U.S. patent application number 11/782703 was filed with the patent office on 2009-01-29 for enhanced computer rack having an integrated lift rail and/or tool design.
Invention is credited to Steven C. McIntosh, Budy D. Notohardjono, Kevin R. Qualters, Howard P. Welz.
Application Number | 20090026898 11/782703 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 40294665 |
Filed Date | 2009-01-29 |
United States Patent
Application |
20090026898 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
McIntosh; Steven C. ; et
al. |
January 29, 2009 |
Enhanced Computer Rack Having An Integrated Lift Rail And/Or Tool
Design
Abstract
An enhanced computer rack having sides is provided. The rack is
used for housing electronic components and comprises in one
embodiment of a lift rail having a plurality of multipurpose frame
members capable of being engageably connected to at least one of
the rack sides such that the frame members can be retracted into or
extended out from the rack. In an alternate embodiment, a lift tool
is provided for hoisting object into the rack. The lift tool is
connected to at least one side of the rack and is capable of being
retracted inside or being extended out from the rack. The two
embodiments can also be combined to provide an enhanced rack with
an integrated lift rails and lift tool design.
Inventors: |
McIntosh; Steven C.;
(Kingston, NY) ; Notohardjono; Budy D.;
(Poughkeepsie, NY) ; Qualters; Kevin R.;
(LaGrangeville, NY) ; Welz; Howard P.; (Highland,
NY) |
Correspondence
Address: |
INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
IPLAW DEPARTMENT, 2455 SOUTH ROAD - MS P386
POUGHKEEPSIE
NY
12601
US
|
Family ID: |
40294665 |
Appl. No.: |
11/782703 |
Filed: |
July 25, 2007 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
312/223.3 ;
414/589 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H05K 7/18 20130101; B66F
9/02 20130101; B66B 9/022 20130101; H05K 7/1488 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
312/223.3 ;
414/589 |
International
Class: |
A47B 81/00 20060101
A47B081/00; A47B 97/00 20060101 A47B097/00 |
Claims
1. An enhanced computer rack for housing electronic components and
having a plurality of sides, comprising; a plurality of
multipurpose frame members capable of being engageably secured to
at least one of said rack sides such that said frame members can be
retracted into or extended outwards from said rack; said
multipurpose frame members also including lifting means and rails
such that when extended into position they create lift tool rails
for lifting objects and sliding them into said rack.
2. The assembly of claim 1 wherein said multipurpose frame members
are held in place via captive fasteners.
3. The assembly of claim 1 wherein said rack comprises a plurality
of corner posts and said frame members are specially formed to
engage with said corner posts so that said rack can be secured to
said frame members.
4. The assembly of claim 3, wherein said frame members are aligned
to said corner posts via an arrangement of pins and slots which
allow said frame members to be moved freely.
5. The assembly of claim 4 wherein said frame members and said rack
corner posts are designed such that when engaged they provide a
lift rail.
6. An enhanced computer rack used for housing electronic components
and having a plurality of sides including a top and bottom side,
comprising: a lift tool connected to at least one side of said rack
and capable of being retracted inside said rack or being extended
out from said rack for hoisting and placement of objects into said
rack; and a plurality of corner posts at one or more corners of
said racks where said sides meet.
7. The assembly of claim 6 wherein said lift tool further comprises
of a plurality of lift rails and a lift shelf; said shelf having a
lift platform and a lift mechanism used such that said tool can be
used selectively for lifting and removal of objects.
8. The assembly of claim 7 wherein said lift rails are aligned and
mechanically fastened to either front or rear corner posts of said
computer rack.
9. The assembly of claim 8 wherein each lift rail is comprised of a
variety of interlocking segments.
10. The assembly of claim 8 wherein each lift rail spans entire
height of said rack.
11. The assembly of claim 7 wherein said rails include a channel
and a series of notches that are designed to interface with said
lift shelf.
12. The assembly of claim 11 wherein said lift rail is mounted to
said rack via fasteners placed at top, mid point and bottom of said
lift rail.
13. The assembly of claim 7 wherein said lift platform is comprised
of a low friction material and one or more mounting features for
accommodating selective installation and service requirements and
needs.
14. The assembly of claim 13 wherein said lift mechanism further
comprises a sprocket and roller bearings placed on each side of
said lift shelf such that when working in concert with said lift
rails, said sprocket and bearings allow said shelf to travel
directionally in an up and down direction.
15. The assembly of claim 14 wherein said lift shelf further
comprises a drive shaft to allow it to be cranked directionally;
said drive shaft also controlling said sprocket(s).
