Computer system and enclosure thereof

• US 6,198,633 B1
• Filed: 07/17/1998
• Issued: 03/06/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Lehman, Bret W., Miles, Anthony Wayne
• Primary Examiner(s): Gaffin, Jeffrey
• Assistant Examiner(s): DINH, TUAN T
• Application Number:
  US09/118,741
• Time in Patent Office: 963 Days
• Field of Search: 361/726, 361/727, 361/730, 361/752, 361/753, 361/756, 361/788, 361/796, 361/797, 361/801-802, 312/223.2, 312/332.1, 312/334.5, 312/334.7, 312/334.16
• US Class Current: 361/756
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/18 Packaging or power distribution
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/184 Mounting of motherboards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/185 Mounting of expansion boards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/186 Securing of expansion boards in correspondence to slots provided at the computer enclosure

Abstract

The enclosure includes a base section fabricated from a single piece of material, such as sheet metal, in which multiple design details are punched and formed. A cover section with tabs for inserting in slots formed in the base section is provided. A one-piece card cage including injector/ejector latching details and card guide rails is connected via welding or other means to the base section. An enabler assembly, including guide rails, is fastened to the card cage and configures the card cage into multiple adapter receiving cavities.

Claims

1. A mechanical enclosure for use with electrical machines including:

a base section, having a bottom, sidewalls including at least one opening through which electrical subassemblies are to be inserted and flanges;

a card cage having spaced guide rails and injector/ejector latching details connected to the base section;

an enabler assembly including guide rails mounted to the card cage, said enabler assembly partitioning the card cage into multiple adapter receiving cavities; and

a cover section carrying tabs that mate with slots in said base section when said cover section is placed on said base section.

2. The mechanical enclosure in claim 1 further including slots that receive and exit cooling air.

3. The mechanical enclosure of claim 1 wherein the card cage includes flanges that are welded to the flanges on the base section.

4. The mechanical enclosure of claim 1 further including a support member connected to the card cage.

5. The mechanical enclosure of claim 4 further including an insulator connected to the support member.

6. The mechanical enclosure of claim 1 further including a power supply connected to the base section.

7. The mechanical enclosure of claim 1 further including at least one fan bracket connected to the base section.

8. The mechanical enclosure of claim 3 wherein the flanges are vertically oriented.

9. An electrical machine including:

a base section including a bottom and contiguous sidewalls with an opening in at least one of the sidewalls and spaced vertical flanges fabricated relative to the opening;

a card cage mounted to the base section, said card cage including spaced guide rails and an opening that is positioned in spaced alignment with the opening in the at least one sidewall;

an enabler, including guide rails, mounted to the card cage and partitioning said opening in a plurality of card receiving cavities;

a backplane coupled to said enabler, said backplane including electrical connectors and electrical conductors interconnecting said electrical connectors; and

at least one circuit board assembly mounted in at least one of the card receiving cavities and in electrical communication with said backplane.

10. The electrical machine of claim 9 further including a top section including tabs that mate with prepositional slots in said base section to cover the components in said base section.

11. The electrical machine of claims 9 or 10 further including a support member connected to the card cage;

and

an insulator mounted between the support member and the backplane.

12. The electrical machine of claims 9 or 10 further including a power supply mounted in said base section;

a.c. cable for providing a.c. power to said power supply; and

d.c. cable for distributing d.c. power from the power supply.

13. The electrical machine of claim 12 further including a hardfile mounted in said base section.

14. The electrical machine of claim 12 further including a power supply cover mounted to the base section and covering said power supply.

15. The electrical machine of claim 14 further including a blower mounted in said base section.

16. The electrical machine of claim 15 further including a fan.

17. The electrical machine of claim 13 further including at least one bracket for mounting said electrical machine connected to said base station.

18. The electrical machine of claim 9 further including sets of cooling slots fabricated in selected ones of the sidewalls.

19. The electrical machine of claim 9 wherein the card cage further includes injector/ejector details fabricated on said card cage.

20. The electrical machine of claim 19 wherein the circuit board assembly includes a bracket and spaced injector/ejector levers connected to said bracket.

21. The electrical machine of claim 9 wherein the plurality of card receiving cavities includes at least one cavity for a large adapter card and four cavities for small adapter cards.

22. The electrical machine of claim 9 wherein the plurality of cavities includes at least two cavities for large adapter cards and at least two cavities for small adapter cards.

23. The electrical machine of claim 9 further including electrical grounding mechanism operatively coupled to the base section.

24. The electrical mechanism of claim 23 wherein the at least one circuit board includes a grounding strip fabricated thereon and coacting with the grounding mechanism to electrically ground said circuit board.