Abstract:
A system and apparatus for enabling top, front and rear access to a rack mounted computer device includes a computer device mounted into a rack structure with a pair of rails attached to opposing sides of the computer device, where the rails slidingly couple with respective slide assemblies on the rack structure. The slide assemblies and the rails cooperate with each other to allow the computer device to be extended from a front opening and a rear opening of the rack structure. The slide assemblies and the rails further cooperate to lock the computer device in a position proximate to the rear opening of the rack structure.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present disclosure relates generally to rack mounted computer devices. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a rack mount slide system enabling front, top and rear access to a rack mounted device. 
     BACKGROUND 
     An electronics rack can house a number of electronic devices made by different electronics manufacturers. Consequently, the height, width, and depth of the electronic devices to be housed in the rack preferably conform to specific standards such as the Electronics Industry Association (EIA)rack standard. 
     Electronics racks conforming to EIA standards have a defined vertical mounting unit increment. The retma (U) unit is one such mounting unit increment. The height of electronic devices conforming to the standard is typically sized in mounting unit increments to allow for the efficient utilization of rack space and the standardization of rack structures. 
     Computer systems are often mounted in electronics racks. Rack mounted computer systems enable computer devices to be installed vertically, taking up less floor space in a computer operations area. Multiple racks can be installed in a computer operations area to allow for the growth and flexibility of the devices installed. Rack structures are typically columnar with the individual devices attached to side mount slides that are attached to the rack structure. The individual devices typically slide into and out of the rack from only the rear of the rack. In this manner, the individual devices may be accessed for repairs, upgrades, reconfiguring, and connecting the device to other devices as well as other tasks. 
     SUMMARY 
     In accordance with teachings of the present disclosure, a system is described for providing top, rear, and front access to a rack mounted device. 
     Accordingly, one embodiment of the present disclosure provides a computer system preferably including a rack structure having a front opening, a rear opening and a pair of slide assemblies. A housing having a pair of rails attached to opposite sides thereof is also preferably included. The rails attached to the housing are preferably coupled with respective slide assemblies in the rack structure. The slide assemblies and the rails are preferably configured to cooperate with each other to allow the housing to be extended from the front opening and the rear opening of the rack structure. The slide assemblies and rails are preferably further operable to lock the housing in a position proximate the rear opening of the rack structure. 
     In another embodiment, the present disclosure provides a computer system preferably including a rack structure operable to maintain at least one rack mountable device. A rack mountable device having a front panel, a rear panel and a top panel is provided and preferably attached to a pair of slide assemblies coupled to the rack structure. The slide assemblies preferably cooperate to allow the rack mountable device to be extended from a front opening and a rear opening of the rack structure. A bi-directional lock is also provided. The bi-directional lock is preferably attached to at least one slide assembly and is preferably operable to lock the rack mountable device in a first locked position proximate the rear opening of the rack structure and in a second locked position proximate the front opening of the rack structure. 
     In yet another embodiment, the present disclosure provides a mountable computer preferably including a housing having a top panel, a rear panel and a front panel. A pair of rails are preferably attached to opposite sides of the housing and a pair of slide assemblies are preferably coupled to the respective rails. The pair of slide assemblies are preferably operable to couple the housing to a structure. The pair of slide assemblies cooperate with the rails in a preferred embodiment to allow the housing to be displaced with respect to the structure. A bi-directional lock is preferably included which is operably coupled to at least one slide assembly. The bi-directional lock is preferably operable to lock the housing in a first locked position and a second locked position. 
     In conventional rack mount systems, it is often preferable to service some hot-swap components, such as fan banks, located inside of a rack mounted device from the front of the rack. To do this, it is desirable for the device to slide fully out of the rack and to be presented in a stable, locked position. In this locked position, the device must still be operable to enable true hot-swap functionality. To be operable, the device must remain fully connected to power and I/O (input/output) cabling. 
