Tilt-out shelf guide mechanism suitable for rack mount computing systems
AssigneeGoogle Inc.
InventorWilliam H. Whitted
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Tilt out shelf guide mechanism suitable for rack mount computing systems are disclosed. The mechanism generally includes a slidable shelf and two opposing shelf tracks configured to support and guide the shelf. The slidable shelf incorporates a storage or component mounting region and a rear catch mechanism at the rear end of the shelf. The rear catch mechanism has a shelf-mounted pivot. The two opposing shelf tracks incorporate a pivot support at the front end of the tracks configured to engage the pivot of the shelf when the rear end of the shelf is approximately adjacent to the front end of the tracks, whereupon the pivot of the shelf is supported by the rear catch mechanism of the guides and the shelf is pivotable about the pivot.
Claims25
A system for providing access to components of a rack mount computing system, comprising:
- a slidable electronics module shelf having a front shelf end and a rear shelf end, the shelf including an electronics components region and a rear catch mechanism at the rear shelf end, the rear catch mechanism includes at least one pivot;
- and
- a pair of opposing electronics module guides to support and guide the shelf relative thereto, the guides having a front guide end and a rear guide end, each guide including a track to support and guide the shelf thereon, the guides further including a pivot support disposed at the front guide end and configured to engage the pivot of the rear catch mechanism at the rear shelf end of the shelf, whereupon the shelf is pivotable about the pivot, the pivot being supported by the pivot support of the guides such that when the front shelf end of the slidable electronics module shelf is lowered relative to the rear shelf end of the slidable electronics module shelf, the electronics module guides substantially support the slidable electronics module via the at least one pivot of the rear catch mechanism.
A shelf support system, comprising:
- a slidable shelf having a front shelf end and a rear shelf end, the shelf including a storage mounting region and a rear catch mechanism at the rear shelf end, the rear catch mechanism includes at least one pivot;
- a pair of opposing shelf tracks having a front track end and a rear track end, the tracks being configured to support and guide the shelf relative thereto, the shelf being in a stored position when the front shelf end is approximately adjacent to the front track end and the rear shelf end is approximately adjacent to the rear track end;
- and
- a pivot support disposed at the front track end and configured to engage the pivot of the rear catch mechanism at the rear shelf end of the shelf when the rear shelf end of the shelf is approximately adjacent to the front track end of the tracks, whereupon the pivot of the shelf is supported by the pivot support and the shelf is pivotable about the pivot such that when the front shelf end of the slidable shelf is lowered relative to the rear shelf end of the slidable shelf, the pivot support substantially supports the slidable shelf via the at least one pivot of the rear catch mechanism.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.