Rack mount mechanism for mid-tower type computer enclosure
AssigneeDell USA, L.P.
InventorJerry D. Gandre
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A rack mount mechanism for a computer enclosure includes a trolley, a bracket which is rotatably coupled to the trolley which supports the computer enclosure, and fixed first and second bars on which the trolley is slidably coupled. The trolley can be placed in an extended position allowing the bracket supporting the computer enclosure to rotate 90 degrees. The computer enclosure can be slid out of the rack by sliding the trolley along the bars, rotated to a standing position supported by the bracket, serviced, rotated back to a horizontal position, and returned into the rack, all without detaching or removing the computer from the rack.
Claims21
A rack mount mechanism for a computer enclosure comprising:
- first and second bars fixed in a stationary position;
- a trolley slidably mounted on the first and second bars, the trolley being movable in a direction between a stowed position near one end of the bars and an extended position near an opposite end of the bars;
- and
- a bracket rotatably coupled to the trolley, the bracket being attachable to the computer enclosure and having an axis of rotation extending in the direction of trolley movement between the stowed and extended positions, and wherein the bracket includes a firstportion for engaging with a bottom of the computer enclosure and a second portion for engaging with a back of the computer enclosure, the first and second portions of the bracket forming an L shape.
A method of mounting a computer enclosure in a rack, the rack including first and second bars fixed in a stationary position, a trolley slidably mounted on the first and second bars, the trolley having a stowed position near one end of the bars and an extended position near an opposite end of the bars, and an L-shaped bracket rotatably coupled to the trolley, the bracket being attached to the computer enclosure, comprising the steps of:
- while the trolley is in the extended position, rotating the computer enclosure attached to the bracket 90 degrees about an axis of rotation extending in the direction of trolley movement between the stowed and extended positions, from a standing position to a horizontal position;
- and
- sliding the trolley from the extended position to the retracted position to horizontally mount the computer enclosure within the rack.
A rack mounted computer system comprising:
- a computer enclosure;
- a rack mounting mechanism securing the computer enclosure, the rack mounting mechanism, including,
- first and second stationary bars,
- a trolley slidably mounted on the first and second stationary bars, the trolley having a stowed position at one end of the stationary bars and an extended position near an opposite end of the stationary bars, and
- a bracket rotatably coupled to the trolley, the bracket being attached to and supporting the computer enclosure, and wherein
- the trolley is slidable in a direction between the stowed position and the extended position and wherein the bracket has an axis of rotation extending in said direction.
A rack mount mechanism for a computer enclosure comprising:
- first and second bar bars fixed in a stationary position;
- a trolley slidably mounted on the first and second bars, the trolley having a stowed position near one end of the bars and an extended position near an opposite end of the bars;
- a bracket rotatably coupled to the trolley, the bracket being attachable to the computer enclosure;
- and
- a retracted locking mechanism to lock the trolley in the retracted position, the retracted locking mechanism comprising a thumb screw integral with the bracket and threadably attachable to a frame containing the rack mount mechanism.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.