Abstract:
A storage cabinet for electronic components. The storage cabinet is made up of removably attachable components including: a rectangular base, a rectangular vertical front frame, a rectangular vertical rear frame, a pair of side walls, a rectangular cover, a door hingedly connected to the front frame, and a door hingedly connected to the rear frame. Four apertures vertical support bars are adjustably mounted on the inner sides of side frames for supporting the electronic components. The side walls are mechanically interlocked with the front and rear frames. The side walls are secured to the base and cover by nuts and bolts.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) of prior U.S. Provisional Application No. 601256,816 filed Dec. 19, 2000: which is hereby incorporated by reference. 
     
    
     
       STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT  
         [0002]    This invention has been created without the sponsorship or funding of any federally sponsored research or development program.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0003]    This present invention is directed to a supporting apparatus for holding and storing a large number of electronic components of the type generally referred to as “rack mounted”. These electronic components which typically include computers, network servers, electronic network components, such as routers, bridges, switches and hubs, and computer storage devices, are generally configured so that numerous of the components can be stored in a common storage system. The electronic components have flanges extending to the right and left of the front face of the component so that the component can be bolted to the supporting apparatus to locate the device in the component within the supporting apparatus.  
           [0004]    A typical supporting apparatus for holding and storing electronic components is a vertically extending rectangular frame into which the individual electronic components can be bolted. The frame is supported by two horizontal feet which extends forward and rearward of the frame.  
           [0005]    A variation of the basic frame for supporting and storing electronic components is referred to in the trade as a “double-sided component rack”. In the storage rack version of the storage frame, a second rectangular frame component is positioned parallel to and rearwardly of the first frame. This enables the back ends of the electronic components to be held in position to provide a more stable system for storing the components. Also, the rear frame is adjustable relative to the front frame to selectively change the distance between the two frame components.  
           [0006]    A still further variation of the basic frame concept is a supporting apparatus known as a “component cabinet”. The cabinet enables the electronic components to stored within a container for securing and cleanliness purposes. Traditionally, these cabinets are made from a Mig/Tig welded frame with the structural elements running vertical along the four corners and horizontal around the base and top. The doors and sides then fasten into openings on all four sides. This Mig/Tig welding process is slow and expensive. Once the cabinet is welded, it is bulky to store, more difficult to paint and more expensive to ship.  
           [0007]    The traditional forms of supporting apparatus for holding electronic components were designed to minimize the cost of shipping in the so-called “knocked down” condition, that is, the supporting apparatus was manufactured in a totally disassembled state, shipped to the site of use, and then assembled on the site. The reasonableness of the traditional designs for the supporting apparatus, which were primarily “bolt-together” designs, was that the cost of shipping was relatively high, and the availability of low cost assembly personnel at the installation site was assumed and typical. Furthermore, the dynamics of the installation process and facilities were such that the time required to construct the storage systems at the installation site did not interfere with other scheduling.  
           [0008]    One of the things that has happened in recent times in connection with the market for electronic component storage is that the market has become dominated by large component facilities which typically represent the computer equipment facility for a large computer network, or sometimes represent worldwide global network servers for providing web page service. Another major application is large computer data storage warehouses which are facilities filled with electronic computer storage devices which can be accessed using networks. These type of facilities typically involve huge numbers of electronic components all of which have to be appropriately supported and wired together. The process of assembling the supporting apparatus and securing the electronic components typically involves relatively highly paid technicians who are primarily involved in the installation of the electronic computer network equipment and are, therefore, relatively expensive sources of assembly labor. Furthermore, the time table for installing these types of facilities is often very short and the time taken to conduct bolt-together assemblies is sometimes a serious problem. In addition, the clearance in the untapped or unthreaded holes for the bolts very often causes the frame to be out of square when the supporting apparatus is assembled.  
           [0009]    These and other difficulties experienced in the prior art supporting apparatus for holding and storing electronic components have been obviated by the invention.  
           [0010]    It is, therefore, a primary object of the invention to provide a storage cabinet for holding and storing electronic component which can be shipped in a relatively low volume condition, but which can be very easily and quickly assembled at the assembly site.  
         BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0011]    In general, the invention consists of a storage cabinet for electronic components. The storage cabinet is made up of removably attachable components including: a rectangular base, a rectangular vertical front frame, a rectangular vertical rear frame, a pair of side walls, a rectangular cover, a door hingedly connected to the front frame, and a door hingedly connected to the rear frame. Four apertures vertical support bars are adjustably mounted on the inner sides of side frames for supporting the electronic components. More specifically, the side walls are mechanically interlocked with the front and rear frames. The side walls are secured to the base and cover by nuts and bolts. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0012]    The character of the invention, however, may be best understood by reference to one of its structural forms, as illustrated by the accompanying drawings in which:  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a storage cabinet for electronic components embodying the principles of the present invention;  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the storage cabinet shown in FIG. 1;  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 3 is an isometric view of the cover component of the storage component;  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 4 is an isometric view of the cover viewed from below;  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the front frame component of the storage cabinet;  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 6 is an isometric view of the front frame;  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 7 is a bottom plan view of the front frame;  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 8 is a front elevational view of the front frame;  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 9 is a rear elevational view of the door component of the storage cabinet;  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 10 is an isometric view of one of the side wall components of the storage cabinet;  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 11 is a top plan view of one of the side wall;  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 12 is a side elevational view of the side wall, looking from inside of the cabinet;  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 13 is a fragmentary vertical cross-sectional view of the side wall, taken along line  13 - 13  of FIG. 12 and looking in the direction of the arrows;  
         [0026]    [0026]FIG. 14 is a top plan view of the base component of the storage cabinet;  
         [0027]    [0027]FIG. 15 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the base, taken along line  15 - 15  of FIG. 14 and looking in the direction of the arrows;  
         [0028]    [0028]FIG. 16 was a top plan view of one of the support bar components of the storage cabinet;  
         [0029]    [0029]FIG. 17 is a front elevational view of the support bar of FIG. 16; and  
         [0030]    [0030]FIG. 18 is a side elevational view of the support bar, looking in the direction of arrow  18  of FIG. 16. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0031]    Referring first to FIGS. 1 and 2, the storage cabinet of the present invention is generally indicated by the reference numeral  20  and is made up of a plurality of component parts which can be assembled and disassembled. The component parts of cabinet  20  comprise a base, generally indicated by the reference numeral  22 , a top cover, generally indicated by the reference numeral  24 , a front rectangular frame, generally indicated by the reference numeral  26 , a rear rectangular frame, generally indicated by the reference numeral  28 , a pair of identical side walls, generally indicated by the reference numeral  30 , a door  32 , and four support bars  34 .  
         [0032]    Referring particularly to FIGS. 2, 14, and  15  the base  22  comprises a rectangular vertical wall, generally indicated by the reference numeral  33 , reinforced by a plurality of tubular bars. The rectangular vertical wall comprises a front wall portion  35 , a rear wall portion  36  and a pair of identical side wall portions  37 . The upper portion of each side wall portion  37  has a plurality of horizontal apertures  39 . Each side wall portion  37  is reinforced by a tubular bar  40  which has a square cross section. Each of the front and rear wall portions  35  and  36 , respectively, is reinforced by a tubular bar  38  which has a rectangular cross section. A vertical cylindrical tube  42  is located in each inside corner where the bars  40  intersect the bars  36  and  38 . The bars  40  are fixed to the walls  37 , the bars  38  are fixed to the walls  36  and  35 , and the tubes  42  are fixed to the bars  38  and  40 , i.e., by welding. The tubes  42  are adapted to receive casters  44  in a conventional manner.  
         [0033]    Referring particularly to FIGS.  2 - 4 , the cover  24  has a horizontal planar top wall  46 , a vertical front wall  48 , vertical rear wall  50  and pair of vertical side walls  52 . Each of the side walls  52  has a plurality of holes  54 .  
         [0034]    Referring particularly to FIGS.  2 , and  6 - 8 , the front rectangular frame  26  comprises a pair of rectangular tubular bars  56  fixed at their upper ends to a upper cross bar  58 . The bars  56  are fixed at their lower ends to a lower cross bar  60 . Each of the cross bars  58  and  60  is a square tube which is fixed to the side bars  56 , i.e., by welding. The upper and lower walls of each of the bars  58  and  60  has an aperture  62  at each end of the bar. The rearwardly facing wall portion  64  of each side bar  56  has a terminal end  66 . The outwardly facing side wall portion  68  of each side bar  56  has a free end portion  70  that extends inwardly at a right angle to the wall portion  64  to define with the wall portion  64  a slot  72 . The rear frame  28  is identical to the front frame  26 .  
