against the support beams 300a and
300b; inserting the screws 9 into a plurality of through holes 207
of the second fixing plates 205 and the through holes 301 of the
support beams 300a and 300b; and locking the second fixing plates
205 to the support beams 300a and 300b with the nuts 10 so as to
fix the server 200 to the rack 300.
[0008] Each and every part of the fixing bracket is made of metal
and fabricated by bending and thus the fixing bracket is easy to
fabricate because of its simple structure. However, the fixing
bracket does have its own drawbacks. For instance, load bearing is
limited to a joint between each of the first fixing plates and the
rack, but a joint between each of the registering portions and the
corresponding positioning pillar does not bear the weight of a
server; as a result, the fixing bracket is susceptible to
deformation and a sag due to inadequate support.
[0009] As mentioned above, the installation process involves fixing
the fixing bracket to the rack, and sliding the positioning pillars
of the server along the registering portion of the fixing bracket
so as to fix the server to the rack. However, it is difficult to
align the positioning pillars with the registering portions, and
thus the installation process is lengthy. Fixing the fixing bracket
to the server first and then the server to the rack gives rise to a
problem as follows: normally, a rack has a width (i.e. the distance
between the support beams 300a and 300b) slightly greater than that
of an intended server, and thus the advance of the first fixing
plates extending from the fixing bracket can be stopped by the
rack, preventing the first fixing plates from proceeding
horizontally; in an attempt to solve the problem, a user may
obliquely insert the server into the rack, but doing so is
time-consuming, laborious and inconvenient, as the rack is
typically composed of L-shaped beams, and the fixing bracket has a
L-shaped profile.
[0010] Accordingly, an issue calling for urgent solution is to
develop a fixing bracket for a server with a view to overcoming the
aforesaid drawbacks of the prior art effectively.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0011] In light of the aforesaid drawbacks of the prior art, it is
a primary objective of the present invention to provide a fixing
bracket having a well-built structure.
[0012] Another objective of the present invention is to provide a
fixing bracket that is easy to install.
[0013] Yet another objective of the present invention is to provide
a fixing bracket having a distance adjustment function to suit
racks of different dimensions.
[0014] In order to achieve the above and other objectives, the
present invention provides a fixing bracket for fixing a server
comprising two sides each disposed with positioning pillars and a
fixing hole to a rectangular rack comprising four rods each
disposed with a plurality of through holes. The fixing bracket
comprises a bracket body, a hinge structure, and a fixing piece.
The bracket body is formed with positioning adjustment holes and a
fixing through hole. The positioning adjustment holes match the
positioning pillars respectively, and the fixing through hole
matches the fixing hole. The hinge structure is connected to one
end of the bracket body. The fixing piece is connected to one end
of the hinge structure and disposed with through holes.
[0015] The fixing bracket is made of metal and comprises
reinforcing portions. The reinforcing portions flank both a
positioning adjustment hole and a fixing through hole and are
formed by a bend. The positioning adjustment hole comprises a
large-diameter portion and an elongated portion communicating with
the large-diameter portion. The fixing through hole is
elongated.
[0016] The hinge structure comprises a first hinging portion and a
second hinging portion. The first hinging portion is formed by
extending and bending one end of the bracket body. The second
hinging portion is formed by extending and bending one end of the
fixing piece. An shaft penetrates both the first hinging portion
and the second hinging portion such that the first hinging portion
and the second hinging portion are rotatable relative to each
other. In consequence, the fixing piece can be reversed without
being subject to the width of the rack.
[0017] The reinforcing portion of the fixing bracket of the present
invention is made of metal bent in such a way that the reinforcing
portion has a well-built structure, and the well-built structure is
strong enough to bear the weight of a server, thus solving a
drawback of the prior art, that is, a conventional fixing bracket
tends to sag or deform due to inadequate support. The elimination
of the drawback allows the related component to last longer and
incur less cost. Also, the fixing bracket of the present invention
can be a stand-alone one working, in the absence of any additional
component, to adjust distances and thereby can suit any racks of
different dimensions (to be discussed later) designed for
installation of servers; as a result, the fixing bracket of the
present invention is cost-efficient.
