Electronic device assembly having protecting mechanism

An exemplary electronic device assembly includes a cabinet and electronic devices received in the cabinet. The cabinet includes four columns substantially positioned at four corners of the cabinet. A window is defined between two front columns. Each electronic device includes a casing, which includes a bottom plate, a lateral side and an actuator. The bottom plate defines an inserting opening therein. The lateral side defines an engaging opening therein. The actuator movably connects to the casing and includes an engaging portion and an abutting portion. The abutting portion extends through the inserting opening. The engaging portion extends through the engaging opening and engages with one of the columns. When the abutting portion is pushed up, the actuator moves and the engaging portion disengages from the column.

BACKGROUND

1. Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to an electronic device assembly having a safety mechanism for protecting stacked electronic devices inside a cabinet of the electronic device assembly when the electronic devices are withdrawn from the cabinet.

2. Description of Related Art

Composite electronic devices such as server assemblies include a cabinet, and a plurality of servers received in the cabinet and arranged in a stack. There are two major kinds of server assemblies: server assemblies with rails, and server assemblies without rails. Both kinds of server assemblies have a similar outer appearance. Often, the only significant difference is that the non-rail type server assembly has no rails inside the cabinet.

When the servers in the cabinet of the rail-type server assembly need to be repaired or replaced, the servers can be pulled outside of the cabinet along the rails of the cabinet.

Since the non-rail type server assembly has no rails in the cabinet, the cabinet has a relatively simple structure, which is well appreciated by users. When a server in the cabinet of the non-rail type server assembly needs to be pulled outside of the cabinet, the server is slid out along an adjacent server which is beneath the server being removed. However, occasionally the server being removed has no adjacent server underneath. If the user taking out the server mistakenly believes that the server assembly is a rail-type server assembly, the user may drop the server down inside the cabinet when the user begins to remove the server. Thus there is a risk of causing damage to the server being removed, other servers and elements in the cabinet, and the cabinet itself. The user's own safety may also be imperiled.

What is needed, therefore, is an electronic device assembly which can overcome the above-mentioned limitations.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring toFIGS. 1,7and8, an electronic device assembly in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure is a server assembly. In particular, the server assembly is a non-rail type server assembly. It is noted that the electronic device assembly can also have other alternative applications. For example, the electronic device assembly can instead be a storage device assembly.

The electronic device assembly comprises a cabinet10, and one or more electronic devices received in the cabinet10. In the present embodiment, the electronic devices are servers such as blade servers. In alternative embodiments, the electronic devices can for example be storage devices. Each server has a casing20. The casings20are arranged one above the other, and adjacent casings20are stacked together. Front and rear ends of the casings20are secured onto the cabinet10. An actuator30is accommodated in each of the casings20. When any one casing20does not have another casing20located immediately beneath, such casing20is referred to herein as being “suspended.” When a casing20is suspended, the actuator30is engaged with the cabinet10to prevent that the casing20from being pulled out from the cabinet10.

The electronic device assembly will be described in more detail with reference to other drawings too. Referring toFIG. 1again, the cabinet10comprises four columns12positioned at substantially four corners thereof, respectively. A plurality of front, back and lateral side plates14and a top plate15are coupled to the columns12to form a substantially enclosing housing for receiving the casings20. A window16is defined between two front columns12, for the casings20to be inserted into and withdrawn from the cabinet10.

InFIG. 1, seven casings20are shown assembled in the cabinet10. It is understood that the number of the casings20assembled in the cabinet10depends on a desired requirement. For example, there can be only one casing20assembled in the cabinet10, or there can be multiple casings20fully filling the cabinet10. A front end201of each casing20is secured onto the front columns12. A rear end202of each casing20is secured onto two rear columns12.

