CN220068058U

CN220068058U - Cabinet and enclosure installed in the cabinet

Info

Publication number: CN220068058U
Application number: CN202320288699.0U
Authority: CN
Inventors: B·L·凯利; K·A·玛雷; S·T·坎普; A·R·马查; E·W·桑德斯
Original assignee: Panduit Corp
Current assignee: Panduit Corp
Priority date: 2022-02-18
Filing date: 2023-02-17
Publication date: 2023-11-21
Anticipated expiration: 2033-02-17

Abstract

A cabinet is defined by a frame having a front vertical column, a rear vertical column, and a front-to-rear beam extending from the front vertical column to the rear vertical column. The equipment rails are secured to the frame at the front and rear of the cabinet. The equipment rail includes a vertical bore extending therethrough. The vertically oriented holes in one of the front equipment rails are aligned with the vertically oriented holes in one of the rear equipment rails to form a passageway between the vertically oriented holes. The enclosure is mounted in the passageway between the aligned vertically oriented holes to connect the front equipment rail to the rear equipment rail.

Description

Cabinet and enclosure installed in the cabinet

Cross Reference to Related Applications

The present utility model claims the benefit of U.S. provisional patent application No. 63/311,526, filed on 18 at 2 months 2022, and U.S. provisional patent application No. 63/342,677, filed on 17 at 5 months 2022, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.

Technical Field

The present utility model relates to cabinets and more particularly to enclosures mounted in air dams of cabinets.

Background

Data centers are highly conditioned and control humidity, temperature, and dust to protect the racks and equipment installed therein. In a typical data center, racks are located in the data center to maximize the available floor space of the data center. The racks provide racks for servers, switches, and other equipment. As shown in fig. 1, the space in the cabinet 20 that receives equipment is referred to as a Rack Unit (RU) 24. A Rack Unit (RU) extends between two equipment rails 22 mounted on each side of the cabinet. The Rack Unit (RU) 24 has a space of 1.75 "x 19" in the horizontal direction. Data center operators use each Rack Unit (RU) space they can use to maximize the use of data center space. When all Rack Units (RUs) within a rack are exhausted, the data center operator must install another rack or revert to an alternative method of loading or supporting equipment. One example is where equipment is installed over the racks of some data centers. However, in most applications, the installation above the cabinet is not a suitable solution.

Accordingly, it is desirable to provide additional Rack Unit (RU) space in the cabinet for mounting equipment within the cabinet.

Disclosure of Invention

A cabinet is defined by a frame having a pair of front vertical posts, a pair of rear vertical posts, a top side to side rail, a bottom side to side rail, and a front to rear rail extending from one of the front vertical posts to one of the rear vertical posts. At least one front equipment rail is secured to the frame and at least one rear equipment rail is secured to the frame. The front and rear equipment rails each have a vertically oriented aperture extending therethrough. The vertically oriented holes of the front equipment rail are aligned with the vertically oriented holes of the rear equipment rail to form a passageway therebetween. The enclosure is mounted in the passageway between aligned vertically oriented holes in the front and rear equipment rails. The enclosure connects the front equipment rail to the rear equipment rail.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a front view of a typical Rack Unit (RU) within a cabinet in a horizontal direction.

Fig. 2 is a front view of the cabinet with the door removed and the equipment rail secured to the cabinet.

Fig. 3 is a front view of the cabinet of fig. 2, with vertically oriented Rack Unit (RU) holes formed in the equipment rails.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a cabinet with an air dam enclosure mounted in a vertically oriented Rack Unit (RU) aperture formed in the equipment rail of fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the aligned equipment rail of fig. 4 with the air dam enclosure mounted in a vertically oriented Rack Unit (RU) aperture.

Fig. 6 is a right side perspective view of the air dam enclosure of fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a left side perspective view of the air dam enclosure of fig. 5.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a cabinet having a notebook computer tray extending from the air dam enclosure of fig. 4.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the notebook computer tray of fig. 8.

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the notebook computer tray of fig. 8 in an extended position.

Fig. 11 is a perspective view of the notebook computer tray of fig. 8 in a raised position.

Fig. 12 is a perspective view of a cabinet having a notebook computer tray extending from the air dam enclosure of fig. 4 and placed in a lowered position.

Fig. 13 is a perspective view of the notebook computer tray of fig. 12 in a lowered position.

Fig. 14 is a perspective view of a cabinet having a storage tray located in the air dam enclosure of fig. 4.

