Patent ID: 8256627

Claim:
A blanking panel for occupying one or more mounting locations in an equipment rack or cabinet enclosure having spaced-apart mounting rails for mounting electronic equipment in a closely-spaced manner, which mounting rails define a plurality of predefined mounting locations spaced-apart at regular intervals, said blanking panel comprising: a front wall; first and second end portions on opposite lateral sides of said front wall; releasable connecting means operable to releasably connect said blanking panel to the mounting rails, with said front wall facing outward, said releasable connecting means being disposed adjacent said first and second end portions of said blanking panel; said front wall including first and second grips operable for mounting and removal of said blanking panel to and from the mounting rails; means for stacking said blanking panel on a lower blanking panel resting on a horizontal support surface, without external support, where the lower blanking panel has the same construction as said blanking panel; said means for stacking being located adjacent opposite ends of said blanking panel and extending rearwardly with respect to said front wall of said blanking panel, and being operable to position said blanking panel at a fixed distance above and parallel to said lower blanking panel and to orient said blanking panel along a horizontal, lateral X axis and along a horizontal Y axis perpendicular to the X axis, relative to said lower blanking panel; and said means for stacking including elements engageable with a front wall of said lower blanking panel and operable to limit an extent of horizontal relative movement of said blanking panel along said X and Y axes, with respect to said lower blanking panel.