Abstract:
A rack latch assembly for securing a product and bezel to a rack, including a latch bracket for securing to the product; a latch, extending from the latch bracket, for latching to the rack; and a lever, rotatably secured in the bezel, for releasing the latch from the rack during rotation.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The subject matter disclosed here generally relates to racks, and more particularly, to a rack latch assembly for securing a product and a bezel to a support member. 
     BACKGROUND 
     A “rack” is a frame or cabinet for holding other equipment, such as servers and/or other electronic components. Various “rackmount” kits are available from Hewlett-Packard in order to provide support members (including, but not limited to, rails and slides) for mounting various components inside its NetServer racks. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,021,909 to Tang et al. (and assigned at issuance to Hewlett-Packard Company) discloses a rail system for use in an equipment enclosure and is incorporated by reference here. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 6,230,903 to Abbot (also assigned at issuance to Hewlett-Packard Company) discloses a rack support rail system and is also incorporated by reference here. 
     Various racks and/or rackmounts are provided with coverings for shielding the internal components from view. For example, the HP9000/Series 800 E-Class Server Rack Mount Kit, available from Hewlett-Packard Corporation, is provided with a plastic bezel that snaps to a frame assembly which is then screwed to the support rails. Typically, such plastic bezels are arranged so as to cover, or otherwise hide, the rack latch that secures the components inside the rack. However, this means that the bezel must be removed in order to access the latch. Other devices have been provided with exposed levers that operate the rack latch. However, since the bezels are typically installed independently of the levers, it can be difficult to properly align the bezel with all of the mating parts. In addition, these types of solutions generally do not sufficiently hide the less aesthetically-pleasing parts of the rack. 
     SUMMARY 
     These and other drawbacks of conventional technology are addressed here by providing a rack latch assembly for securing a component and bezel to a support member. For example, the assembly may include a latch bracket for securing to a chassis of the product; a latch, extending from the latch bracket, for latching to the support member; and a lever, rotatably secured in the bezel, for releasing the latch from the support member during rotation. 
     In another embodiment, the description relates to a rack latch assembly including means for securing to a chassis of the component; means, extending from the securing means, for latching to the support member; and means, rotatably secured in the bezel, for releasing the latch means from the support member during rotation. 
     Also described is a lever assembly for a rack-mounted bezel, including a body having a top hinge post and a bottom hinge post; a wire spring having torsion loops at each end for wrapping around the top and bottom hinge posts, respectively; and a channel, formed in the body, for receiving the wire spring. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Various aspects of the invention will now be described with reference to the following figures (“FIGS.”) which are not necessarily drawn to scale, but use the same reference numerals to designate corresponding parts throughout each of the several views. 
     FIG. 1 is an isometric view of one embodiment of a rack according to the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a partial front, isometric view of the bezel shown in FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 3 is a partial, isometric back view of the bezel shown in FIG.  2 . 
     FIG. 4 is a back, isometric view of the lever assembly shown in FIG.  3 . 
     FIG. 5 is a front, isometric view of a latch assembly for use with the rack shown in FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 6 is an opposite side, isometric view of the latch assembly shown in FIG.  5 . 
     FIG. 7 is a rear, isometric view of the latch assembly shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, with a rack bracket. 
     FIG. 8 is a front, isometric view of the latch assembly and rack bracket shown in FIG. 7 with the lever assembly in an open position. 
     FIG. 9 is a front, isometric view of the latch assembly and rack bracket shown in FIG. 7 with the lever assembly in an closed position. 
     FIG. 10 is a bottom view of the assembly shown in FIG. 8 positioned in the rack shown in FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 11 is a bottom view of the assembly shown in FIG. 9 positioned in the rack shown in FIG.  1 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The term “assembly” is used here to describe a group of assembled or unassembled component parts, such as those shown in FIGS. 2-11, that are configurable into a device. This term also refers to a process for configuring the parts into the assembled device that is generally referred to as a “rack latch” because it can be used with a “rack” frame or cabinet for releaseably fastening a slide, or other moveable component, in the rack. An example of one such rack  10  is illustrated in FIG.  1 . However, the subject matter shown in FIGS. 2-11 may also be used with a variety of other racks besides the particular rack  10  which is illustrated in FIG.  1 . 