     In another scenario, it may be preferable to service some hot-swap components from the rear of the rack structure. Full access near the rear vertical EIA rails of the rack structure as well as locking in this position are required to enable insertion or extraction of hotswap components, such as a power supply or GBIC (Gigabit Interface Converter). For a 1U device, conventional cable management commonly blocks access to all the rear-accessed hot-swap components as the cable management generally fills all of the 1U height of the rack mount envelope. An additional limitation to rear access of a 1U device is the fact that the 1U envelope is generally too small to reach more than approximately an inch therein. Even if cable management is removed, the position of the device is often too far into the rack to be reachable. The present disclosure provides a rack mount solution in a 1U envelope that offers the flexibility to service hot-swap components from the front and the rear of the rack structure while maintaining substantially full device functionality and interconnection at all times. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     A more complete understanding of the present embodiments and advantages thereof may be acquired by referring to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numbers indicate like features, and wherein: 
     FIG. 1 is a schematic drawing showing a perspective view of a rail and lock assembly incorporating teachings of the present disclosure; 
     FIG. 2 is a schematic drawing showing a perspective view of a bar and bearing assembly incorporating teachings of the present disclosure; 
     FIG. 3 is a schematic drawing showing a exploded perspective view of a preferred assembly of the components of FIGS. 1 and 2 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure; 
     FIG. 4 is a schematic drawing showing a perspective view, with portions broken away, of a slide assembly incorporating teachings of the present disclosure; 
     FIG. 5 is a schematic drawing showing a exploded perspective view of a 1U device coupled to a pair of slide assemblies incorporating teachings of the present disclosure; and 
     FIG. 6 is a schematic drawing showing a perspective view, with portions broken away, of a rack structure incorporating teachings of the present disclosure. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Preferred embodiments and their advantages are best understood by reference to FIGS. 1-6, wherein like numbers are used to indicate like and corresponding parts. 
     Referring first to FIG. 1, a perspective view of a rail and lock assembly incorporating teachings of the present disclosure is shown. Rail  105  is preferably made from a rigid material capable of supporting the weight of a rack mountable device. The length of rail  105 , as indicated along A, is generally equal to the distance from the front vertical rail of an EIA rack structure to the rear vertical rail of an EIA rack structure (illustrated in FIGS.  5  and  6 ). First race  108  and second race  111  of rail  105  are preferably generally arcuate and configured to receive a plurality of ball bearings therein. A series of apertures  120   a - 120   f  extend through rail  105  first side  114  and second side  117  enabling rail  105  to be coupled to another rail, a bar or a rack mountable device. First notch  123  and second notch  126  disposed at end  138  of rail  105  are preferably configured to receive a device displacement apparatus (not expressly illustrated). Preferably coupled to first side  114  of rail  105  are bidirectional locking components, first spring biased lock  129  and second spring biased lock  132 . The bidirectional locking function of spring biased locks  129  and  132  will be described in further detail with reference to FIGS. 2-6 below. 
     Referring now to FIG. 2, a perspective view of a bar and bearing assembly incorporating teachings of the present disclosure is shown. Similar to rail  105 , bar  205   a  is preferably made from a rigid material capable of supporting the weight of a rack mountable device. In a preferred embodiment of the present disclosure, the length of bar  205   a,  indicated along A, is generally equal to the distance from the front vertical rail to the rear vertical rail of an EIA rack structure (not illustrated). 
     Operably coupled to first surface  208  of bar  205   a  is bearing assembly  211 . Bearing assembly  211  is preferably constructed from a plurality of ball bearings  214  attached to a bearing frame  217 . Ball bearings  214  are preferably sized such that ball bearings  214  travel easily in first race  220  and second race  223  of bar  205   a  as well as in first race  108  and second race  111  of rail  105 , as illustrated in FIG.  1 . The distance between ball bearings  214  maintained in first race  220  and the ball bearings maintained in second race  223  by bearing frame  217  is preferably equal to the distance along line B of FIG.  1  and as indicated at line B of FIG.  2 . 
     The distance between first race  108  and second race  111  approximates the distance between ball bearings  214  in first race  220  and second race  223  to allow rail  105  and bar  205   a,  to be coupled together, and to subsequently be telescopically moved with respect to one another. Ball bearings  214  are preferably capable of easy travelling in first and second races  220  and  223  of bar  205   a  and first and second races  108  and  111  of rail  105  in FIG.  1 . Bar  205   a  is further configured with a series of apertures  226  enabling bar  205   a  to be coupled to another bar, a rail or a rack mountable device. 