         [0035]    Referring particularly to FIGS.  10 - 13 , each side wall  30  comprises a planar vertical wall  74  and a plurality of horizontal tubular bars  84  fixed, i.e. by welding, to the inwardly facing side of the wall  74 . The wall  74  has an L-shaped flange, generally indicated by the reference numeral  76 , along each side edge of the wall  74 . Each flange  76  consists of first portion that extends transversely of the wall  74  inwardly of the cabinet and a terminal end  80  that is parallel to the wall  74 . Each bar  84  has an elongated slot  86  in the inwardly facing wall of the bar.  
         [0036]    Referring to FIG. 9, the door  32  has a pair of L-shaped hinge pins, generally indicated by the reference numeral  90 , slidably mounted in a housings  93  at the upper and lower corners along one side of the door. Each hinge pin  90  has a vertical portion  94  that is biased by a spring, not shown, within the housing so that the terminal end extends beyond the respective upper and lower ends of the door. The opposite end of each pin  90  has horizontal portion  96  which enables to a person to move the pin  90  against the spring bias so that the opposite end of the pin is drawn inwardly of the outer periphery of the door. The door  32  has a bore  88  for receiving a conventional latching mechanism, generally indicated by the reference numeral  89 .  
         [0037]    Referring to FIGS.  16 - 18 , there is illustrated one of the support bars  34  commonly referred to in the trade as a “rack mounting angle”. The support bar  34  has a C-shaped cross section and includes a side wall  97 , a front wall  99 , and a rear wall  98 . Each of the rear and front wall of the bar  34  has a plurality of square apertures  100 . The side wall  97  has a plurality of spaced apertures  101 .  
         [0038]    The four support bars  34  are pre-assembled with the side wall  30  before the cabinet components are shipped to the customer&#39;s assembly site. Two of the support bars are positioned against the tubular bar  84  of each side wall  30  so that the bars  34  extend vertically and the front wall  99  of each bar faces forwardly. The apertures  101  are aligned with the slots  86  of the bars  84 . This enables the bars  34  to be secured to the bars  84  by extending bolts through the apertures  101  and threading the bolts into flat nuts located within the bars  84 . The nuts are wider than the slots  86 . This enables the bars  34  to be fastened by the bolts in fixed positions relative to the side walls  30 . However, the bars  34  can be adjusted rearwardly and forwardly to any desired position relative to the side walls  30  by loosening the bolts.  
         [0039]    The components of the storage cabinet  20  can be packed in a relatively small container for shipment to an installation site. The cabinet  20  is assembled at the site by positioning the front and rear rectangular frames  26  and  28 , respectively, on top of the bar  38  so that the walls  64  of the vertical bars  56  face toward each other as shown in FIG. 2. The side walls  30  are coupled with the frames  26  and  28  by positioning each side wall so that the bottom edge of the side wall is vertically aligned with the top edges of the frames  26  and  28  parallel with the side wall portions  37  of the base  22 . The first portions  78  of the flanges  76  are inserted into the slots  72  so that the terminal ends  80  of flanges  76  are inside of terminal ends  70  of walls  68 . The side walls  30  are then moved downwardly relative to the frames  26  and  28  so that the walls  30  are mechanically interlocked with the frames  26  and  28  and the aperture  82  are aligned with the apertures  39 .  
         [0040]    The cover  24  is placed on the upper edges of the frames  26  and  28  and the side walls  30  so that the vertical side walls overlap the upper ends of the frames and side walls. The cover is positioned so that the side walls  54  extends along the walls  74  and the apertures  82  are horizontally aligned with the apertures  54 . The side walls  30  are secured to the base  22  and the cover  24  by fasteners  83  such as machine screws or nuts and bolts. The door  32  is connected to the front frame  26  by inserting the vertical portions  94  of pins  90  into the vertically opposed apertures  62  at one end of the bars  58  and  60 . The apertures  62  at the right side of the frame  26  are utilized for a right-hand door opening. For a left-hand door opening, the door  32  is rotated end over end and the pins  90  are inserted into the apertures  62  at the left-hand ends of the bars  58  and  60 .  
         [0041]    The latch  89  is applied to the door  32  and the casters  44  are applied to the tubes  42  to complete the assembly. A second door  32  is applied to the rear frame  28  in the same manner as the application of door  32  to the front frame  26 .