Enhanced rack/cabinet mobility and stability for a server rack

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10172255-B2
Application number	US-201715416036-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 26, 2017
Priority date	Jan 26, 2017
Publication date	Jan 1, 2019
Grant date	Jan 1, 2019

Abstract

A mobility apparatus. The mobility apparatus may include a continuous fixed-length rail attached horizontally to a bottom structural member of the front or the rear of a server rack. The continuous fixed-length rail exceeds a width of the server rack by an equal amount on either side of the server rack. The mobility apparatus also includes a lower rail portion attached to a lower edge of the continuous fixed-length rail; a raised rail portion attached to an extended length of each portion of the continuous fixed-length rail; and at least one wheel attached to an underside of each end of the extended length of the continuous fixed-length rail.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A mobility apparatus comprising:
a continuous fixed-length rail attached horizontally to a bottom structural member of a front or a rear of a server rack, wherein the continuous fixed-length rail exceeds a width of the server rack by an equal amount on either side of the server rack;
a lower rail portion attached to a lower edge of the continuous fixed-length rail, wherein the lower rail portion is substantially perpendicular to the continuous fixed-length rail;
a raised rail portion attached to an extended length of each portion of the continuous fixed-length rail, wherein each raised rail portion is substantially perpendicular to the continuous fixed-length rail; and
at least one wheel attached to an underside of each end of the extended length of the continuous fixed-length rail.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one wheel is selected from a group consisting of:
a caster equipped with brake,
a swivel caster,
a fixed caster, and
an adjustable height caster.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one wheel includes: a skid shoe and a glide.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is temporarily attached to either the front or the rear of the server rack by one or more removable fasteners.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the continuous fixed-length rail is attached to the bottom structural member of the server rack by at least two sets of attachment points, wherein each set of attachment points has at least three holes.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the at least three holes are selected from a group consisting of:
bolt holes,
threaded holes,
tapped holes, and
square holes.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the lower rail portion is permanently attached to the lower edge of the continuous fixed-length rail.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each raised rail portion is permanently attached to the continuous fixed-length rail.

9. A mobility apparatus comprising:
a left-hand rail portion and a right-hand rail portion each attached horizontally to a bottom structural member of a front or a rear of a server rack;
a lower rail portion permanently attached to a lower edge of each of the left-hand rail portion and the right-hand rail portion, wherein each lower rail portion is substantially perpendicular to the left-hand rail portion and the right-hand rail portion;
a raised rail portion permanently attached to an extended length of the left-hand rail portion and the extended length of the right-hand rail portion, wherein each raised rail portion is substantially perpendicular to the left-hand rail portion and the right-hand rail portion; and
at least one wheel attached to the extended length of each of the left-hand rail portion and the right-hand rail.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the at least one wheel is selected from a group consisting of:
a caster equipped with brake,
a swivel caster,
a fixed caster, and
an adjustable height caster.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the at least one wheel is selected from a group consisting of: a skid shoe and a glide.

12. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the apparatus is temporarily attached to either the front or the rear of the server rack by one or more removable fasteners.

13. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the each of the left-hand rail portion and the right-hand rail is attached to the bottom structural member of the server rack by at least one set of attachment points, wherein each set of attachment points has at least three holes.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the at least three holes is selected from a group consisting of:
bolt holes,
threaded holes,
tapped holes, and
square holes.

15. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein each lower rail portion is permanently attached to the left-hand rail portion and the right-hand rail portion.

16. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein each raised rail portion is permanently attached to the left-hand rail portion and the right-hand rail portion.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Eckberg Eric A
• Erie Cody J
• Macpherson Michael J
• Mroz Stephen P
• Tuma Christopher L

Classifications

• B60B33/0002 Primary

  assembling to the object, e.g. furniture · CPC title

• B60B33/006

  characterised by details of the swivel mechanism · CPC title

• Y10T16/182

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• B60B33/0078

  characterised by details of the wheel braking mechanism · CPC title

• H05K7/18 Primary

  Construction of rack or frame · CPC title