[0018] The introduction of the reversible fixing piece of the
fixing bracket of the present invention solves another drawback of
the prior art, that is, a L-shaped fixing bracket cannot be fixed
to the server first and thereby is stopped from entering the rack
because of the L-shaped profile of the fixing bracket.
[0019] Accordingly, the present invention discloses a fixing
bracket characterized by a well-built structure, ease of
installation, and excellent compatibility, and thus the present
invention solves the drawbacks of the prior art.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0020] FIG. 1 (PRIOR ART) is a schematic view showing how to
assemble a conventional fixing bracket for a server;
[0021] FIG. 2 is a schematic view showing a preferred embodiment of
a fixing bracket for a server in accordance with the present
invention;
[0022] FIG. 3 is a schematic view showing how to assemble a fixing
bracket for a server in accordance with the present invention;
and
[0023] FIG. 4 is a schematic view showing an assembled fixing
bracket for a server in accordance with the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0024] The following specific embodiment is provided to illustrate
the present invention. Others ordinarily skilled in the art can
readily gain an insight into other advantages and features of the
present invention based on the contents disclosed in this
specification.
[0025] A preferred embodiment of the present invention is
illustrated with drawings. A point to note is that the present
invention relates to a fixing bracket for fixing a server to a
rack. The drawings below are perspective views showing part of the
fixing bracket in a simple and schematic way with a view to
describe the basic structure of the present invention. Hence, only
those components related to the present invention are shown in the
accompany drawings, and the shown components are not drawn
according to their actual quantity, shape and dimensions when
implemented; in practice, the specifications and dimensions of the
components are selectively devised indeed, and the layout of the
components may be far more intricate.
[0026] Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, a fixing bracket 7 fixes a
server 200 to a rack 300. The server 200 comprises two sides each
disposed with positioning pillars 201 and a fixing hole 203. The
rack 300 comprises upright L-shaped metal rods 300a, 300b, 300c and
300d comprising a plurality of through holes 301 and assumes a
rectangular shape.
[0027] The rack 300 is a device for containing, managing, and
securing in position servers or any other electronic hosts. In this
embodiment, the rack 300 is configured to contain servers, without
limiting the present invention. The two rods 300a and 300b, and the
two rods 300c and 300d as well, are spaced at a distance slightly
greater than the width of the server 200.
[0028] The positioning pillars 201 disposed on and protruding from
the two sides of the server 200 each comprise a neck portion 2011
and a head portion 2013 connected to the neck portion 2011. The
radius of the neck portion 2011 is less than that of the head
portion 2013, without limiting the present invention.
[0029] The fixing hole 203 is disposed on each of the two sides of
the server 200. Among the fixing hole 203 and the positioning
pillars 201, any two adjacent ones are equidistant from each other.
In other words, the distance between the two adjacent positioning
pillars 201 is equal to that between the fixing hole 203 and the
neighboring one of the positioning pillars 201. The fixing hole 203
is a threaded hole.
[0030] The front of the server 200 extends bilaterally and outward
to form second fixing plates 205 each comprising a through hole
207.
[0031] The fixing bracket 7 is made of metal and comprises a
bracket body 71, a hinge structure 73 connected to one end of the
bracket body 71, and a fixing piece 75 connected to one end of the
hinge structure 73.
[0032] The bracket body 71 is formed with positioning adjustment
holes 711 and a fixing through hole 713. The positioning adjustment
holes 711 match the positioning pillars 201 respectively. The
fixing through hole 713 matches the fixing hole 203.
