Swinging gate rack

• US 5,806,687 A
• Filed: 02/27/1997
• Issued: 09/15/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Chatsworth Products Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Chatsworth Products Incorporated
• Inventors: Boutillier, Keith, Nakauchi, Tadashi, Ballesteros, Enrie R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin-Shue, Alvin C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): PUROL, SARAH L
• Application Number:
  US08/807,656
• Time in Patent Office: 565 Days
• Field of Search: 211/26, 211/86.01, 211/162, 211/169
• US Class Current: 211/26
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 1/021 using pivoting mechanisms for accessing the interior of the apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 1/09 Frames or mounting racks not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2201/02 Details of frames
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/16 on hinges or pivots

Abstract

A wall-mounted swinging gate rack for electronic components including a rack frame for supporting electronic components thereon, the rack frame including two vertical uprights, a lower horizontal rail, and an upper horizontal rail, each of the rails having two ends and an extending length, each of the rails also having a first pivot point and a second pivot, the first pivot points being substantially vertically aligned and the second pivot points being substantially vertically aligned to thereby define first and second substantially vertical axes for pivotal movement of the rack frame. The rack frame is supported on first and second pivot plate members of either the first or second pivot points for pivotal movement about the first or second vertical axis, respectively.

Claims

1. A wall-mounted swinging gate rack for electronic components, comprising:

a rack frame for supporting electronic components thereon, said rack frame including two vertical uprights, a lower horizontal rail, and an upper horizontal rail, each of said rails having two ends and an extending length;

each of said rails having a first pivot point and a second pivot point, said pivot points being located intermediate said ends and spaced from each other, said first pivot points being substantially vertically aligned and said second pivot points being substantially vertically aligned to thereby define, respectively, first and second substantially vertical axes for pivot movement of said frame;

a first bracket assembly adapted to be fixedly attached to said wall, including a horizontal support for extending outwardly from said wall and a first pivot plate member mounted at the extending end of said horizontal support;

a second bracket assembly adapted to be fixedly attached to said wall and generally vertically aligned with and spaced a predetermined distance above said first bracket assembly, said second bracket assembly including a horizontal support for extending outwardly from said wall and a second pivot plate member mounted at the extending end of said horizontal support; and

means for supporting said frame on said first and second pivot plate members at either said first or second pivot points for pivotal movement about said first or second vertical axis, respectively.

2. The gate rack of claim 1, wherein said first pivot point on each of said rails is located inset from one of said rail ends a distance between approximately 10% and 40% of said extending length of said rail, and said second pivot point is located inset from the other of said rail ends a distance between 10% and 40% of said extending length.

3. The gate rack of claim 2, wherein said first pivot point on each of said rails is located inset from said one rail end a distance of approximately 30% of said extending length, and said second pivot point is located inset from said other rail end a distance of approximately 30% of said extending length.

4. The gate rack of claim 1, wherein said first and second pivot points are, respectively, first and second bores, said first pivot plate member has a pair of bores aligned with and adjacent said bores on said lower rail, said second pivot plate member has a pair of bores aligned with and adjacent said bores on said upper rail, and said means for supporting said frame comprises a pair of pivot bolts disposed in said either of said first or second bores and said pivot plate member bores aligned and adjacent thereto.

5. The gate rack of claim 4, wherein said pivot bolts are selectively removable from the disposition in said bores.

6. The gate rack of claim 5, wherein said bores on said first and second pivot plate members are threaded and each of said pivot bolts has a threaded portion for threaded engagement in one of said pivot plate bores.

7. The gate rack of claim 6, wherein each of said pivot bolts includes a non-threaded portion disposed in one of said bores of said rails.

8. The gate rack of claim 1, wherein said rack frame is pivotally moveable to a closed position at which said rails are positioned generally parallel to said wall, and further comprising a stop for preventing pivotal movement of said rack frame beyond approximately 90°

of pivotal displacement from the closed position.

9. The gate rack of claim 4, wherein said rack frame is pivotally moveable to a closed position wherein said rails are positioned generally parallel for disposition to said wall, and further comprising a pair of locking bolts for disposition in the other of said first or second bores and said pivot plate member bores aligned and adjacent thereto for locking said frame in the closed position.

10. The gate rack of claim 9, wherein said locking bores are selectively releasable from the disposition in said bores.

11. The gate rack of claim 10, wherein said bores on said pivot plate members are threaded, and each said locking bolts has a threaded portion for engagement in one of said pivot plate member bores.

12. The gate rack of claim 11, wherein each of said locking bolts includes a non-threaded portion for disposition in one of said bores of said rails.

13. The gate rack of claim 1, wherein said first pivot plate member comprises an angle member having a horizontal flange and said second pivot plate member comprises a channel member having two horizontal channel flanges and a web portion intermediate said channel flanges.