Also referring toFIGS. 2-4and7-8, each casing20has a substantially rectangular box shape. InFIGS. 2 and 3, a top cover of the casing20is omitted, for clarity. Understandably, the casing20can alternatively have no top cover. Two L-shaped securing plates22are formed on the front end201of the casing20. The securing plates22are connected to the front columns12, respectively, to secure the front end201of the casing20onto the front columns12. Two securing mortises23are defined in the rear end202of the casing20. A plurality of tenons122is formed on the rear columns12. The securing mortises23engagingly receive two corresponding tenons122, whereby the rear end202of the casing20is secured onto the rear columns12. Specifically, the securing plates22are positioned on two lateral sides of the front end201of the casing20. Each securing plate22comprises two claws222. A plurality of securing holes121is defined in the front columns12. The claws222are inserted into two corresponding securing holes121of the respective front column12, and are locked on the front column12by a screw221. It is noted that, in alternative embodiments, the casing20can be secured onto the columns12by any of various other mechanisms known in the art.

An engaging opening251is defined in a lateral side of the casing20, for example, a left lateral side25of the casing20. The engaging opening251is near the front end201and far away from the rear end202of the casing20. The engaging opening251is configured for allowing a part of a corresponding actuator30to extend through and engage in a respective one of a plurality of vertical grooves (not labeled) of the corresponding front column12of the cabinet10(which is described in more detail hereinafter). Since one of the securing plates22is positioned at the location where the engaging opening251is defined, a through hole223is also defined in the securing plate22for the part of the actuator30to extend through.

An inserting opening261is defined in a bottom plate26of the casing20for another part of the actuator30to extend through (which is described in more detail hereinafter). Two securing tabs263are formed on the bottom plate26. A pivoting hole (not labeled) is defined in each of the securing tabs263, for the actuator30to be pivotally connected to the securing tabs263.

Referring toFIGS. 5 and 6, each actuator30comprises a horizontal plate31and a vertical plate32extending upwardly from a lateral side of the horizontal plate31. A pair of pivot pins33is formed on an opposite lateral side of the horizontal plate31. The pivot pins33are aligned with each other, along a common axis of rotation of the actuator30. An elastic element40such as a spring (shown inFIGS. 2-4) is mounted on one of the pivot pins33. The actuator30is thus able to be pivotally connected to the securing tabs263of the bottom plate26of a corresponding casing20, and be elastically biased in such position. An abutting portion35extends downwardly from a bottom surface of the horizontal plate31. The abutting portion35is capable of extending through the inserting opening261of the bottom plate26of the casing20. An engaging portion34extends horizontally and outwardly from the vertical plate32. Specifically, the engaging portion34extends from a top end of the vertical plate32. The engaging portion34is capable of extending through the engaging opening251of the left lateral side25of the casing20. A plurality of ribs312is formed between the horizontal plate31and the vertical plate32, for increasing a strength of the actuator30.

The actuator30is elastically biased by the elastic element40to rotate about the securing tabs263of the bottom plate26of the corresponding casing20. Resilience provided by the elastic element40causes the abutting portion35of the actuator30to extend through the inserting hole261of the bottom plate26and be exposed outside of the casing20, and the engaging portion34of the actuator30to extend through the engaging opening251of the left lateral side25of the casing20and the through hole223of the securing plate22to be exposed outside of the casing20. When a force is exerted upwardly on the abutting portion35of the actuator30, the actuator30can rotate about the bottom plate26of the casing20(i.e., rotate about the pivot pins33). When this happens, the abutting portion35moves toward the inside of the casing20so that it no longer protrudes out from the inserting opening261, and the engaging portion34moves toward the inside of the casing20so that it no longer protrudes out from the engaging opening251of the casing20.

As shown inFIGS. 7 and 8, due to pushing by a lower one of two adjacent casings20, the abutting portion35of the actuator30of an upper one of the two adjacent casings20is urged to move inside the upper casing20, and the actuator30is correspondingly rotated. Accordingly, the engaging portion34of the actuator30is moved inside the upper casing20and is disengaged from the front column12positioned outside the casing20. After releasing the screws221, the upper casing20can be pulled outside of the cabinet10along the lower casing20.