16. An enhanced computer rack used for housing electronic
components and having a plurality of sides, comprising: a plurality
of multipurpose frame members capable of being engageably connected
to at least one of said rack sides such that said frame can be
retracted into or extended out from said rack; a lift tool
connected to at least one side of said rack and capable of being
retracted inside said rack or being extended out from said rack for
hoisting and placement of objects into said rack; said lift having
lift rails and a lift shelf including a lift platform and a lift
mechanism
17. The assembly of claim 16 wherein said lift tool comprises a
lift tool shelf connected to at least one side of said rack and
having roller bearings and sprockets such that said lift tool shelf
can be extended out and retracted and moved in an up and down
direction.
18. The assembly of claim 17 further comprising of corner rack
posts to securely attach said frame members to said rack and
designed such that when said frame members are extended, separation
between said frame members and said corner posts creates a channel
like structure that can be used to house and accommodate at least
one roller bearing used for said lift shelf.
19. The assembly of claim 18 wherein a plurality of notches are
provided on said frame members and incorporated to work in concert
with said lift shelf sprockets.
20. The assembly of claim 19 wherein a plurality of notches are
provided on said rack corner posts and incorporated to work in
concert with said lift shelf sprockets.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] This invention relates to packaging of computing systems and
more particularly to packaging of large computing systems having
racks for housing electronic components.
[0003] 2. Description of Background
[0004] The industry trend has been to continuously increase the
number of electronic components inside computing systems. While
increasing the components inside a simple computing system does
create some challenges, such an increase creates many problems in
computing systems that include one or more large computers. In such
instances many seemingly isolated issues affect one another,
especially when packaged together in a single assembly, or
networked or housed to other systems that are stored in close
proximity.
[0005] One of the many challenges facing the industry today is the
problem of packaging electronic components. A number of issues,
including but not limited to heat dissipation, load balancing,
electromagnetic interruptions, and even noise management, must be
addressed when designing large systems. Furthermore, price
constraints and performance needs as well as other factors such as
packaging density, scalability and availability place additional
demands on the designs of these packages.
[0006] The end result is often heavy units that have to be shipped,
installed and serviced with great difficulty. Often two or more
service personnel using a multitude of devices such as independent
hoists have to be provided for installation and service of these
units. Consequently, due to the difficulty of installation and
servicing of these units, service and installation calls are
delayed, which in turn affect system availability for the
customer(s). In conclusion, there is a need for a better method and
design that can simplify installation and service procedures when
using large computers.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] The shortcomings of the prior art are overcome and
additional advantages are provided through the provision of an
enhanced computer rack with an integrated rail and/or tool lift
assembly. The rack has sides and is used for housing electronic
components. In one embodiment the rack comprises a lift rail having
a plurality of multipurpose frame members that are capable of being
engageably connected to at least one of the rack sides such that
the frame members can be retracted into or extended out from the
rack. In an alternate embodiment, a lift tool is provided for
hoisting objects onto/into the rack. The lift tool is connected to
at least one side of the rack and is capable of being retracted
inside or being extended out from the rack. The two above mentioned
embodiments can be used separately or combined to provide an
enhanced rack with an integrated lift rail and lift tool
design.
[0008] Additional features and advantages are realized through the
techniques of the present invention. Other embodiments and aspects
of the invention are described in detail herein and are considered
a part of the claimed invention. For a better understanding of the
invention with advantages and features, refer to the description
and to the drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0009] The subject matter which is regarded as the invention is
particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the claims at
the conclusion of the specification. The foregoing and other
objects, features, and advantages of the invention are apparent
from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with
the accompanying drawings in which:
[0010] FIG. 1 is an illustration of a multipurpose rack having a
lift rail design as per one embodiment of the present
invention;
[0011] FIGS. 2 and 3 are an illustrations of the rack of the
embodiment provided by FIG. 1, showing the extension and retraction
of the multipurpose frame member(s);
[0012] FIG. 4 is an illustration of an alternate embodiment of the
present invention incorporating a lift tool into the enhanced rack
design;
[0013] FIG. 5 is an illustration of different components comprising
the lift tool as provided in the embodiment of FIG. 4;
[0014] FIG. 6 is an illustration of the lift shelf as per
embodiment of FIG. 5; and
[0015] FIG. 7 illustrates the operation of lift tool as per
embodiment of FIG. 4.
DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0016] The present invention provides for a multiple purpose
design. In FIGS. 1 though 3, one embodiment of the present
invention will be explored that is related to an enhanced rack
incorporating an integrated rail tool design. In FIGS. 4 though 7
an alternate embodiment is presented. In this embodiment, an
integrated "Lift Tool" design is incorporated into the rack. The
two above mentioned embodiments can be used and incorporated into
the rack design as separate features or combined with one another
to provide an even more enhanced and robust design as will be
discussed presently. It should be noted that each feature and
embodiment, separately or in combination, is designed specifically
to improve availability by minimizing the time required to install,
service and maintain these large systems.
[0017] Referring back to the first embodiment, FIG. 1 is an
illustration of an enhanced computer rack or frame 100 used for
housing electronic components such as used in servers and other
large computing system environments. The enhanced rack 100 as
provided by the illustrated figure has a cage like structure.
However, this structure is only provided as way of example and
other arrangements and rack designs can be used in conjunction with
the teachings of the present invention. In addition, although the
rack or frame as shown does not include any side enclosures such as
doors, the design is only provided in this way for visual ease and
doors can be incorporated in the design of the rack.
[0018] Referring back to FIG. 1, in this embodiment, one or a
plurality of frame members referenced as 110 are secured to one or
more side of rack 100 as illustrated. When service is required or
during installation of components, these frames member(s) 110 can
quickly and easily be extended out from the rack and are equipped
to hoist or slide objects into the rack. In other words, the lift
rails are used to raise and lower hardware and other components
into/unto the rack. As will be later discussed, in different
embodiments features can be incorporated that provide directional
movement of objects by way of the frames as rails or otherwise.
[0019] The multipurpose frame member(s) 110 remains in its
retracted position (i.e. inside the computer rack) at other times
so as to provide normal frame function during routine operation of
the IT equipment as illustrated in FIG. 1. When IT equipment
service or upgrades are required, however, as was discussed before
these frame members 110 are extended into position where they
create "Lift Tool Rails" that can be used in conjunction with a
"Lift Tool Shelf" as will be discussed later in conjunction with
other embodiments. In this manner, the total service time will be
reduced by eliminating the need to locate and install lift rails
conventionally used that are separate from the computer rack
110.
[0020] This enhanced computer rack 100, with its incorporated
multipurpose frame member(s) 110, can also be designed to serves as
a low impedance ground path that allow the computer rack 100, frame
members 110, and rack doors, when supplied, to provide the required
safety grounding and EMC noise containment required on most large
computer system environments. In addition, when the frames
member(s) 110 are extended, the multipurpose rack 100 can act as a
deeper frame than used normally. This is a desired feature as
different frame depths have been introduced to address a variety of
needs. In this way, the multipurpose rack 100 can then provide for
different frame depths in one frame design.
[0021] In FIG. 2, the frame member 110 is shown to be formed
specially and therefore now referenced as 120. The members 120 are
specifically formed so that they can be added to a plurality of
corner posts referenced as 150 in FIG. 1. In this embodiment, four
corner posts 150 are provided although it is not visually possible
to see all of them in the illustrated figures. In this way, each
formed frame member(s) 120 can be added to each of the four corner
posts 150 of the rack 100 as illustrated. In the context of the
computer rack 100, these frame members 120 are designed to maintain
a low profile such that they do not occupy significant space in
either the outboard/decorative side panel area, or in the inboard
area of the rack where the IT equipment resides.
[0022] The frame members 110/120 can be held in place by a variety
of ways as known to those skilled in the art. For example the frame
members 110/120 can be held in place via captive fasteners. In one
embodiment, the frame members 110/120 are aligned to the corner
posts via an arrangement of pins and slots which allow the frame
members to be moved freely while also providing the registration
required to allow the parts to function properly.
[0023] As discussed earlier, during normal operation, the frame
members 110/120 are fully retracted as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3. In
this arrangement the frame members 110/120 serve the same function
as a conventional corner post, providing the physical interface
between the rack 100 and the rack doors (not shown). When used in
this capacity, multiple contact points and mechanical fasteners
used to secure the frame members to the corner posts also provide a
low impedance ground path that allow the computer rack, frame
members, and rack doors to provide the required safety grounding
and EMC noise containment required for servers and other large
computers as previously stated. FIG. 3 provides a better
illustrated view of this concept.
[0024] In FIGS. 4 through 7, an alternate embodiment of the present
invention is illustrated. FIG. 4 also provides for a similar rack
400 for housing electronic components. This rack 400 can be a
conventional rack or the multipurpose rack as was discussed in
FIGS. 1 through 3. The alternate rack design as will be discussed
in conjunction with FIGS. 4 though 6, additionally provides for a
lift tool 410. The lift tool can be, in one embodiment, an
extension to the frame 400 as illustrated that one person can use
to easily install and or remove components from the rack.