     In this example, the rack  10  includes a base  12  that supports several columns  14 . A rackmount assembly  16  extends between two of the columns for providing support to a component  100 . (For example, one such rackmount assembly is described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/094,860 for “Adjustable Rackmount Assembly” by Lauchner et al. filed on Mar. 11, 2002, and assigned to Hewlett-Packard Co.) A bezel  200  is then provided on the front of a rack  10  in order to hide various aspects of the rackmount assembly  16  and the component  100  from view. Bezels may also be provided on some, or all, of the other sides of a rack. 
     FIG. 2 is a partial front, isometric view of one side of the bezel  200  shown in FIG.  1 . The bezel  200  may be provided with louvers  210  and/or other mechanisms to provide for heat dissipation from inside the rack  10  and/or to contribute to an aesthetically-pleasing appearance for the front of the rack  10 . 
     As best illustrated in the rear view of FIG. 3, a lever assembly  400  is rotatably secured to the rear side of the bezel  200 . For the particular embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3, the lever assembly  400  is supported by brackets  220  arranged on the back side of the bezel  200 . However, a variety of other support mechanisms may also be used. Although a variety of hinged configurations may also be used, FIG. 3 illustrates the lever assembly  400  as being snap-fit into grooves in each of the brackets  220 . This particular configuration is beneficial for enhancing the manufacturability and assembly of the bezel  200  with the lever assembly  400 . 
     Various aspects of the lever assembly  400  will now be described with respect to FIG.  4 . The lever assembly  400  includes a lever  410  and one or more springs  420 . The lever  410  may be made of the same material as the bezel  200 . For example, the latch  400  may be made of molded plastic, or other lightweight material, with an aesthetically pleasing texture. 
     Hinge posts  412  are arranged at the top and bottom ends of the lever  410  for engaging with the hinge bracket  220  shown in FIG.  3 . The illustrated hinge posts  412  form a journal bearing with the brackets  220 . This configuration makes the lever assembly  400  easy to assemble with the bezel  200 . However, a variety of other rotational attachments may also be used. For example, the end surfaces of the hinge posts  412  may be arranged to abut a surface of each of the hinge brackets  220  in order to form a thrust-type bearing. 
     The hinge posts  412  may also be used to support the spring  420 . For the particular embodiment illustrated in FIG. 4, a wire spring is coiled at each end around the hinge posts  412 . This configuration allows the spring to be easily fitted over the ends of the hinge posts  412  prior to securing the lever assembly  400  to the bracket  220 . 
     In order to further facilitate the assembly of the wire spring  420  onto the hinge posts  412 , the wire spring may be optionally provided with a serpentine portion  422 . The serpentine portion  422  provides additional flexibility for bending the end of the ends of the spring  420  over the hinge posts  412 . The serpentine portion  422  is therefor preferably arranged at a middle portion of the wire spring  420  with the curves arranged on a plane which bisects the longitudinal access of the hinge posts  412 . 
     The lever  410  is preferably provided with a spring channel  414  for positioning the wire spring  420  relative to the access of the hinge posts  412 . In order to accommodate the serpentine portion  422  of the spring  420 , the channel  414  is further provided with a cavity  415  for receiving the serpentine portion  422  of the spring  420 . The cavity  415  is also useful for accessing the serpentine portion  422  of the spring  420  in order to adjust the length of the spring to accommodate various size levers  410 . For example, the spring  420  may be tightened on a smaller lever  410  by pinching the horizontal legs of the serpentine portion  422  of the spring  420  closer together. The lever  410  is also provided with a face  416  for engaging and releasing a latch and recesses  418  for engaging a hook as is described in more detail below. 