When there is no other casing20positioned beneath a given casing20, the casing20is suspended. The abutting portion35of the actuator30in the casing20extends through the inserting hole261of the bottom plate26, and the engaging portion34of the actuator30extends through the engaging hole251of the left lateral side25of the casing20and is engaged with the corresponding front column12positioned outside the casing20, due to the resilience of the elastic element40. Therefore after releasing the screws221, the abutting portion35can be manually pushed upwardly to disengage the engaging portion34from the front column12, and the casing20can be pulled out from the cabinet10. The actuator30provided in the casing20keeps the casing20in position even after the screws221have been released, and thus prompts the user to check the status of the casing20. That is, the user is reminded of the need to release the actuator30, which helps assure that the user properly carries out the operation of pulling the casing20out from the cabinet10. Thus, the risk of the user dropping the casing20and damaging various elements in the cabinet10is minimized. This is also good for the user's own safety.

For facilitating assembly of another casing20beneath a suspended casing20, a guiding surface351is formed on the abutting portion35, with the guiding surface351facing the window16of the cabinet10. The guiding surface351can be a curved surface, a sloped surface, etc.

In an alternative embodiment, two actuators30can be used for each casing20. The actuators30are assembled both at the left lateral side25and a right lateral side of the casing20, whereby engagement of the actuators30and the front columns12can be accomplished.

In another alternative embodiment, the actuator30can instead be assembled adjacent to the rear end202of the casing20, so that the actuator30engages in a respective one of a plurality of vertical grooves (not shown) defined in one of the rear columns12of the cabinet10.

In addition, the structure of the actuator30is not limited to the embodiments described above. Referring toFIG. 9, an actuator60of an electronic device assembly in accordance with another embodiment comprises a horizontal plate61, a vertical plate62extending upwardly from a lateral side of the horizontal plate61, and a pair of pivot pins63formed at an opposite lateral side of the horizontal plate61. The actuator60is elastically biased by an elastic element (not shown) to rotate about the bottom plate26of a casing20. An engaging opening251is defined in a lateral side25of the casing20, for an engaging portion64of the actuator60to extend through. An inserting opening261is defined in a bottom plate26of the casing20, for an abutting portion65of the actuator60to extend through. Resilience provided by the elastic element can urge the engaging portion64to extend through the engaging opening251of the lateral side25of the casing20and engage with a corresponding column12positioned outside the casing20. When an upward force (as shown by an arrow) is exerted on the abutting portion65of the actuator60, the abutting portion65moves toward the inside of the casing20and no longer protrudes from the inserting opening261, the actuator60rotates relative to the bottom plate26of the casing20, and the engaging portion64moves toward the inside of the casing20and disengages from the column12, as shown by the dashed lines.

FIG. 10shows an actuator50of an electronic device in accordance with still another embodiment. The actuator50comprises an engaging portion54and an abutting portion55. A first end541of the engaging portion54is elastically connected to a casing20via an elastic element40. A second end542of the engaging portion54opposite to the first end541is capable of extending through an engaging opening251defined in a lateral side25of the casing20and engaging with a corresponding column12positioned outside the casing20. A slot544is defined in the engaging portion54. An inner edge of the engaging portion54at the slot544is defined as a transitioning surface543.

The abutting portion55is separate from the engaging portion54. A bottom end551of the abutting portion55extends through an inserting opening261defined in a bottom plate26of the casing20. The diameter of a main body552of the abutting portion55is larger than that of the inserting opening261, so that the main body552cannot escape out from the casing20via the inserting opening261. The abutting portion55is thus substantially positioned on the bottom plate26, with only a bottommost part of the bottom end551protruding out below the bottom plate26. An abutting surface553is formed on the main body552of the abutting portion55. When an upward force (as shown by an arrow) is exerted on the bottom end551of the abutting portion55, the abutting surface553pushes the transitioning surface543of the engaging portion54inward, the resilience of the elastic element40is thus overcome, and the second end542of the engaging portion54moves inside the casing20along the direction shown by a horizontal arrow and disengages from the column12positioned outside the casing20.