Component housing assembly having universal mounting capability and mounting bracket for use therewith

• US 6,462,961 B1
• Filed: 11/03/2000
• Issued: 10/08/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Powerware Corporation (Eaton Corporation PLC.)
• Original Assignee: Powerware Corporation (Eaton Corporation PLC.)
• Inventors: Johnson, Andrew B., Priest, Glenn A., Davis, George R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Martin, David S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lindinger, Michael L.
• Application Number:
  US09/705,612
• Time in Patent Office: 704 Days
• Field of Search: 312/223.2, 312/263, 312/222, 312/223.1, 312/290, 312/111, 312/265.6, 312/265.5, 174/356, 174/57, 174/58, 174/48, 174/53, 361/825, 361/829, 361/683, 361/684, 361/724-727, 361/427, 220/3.9, 220/3.7, 220/3.3, 220/786, 220/782, 220/780, 248/27.1, 248/316.1, 248/222.52, 248/221.3, 248/221.4, 248/222.4, 248/223.1, 248/309.1, 248/300, 248/218.4, 403/261, 403/259, 403/193, 439/247, 439/49, 439/713, 439/31, 292/80, 292/19, 292/83, 292/86, 211/41.17, 211/41.18, 211/26, 211/189, 211/182, 211/191, 211/184
• US Class Current: 361/825
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 81/06 Furniture aspects of radio, television, gramophone, or record cabinets for similar equipment supports attached to the wall or ceiling or floor stands F16M
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 96/06 Brackets or similar supporting means for cabinets, racks or shelves A47B96/022 takes precedence; aspects of adjusting height or inclination A47B57/00 ; brackets for the display of articles A47F5/08
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/1421 Drawers for printed circuit boards
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/1425 of standardised dimensions, e.g. 19"-subrack

Abstract

Presented is a component housing assembly having universal mounting capability provided by a universal mounting bracket and a housing having a plurality of mounting holes to accommodate the attachment of the bracket in multiple configurations. Specifically, the component housing is sized to fit within a standard 19-inch rack-mount cabinet. The universal mounting bracket includes a first and a second portion in a perpendicular relationship, each having a length suitable for mounting the housing in multiple mounting configurations. In a 19-inch mounting configuration, the longer of the first and second portions of the mounting bracket is secured to the sides of the housing, allowing the shorter portion to meet with the mounting rails on the rack-mount cabinet. If a larger 23-inch rack-mount configuration or a telco rack-mount configuration is desired, the universal mounting bracket is rotated such that the shorter of the first and second portion mounts to the side of the housing, while the longer portion is adapted to accommodate the wider rails. To provide a tower-mount capability, the universal mounting bracket is again repositioned on the housing to form mounting feet that provide the required stability of a tower-mount configuration. Finally, the universal mounting bracket may be positioned on the housing to provide a wall-mount capability for the component equipment. The universal mounting bracket includes multiple wall-mount mounting holes positioned in relation to one another to accommodate differing construction standards for wall stud placement.

Claims

1. A modular component equipment assembly having universal mounting capability, comprising:

a housing; and

a pair of universal mounting brackets each having a first portion, and a second portion arranged in perpendicular relation to and being wider than the first portion, the first portion defining therein a first set of bracket mounting holes, the second portion defining therein a second set of bracket mounting holes; and

wherein the first portion of the universal mounting brackets are attached to the housing on either side thereof to form wide outward depending mounting flanges, the second set of bracket mounting holes being positioned on the second portion such that a distance between the second set of bracket mounting holes on each universal mounting bracket when attached to the housing is adapted to align with external mounting holes on an external rack mount chassis of a first size; and

wherein the second portion of the universal mounting brackets are attached to the housing on either side thereof to form short outward depending mounting flanges, the first set of bracket mounting holes being positioned on the first portion such that a distance between the first set of bracket mounting holes on each universal mounting bracket when attached to the housing is adapted to align with external mounting holes on an external rack mount chassis of a second size smaller than the first size.

2. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the housing defines a first and a second set of mounting holes on two sides thereof;

wherein the first portion defines a first set of housing mounting holes adapted to align with the first set of mounting holes of the housing; and

wherein the second portion defines a second set of housing mounting holes adapted to align with the second set of mounting holes of the housing.

3. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the housing is oriented in a tower mount configuration, and wherein the first portion of the universal mounting brackets are attached to opposite sides of the housing at a lower portion thereof relative to the tower mount orientation such that the second portion forms mounting feet to increase the stability thereof.

4. The assembly of claim 3, wherein the housing defines a third set of mounting holes on opposite sides of the housing at the lower portion thereof, and wherein the first portion defines a first set of housing mounting holes adapted to align with the third set of mounting holes of the housing.

5. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the universal mounting brackets further define a plurality of wall mounting holes in the second portions thereof, wherein the housing is oriented in a wall mount configuration, and wherein the first portion of the universal mounting brackets are attached to at least one side of the housing in a spaced relationship to an adjacent universal mounting bracket such that a first distance between an inner-most pair of wall mounting holes on adjacent universal mounting brackets align with wall studs constructed with centers at a first distance, such that a second distance between a middle pair of wall mounting holes on adjacent universal mounting brackets align with wall studs constructed with centers at a second distance, and such that a third distance between an outer-most pair of wall mounting holes on adjacent universal mounting brackets align with wall studs constructed with centers at a third distance.

7. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the housing forms a rectangular box having a front surface whose width exceeds its height, a pair of side walls, a top surface, and a bottom surface,

wherein the universal mounting brackets are attached to the pair of side walls to enable mounting of the housing in a rack-mount and a telco-mount chassis, the mounting flanges so formed extending parallel with the front surface,

wherein the first portion of the universal mounting brackets are attached to the top and bottom surfaces to enable a tower mounting of the housing, the second portions forming mounting feet extending perpendicular to the front surface, and

wherein the first portion of the universal mounting brackets are attached to the pair of side walls to enable a wall mounting of the housing, the second portions forming wall mounting flanges extending perpendicular to the front surface.

8. The assembly of claim 7, wherein the first portion defines a first set of housing mounting holes and the second portion defines a second set of housing mounting holes,

wherein the pair of side walls define a first and a second set of mounting holes positioned to align with the first and the second set of mounting holes, respectively, to enable rack mounting of the housing in a first and a second sized rack mount chassis, a third set of mounting holes to enable mounting in a telco rack mount chassis, and a fourth and fifth set of mounting holes each positioned to align with the first set of housing mounting holes to enable wall mounting of the housing, and

wherein the top and bottom surfaces define a sixth and seventh set of mounting holes each positioned to align with the first set of housing mounting holes to enable tower mounting of the housing.

6. A modular component equipment assembly having universal mounting capability, comprising:

a housing; and

a pair of universal mounting brackets each having a first portion, and a second portion arranged in perpendicular relation to and being wider than the first portion, the first portion defining therein a first set of bracket mounting holes, the second portion defining therein a second set of bracket mounting holes; and

wherein the first portion of the universal mounting brackets are attached to the housing on either side thereof to form wide outward depending mounting flanges, the second set of bracket mounting holes being positioned on the second portion such that a distance between the second set of bracket mounting holes on each universal mounting bracket when attached to the housing is adapted to align with external mounting holes on an external rack mount chassis of a first size; and

wherein the second portion of the universal mounting brackets are attached to the housing on either side thereof to form short outward depending mounting flanges, the first set of bracket mounting holes being positioned on the first portion such that a distance between the first set of bracket mounting holes on each universal mounting bracket when attached to the housing is adapted to align with external mounting holes on an external rack mount chassis of a second size smaller than the first size; and

wherein the second portion further defines therein a plate cover mounting hole, further comprising aesthetic plate covers snap fit in the plate cover mounting hole.

