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US 12,004,319 B1Granted
Rack interlock limiting the withdrawal of chassis
AssigneeZT Group Int'l, Inc.
InventorsJared Scott Harlan, Kapil Rao Ganta Papa Rao Bala
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system and method are provided for an interlock that limits the number of electronic devices that may extend from a rack system. In the system, sensors attached to the rack detect the extension of a rail from the rack. The sensors provide a controller with data from which the controller determines a number of rails that are extended from the rack. If the number of extended rails is determined by the controller to exceed a threshold number, the controller actuates a latch system that closes to lock the remaining devices within the rack.
Claims20
A system comprising:
- a rack including a plurality of slot positions, each slot position provided with a rail configured to receive a device from a plurality of devices, the rail movable from a first position within the rack to a second position extended from the rack;
- a plurality of sensors, each slot position provided with one of the plurality of sensors, each sensor configured to detect when the associated rail is in the second position;
- an elongate element spanning the plurality of slot positions and movable between an unlatched position and a latched position in which any device of the plurality of devices that is in the first position is prevented from moving to the second position;
- an actuator configured to move the elongate element between the unlatched and latched positions;
- and
- an electronic controller configured to receive position data from each sensor and configured to control the actuator, wherein:
- when the electronic controller receives position data indicating that a threshold number of rails are in the second position, the electronic controller controls the actuator to move the elongate element to the latched position.
4 more elements
An apparatus comprising:
- a plurality of sensors for transmitting position data to an electronic controller coupled to a rack, the rack having a plurality of slot positions, each slot position having an associated moveable rail for receiving a device, each sensor being configured to detect when the moveable rail associated with the slot position has moved from a first position in the slot position within the rack to a second position extended from the rack;
- an elongate element movable between an unlatched position and a latched position across the plurality of slot positions in the rack to prevent each of the associated moveable rails that is in the first position from moving to the second position;
- and
- an actuator coupled to the elongate member for moving the elongate element from the unlatched position to the latched position in response to the electronic controller receiving position data indicating that a threshold number of rails are in the second position.
1 more element
A method comprising:
- detecting, by an electronic controller, in response to receiving position data from using a plurality of sensors associated with a corresponding plurality of rails positioned in a corresponding plurality of slot positions in a rack, a number of the plurality of rails that have moved from a first position within the rack to a second position extended from the rack;
- comparing, by the electronic controller, the detected number of rails that have moved from the first position to the second position to a threshold, the threshold indicating a number of permissible rails to move from the first position to the second position;
- and
- causing, by the electronic controller, an actuator to move an elongate element spanning the plurality of slot positions, from an unlatched position to a latched position to prevent any device associated with a rail that is in the first position from moving to the second position, in response to a determination that the number of rails moved from the first position to the second position has reached or exceeded the threshold.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.