Abstract:
A bracket includes a planar body portion having an edge and a surface, a flange extending generally perpendicularly from the edge, the flange including a plurality of mounting openings, and at least one finger projecting from the flange and along and spaced from the body portion surface. Also a method of using the bracket and an assembly including the bracket and a rack.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The present application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/111,387, filed Nov. 5, 2008, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is directed to a bracket for attaching an object to a mounting rack and toward a method of attaching an object to a mounting rack using the bracket, and, more specifically, toward a bracket for positioning and supporting an object to be mounted to a rack relative to the rack while the object is attached to the rack and toward a method of using same. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     It is well known to mount computer, electrical and telecommunications equipment or modules in racks. With reference to  FIGS. 1-3 , such racks may include spaced vertical posts  200  having generally parallel front walls  202  each having a plurality of openings  204 . Modules  206  to be mounted in the rack include mounting brackets  208  projecting from opposite sides  210  thereof which mounting brackets  208  include a plurality of aligned openings  212 . To mount the module  206  in the rack, the module  206  is lifted to an appropriate height relative to the rack, inserted between the vertical posts  200  until the mounting brackets  208  contact the posts  200 , and positioned so the openings  212  in the mounting brackets  208  are aligned with the openings  204  in the front walls  202  of the rack. While being held in this position, screws, bolts or similar fasteners  214  are passed thought the aligned openings in the brackets  208  and posts  200  to secure the module  206  to the rack. Optionally, the openings in the rack and/or mounting bracket may be threaded to allow for the mounting of the objects without the use of nuts. 
     Installing equipment in such a rack, especially heavy equipment, is generally a two-person job. This is because it can be difficult for one person to hold the piece of equipment at a proper height and keep the various openings on the rack and module in alignment while inserting fasteners through the aligned openings and tightening them to secure the module to the rack. 
     Various holding devices, such as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,593,137 to Johnson, have been developed to lift and hold heavy rack-mountable equipment to allow one person to install the equipment. However, devices such as the Johnson lift are somewhat cumbersome and will not always be available when it become necessary to install or remove a piece of equipment from a rack. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     These and other problems are addressed by embodiments of the present invention, a first aspect of which comprises a bracket that has a planar body portion with an edge, a surface and a flange that extends generally perpendicularly from the edge. The flange includes a plurality of mounting openings, and at least one finger projects from the flange and along the body portion surface and is spaced from the body portion. 
     Another aspect of the invention comprises a method that includes providing a rack having first and second parallel legs each including a plurality of spaced support openings, and providing a module having a first side and a second side configured for mounting in the rack, where a distance between the first side and the second side is less than a distance between the first and second legs. The method includes attaching first and second mounting brackets to the first and second sides of the module, the first and second mounting brackets each having a planar body portion with an edge and a flange extending generally perpendicularly from the edge. The flange includes a plurality of mounting openings, and at least one finger projects from the flange along and spaced from the body portion. The method further includes hanging the module on the rack by inserting the at least one finger of the flange of the first mounting bracket through a first support opening on the first leg of the rack and the at least one finger of the flange of the second mounting bracket through a first support opening on the second leg of the rack before attaching the module to the rack using fasteners. After inserting the fingers through the support openings, the method includes attaching the module to the rack by passing fasteners through aligned mounting openings on the module and support openings on the rack. 
