Equipment module adapter blocks

• US 10,111,355 B1
• Filed: 06/01/2015
• Issued: 10/23/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Emc IP Holding Company LLC (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: VCE IP Holding Company LLC (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Marrs, Samuel M., Eaton, Alva B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sinclair, David M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Milliser, Theron S
• Application Number:
  US14/727,370
• Time in Patent Office: 1,240 Days
• Field of Search: 361807, 361809, 361810
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0221 Locks; Latches
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/14 Mounting supporting structure in casing or on frame or rack
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/1489 characterized by the mounting of blades therein, e.g. brackets, rails, trays H05K7/1491 takes precedence

Abstract

Equipment racks, methods of installing equipment modules into equipment racks, and adaptor blocks for installing equipment modules into equipment racks are disclosed. In some examples, an equipment rack includes first and second rack rails and a carrier pack mounted to the first and second rack rails. The carrier pack includes first and second pack rails, each pack rail having a plurality of spaced apart mounting holes. The carrier pack includes first and second adapter blocks mounted to the first and second pack rails using the spaced apart mounting holes. Each of the first and second adapter blocks includes at least one post. The carrier pack includes an equipment module mounted to the first and second adapter blocks. The equipment module includes first and second spring loaded latches attached to the posts of the first and second adapter blocks.

Claims

1. An equipment rack comprising:

first and second rack rails;

a carrier pack mounted to the first and second rack rails, the carrier pack comprising first and second pack rails positioned on opposing sides of an opening into the carrier pack, wherein the first pack rail comprises a first plurality of spaced apart mounting holes arranged in a first linear array along a length of the first pack rail on a first side of the opening, and wherein the second pack rail comprises a second plurality of spaced apart mounting holes arranged substantially parallel to the first linear array in a second linear array along a length of the second pack rail on a second side of the opening opposing the first side;

a first adapter block including a front side, a back side opposing the front side, and at least one post extending from a lateral side of the first adapter block that faces the second pack rail, wherein the back side of the first adapter block is mounted against the first pack rail, wherein the first adapter block comprises a center hole that extends from the front side to the back side of the first adapter block and is aligned over one of the first plurality of spaced apart mounting holes, and wherein one or more first adapter fasteners is used to secure the first adapter block to one or more of the first plurality of spaced apart mounting holes;

a second adapter block including a front side, a back side opposing the front side, and at least one post extending from a lateral side of the second adapter block that faces the first pack rail, wherein the back side of the second adapter block is mounted against the second pack rail, wherein the second adapter block comprises a center hole that extends from the front side to the back side of the second adapter block and is aligned over one of the second plurality of spaced apart mounting holes, and wherein one or more second adapter fasteners is used to secure the second adapter block to one or more of the second plurality of spaced apart mounting holes; and

an equipment module positioned within the opening of the carrier pack and mounted against the front sides of the first and second adapter blocks, the equipment module comprising a first mount positioned against the front side of the first adapter block and having at least one first spring loaded latch attached to the at least one post of the first adapter block and a second mount positioned against the front side of the second adapter block and having at least one second spring loaded latch attached to the at least one post of the second adapter block;

wherein the first mount is mounted to the first adapter block and to the first pack rail by first module fasteners passing through the center hole of the first adapter block and through the one of the first plurality of spaced apart mounting holes, and

wherein the second mount is mounted to the second adapter block and to the second pack rail by second module fasteners passing through the center hole of the second adapter block and through the one of the second plurality of spaced apart mounting holes.

2. The equipment rack of claim 1, wherein the equipment module comprises one or more components of a converged infrastructure (CI) system, wherein the CI system includes at least one server having the first and second spring loaded latches installed on a housing of the server.

3. The equipment rack of claim 1, wherein each of the first and second adapter blocks has a first width from the front side to the back side, and wherein each post has a second width, smaller than the first width, from the front side towards the back side, so that the first and second spring loaded latches are snapped onto the posts.

4. The equipment rack of claim 3, wherein each of the posts comprises a tapered edge tapering from the front side to the back side.

5. The equipment rack of claim 1, wherein the first adapter block comprises first and second holes that are aligned over a respective pair of the first plurality of spaced apart mounting holes,

wherein the second adapter block comprises first and second holes that are aligned over a respective pair of the second plurality of spaced apart mounting holes,

wherein the one or more first adapter fasteners comprises a first pair of fasteners passing through the first and second holes of the first adapter block and through the respective pair of the first plurality of spaced apart mounting holes to mount the first adapter block to the first pack rail, and

wherein the one or more second adapter fasteners comprises a second pair of fasteners passing through the first and second holes of the second adapter block and through the respective pair of the second spaced apart mounting holes to mount the second adapter block to the second pack rail.

6. The equipment rack of claim 1, wherein each of the first and second adapter blocks comprises first and second posts, and wherein the equipment module comprises first and second mounts and each of the first and second mounts comprises a spring loaded latch snapped in behind one of the first post or the second post.

7. The equipment rack of claim 1, wherein the carrier pack is mounted to the first and second rack rails by mounting the first and second pack rails to the first and second rack rails, respectively, using one or more fasteners.

8. The equipment rack of claim 1, wherein the one or more first fasteners comprises one or more first screws that secure the first adapter block to the one or more of the first plurality of spaced apart mounting holes;

and

wherein the one or more second fasteners comprises one or more second screws that secure the second adapter block to the one or more of the second plurality of spaced apart mounting holes.