9. A universal mounting bracket for use with modular component equipment, comprising:

a first portion defining therein a first set of housing mounting holes and a first set of rack mounting holes;

a second portion defining therein a second set of housing mounting holes and a second set of rack mounting holes, the second portion being positioned perpendicular to the first portion and having a length greater than a length of the first portion;

wherein the second set of rack mounting holes are positioned along the length of the second portion such that they align with external mounting holes of a first rack mount chassis when the bracket is mounted to the modular component equipment; and

wherein the first set of rack mounting holes are positioned along the length of the first portion such that they align with external mounting holes of a second rack mount chassis that is smaller than the first rack mount chassis when the bracket is mounted to the modular component equipment.

10. The bracket of claim 9, wherein the second portion further defines therein a first wall mount hole.

11. The bracket of claim 10, wherein the second portion further defines a second wall mount hole positioned a first distance from the first wall mount hole, the first distance being one half of a distance differential between building standards for wall stud placement.

12. The bracket of claim 11, wherein the second portion further defines a third wall mount hole positioned the first distance from the second wall mount hole.

13. The bracket of claim 12, wherein each of the first and second and the second and third wall mount holes are positioned approximately one inch from each other.

14. The bracket of claim 12, wherein the second portion further defines an aesthetic cover mounting hole therein.

15. The bracket of claim 14, comprising a flat metal plate into which the first and second sets of housing mounting holes, the first and second set of rack mounting holes, the first, second, and third wall mount holes, and the aesthetic cover mounting hole are punched, the first and the second portion being formed by bending the metal plate.

16. The bracket of claim 9, wherein the first portion further defines a pair of clearance holes positioned therein.

17. The bracket of claim 9, wherein the second set of rack mounting holes are positioned along the length of the second portion such that they align with external mounting holes of a 23-inch rack mount chassis when the bracket is mounted to the modular component equipment, and wherein the first set of rack mounting holes are positioned along the length of the first portion such that they align with external mounting holes of a 19-inch rack mount chassis when the bracket is mounted to the modular component equipment.

18. A modular uninterruptible power supply (UPS) system for supplying electric power from line voltage and external batteries, comprising:

an UPS module; and

a plurality of universal mounting brackets adapted to couple to the UPS module in a first position to enable mounting of the UPS module in a first rack mount chassis, in a second position to enable mounting of the UPS module in a second rack mount chassis wider than the first rack mount chassis, in a third position to enable mounting of the UPS module in tower mount configuration, in a fourth position to enable mounting of the UPS module on a wall, and in a fifth position to enable mounting of the UPS module in a telco rack mount chassis.

19. The UPS system of claim 18, wherein the universal mounting bracket comprises a first and a second portion, the second portion being wider than the first portion, and wherein the second portion is coupled to the UPS module in the first position, and wherein the first portion is coupled to the UPS in the second, third, fourth, and fifth positions.

20. The UPS system of claim 18, further comprising:

at least a second UPS module and a joinder plate; and

wherein the UPS modules are positioned adjacent to one another in the tower mount configuration;

wherein the joinder plate is coupled to the adjacent UPS modules to maintain a relative position thereof; and

wherein the universal mounting brackets are coupled in the third position to an outside surface of the UPS modules to form mounting feet.

21. The UPS system of claim 18, wherein at least two universal mounting brackets are coupled on a same horizontal side of the UPS module in the fourth position, wherein the universal mounting bracket includes at least two wall mount holes defined therein, and wherein the wall mount holes are positioned relative to one another such that one of the wall mount holes from each universal mounting bracket will align with an external wall stud center of a wall constructed in accordance with a first standard, and such that the other of the wall mount holes from each universal mounting bracket will align with an external wall stud center of a wall constructed in accordance with a second standard.

22. The UPS system of claim 21, wherein the universal mounting bracket includes a third wall mount hole defined therein, and wherein the wall mount holes are positioned relative to one another such that the third of the wall mount holes from each universal mounting bracket will align with an external wall stud center of a wall constructed in accordance with a third standard.