     To enable bar  205   a  and rail  105  to be locked in a position relative to one another, a series of spring biased lock engagement/disengagement tabs  229  and  232  are preferably included on surface  208  of bar  205   a.  Spring biased lock engagement/disengagement tabs  229  and  232  are configured to engage spring biased locks  129  and  132  such that bar  205   a  and rail  105  are locked in a preferred position relative to one another. As bar  205   a  and rail  105  are moved relative to one another, either spring biased lock engagement/disengagement tab  229  or spring biased lock engagement/disengagement tab  232  will engage either spring biased lock  129  or spring biased lock  132 , depending on the direction of movement. Once engaged, the spring biased lock engagement/disengagement tab  229  or  232  can be depressed, using a thumb release accessible from second side  235  of bar  205   a,  to disengage spring biased lock  129  or  132 . 
     Referring now to FIG. 3, an exploded perspective view of a preferred assembly of the components of FIGS. 1 and 2 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. As illustrated in FIG. 3, the slide assembly  405  of the present disclosure is preferably constructed by mating rail  105  with bar  205 . Rail  105  is preferably mated with bar  205   a  by engaging first race  108  and race  111  with ball bearings  214  included in bearing assembly  211 . In this preferred orientation, first surface  114  of rail  105  is positioned to face surface  208  of bar  205   a.    
     Once mated, ball bearings  214  of bearing assembly  211  slidably engage first race  108  and second race  111  of rail  105  allowing rail  105  to be moved linearly with respect to and along length A of bar  205   a.  As bar  205   a  and rail  105  slide with respect to one another, spring biased locks  129  and  132  coupled with spring biased lock engagement/disengagement tabs  229  and  232  form a bidirectional lock enabling rail  105  and bar  205   a  to be locked in a plurality of positions. For example, as bar  205   a  is moved towards end  135  of rail  105 , spring biased lock  132  will engage spring biased lock engagement/disengagement tab  229  of bar  205   a,  locking rail  105  and bar  205   a  in a fixed position relative to one another. 
     Bar  205   a  can be released from engagement with rail  105  by depressing thumb release  241  attached to spring biased lock engagement/disengagement tab  229 . Depressing thumb release  241  causes spring biased lock  132  to be disengaged from spring biased lock engagement/disengagement tab  229 . Similarly, by moving bar  205   a  towards end  138  of rail  105 , spring biased lock  129  engages spring biased engagement/disengagement tab  232  such that bar  205   a  is locked in position relative to rail  105 . Thumb release  238 , functioning in much the same manner as thumb release  241 , may then be employed to disengage spring biased lock  129  from spring biased engagement/disengagement tab  232  subsequently allowing freedom of motion of bar  205   a  with respect to rail  105 . 
     The slide assembly of the present disclosure preferably includes rail portion  305  and bar  205   b.  Rail portion  305  is operably coupled to bar  205   a  using respective apertures  226  on bar  205   a  and a mechanical fastening means such as nuts and bolts, screws, rivets or other sufficient mechanical fastening means. Rail portion  305  is configured generally the same as the section of rail  105  between spring biased lock  132  and end  135 . Rail portion  305  is used to operably couple bar  205   b  to bar  205   a,  completing a preferred embodiment of a slide assembly incorporating teachings of the present disclosure. 
     Bar  205   b  is preferably configured generally the same as bar  205   a.  Attached to each end of bar  205   b  are rack mount brackets  310  and  315 . Rack mount brackets  310  and  315  are employed by the slide assembly of a preferred embodiment to fixedly position bar  205   b  in a rack structure. Fixedly positioning bar  205   b  in a rack structure allows bar  205   a  and rail  105  to be linearly displaced relative to the rack structure and bar  205   b.  Apertures  320  of rack mount brackets  310  and  315  are preferably used to couple bar  205   b  to corresponding apertures in the vertical rails of an EIA type rack structure. 
     Referring now to FIG. 4, a perspective view, with portions cut away, of a slide assembly incorporating teachings of the present disclosure is shown. Slide assembly  405  is a preferred result of coupling rail  105 , bar  205   a,  rail portion  305  and bar  205   b  in the manner illustrated in FIG.  3 . As illustrated, rail  105  and bar  205   a  are capable of moving freely with respect to bar  205   b.  This linear, telescoping motion is enabled by using a bearing assembly  211  to couple rail portion  305  to bar  205   b  and a bearing assembly  211  to couple rail  105  to bar  205   a.  Rail portion  305 , being fixedly attached to bar  205   a,  thereby allows bar  205   a  to be moved linearly with respect to bar  205   b  once mounted in a rack structure. 