Fig. 15 is a perspective view of the storage tray of fig. 14.

Detailed Description

Fig. 2 shows a front view of a typical cabinet 50 having a frame 52, the frame 52 having a front vertical column 54, a top side-to-side beam 58, and a bottom side-to-side beam 60. The equipment rail 70 is fixed to the frame 52. As shown in fig. 2, the equipment rail 70 has a plurality of openings 72 for receiving fasteners to mount equipment in the cabinet.

Fig. 3 shows the equipment rails 70 having vertically oriented holes 74 extending through each of the equipment rails 70. The vertically oriented holes 74 have a width of 1.75 inches and a height of 19 inches. Thus, the vertically oriented aperture 74 has the size of a Rack Unit (RU).

Fig. 4 shows cabinet 50 and frame 52, frame 52 having front vertical column 54, rear vertical column 56, top side to side rail 58, bottom side to side rail 60, and front to rear rail 62 extending from front vertical column 54 to rear vertical column 54. The cabinet 50 includes two equipment rails 70 located at the front of the cabinet, one equipment rail 70 located on the left side of the cabinet and one equipment rail 70 located on the right side of the cabinet. The cabinet 50 also includes two equipment rails 70 located at the rear of the cabinet, one equipment rail 70 located on the left side of the cabinet and one equipment rail located on the right side of the cabinet. As shown in fig. 3, the equipment rails 70 in the cabinet have vertically oriented holes 74. As shown in fig. 4, the equipment rails 70 on the left side of the cabinet and the equipment rails 70 on the right side of the cabinet are aligned to form a passageway 80 between the vertically oriented holes 74. Thus, the access 80 provides additional Rack Unit (RU) space in the cabinet. A Rack Unit (RU) space is located within the cabinet air dam 82 on the equipment rails 70 of the cabinet 50 between the frame 52 and the plurality of openings 72.

As shown in fig. 4-5, an air dam enclosure 100 is mounted in the passageway 80 between the aligned vertically oriented holes 74 in the equipment rail 70. The air dam enclosure 100 connects one of the front equipment rails to one of the rear equipment rails. The air dam enclosure 100 provides thermal and structural functions in a vertically installed orientation, with the equipment rails 70 of the cabinet generally disposed in a horizontal orientation.

Fig. 6-7 illustrate the air dam enclosure 100 of the present utility model. The air dam enclosure 100 includes a first member 102 and a second member 132 that receives the first member 102. The first member 102 and the second member 132 form an enclosure that is an open conduit. The front portion of the first member 102 is sized to align with the vertically oriented aperture 74 formed in the front equipment rail 70. The rear portion of the first member 132 is sized to align with the vertically oriented aperture 74 formed in the rear equipment rail 70. The top 104 and bottom 106 of the first member 102 include a plurality of holes 108, 110, respectively, for receiving fasteners to secure the first member 102 of the air dam enclosure 100 to the front equipment rail 70. The top 134 and bottom 136 of the second member 132 also include a plurality of holes 138, 140, respectively, for receiving fasteners to secure the second member 132 of the air dam enclosure 100 to the rear equipment rail 70.

Alternatively, if desired, the air dam enclosure may be mounted in the cabinet with the second member secured to the front equipment rail at the front of the cabinet and the first member secured to the rear equipment rail at the rear of the cabinet.

As shown in fig. 6, the inner side 112 of the first member 102 and the inner side 142 of the second member 132 include C-shaped brackets 116, 146, respectively. Brackets 116, 146 are located adjacent top 104 and bottom 106 of first member 102 and top 134 and bottom 136 of second member 132. Brackets 116, 146 are also located near the front of first member 102 and the rear of second member 132. The C-shaped brackets 116, 146 include first sides 118 and 148, main members 120 and 150, and second sides 122 and 152. The first side 118, 148 of each C-shaped bracket 116, 146 is secured to the first member 102 or the second member 132 of the air dam enclosure 100 via fasteners. The second side 122, 152 of each C-shaped bracket 116, 146 includes a downwardly extending hook 124, 154. The second side 122, 152 of each C-shaped bracket 116, 146 also includes a pin 125, 155 located above the downwardly extending hooks 124, 154. Downwardly extending hooks 124, 154 attach to holes in the equipment rail 70 to hold the air dam enclosure 100 in place until fasteners can be installed on the front of the first member 102 and the rear of the second member 132. The pins 125, 155 also assist in holding the capsule 100 in place and prevent the capsule 100 from being pulled out of position prior to being secured by fasteners mounted on the front of the first member 102 and the rear of the second member 132.