     A further aspect of the invention comprises an assembly of a rack and a module. The rack has first and second parallel legs each including a plurality of spaced support openings, and the module has a first side and a second side and is configured for mounting in the rack. A distance between the first side and the second side of the module is less than a distance between the first and second legs of the rack. First and second mounting brackets are attached to the first and second sides of the module. The first and second mounting brackets each have a planar body portion with an edge and a flange extending generally perpendicularly from the edge. The flange includes a plurality of mounting openings, and at least one finger projecting from the flange along the body portion and spaced from the body portion. The at least one finger of the first mounting bracket extends through a first support opening on the rack first leg, and the at least one finger of the second mounting bracket extends through a first support opening on the second leg. Furthermore, at least one fastener extends through a mounting opening of the first support bracket and through a second support opening on the rack first leg aligned with the mounting opening of the first support bracket. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       These and other aspects and features of the present invention will be better understood after a reading of the following detailed description together with the attached drawings wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is an exploded perspective view of a rack and a module to be mounted in the rack using conventional brackets; 
         FIG. 2  is a side elevational view of the module of  FIG. 1  with conventional mounting brackets attached thereto; 
         FIG. 3  is a front elevational view of the module of  FIG. 1  mounted in the rack of  FIG. 1  using conventional brackets; 
         FIG. 4  is a front perspective view of a mounting bracket according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 5  is a rear perspective view of the mounting bracket of  FIG. 4 ; 
         FIG. 6  is an exploded view of two mounting brackets according to  FIG. 4  attached to a module positioned adjacent to a rack prior to being mounted in the rack; 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view of a portion of a second piece of equipment having an integral mounting bracket; and 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective view of a portion of a third piece of equipment having an integral mounting bracket. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The present invention now is described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which embodiments of the invention are shown. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. 
     Like numbers refer to like elements throughout. In the figures, the thickness of certain lines, layers, components, elements or features may be exaggerated for clarity. 
     The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. It will be further understood that terms, such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of the specification and relevant art and should not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein. Well-known functions or constructions may not be described in detail for brevity and/or clarity. 
     As used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises” and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. As used herein, phrases such as “between X and Y” and “between about X and Y” should be interpreted to include X and Y. As used herein, phrases such as “between about X and Y” mean “between about X and about Y.” As used herein, phrases such as “from about X to Y” mean “from about X to about Y.” 
     It will be understood that when an element is referred to as being “on”, “attached” to, “connected” to, “coupled” with, “contacting”, etc., another element, it can be directly on, attached to, connected to, coupled with or contacting the other element or intervening elements may also be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being, for example, “directly on”, “directly attached” to, “directly connected” to, “directly coupled” with or “directly contacting” another element, there are no intervening elements present. It will also be appreciated by those of skill in the art that references to a structure or feature that is disposed “adjacent” another feature may have portions that overlap or underlie the adjacent feature. 
     Spatially relative terms, such as “under”, “below”, “lower”, “over”, “upper”, “lateral”, “left”, “right” and the like, may be used herein for ease of description to describe one element or feature&#39;s relationship to another element(s) or feature(s) as illustrated in the figures. It will be understood that the spatially relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. For example, if the device in the figures is inverted, elements described as “under” or “beneath” other elements or features would then be oriented “over” the other elements or features. The device may be otherwise oriented (rotated  90  degrees or at other orientations) and the descriptors of relative spatial relationships used herein interpreted accordingly. 
     Referring now to the drawings,  FIG. 4  illustrates a bracket  10  according to an embodiment of the present invention which bracket comprises a planar sheet of material, such as 0.09 inch thick aluminum, bent to form a body portion  12  and a flange  14 . Attachment openings  16  are provided in body portion  12  for connecting the bracket  10  to a piece of equipment, and mounting openings  18  are provided in flange  14  for connecting the bracket to a mounting rack. Each flange  14  also includes first and second fingers  20  which are punched and bent from the material of flange  14  thereby producing a notch  21 , and which fingers  20  extend generally perpendicularly from the flange  14  and along and spaced from bracket body portion  12 . The fingers  20  are integrally formed with notch  21  and constitute an extension of a first edge  23  of notch  21 . Notch  21  further includes a second edge  25  that lies substantially within the plane of flange  14  and a third edge  27  having an arcuate portion  29  that extends out of the plane of flange  14 . 
