Rack-mounted server and associated methods

• US 20030161114A1
• Filed: 02/26/2003
• Published: 08/28/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Fite, Robert J., Aldridge, Tomm V., Faneuf, Barrett M., Berry, William E.
• Granted Patent: US 6,839,237 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/727
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/1489 characterized by the mounting of blades therein, e.g. brackets, rails, trays H05K7/1491 takes precedence

Abstract

An improved rack-mounted server comprises, in one embodiment, a slidable electronics tray having a top cover secured to the rack, to facilitate access to the tray when it is withdrawn from the rack. The tray also includes a camming mechanism to facilitate insertion of the tray into and its extraction from cable connectors or plugs affixed to the rack. The tray includes, in one embodiment, a movement detection mechanism to power it up or down when tray insertion or removal, respectively, is initiated. In addition, the rack includes an improved cable management system that can accommodate different cables and cable plugs. As a tray is inserted into or removed from the rack, corresponding connectors on the tray are electrically coupled to or uncoupled from cable plugs affixed to the rack, eliminating any need to remove cables from the tray or reinstall them.

Claims

1. An electronics tray to mount in a server rack and comprising:

a housing having a base and a plurality of sides;

at least one electronic component on the base;

mounting elements on two opposing sides to couple to the server rack to permit the electronics tray to be inserted substantially within the server rack or to be withdrawn from the server rack; and

a cover to be affixed to the server rack and to substantially cover the electronics tray when it is inserted substantially within the server rack, and to remain affixed to the server rack when the electronics tray is withdrawn from the server rack.

2. The electronics tray recited in claim 1, wherein the mounting elements comprise drawer glides.

3. The electronics tray recited in claim 1, wherein the cover comprises:

a metal panel; and

a pair of sidewalls on opposite sides of the panel and coupled at right angles to the panel.

4. An electronics rack assembly comprising:

a pair of opposing sides; and

a plurality of electronics trays removably mounted between the sides, each electronics tray comprising a cover affixed to the sides to substantially cover the electronics tray when it is positioned substantially within the electronics rack assembly, and to remain affixed to the electronics rack assembly when the electronics tray is withdrawn from the electronics rack assembly.

5. The electronics rack assembly recited in claim 4, wherein the plurality of electronics trays are mounted to the sides with mounting elements comprising drawer glides.

6. The electronics rack assembly recited in claim 4, wherein each cover comprises:

a metal panel; and

a pair of sidewalls on opposite sides of the panel and coupled at right angles to the panel.

7. The electronics rack assembly recited in claim 6, wherein each of the sidewalls for each cover is coupled to a respective one of the sides.

8. A method comprising:

forming a rack assembly comprising a plurality of electronics trays removably mounted in the rack assembly; and

affixing a cover for each electronics tray to the rack assembly.

9. The method recited in claim 8, wherein the rack assembly comprises a pair of opposing sides, wherein each cover comprises a metal panel to which are coupled a pair of sidewalls, and wherein each sidewall for each cover is coupled to a respective one of the sides.

10. The method recited in claim 9, wherein forming a rack assembly comprises:

providing mounting elements comprising drawer glides, each having an inner member and an outer member;

coupling the inner member of each drawer glide to an electronics tray; and

coupling the outer member of each drawer glide to a respective one of the sides.

11. An electronics tray to be mounted in an electronics rack assembly and comprising:

a housing having a base and a plurality of sides;

at least one electronic component on the base;

mounting elements on two opposing sides to couple to the electronics rack assembly to permit the electronics tray to be positioned substantially within the electronics rack assembly or to be withdrawn from the electronics rack assembly; and

a handle coupled to the housing and comprising a member to engage with an engaging element on the electronics rack assembly.

12. The electronics tray recited in claim 11, wherein the engaging element comprises a switch arm.

13. The electronics tray recited in claim 12, wherein the handle is pivotable between a first position and a second position, and wherein the member is to engage the switch arm in the first position and to disengage the switch arm in the second position.

14. The electronics tray recited in claim 11, wherein the engaging element comprises a cam receiver.

15. The electronics tray recited in claim 14, wherein the handle is pivotable between a first position and a second position, wherein the member comprises a cam arm to engage the cam receiver, and wherein the cam arm is to engage the cam receiver in the first position and to disengage the cam receiver in the second position.

16. An electronics rack assembly comprising:

a pair of opposing sides and a rear side;

at least one cable plug affixed at the rear side; and

at least one electronics tray comprising;

a housing having a base, a front panel, and a rear panel;

at least one electronic component on the base and electrically coupled to a receptacle at the rear panel;

mounting elements on the housing to couple to the electronics rack assembly to permit the electronics tray to be positioned substantially within the electronics rack assembly and to be withdrawn from the electronics rack assembly; and

a handle coupled to the housing and comprising a member to engage with an engaging element on the electronics rack assembly to cause the receptacle to electrically engage and disengage with the cable plug.