     Referring now to FIG. 5, an exploded perspective view of a 1U device coupled to a pair of slide assemblies incorporating teachings of the present disclosure is shown. As illustrated, the present disclosure describes a slide assembly  405  for use with rack mountable computer devices. FIG. 5 illustrates the teachings of the present disclosure employed with device  505  which is 1U in height. Dashed lines  510   a - 510   d  represent the four vertical rails of an EIA rack structure. 
     Slide assemblies  405  are shown attached to vertical rails  510   a - 510   d  utilizing rack mount brackets  310  and  315 . Device  505  is preferably coupled to rail  105  of each slide assembly  405  using mechanical fasteners passed through apertures  120   d  and  120   e  on rail  105  of each slide assembly  405  and corresponding apertures  515   a  and  515   c  on either side of device  505 . Also coupled to rail  105  of each slide assembly  405  is air duct  520 . Air duct  520  is coupled to rail  105  using duct slide apertures  525   a  and  525   b  on either side of air duct  520 . 
     Referring now to FIG. 6, a perspective view of a rack structure incorporating teachings of the present disclosure is shown. Illustrated in FIG. 6 are three preferred positions for device  505  mounted onto a pair of slide assemblies  405  according to a preferred embodiment of the present disclosure. At  605   a,  1U device  505  and air duct  520  are illustrated in a standard operating position. As illustrated at  605   a,  cable management arm  610 , at rear  618  of rack structure  615 , is shown detached. Normally, cable management arm  610  is fixedly coupled to rack structure  615  proximate the attachment point of rack mount bracket  315  at rear  618  of rack structure  615 . As shown at  605   a,  front  543  of air duct  520  is generally flush with front  620  of rack structure  615 . In addition, rear  546  of air duct  520  is shown flush with front panel  549  of device  505  in the operating position illustrated at  605   a.    
     As shown at  605   b,  a rearward locked, position of slide assembly  405  and device  505  is shown. As illustrated at  605   b,  device  505  is displaced from front  620  of rack structure  615  such that rear panel  552  of device  505  is generally flush with rear  618  of rack structure  615 . As shown, positioning device  505  at rear  618  of rack structure  615  may require cable management arm  610  to be detached and displaced from rack structure  615  to allow access to the components located thereon. In the position illustrated at  605   b,  air duct  520  has remained in its original position, generally flush with front  620  of rack  615 . In the rearward locked position illustrated in FIG. 6, device  505  may be returned to the operating position illustrated at  605   a  by depressing thumb release  241 , illustrated in FIG. 2, such that spring biased lock  129 , illustrated in FIG. 1, is disengaged from spring biased lock engagement/disengagement tab  232 , illustrated in FIG.  2 . Alternatively, device  505  may be returned to the operating position illustrated at  605   a  by depressing spring biased lock  129  directly, omitting thumb release  241 , such that spring biased lock  129  is disengaged from spring biased lock engagement/disengagement tab  232 . 
     Illustrated at  605   c,  a frontal extension of slide assembly  405  and device  505  is shown. At  605   c,  both air duct  520  and device  505  are extended beyond front  620  of rack structure  615 . In this position, slide assembly  405  is locked in place as spring biased lock  132  sufficiently engages spring biased lock engagement/disengagement tab  229 , illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 respectively. From this locked position, it is possible for a technician or other person to remove top panel  530  from device  505  for the maintenance or performance of other services to components internal to the 1U housing of device,  505 . Cable management arm  610  is shown generally fully extended at  605   c.  Full extension of cable management arm  610  enables any operating cables, such as I/O or power, to remain attached to device  505  in this frontal extended position. Air duct  520  is also shown extended away from front panel  549  of device  505 . Air duct  520  is allowed to move away from front panel  549  of device  505  using duct slide apertures  525   a  and  525   b.  Similar to the locked position illustrated at  605   b,  air duct  520  and device  505  can be returned to the operating position illustrated at  605   a  by depressing thumb release  238 , illustrated in FIG. 2, such that spring biased lock  132  is disengaged from spring biased lock engagement/disengagement tab  229 . 
     Although the disclosed embodiments have been described in some detail, it should be understood that various changes, substitutions and alterations can be made to the embodiments without departing from their spirit and scope. For example, although the slide assembly of the present disclosure has been described and employed herein with a 1U device, rack mountable devices of other heights may also incorporate the teachings of the present disclosure. In addition, it is also possible to have more than two locking positions for the slide assembly described herein.