As shown in fig. 7, the outer side 114 of the first member 102 and the outer side 144 of the second member 132 each include handles 126, 156 for easy adjustment of the first member 102 and the second member 132 relative to each other and relative to the equipment rail 70 when the air dam enclosure 100 is installed in the cabinet 50.

Since the air dam enclosures 100 are open pipes, several different types of fittings may be installed in each individual air dam enclosure 100. One example is a notebook computer tray 160, as shown in fig. 8-13. The notebook computer tray 160 slides into and out of the air dam enclosure 100 of the present utility model. The notebook tray 160 provides a workspace that can support a notebook or similar device, or other accessories that can be used in the cabinet. The air dam enclosure 100 and notebook computer tray 160 may be mounted in any of a variety of vertically oriented Rack Unit (RU) locations in the cabinet 50. The notebook computer tray 160 is designed to rotate and move up or down to accommodate the needs of the operator. As a result, the adjustable notebook computer tray 160 can be adjusted to be at an optimal height for use by an operator. The notebook tray 160 may be mounted on the front or rear of the cabinet depending on the application.

The notebook computer tray 160 includes rails 162 secured in the air dam enclosure 100. An expandable shelf having a first section 164 and a second section 166 is secured to the track 162. As shown in fig. 9 and 10, the first section 164 and the second section 166 may slide along the track 162 and expand to a desired position. The second section 166 is rotatably attached to the first section 164 via a hinge 168. As a result, the second section 166 may remain above the first section 164 as shown in fig. 10, or may rotate downward as shown in fig. 13. A telescoping leg 170 is secured to the second section 166. A support member 172 is secured to the distal end of telescoping leg 170 and a working surface 176 is rotatably secured to support member 172 via hinge 174.

The notebook computer tray 160 is not integral with any computer device. It is intended to provide a temporarily retractable working space from the front or rear of the cabinet by utilizing an air dam enclosure 100 in a vertical Rack Unit (RU) space formed in the equipment rails 70 installed in the cabinet 50.

Fig. 14-15 illustrate a storage tray 180, which is another example fitment designed to be stored in an air dam enclosure 100. The storage tray 180 slides out of the dam enclosure 100 and allows for storage of many different types of spare parts and equipment that may be used in the cabinet 50. The storage tray 180 is defined by a top 182, a bottom 184, sides 186, a front 188, and a rear 190. The telescoping rails are secured to the air dam enclosure 100 and rails 192 are mounted on the outer surfaces of the top 182 and bottom 184 of the storage Chu Tuopan 180. The rails 192 enable the storage tray 180 to slide relative to the air dam enclosure 100. The front 188 of the storage tray 180 includes a handle 194 for enabling a user to slide the storage tray 180 relative to the air dam enclosure 100. The storage tray 180 includes a plurality of compartments 196 with rods 198 or bars. Alternatively, the storage tray 180 may include any arrangement of compartments, mounts, straps, ties, or other fastening or securing devices to facilitate storage in a cabinet. The storage tray 180 may be mounted on the left or right side of the cabinet. The storage tray 180 may also be mounted on the front or rear of the cabinet depending on the desired application.

Vertically oriented holes in the equipment rails and air dam enclosures of the equipment rails secured into the cabinet air dams will allow data center operators to expand their available potential Rack Unit (RU) space. Any equipment that can be oriented vertically can be placed in the new vertical Rack Unit (RU) space defined by the air dam enclosure of the present utility model.

In addition, while particular preferred embodiments of the present utility model have been shown and described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made without departing from the teachings of the utility model. The matter set forth in the foregoing description and accompanying drawings is offered by way of illustration only and not as a limitation.

Claims

1. A cabinet, the cabinet comprising:

a frame having a pair of front vertical columns, a pair of rear vertical columns, a top side to side rail, a bottom side to side rail, and a front to rear rail extending from one of the front vertical columns to one of the rear vertical columns;

at least one front equipment rail secured to the frame and at least one rear equipment rail secured to the frame, the at least one front equipment rail and the at least one rear equipment rail each having at least one vertically oriented aperture extending therethrough, wherein the at least one vertically oriented aperture of the at least one front equipment rail is aligned with the at least one vertically oriented aperture of the at least one rear equipment rail to form a passageway therebetween; and

an enclosure mounted in a passageway between the at least one front equipment rail and the aligned vertically oriented holes in the at least one rear equipment rail,

whereby the enclosure connects the at least one front equipment rail to the at least one rear equipment rail.