[0033] The positioning adjustment holes 711 each comprise a
large-diameter portion 711a and an elongated portion 711b
communicating with the large-diameter portion 711a. The diameter of
the large-diameter portion 711a is greater than the width of the
elongated portion 711b. The large-diameter portion 711a is exactly
sized to allow the head portion 2013 of the positioning pillar 201
to be inserted into the large-diameter portion 711a. The elongated
portion 711b is exactly sized to allow the neck portion 2011 of the
positioning pillar 201 to be slided into the elongated portion
711b. The height of the neck portion 2011 is equal to the sectional
thickness of the elongated portion 711b (i.e. the thickness of a
plate of which the fixing bracket 7 is made). The bottom surface of
the head portion 2013 presses on a portion of the bracket body 71
adjacent and lateral to the margin of the elongated portion 711b
such that, after sliding into the elongated portion 711b, the neck
portion 2011 can only horizontally move along the elongated portion
711b without detaching therefrom, so as to facilitate positional
adjustment.
[0034] The positioning adjustment holes 711 are exemplified by
through holes corresponding in position to the positioning pillars
201. The snap-fit engagement of the positioning adjustment holes
711 and the positioning pillars 201 allows the fixing bracket 7 to
be fixed to the server 200.
[0035] A point to note is that in this embodiment the two
positioning adjustment holes 711 and the two positioning pillars
201 correspond in position to each other but can be replaced by the
equivalents thereto of different quantity and structure as apparent
to persons of ordinary skills in the art without being limited by
the appended drawings.
[0036] The fixing through hole 713 is elongated and corresponds in
position to the fixing hole 203. The fixing hole 203 and the fixing
through hole 713 are screwed together so as to fix the fixing
bracket 7 to the server 200. In this embodiment, with the screw 9,
the fixing hole 203 and the fixing through hole 713 are screwed
together.
[0037] A point to note is that in this embodiment the one fixing
through hole 713 and the one fixing hole 203 correspond in position
to each other but can be replaced by the equivalents thereto of
different quantity and structure as apparent to persons of ordinary
skills in the art without being limited by the appended
drawings.
[0038] The positioning adjustment holes 711 and the fixing through
hole 713 are equal in width (i.e. the horizontal traveling
distance). The distance between the positioning adjustment holes
711 and the fixing through hole 713 is equal to that between the
positioning pillars 201 and the fixing hole 203 such that not only
can horizontal positions of the positioning adjustment holes 711 be
readily adjusted relative to the positioning pillars 201 but the
fixing through hole 713 can be readily aligned with the fixing hole
203.
[0039] The bracket body 71 further comprises reinforcing portions
715 bending and extending from two sides of the bracket body 71 in
such a way that the cross-section of the bracket body 71 assumes a
C-shape. In this embodiment, the reinforcing portions 715 have a
well-built structure based on two bends, thus allowing the bracket
body 71 to bear the weight of the server 200. However, the
structure of the reinforcing portion 715 is not limited by the one
shown in the drawings.
[0040] The hinge structure 73 comprises a first hinging portion 731
and a second hinging portion 733. The first hinging portion 731 is
formed by extending and bending one end of the bracket body 71, and
the second hinging portion 733 is formed by extending and bending
one end of the fixing piece 75. The first hinging portion 731 and
the second hinging portion 733 together appear in the form of a
plurality of spaced-apart hollow sleeves. The sleeves of the second
hinging portion 733 outnumber that of the first hinging portion
731. The alternate hollow sleeves of the first and second hinging
portions 731 and 733 together form hollow columns communicating
with each other. An shaft 8 penetrates and combines the first
hinging portion 731 and the second hinging portion 733 such that
not only is the fixing piece 75 connected to the bracket body 71
but the fixing piece 75 can be reversed when rotated around the
hinge of the first hinging portion 731 and the second hinging
portion 733.
[0041] A point to note is that the aforesaid hinge structure is
applicable to the fixing bracket of the present invention. Inasmuch
as the structure of the aforesaid hinge structure is publicly known
and invariable, only the present invention-related details of the
structure of the aforesaid hinge structure are shown in the
appended drawings in order to make the illustration simpler. That
the first hinging portion 731 and the second hinging portion 733
are not limited by the appended drawings is apparent to persons of
ordinary skills in the art.
