Techniques for fastening a panel to an electronic cabinet frame

• US 6,695,149 B1
• Filed: 08/09/2002
• Issued: 02/24/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Emc IP Holding Company LLC (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: EMC Corporation (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Cote, Gerald J., Gundogan, Ilhan, Beinor, Albert
• Primary Examiner(s): GIBSON, ROBERT W
• Application Number:
  US10/215,573
• Time in Patent Office: 564 Days
• Field of Search: 211/26, 211/182, 211/189, 312/265.1, 312/265.2, 312/265.3, 312/265.4, 312/265.5, 312/265.6, 312/223.2, 403/384, 403/397
• US Class Current: 211/26
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/183 support rails therefor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 403/7176 Resilient clip

Abstract

A technique for fastening a panel to an electronic cabinet frame involves inserting portions of rigid support members (e.g., rails) of the electronic cabinet frame into grooves defined by fasteners to attach the fasteners to the portions of the rigid support members of the electronic cabinet frame. The technique further involves positioning catches (e.g., latching members) of the panel adjacent catch members of the fasteners, and moving the panel toward the fasteners such that the catches of the panel engage with the catch members of the fasteners to fasten the panel to the electronic cabinet frame. Accordingly, no screws or other hardware is required to mount either the fasteners or the panel.

Claims

1. A rack system, comprising:

an electronic cabinet frame to support electronic equipment, the electronic cabinet frame including a set of rigid support members; and

a panel assembly to cover an access area defined by the electronic cabinet frame, the panel assembly including (i) a panel, and (ii) a set of fasteners to fasten the panel to an electronic cabinet frame, each fastener having;

a base portion defining a groove such that, when a portion of a rigid support member of the set of rigid support members inserts within the groove defined by the base portion of that fastener, the base portion attaches to the portion of that rigid support member of the set of rigid support members, and

a catch portion coupled to the base portion of that fastener, the catch portion being configured to engage with the panel to fasten the panel to the electronic cabinet frame when the portion of that rigid support member of the set of rigid support members inserts within the groove defined by the base portion.

18. The rack system of claim 1 wherein each fastener is configured to fasten to a substantially vertically extending rigid support member in response to movement of that fastener in a substantially horizontal direction relative to the substantially vertically extending rigid support member.

2. A panel assembly, comprising:

a panel; and

a set of fasteners to fasten the panel to an electronic cabinet frame, each fastener having;

a base portion defining a groove such that, when a portion of a rigid support member of the electronic cabinet frame inserts within the groove defined by the base portion of that fastener, the base portion attaches to the portion of that rigid support member of the electronic cabinet frame, and

a catch portion coupled to the base portion of that fastener, the catch portion being configured to engage with the panel to fasten the panel to the electronic cabinet frame when the portion of that rigid support member of the electronic cabinet frame inserts within the groove defined by the base portion.

7. The fastener of claim 2 wherein the base portion includes:

a first section;

a second section; and

a hinge section that connects to the first section and the second section such that (i) the first section and the second section reside in a substantially parallel orientation relative to each other to define the groove, and (ii) one of the first section and the second section hinges relative to the other in response to a force applied to at least one of the first section and the second section when the portion of the rigid support member of the electronic cabinet frame inserts within the groove defined by the base portion.

8. The fastener of claim 7 wherein the hinge portion further defines a set of tooling holes that extend completely through the hinge section.

19. The panel assembly of claim 2 wherein each fastener is configured to fasten to a substantially vertically extending rigid support member in response to movement of that fastener in a substantially horizontal direction relative to the substantially vertically extending rigid support member.

3. A fastener for fastening a panel to an electronic cabinet frame, the fastener comprising:

a base portion defining a groove such that, when a portion of a rigid support member of the electronic cabinet frame inserts within the groove defined by the base portion, the base portion attaches to the portion of the rigid support member of the electronic cabinet frame; and

a catch portion coupled to the base portion, the catch portion being configured to engage with the panel to fasten the panel to the electronic cabinet frame when the portion of the rigid support member of the electronic cabinet frame inserts within the groove defined by the base portion.

4. The fastener of claim 3, further comprising:

a set of bosses coupled to the base portion, wherein each boss of the set of bosses extends toward a mid-plane of the groove defined by the base portion.

5. The fastener of claim 4 wherein each boss of the set of bosses defines a ramped surface.

6. The fastener of claim 4 wherein the set of bosses includes:

a first subset of bosses which extends from the base portion in a first direction toward the mid-plane of the groove defined by the base portion; and

a second subset of bosses which extends from the base portion in a second direction toward the mid-plane of the groove of the groove defined by the base portion, the second direction being substantially opposite to the first direction.

9. The fastener of claim 3 wherein the groove defined by the base portion is a first groove;

wherein the base portion further defines a second groove such that, when the portion of the rigid support member of the electronic cabinet frame inserts within the second groove defined by the rigid support member, the base portion attaches to the portion of the rigid support member of the electronic cabinet frame;

wherein the catch portion coupled to the base portion is a first catch portion, and wherein the fastener further comprises;

a second catch portion coupled to the base portion, the second catch portion being configured to engage with another panel to fasten the other panel to the electronic cabinet frame when the portion of the rigid support member of the electronic cabinet frame inserts within the second groove defined by the base portion.

10. The fastener of claim 9 wherein the fastener further comprises:

a first set of bosses that extend from the base portion within the first groove, and

a second set of bosses that extend from the base portion within the second groove; and

wherein positions of the first set of bosses within the first groove are offset relative to positions of the second set of bosses within the second groove.

11. The fastener of claim 9 wherein the base portion further defines a set of visible symbols to direct a user to properly orient the fastener with the portion of the rigid support member of the electronic cabinet frame.

12. The fastener of claim 3, further comprising:

a set of interference tabs coupled to the base portion, wherein each interference tab of the set of interference tabs extends into a portion of the groove to evenly position the portion of the rigid support member of the electronic cabinet frame within the groove defined by the base portion when the portion of the rigid support member of the electronic cabinet frame inserts within the groove defined by the base portion.

13. The fastener of claim 3 wherein each of the base portion and the catch portion substantially includes acrylonitrile butadiene styrene polycarbonate material.

20. The fastener of claim 3 wherein the fastener is configured to fasten to the portion of the rigid support member in response to movement of the fastener in a substantially horizontal direction relative to the portion of the rigid support member.

14. A method for fastening a panel to an electronic cabinet frame, the method comprising the steps of:

inserting portions of rigid support members of the electronic cabinet frame into grooves defined by fasteners to attach the fasteners to the portions of the rigid support members of the electronic cabinet frame;

positioning catches of the panel adjacent catch members of the fasteners; and

moving the panel toward the fasteners such that the catches of the panel engage with the catch members of the fasteners to fasten the panel to the electronic cabinet frame.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising the steps of:

disengaging the catches of the panel from the catch members of the fasteners to unfasten the panel from the electronic frame; and

prying the fasteners from the portions of the rigid support members of the electronic cabinet frame to detach the fasteners from the portions of the rigid support members of the electronic cabinet frame.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the step of prying the fasteners from the portions of the rigid support members of the electronic cabinet frame includes the step of:

opening each fastener in a hinge-like manner to detach that fastener from a portion of a rigid support member of the electronic cabinet frame.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of:

turning the fasteners upside-down from initial orientations of the fasteners when the portions of the rigid support members of the electronic cabinet frame insert into the grooves defined by the fasteners; and

inserting the portions of the rigid support members of the electronic cabinet frame into alternative grooves defined by the fasteners to attach the fasteners to the portions of the rigid support members of the electronic cabinet frame.