Rack-mountable chassis

Abstract: A rack-mountable chassis enclosure, having measurements in at least one dimension greater than the access aperture measurement of the enclosure-supporting rack in that same dimension, and providing additional empty volume into which the enclosed apparatus may move after the chassis has been mounted to the rack, is formed from a rigid panel which can be mounted to the rack at a position to form a front boundary of the rack-enclosed volume, and at least one pair of opposed enclosure panel members extending substantially perpendicular behind the front panel and at least partially formed of a resilient material, with the maximum dimension between the outermost opposed surfaces of the resilient panel members exceeding the access aperture width of juxtaposed rack enclosure portions through which the enclosure must pass for positioning of the enclosure within the rack, and characterized by inward flexure of the resilient wall members, responsive to pressure thereupon from associated portions of the rack, during entry of the enclosure into the rack, and expansion of the wall members to their normal position once the contact between the associated rack portion and the wall member is removed.

Description: The present invention relates to rack-and-panel type equipment enclosures and, more particularly, to a rack-mountable equipment enclosure. In the art of packaging design, it has long been a problem that certain enclosure form factors have often precluded apparatus from being easily positioned within enclosures lacking overly generous volume; where redesign is possible, the equipment can often be placed in the required enclosure only with great difficulty. In other situations, it would often appear that resolution was impossible, e.g., the classic problem of enclosing a piece of equipment requiring 2 cubic feet of volume in a 1 cubic foot container. While such a problem will most likely never be solved for most applications, I have provided a novel solution for a class of "dynamic" operational apparatus, wherein additional empty volume need be provided in which equipment movement, under shock and vibrational stimuli, can be accepted in chassis enclosures of the rack-mountable type. The invention is defined in claim 1. In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, a rack-mountable chassis enclosure, having measurements in at least one dimension greater than the access aperture measurement of the enclosure-supporting rack in that same dimension. and providing additional empty volume into which the enclosed apparatus may move after the chassis has been mounted to the rack, comprises: a rigid panel adapted for mounting to the rack at a position to form a front boundary of the rack-enclosed volume; and at least one pair of opposed enclosure panel members extending substantially perpendicular behind the front panel and at least partially formed of a resilient material, with the maximum dimension between the outermost opposed surfaces of the resilient panel members exceeding the access aperture width of juxtaposed rack enclosure portions through which the enclosure must pass for positioning of the enclosure within the rack, and providing inward flexure of the resilient panel members, responsive to pressure thereupon from associated portions of the rack, during entry of the enclosure into the rack, and expansion of the panel members to their normal position once the contact between the associated rack portion and the panel member is removed. In one presently preferred embodiment, only the vertically-disposed side panels are fabricated with resilient members; in general, any one or more of the totality of surfaces perpendicular to the front panel plane and passing through the rack panel aperture (e.g. one or both of the sides and/or the top/bottom panels) can be provided as resilient panels. The present invention will be better understood upon reading the following detailed description of a presently preferred embodiment, when considered in conjunction with the associated drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of a chassis enclosure utilizing a pair of the resilient side panels of the present invention; Figure 1a is a partial sectional view through the chassis side panel of Figure 1, at the location of arrows 1a-1a; Figure 1b is a plan view of the rigid portion of a chassis side panel; and Figures 2a and 2b are overhead views of a portion of the supporting rack and of one chassis enclosure side panel as the chassis respectively initially enters and is almost completely within the supporting rack structure. Referring initially to Figures 1, 1a and 1b, a chassis enclosure 10 is comprised of: a rigid front panel 11a, having a width W set by the particular rack in which the chassis is to be mounted; a rigid back panel 11b, substantially parallel to, but spaced from the front panel, and having a lesser width W'< W, so as to be able to pass through an access aperture in the rack; and, in one presently preferred embodiment, rigid top and bottom members 11c and 11d. respectively, which may be fixedly or removably attached between front and back panels 11a and 11b. The closure of the internal volume of chassis 10 delimited in part by walls 11a-11d is completed by first and second sidewall panels 11e and 11f. Front panel 11a may include handle means 12, typically utilized for carrying the chassis and moving it into position between the side risers 18a defining an access aperture into a rack means 18; the front panel includes several holes 20 which are aligned with rack holes 20' and have fastening means (not shown) passed therethrough to fasten the chassis to the rack. In this form of well known rack-and-panel mechanical construction, a standard panel width W is 48.26 cm (19 inches) and a standard outside chassis dimension W' might be on the order of 43.8 cm (17¼ inches), to allow clearance between the W'= 44.5 cm (17½ inches) distance between the interior facing riser edges of the EIA standard rack means 18. Allowing for the thickness of side panel members 11e/11f, about 43.2cm (17 inches) of internal chassis enclosure width is provided. Consider the problem of enclosing apparatus, such as an optical disk recorder and the like, which is of a size less than, but close to, the maximum interior chassis width (e.g. 43.2 cm (17 inches)). If the enclosed apparatus has a diameter of, say, 35.6cm (14 inches), there is no problem in fitting the apparatus within the standard rack enclosure. If the entire apparatus has a set of dimensions closely approaching the maximum chassis enclosure width, then only fractions of an inch remain between the static apparatus and the nearest interior sidewall surfaces (e.g., apparatus with a maximum width of about 41.3 cm (16¼ inches) leaves less than 1.3 cm (one-half an inch) between each side of the enclosed apparatus and the nearest side panel of the enclosing chassis). It will be seen that there is no problem in statically positioning the required apparatus within a normal rigid chassis envelope. However, if the enclosed apparatus must operate in an environment which includes exposure to high shock and vibrational environmental conditions, the enclosed apparatus will, in addition to being mounted on isolation mounts inside the chassis envelope to reduce the shock and vibration transmitted from the chassis into the apparatus, also be required to have some additional volume within the enclosing chassis and around the apparatus, into which additional side volume the apparatus can sway upon its isolators when receiving mechanical shocks. The amount of apparatus sway is determined by many factors but will, in the example, require greater clearance than can be provided by the normal rigid chassis enclosure. Thus, the apparatus contained within the normal chassis enclosure will normally contact the interior rigid chassis walls when experiencing the required maximum shock magnitude; this is not an allowable condition. In accordance with the invention, I have solved this problem by providing additional volume into which the enclosed apparatus can move, after the chassis enclosure is inserted into, and fastened to, the rack means. Each side panel 11e and 11f is formed of a frame member 11m having a central cut-out portion 11h (Figure 1b); a resilient chassis side member 12 has a peripheral portion 12a which is of the same shape as side frame member aperture 11h. and of a size slightly greater than the aperture, so as to overlap the aperture 11h periphery. A resilient side portion 12b of the resilient member is of substantially the same size and shape as rigid member aperture 11h and is maintained spaced outwardly therefrom and essentially parallel thereto by side wall portions 12c (Figure 1a). A retention frame member 14 is of substantially the same (rectangular) shape and has a central aperture 14h of substantially the same interior periphery as the rigid sidewall member 11m. A plurality of fastening means 16 (such as nuts and bolts, rivets or the like) fasten rigid frame member 14 to rigid side member 11m, with the resilient side member 12 peripheral portion 12a sandwiched therebetween. Resilient side members 12 may be fabricated of molded rubber and the like and may be suitably fastened to the chassis side members by appropriate processes (such as glueing, clamping and the like). Resilient side members 12 flex under inward pressure from the abutting rack riser, when (Figure 2a) the chassis enters the rack and pass the rack side risers 18a. The resilient side member material returns to its original shape once inside the rack so that the sides effectively "pop out" into the rack volume contained behind the risers 18a, and within the rack sides 18b, and provide additional volume for dynamic use of the apparatus inside the enclosure, which then-static apparatus will not be within the additional volume during insertion and removal into the rack. Thus, the maximum side panel exterior wall separation width W12 is greater than the rack riser separation width W" (and may even be greater than the rack panel width W, if the design of the particular mounting rack so allows). While one presently preferred embodiment of my rack-mountable chassis with resilient side panels is described herein, those skilled in the art will recognize that many modifications and vacations of this invention can be provided. It is my intent, therefore, not to be limited solely by the specific details and instrumentalities presented by way of description herein of a presently preferred embodiment.