[0042] The through holes 753 disposed in the fixing piece 75 match
the through holes 301 of the rods of the rack 300. The through
holes 753 and the through holes 301 are penetrated by the screws 9
and then locked together by the screws 9 and nuts 10.
[0043] Referring to FIG. 3, to implement this embodiment, a pair of
the fixing brackets 7 are used. A temporary installation process of
the fixing brackets 7 comprises the steps of: positioning flat
portions (the flat portion is the other side of the bracket body 71
as opposed to the reinforcing portions 715) of the two fixing
bracket 7 in such a way that the flat portions face each other;
positioning the fixing pieces 75 in such a way that the fixing
pieces 75 point toward the rack 300 and flank the server; inserting
the head portions 2013 of the positioning pillars 201 into the
large-diameter portions 711a of the positioning adjustment holes
711 such that the head portions 2013 of the positioning pillars 201
penetrate the large-diameter portions 711a until the neck portions
2011 reach the large-diameter portions 711a; and pushing the
bracket body 71 away from the rack 300 and along both sides of the
server 200 until the neck portions 2011 slide into the elongated
portions 711b. At the end of the temporary installation process,
the fixing brackets 7 are temporarily fixed to both sides of the
server 200.
[0044] A permanent installation process of the fixing brackets 7
comprises the steps of: reversing the fixing pieces 75 of the two
fixing brackets 7 inward to allow the fixing pieces 75 to get
closer to the server 200; pushing the server 200 toward the rack
300 until the second fixing plates 205 touch the rack 300;
inserting the screws 9 into the fixing holes 207 and the
corresponding through holes 301 and screwing the fixing holes 207
and the corresponding through holes 301 together with the nuts 10;
moving the neck portions 2011 in the elongated portions 711b
horizontally to adjust a protruding distance of the fixing brackets
7 relative to the server 200; moving the fixing pieces 75 until the
fixing pieces go beyond the rods 300c and 300d; reversing the two
fixing pieces 75 outward to allow the two fixing pieces 75 to lie
on a surface of the rods 300c and 300d; inserting the screws 9 into
the through holes 753 and the corresponding through holes 301 and
screwing the through holes 753 and the corresponding through holes
301 together with the nuts 10; and screwing the fixing through
holes 713 and the corresponding fixing holes 203 together with the
screws 9. At the end of the permanent installation process, the
server 200 is permanently fixed to the rack 300 as shown in FIG.
4.
[0045] As described above, a fixing bracket of the present
invention has a well-built structure formed by means of metal
bending and thus the fixing bracket solves a drawback of the prior
art, that is, a conventional fixing bracket fails to uniformly bear
the weight of a server and thus the fixing bracket tends to sag and
deform. Also, in the absence of any related components, adjustment
can be made in a protruding distance of the fixing bracket of the
present invention so as to suit racks of different dimensions, and
thus the present invention is cost-efficient.
[0046] A fixing bracket of the present invention comprises a
reversible fixing piece so as to effectively achieve a fixing
function in a space of limited volume, thus solving a drawback of
the prior art, that is, the complicated, inconvenient process of
installation of a conventional L-shaped fixing bracket. Also, the
installation of the fixing bracket of the present invention is
quick.
[0047] Accordingly, the present invention discloses a fixing
bracket characterized by a well-built structure, ease of
installation, excellent compatibility, and high cost-efficiency,
and thus the present invention has high industrial
applicability.
[0048] The aforesaid embodiment merely serves as the preferred
embodiment of the present invention. It should not be construed as
to limit the scope of the present invention in any way. Hence, any
other changes can actually be made in the present invention. It
will be apparent to those skilled in the art that all equivalent
modifications or changes made, without departing from the spirit
and the technical concepts disclosed by the present invention,
should fall within the scope of the appended claims.
* * * * *