2. The cabinet of claim 1, wherein the at least one front equipment rail mounted at the front of the cabinet comprises: one equipment rail mounted on a first side of the cabinet, and a second equipment rail mounted on a second side of the cabinet opposite the first side, at least one rear equipment rail mounted on a rear of the cabinet comprising: one equipment rail mounted on a first side of the cabinet, and a second equipment rail mounted on a second side of the cabinet opposite the first side.

3. The cabinet of claim 2, wherein the at least one front equipment rail and the at least one rear equipment rail mounted on the first side of the cabinet are aligned and the at least one front equipment rail and the at least one rear equipment rail mounted on the second side of the cabinet are aligned.

4. The cabinet of claim 1, wherein the enclosure comprises a first member and a second member, the second member receiving the first member forming an open duct;

wherein the first member has a top and a bottom and the second member has a top and a bottom;

the top of the first member and the bottom of the first member include a plurality of apertures for receiving fasteners to secure the first member to the at least one front equipment rail; and

the top of the second member and the bottom of the second member include a plurality of apertures for receiving fasteners to secure the second member to the at least one rear equipment rail.

5. The cabinet of claim 4, wherein the first member has an inner side and an outer side, and the second member has an inner side and an outer side;

wherein the inner side of the first member and the inner side of the second member each comprise a C-shaped bracket.

6. The cabinet of claim 5, wherein each C-bracket includes a first side, a main member, a second side having a downwardly extending hook for engaging a hole in one of the equipment rails to hold the enclosure in place until fasteners are installed in the front of the first member and the rear of the second member.

7. The cabinet of claim 5, wherein the outer side of the first member and the outer side of the second member each include a handle for adjusting the first member and the second member relative to each other and relative to the at least one front equipment rail and the at least one rear equipment rail.

8. The cabinet of claim 1, wherein an adjustable tray for providing a retractable workspace is mounted in the enclosure.

9. The cabinet of claim 8, wherein the adjustable tray slides into and out of the enclosure, rotates, and adjusts vertically to provide a retractable workspace.

10. The cabinet of claim 8, wherein the adjustable tray comprises: a track secured to the enclosure, and an expandable shelf having a first section and a second section, the second section secured to the track, wherein the first section and the second section slide along the track to an expanded position.

11. The cabinet of claim 10, wherein the second section is attached to the first section by a hinge.

12. The cabinet of claim 10, wherein the adjustable tray further comprises a telescoping leg secured to the second section, a support member secured to a distal end of the telescoping leg, the work surface rotatably secured to the support member by a hinge.

13. The cabinet of claim 1, wherein a storage tray for storing spare parts and equipment is mounted in the enclosure.

14. The cabinet of claim 13, wherein the storage tray comprises a top having an outer surface, a bottom having an outer surface, sides, a front, and a rear;

rails are mounted on the top and bottom outer surfaces of the storage tray to allow the storage tray to slide out of the enclosure.

15. The cabinet of claim 14, wherein the front of the storage tray includes a handle for engaging the storage tray to slide the storage tray relative to the enclosure.

16. The cabinet of claim 13, wherein the storage tray comprises a plurality of compartments with poles for storing spare parts and equipment.

17. An enclosure mounted in an air dam of a cabinet to store trays, the enclosure comprising:

a first member;

a second member that receives the first member forming an open conduit; and

wherein the first member has a top and a bottom and the second member has a top and a bottom; the top of the first member and the bottom of the first member include a plurality of holes for receiving fasteners to secure the first member to a front equipment rail in the cabinet;

the top of the second member and the bottom of the second member include a plurality of apertures for receiving fasteners to secure the second member to a rear equipment rail in the cabinet.

18. The enclosure of claim 17, wherein the first member has an inner side and an outer side and the second member has an inner side and an outer side;

19. The enclosure of claim 18, wherein each C-shaped bracket includes a first side, a main member, a second side having a downwardly extending hook for engaging a hole in one of the equipment rails to hold the enclosure in place until fasteners are installed in the front of the first member and the rear of the second member.

20. The enclosure of claim 18, wherein the outer side of the first member and the outer side of the second member each include a handle for adjusting the first member and the second member relative to each other and relative to the front equipment rail and the rear equipment rail.