Claims: A rack-mountable chassis enclosure (10), having measurements in at least one dimension greater than the access aperture measurement of the enclosure-supporting rack (18) in that same dimension, and providing additional empty volume into which the enclosed apparatus may move after the chassis enclosure has been mounted to the rack, comprising a rigid panel (11a) adapted for mounting to the rack at a position to form a front boundary of the rack-enclosed volume; and at least one panel member extending behind the front panel and at least partially formed of a resilient material with the maximum distance (W12) between the outermost opposed surfaces of the resilient panel member and an opposing panel surface exceeding the access aperture width (w") of juxtaposed rack enclosure portions (18a) through which the enclosure must pass for positioning of the enclosure within the rack, and providing inward flexure of each resilient panel member (11e;11f), responsive to pressure thereupon from associated portions (18a) of the rack, when the enclosure enters into the rack, and expansion of each panel member to its normal position once the contact between the associated rack portion and the panel member is removed. The chassis enclosure of claim 1, wherein at least one normally-vertically-disposed side panel member is fabricated with a resilient member (12). The chassis enclosure of claim 2, wherein both opposed side panel members each have a resilient member. The chassis enclosure of claim 3, wherein both side panel resilient members (12) protrude substantially the same amount from the associated chassis enclosure side. The chassis enclosure of claim 1, wherein a plurality of the totality of chassis enclosure walls, extending away from the front panel plane and passing through the rack panel aperture, include a resilient member. The chassis enclosure of claim 5, wherein at least one of the top and bottom panels of the chassis enclosure include a resilient member. The chassis enclosure of claim 6, wherein at least one side panel of the chassis enclosure also includes a resilient member. The chassis enclosure of claim 7, wherein both chassis enclosure side panels include a resilient member. The chassis enclosure of claim 8, wherein both side panel resilient members (12) protrude substantially the same amount from the associated chassis enclosure side. The chassis enclosure of claim 1, wherein each resilient panel member comprises a resilient member (12) sandwiched between a rigid side wall portion (11m) and a rigid retention frame member (14).

Inventors: VANSANT GLEN JAMES, VANSANT, GLEN JAMES
Applicants: GEN ELECTRIC, GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
Application year: 1992
Main classification: H05K7
IPC codes: H02B1, H05K7, B21D51, B21D47