RACK MOUNTED COMPUTER SYSTEM

• US 20090178986A1
• Filed: 03/19/2009
• Published: 07/16/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Original Assignee: Rackable Systems Incorporated (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Inventors: Casebolt, Matthew P., Coglitore, Giovanni
• Granted Patent: US 7,911,785 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 211/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/183 Internal mounting support structures, e.g. for printed circuit boards, internal connecting means for buses G06F13/409
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/1488 Cabinets therefor, e.g. chassis or racks or mechanical interfaces between blades and support structures

Abstract

A rack mounted computer system. In one variation the computer rack is configured for side-by-side placement of computers. In another variation, the computer rack includes flanges for supporting the placement of computer units within the rack. In another variation the computer rack is configured with retaining clips. In yet another variation, the computer rack is configured to receive computers with chassis that are adapted for side-by-side placement.

Claims

1. A rack-mount computer system, comprising:

a rack assembly, comprising a plurality of computer bays, each computer bay comprising at least one computer retaining recess provided along an interior portion of the computer bay; and

a computer chassis configured to be received in one of the computer bays, the computer chassis comprising a chassis retainer configured to mate with the computer retaining recess when the computer chassis is fully inserted into the computer bay.

2. The rack mounted computer of claim 1, wherein:

the chassis retainer comprises a flexible flange and a protruding portion configured to mate with the computer retaining recess.

3. The rack mounted computer of claim 2, wherein:

the flexible flange comprises a release member which protrudes beyond a front side of the computer chassis.

4. The rack-mounted computer system of claim 1, wherein:

said chassis retainer comprises a cantilevered flange having a protruding portion which mates with the computer retaining recess.

5. The rack-mounted computer system of claim 4, wherein:

the cantilevered flange includes an outward bias which urges the protruding portion outward.

6. The rack-mounted computer system of claim 5, wherein:

the chassis retainer further comprises a release member.

7. The rack-mounted computer system of claim 6, wherein:

the chassis retainer automatically engages the computer retaining recess when the computer chassis is inserted into the computer bay.

8. The rack-mounted computer system of claim 7, wherein:

the release member is configured such that a user can depress the release member to disengage the chassis retainer and pull the computer chassis out of the computer bay.

9. The rack mounted computer system of claim 6, wherein:

the release member comprises a handle that extend beyond a front face of the computer chassis, the handle is configured such that a user can disengage the chassis retainer from the retaining recess by moving the position of the handle.

10. The rack mounted computer of claim 1, wherein:

each of the plurality of computer bays comprises at least a pair of support flanges configured to support a weight the computer chassis when the computer chassis is inserted into the computer bay.

11. The rack-mounted computer system of claim 1, wherein:

the chassis retainer further comprises a release member configured such that a user can depress the release member to disengage the chassis retainer from the retaining recess, and pull the computer chassis out of the computer bay.

12. The rack-mounted computer system of claim 11, wherein:

the said chassis retainer comprises a cantilevered flange having a protruding portion which mates with the computer retaining recess.

13. The rack-mounted computer system of claim 1, wherein:

said plurality of computer bays comprises a plurality of support rails.

14. A method of configuring a computer apparatus comprising:

providing a rack-mounted computer system according to claim 3;

inserting said computer chassis into one of said computer bays, wherein said computer chassis includes a central processing unit and a main board.