17. The electronics rack assembly recited in claim 16, wherein the electronics rack assembly further comprises:

a power-up/power-down circuit;

an

a movement sensor coupled to the power-up/power-down circuit, wherein the engaging element forms part of the movement sensor.

18. The electronics rack assembly recited in claim 17, wherein the handle is pivotable between a first position and a second position, and wherein the member is to engage the movement sensor in the first position to power-up the at least one electronic component, and to disengage the movement sensor in the second position to power-down the at least one electronic component.

19. The electronics rack assembly recited in claim 16, wherein the movement sensor comprises a switch.

20. The electronics rack assembly recited in claim 16, wherein the member comprises a cam arm and the engaging element comprises a cam receiver.

21. The electronics rack assembly recited in claim 20, wherein the handle is pivotable between a first position and a second position, and wherein the cam arm is to engage the cam receiver in the first position to cause the receptacle to engage with the cable plug, and to disengage the cam receiver in the second position to cause the receptacle to disengage with the cable plug.

22. A cable management device for use with an electronics rack assembly and with an electronics tray to be removably mounted in the electronics rack assembly and having at least one electrical receptacle, the cable management device comprising:

a clamp comprising a plurality of openings, each opening to accommodate a cable plug; and

a securing element to secure the clamp to the electronics rack assembly when the electrical receptacle of the electronics tray engages with or disengages from a cable plug.

23. The cable management device recited in claim 22, wherein the plurality of openings are of different physical dimensions.

24. The cable management device recited in claim 22, wherein the clamp comprises a pair of mating elements and at least one fastening element.

25. The cable management device recited in claim 22, wherein the mating elements comprise retention elements to mate with corresponding retention elements of cable plugs.

26. An electronics rack assembly comprising:

a pair of opposing sides and a rear side;

a cable management device affixed to the rear side and to hold at least one cable plug; and

at least one electronics tray comprising;

a housing having a base and a rear panel;

at least one electronic component on the base and electrically coupled to a receptacle at the rear panel; and

mounting elements on the housing to couple to the electronics rack assembly to permit the electronics tray to be inserted substantially within the electronics rack assembly to couple the receptacle to the cable plug, and to be withdrawn from the electronics rack assembly to uncouple the receptacle from the cable plug.

27. The electronics rack assembly recited in claim 26, wherein the cable management device is to hold a plurality of cable plugs, and wherein the at least one electronics tray comprises a corresponding plurality of receptacles.

28. The electronics rack assembly recited in claim 27, wherein the cable management device comprises:

a clamp comprising a plurality of openings, each opening being dimensioned to accommodate a cable plug; and

a securing element to secure the clamp to the electronics rack assembly.

29. The electronics rack assembly recited in claim 28, wherein the cable plugs are of different physical dimensions.

30. The electronics rack assembly recited in claim 28, wherein the clamp comprises a pair of mating elements and at least one fastening element.

31. The electronics rack assembly recited in claim 30, wherein the mating elements comprise retention elements to mate with corresponding retention elements of cable plugs.

32. A cable management device for use with an electronics rack assembly and with an electronics tray to be removably mounted in the electronics rack assembly and having at least one electrical connector of a first gender, the cable management device comprising:

a substrate comprising a plurality of traces, the substrate having on a first surface thereof a plurality of cable connectors, each cable connector to accommodate a cable plug, the substrate having on a second surface thereof at least one electrical connector of a second gender that is mateable with the at least one electrical connector of the first gender, each cable connector being electrically coupled to the at least one electrical connector of the second gender through the plurality of traces; and

a securing element to secure the substrate to the electronics rack assembly when the at least one electrical connector of the electronics tray engages with or disengages from the at least one electrical connector of the substrate.

33. The cable management device recited in claim 32, wherein the plurality of cable connectors are of different physical dimensions.

34. The cable management device recited in claim 32, wherein the at least one electrical connector of the substrate comprises an edge connector.

35. An electronics rack assembly comprising:

a pair of opposing sides and a rear side;

a cable management device affixed to the rear side and comprising a substrate having a plurality of traces, the substrate having on a first surface thereof a plurality of cable connectors, each cable connector to accommodate a cable plug, the substrate having on a second surface thereof at least one electrical connector of a first gender, each cable connector being electrically coupled to the at least one electrical connector of the first gender through the plurality of traces; and

at least one electronics tray comprising;

a housing having a base and a rear panel;

at least one electronic component on the base and electrically coupled to at least one electrical connector at the rear panel and being of a second gender that is mateable with the at least one electrical connector of the first gender, and

mounting elements on the housing to couple to the electronics rack assembly to permit the electronics tray to be inserted substantially within the electronics rack assembly to couple the at least one electrical connector on the rear panel to the at least one electrical connector on the substrate, and to be withdrawn from the electronics rack assembly to uncouple the electrical connectors from each other.

36. The electronics rack assembly recited in claim 35, wherein the cable management device comprises only one electrical connector of the first gender.

37. The electronics rack assembly recited in claim 35, wherein the plurality of cable connectors are of different physical dimensions.