[0025] In this embodiment, the computer rack 400 itself can be used
as a part of the lift tool mechanism 410, providing structural
support, alignment, and ballast to the lift tool mechanism 410. It
can also be used as a removal tool when appropriate and as
needed.
[0026] The result is as will be hereinafter referenced as the "Lift
Tool" 410 is much more compact and stable than an independent
hoist. Furthermore, the integrated nature of the Lift Tool 410
makes installation or removal process of devices much simpler and
safer as compared to attempts to transfer large, heavy items
between 2 independent structures (i.e. such as conventional
computer racks and standalone hoists).
[0027] FIGS. 5 and 6 provide different components that comprise the
Lift Tool 410. In the embodiment provided by the illustration of
FIG. 5, the Lift Tool 410 is shown to be comprised at least of lift
rails 520 and a lift shelf 530. The lift rails 520 are preferably
designed to be compatible with the computer rack 400 such that the
rails are aligned and mechanically fastened to either the front or
rear corner posts of the computer rack. Each lift rail 520 may
either be a single unit that spans the entire height of the rack,
or can alternatively be broken up into multiple interlocking
segments which are smaller and easier to store and handle.
[0028] The lift rail 520 can also include a channel and a series of
notches that are designed to interface with the lift shelf 530, but
this design is only optional. The lift rail 520 can be used with
any type of rack. The mounting of the lift rail to the rack is
accomplished by a variety of methods as known to those skilled in
the art that can include its mounting via fasteners at the top, mid
point and bottom of the lift rail.
[0029] FIG. 6 provides a more detailed illustration of one
embodiment of the lift shelf 530. In this embodiment, the lift
shelf 530 comprises of a lift platform 640 and a lift mechanism
650. The lift platform can be comprised of a low friction material
to allow for heavy objects to be easily transferred on and off the
platform. The platform can further comprise a series of mounting
features that can selectively accommodate any number of custom
hardware products, as known to those skilled in the art such as
guides, slides, and intermediate transfer shelves, that would be
required to service unique devices or for other selective needs and
purposes.
[0030] The lift mechanism 650 can be further comprised of a
sprocket and roller bearings on each side of the lift shelf.
Working in concert with the lift rails, these sprockets and
bearings allow the shelf to travel directionally, preferably in an
up and down direction. As illustrated in FIG. 7, when assembled,
the lift shelf 530 can be cranked directionally, preferably in an
up and down direction, by way of a user operated drive shaft 700
that controls the sprockets.
[0031] As discussed earlier, the lift tool concept as discussed in
conjunction with FIGS. 4 through 7 can be incorporated into the
rail lift structure that was previously discussed in conjunction
with FIGS. 1 through 3. Referring back to FIG. 2, as per one
embodiment of the present invention, when the two above mentioned
embodiments are combined, the features of the frame members and the
rack corner posts combine to provide all the features and functions
required of an effective "Lift Rail". When extended, as shown in
FIG. 2, the separation between the frame members and the corner
posts creates a "channel" that will accommodate the roller bearings
of a "Lift Shelf". Preferably, a series of notches can also be
incorporated to work in concert with "Lift Shelf" sprockets. In one
embodiment, these notches can be placed on the frame member 120,
but could also be incorporated on the rack corner post 150 as
well.
[0032] Today's IT solutions are driven by price/performance,
packaging density, scalability, and availability. To satisfy these
industry needs, the building blocks that are used in large
computing environments are complex, and powerful. Yet these very
systems must also be easy to service and upgrade in a timely
manner. Providing systems that are hard to service or install have
impacted customer satisfaction and speed of doing business. The
present invention provides ways that when incorporated will greatly
improve availability by minimizing the time required to service or
install these large systems. This is accomplished through the
development of multipurpose computer rack frame rail members that
are incorporated directly into the rack and/or that of the lift
tool design. Each of these designs can be incorporated easily into
the existing systems. They can either be used independently and
separately, or as stated in combination as a single and
incorporated design to provide even further flexibility during
service and installation of these systems and their components.
[0033] While the preferred embodiment to the invention has been
described, it will be understood that those skilled in the art,
both now and in the future, may make various improvements and
enhancements which fall within the scope of the claims which
follow. These claims should be construed to maintain the proper
protection for the invention first described.
* * * * *