14. The gate rack of claim 1, further comprising:

a second rack frame for supporting electronic components thereon, said second rack frame including two vertical uprights, an upper horizontal rail, and a lower horizontal rail, each of said rails having two ends and an extending length;

each of said second rack frame rails having a first pivot point and a second pivot point, said pivot points being located intermediate said ends and spaced from each other, said first pivot points being substantially vertically aligned and said second pivot points being substantially vertically aligned to thereby define, respectively, first and second substantially vertical axes of said second frame for pivotal movement of said second frame;

a third bracket assembly adapted to be fixedly attached to said wall and generally vertically aligned with and spaced a predetermined distance above said second bracket assembly, including a horizontal support for extending outwardly from said wall and a third pivot plate member mounted at the extending end of said horizontal support; and

means for supporting said second rack frame on said second and third pivot plate members at either said first or second pivot points of said second frame for pivotal movement about said first or second vertical axis of said second frame, respectively.

15. The gate rack of claim 14, wherein said first pivot plate member comprises an angle member having a horizontal flange, said second pivot plate member comprises a channel member having two horizontal channel flanges and a web portion intermediate said channel flanges, and said third pivot plate member comprises an angle member having a horizontal flange.

16. A wall-mounted swinging gate rack for electronic components, comprising:

a first rack frame for supporting electronic components thereon, said first rack frame including two vertical uprights, an upper horizontal rail, and a lower horizontal rail, each of said rails having two ends and an extending length;

a second rack frame for supporting electronic components thereon, said second rack frame including two vertical uprights, an upper horizontal rail, and a lower horizontal rail, each of said rails having two ends and an extending length;

each of said rails having an inset pivot point located spaced from one of said ends of said rail a distance between approximately 10% and 40% of said extending length, said pivot points being substantially vertically aligned to define a substantially vertical axis for inset pivotal movement of said rack frames;

a first bracket assembly adapted to be fixedly attached to said wall, including a horizontal support for extending outwardly from said wall and a first pivot plate member mounted at the extending end of said horizontal support;

a second bracket assembly adapted to be fixedly attached to said wall and generally vertically aligned with and spaced a predetermined distance above said first bracket assembly, said second bracket assembly including a horizontal support for extending outwardly from said wall and a second pivot plate member mounted at the extending end of said horizontal support;

a third bracket assembly adapted to be fixedly attached to said wall and generally vertically aligned with and spaced a predetermined distance above said second bracket assembly, including a horizontal support for extending outwardly from said wall and a third pivot plate member mounted at the extending end of said horizontal support;

means for supporting said first frame on said first and second pivot plate members at said pivot points of said first frame for inset pivotal movement about said vertical axis; and

means for supporting said second frame on said second and third pivot plate members at said pivot points of said second frame for inset pivotal movement about said vertical axis.

17. The gate rack of claim 16, wherein said first and second rack frames are each pivotally moveable to a closed position wherein said rails are positioned generally parallel to the wall, and further comprising means for selectively locking each of said frames in the closed position to prevent pivotal movement thereof.

18. A wall-mounted swinging gate rack for electronic components, comprising:

a first rack frame for supporting electronic components thereon, said first rack frame including two vertical uprights, an upper horizontal rail, and a lower horizontal rail, each of said rails having two ends and an extending length;

a second rack frame for supporting electronic components thereon, said second rack frame including two vertical uprights, an upper horizontal rail, and a lower horizontal rail, each of said rails having two ends and an extending length;

said rails each having first and second bores formed therein, each of said first bores being inset from one of said rail ends a distance between approximately 10% and 40% of said extending length, and each of said second bores being inset from the other of said rail ends a distance between approximately 10% and 40% of said extending length, said first bores being substantially vertically aligned to define a first substantially vertical axis, said second bores being substantially vertically aligned to define a second substantially vertical axis;

a lower bracket assembly adapted to be fixedly attached to said wall, including a horizontal support for extending outwardly from said wall and a lower pivot plate member mounted at the extending end of said horizontal support;

an intermediate bracket assembly adapted to be fixedly attached to said wall and generally vertically aligned with and spaced a predetermined distance above said lower bracket assembly, said intermediate bracket assembly including a horizontal support for extending outwardly from said wall and an intermediate pivot plate member mounted at the extending end of said horizontal support;

an upper bracket assembly adapted to be fixedly attached to said wall and generally vertically aligned with and spaced a predetermined distance above said intermediate bracket assembly, including a horizontal support for extending outwardly from said wall and an upper pivot plate member mounted at the extending end of said horizontal support;

means for supporting said first rack frame on said lower and intermediate pivot plate members at either said first or second bores for inset pivotal movement about either said first or second substantially vertical axis, respectively;

means for supporting said second rack frame on said intermediate and upper pivot plate members at either said first or second bores for inset pivotal movement about either said first or second substantially vertical axis, respectively;

said first frame and said second frame each being pivotally moveable to a closed position wherein said respective frame rails are positioned generally parallel to said wall; and

means for selectively locking each of said frames in the closed position to prevent pivotal movement thereof.