     FIGS. 5-7 illustrate a latch assembly  500  including a movable catch  510  that catches on a rack bracket  700  as shown in FIG.  7 . As described in more detail below with respect to FIGS. 9 and 10, the latch assembly  500  is secured to the component  100 , typically at the chassis. In contrast, the rack bracket  700  (FIG. 7) is secured to the rackmount assembly  16  of the rack  10  (FIG.  1 ). In this regard, the latch assembly  500  and rack bracket  700  are provided with mounting holes  520  and  720 , respectively. Any number and/or position of mounting holes  520 ,  720  may be provided in order to accommodate various components  100  and/or racks  10 . The latch assembly  500  and rack bracket  700  may also be secured to their respective structures using a variety of other fastening and/or joining techniques. 
     In a typical configuration, the latch assembly  500  will be movable relative to the rack bracket  700  upon release of the catch  510  from the rack bracket  700 . However, under certain circumstances it may be desirable to secure the latch assembly  500  to the rack bracket  700  in order to prevent such movement. For these circumstances, the latch assembly  500  may be provided with an optional floating captive fastener  530  for securing the latch assembly  500  to the rack bracket  700 . 
     Movement of the catch  510  relative to the remainder of the latch assembly  500  may be facilitated in a variety of different ways. As best shown in FIG. 6, the exemplary embodiment illustrated here provides a cantilevered configuration where the catch  510  is mounted at the end of a catch arm  512  which is secured at one end to the latch assembly  500 . For example, the latch arm  512  may be secured to the latch assembly  500  with various fastening and/or joining techniques including bolts, rivets, welding, or adhesives. 
     In this configuration, the catch arm  512  will be flexed as the catch  510  is moved away from the latch bracket  700 . In order to prevent the catch arm  512  from swinging too far back in the opposite direction, the latch assembly  500  may also be provided with a catch stop  540 . A variety of other rotational or translational connections may also be provided between the catch  510  or catch arm  512 , and the latch assembly  500 . 
     As best shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the latch assembly  500  is further provided with hooks  550 . Turning to FIGS. 8 and 9, the hooks  550  engage the hook recess  418  (FIG. 4) upon rotation of the lever  410  to the open position shown in FIG.  8 . Upon release of the lever  410 , the spring  420  (FIG. 4) urges the lever assembly  400  to rotate so that the hooks  550  are disengaged from the hook recess  418 . 
     Once the lever is open and engaged with the latch hooks  550  (as shown in FIG. 8) a user may continue to pull on the levers  400  in order to slide the component  100  out of the rack. This sliding force is transmitted from the levers  400  through the latch assembly  500  to the component  100 , thereby eliminating stresses on the bezel  200  (FIGS. 1 and 2) that might otherwise damage the relatively fragile decorative materials used for the bezel  200 . The hooks  550  also prevent the bezel  200  from coming off when a user pulls on the levers  400 . 
     Once the levers  400  are released, the bezel  200  (FIGS. 1 and 2) can then be removed without further movement of the component  100 . Conversely, sliding the component  100  into the rack  10  does not necessarily require rotation of the levers  410 . Thus, the component  100  can simply be pushed into the rack so that it latches automatically. 
     Turning to FIGS. 10 and 11, the latch assembly  500  is typically secured to the chassis of the component  100  by bolts  1000 . However, a variety of other fasteners may also be used including screws and clips. The latch assembly may also be joined to the component  100  by various processes such as welding or adhesive processes. 
     It should be emphasized that the embodiments described above, and particularly any “preferred” embodiments, are merely examples of various implementations that have been set forth here to provide an understanding of various aspects of the invention. One of ordinary skill will be able to alter many of these embodiments without substantially departing from the scope of protection defined solely by the proper construction of the following claims.