     A rack comprising two spaced vertical post members  22  having parallel front faces  24  is illustrated in  FIG. 6 . Front faces  24  include a plurality of evenly spaced support openings  26 . A module  28  having brackets  10  mounted to opposite sides thereof is also illustrated in  FIG. 6 . While module  28  is generally shown as having an empty interior, those skilled in the art will appreciate that module  28  may be any type of electrical, computer, communications or other equipment that is conventionally mounted in racks. 
     The distance between adjacent support openings  26  on front faces  24  may be fixed or follow a repeating pattern. Without limitation, many conventional racks follow the EIA-310 rack specification in which two adjacent support openings are spaced by 0.625 inches followed by a third hole spaced from the second opening by 0.5 inches, after which this pattern repeats. The distance between adjacent mounting openings  18  on mounting bracket  10  is selected to follow this pattern so that appropriate mounting opening  18  on the mounting brackets  10  will align with the support openings  26  on the vertical post members  22  when the module  28  is positioned in the rack. The distance between fingers  20  and an adjacent mounting openings  18  on flange  14  is selected to align the mounting openings  18  on flange  14  with the support openings  26  on the vertical post members  22  of the rack when the fingers  20  are inserted in appropriate openings and will generally be a whole-number multiple of 0.125 inches. 
     In order to mount module  28  to post members  22 , brackets  10  are placed with body portions  12  against the opposite sides of equipment  28  and secured thereto in a conventional manner. Module  28  is then lifted to a desired height relative to post members  22  and moved between post members  22  until fingers  20  enter support openings  26  on front faces  22  and flanges  14  of brackets  10  contact the front faces  24  of the vertical post members  22 . Given the varying spacing of the openings on the rack discussed above, this arrangement also helps to ensure that the module is installed on the correct “rack unit” or position on the rack. Fingers  20  are sufficiently strong to support module  28  on vertical posts  22  while screws or appropriate fasteners  31  are passed through the aligned mounting openings  18  of flange  14  and support openings  26  of front face  24  to connect the brackets  10 , and hence the module  28 , to the rack. Beneficially, arcuate portion  29  on flange  14  provides an attachment location for a cover (not illustrated) that may be provided for coving the fasteners  31 . 
     Because support brackets are generally attached to a piece of equipment near the front-to-rear center of gravity of the piece of equipment, little torque is applied to the piece of equipment, and the piece of equipment does not tend to rotate relative to the rack. For lightweight pieces of equipment, it may be possible to use only one finger  20  on each of the mounting brackets  10 ; however, providing two fingers  20  on each mounting bracket  10  provides additional security and allows the brackets to be used interchangeably on the left or right side of the module  28 . 
     A second embodiment of the invention is illustrated in  FIGS. 7 and 8 . In these figures, a module  30  is provided with an integral mounting bracket  32  that includes mounting openings  34  alignable with support openings  26  in a rack. Mounting bracket  32  includes fingers  36  that allow module  30  to be temporarily supported on vertical post members  22  while being connected to the post members  22  by suitable fasteners (not shown) passing though the aligned mounting openings  34  of integral mounting bracket  32  and support openings  26  in a rack. A single mounting finger  36  is illustrated on one side of the module of  FIG. 7  and a pair of mounting fingers  36  are illustrated on the module of  FIG. 8 . 
     The fingers  36  illustrated in  FIGS. 7 and 8  include teeth  38  along their outer edges  40 , the edges that will face away from each other when modules  30  are mounted in a rack. These teeth  38  engage the edges of the support openings  26  or the threads (not illustrated) that may be present in support openings  26  in vertical post members  22  to make it more difficult for the fingers  36  to slide out of support openings  26  when a module has been mounted. Smooth fingers  20  or toothed fingers  36  can be used on any of the embodiments disclosed herein. 
     The present invention has been described above in terms of several presently preferred embodiments. However, various modifications and additions to these embodiments will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon a reading of the foregoing description. It is intended that all such additions and modifications comprise a part of the present invention to the extent they fall within the scope of the several claims appended hereto.