US 8,132,874 B2Granted

Server chassis rack rail with self-aligning, magnetic guide assembly for positioning servers in storage rack

AssigneeOracle America, Inc.

InventorsBrett C. Ong, Timothy W. Olesiewicz, Frank M. Miyahira

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Abstract

A storage rack for supporting a server chassis in a storage cabinet. The storage rack includes vertical supports and outer rails attached to the vertical supports. The storage rack includes first and second middle rails supported by the first and second outer rails such that the middle rails may slide upon the outer rails. First and second inner rails slidably engage with the first and second outer rails and are typically attached the sides of the chassis. The storage rack further includes first and second magnetic guide assemblies that are each attached to an exposed end of one of the first and second inner rails. Each of the magnetic guide assemblies includes first and second magnetic alignment elements extending outward an alignment distance from the exposed end of the corresponding one of the inner rails such that magnetic forces assist both in initial alignment and in engagement.

Claims13

Dependent claims

A magnetic guide assembly aligning and engaging at least one inner rail, attached to a chassis, to at least one chassis to a middle rail of a storage rack, the magnetic guide assembly comprising:

a body;
a first magnetic alignment element comprising at least one permanent magnet;
and
a second magnetic alignment element comprising at least one permanent magnet, wherein the second magnetic alignment element is spaced apart a magnet separation distance from the first magnetic alignment element and wherein the first and second magnetic alignment elements extend an alignment length outward from an end of the inner rail when the body is mounted to the inner rail,
wherein the middle rail has a first width and the inner rail has a second width less than the first width and wherein the body comprises first and second side tabs upon which the first and second magnetic alignment elements are mounted, respectively, the first and second tabs extending laterally outward from the body to define a body width that is substantially equal to the first width.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.