Equipment rack having caster brackets

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10357104-B2
Application number	US-201715418106-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 27, 2017
Priority date	Jan 30, 2016
Publication date	Jul 23, 2019
Grant date	Jul 23, 2019

Abstract

An equipment rack having one or more caster bracket assemblies. The caster bracket assembly is selectively mountable on a frame of the equipment rack at multiple mounting locations. The caster bracket can define a gap between the caster bracket assembly and a brace of the equipment rack frame which may be used for ingress/egress of cables or wires. Associated methods are also disclosed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An equipment rack comprising:
a frame assembly including a front pair of left and right uprights, a back pair of left and right uprights, a left lower side brace connected to the front left and back left uprights and a right lower side brace connected to the front right and back right uprights, the left and right lower side braces being spaced apart from one another and extending in a front-to-back direction with respect to the frame assembly, the frame assembly including a back lower end brace connected to the back pair of left and right uprights and extending in a side-to-side direction with respect to the frame assembly and a front lower end brace connected to the front pair of left and right uprights and extending in a side-to-side direction with respect to the frame assembly, the front and back pair of left and right uprights, the left and right lower side braces and the front and back lower end braces defining a lower exterior perimeter of the frame assembly, the front and back pair of left and right uprights disposed at corners of the lower exterior perimeter,
a first caster bracket assembly extending between the left and right lower side braces, the first caster bracket assembly including a first caster bracket having left and right end walls, the left end wall secured to the left lower side brace, the right end wall secured to the right lower side brace, the first caster bracket assembly including at least two wheels secured to the first caster bracket,
a second caster bracket assembly extending between the left and right lower side braces, the second caster bracket assembly including a second caster bracket having left and right end walls, the left end wall secured to the left lower side brace, the right end wall secured to the right lower side brace, the second caster bracket assembly including at least two wheels secured to the second caster bracket,
wherein the back lower end brace extending in the side-to-side direction is closer to the first caster bracket than the second caster bracket, and the first caster bracket is spaced apart from the back lower end brace extending in the side-to-side direction to define a gap between the first caster bracket and said back lower end brace and inside the lower exterior perimeter.

2. The equipment rack set forth in claim 1 , wherein
the left lower side brace includes a first group of holes arranged in a first pattern, a second group of holes arranged in the first pattern, and a third group of holes arranged in the first pattern, and the right lower side brace includes a first group of holes arranged in the first pattern, a second group of holes arranged in the first pattern, and a third group of holes arranged in the first pattern,
wherein the left end wall of the first caster bracket of the first caster bracket assembly includes a group of holes arranged in the first pattern, and the right end wall of the first caster bracket of the first caster bracket assembly includes a group of holes arranged in the first pattern, the left end wall being secured to the left lower side brace by mechanical fasteners in the group of holes of the left end wall and in the first group of holes of the left lower side brace, the right end wall being secured to the right lower side brace by mechanical fasteners in the group of holes of the right end wall and in the first group of holes of the right lower side brace, and
wherein the left end wall of the second caster bracket of the second caster bracket assembly includes a group of holes arranged in the first pattern, and the right end wall of the second caster bracket of the second caster bracket assembly includes a group of holes arranged in the first pattern, the left end wall being secured to the left lower side brace by mechanical fasteners in the group of holes of the left end wall and in the second group of holes of the left lower side brace, the right end wall being secured to the right lower side brace by mechanical fasteners in the group of holes of the right end wall and in the second group of holes of the right lower side brace.

3. The equipment rack set forth in claim 2 , wherein the mechanical fasteners securing the second caster bracket to the left and right lower side braces are removable, and the second caster bracket is re-securable to the left and right lower side braces by moving the second caster bracket with respect to the left and right lower side braces and inserting the mechanical fasteners in the group of holes of the left end wall and in the third group of holes of the left lower side brace, and inserting the mechanical fasteners in the group of holes of the right end wall and in the third group of holes of the right lower side brace.

4. The equipment rack set forth in claim 1 , wherein the first caster bracket assembly is a rear caster bracket assembly, the second caster bracket assembly is a front caster bracket assembly, the front caster bracket being spaced rearward from said front lower end brace to define a gap forward from the front caster bracket.

5. The equipment rack set forth in claim 1 , further comprising a set of mounting rails extending vertically and secured to the frame assembly, the mounting rails each including a rail body and a plurality of openings spaced from each other along a length of the rail body, the openings being configured for mounting equipment on the rail bodies.

6. The equipment rack set forth in claim 5 , wherein the set of mounting rails includes at least one pair of left and right mounting rails.

7. The equipment rack set forth in claim 6 , wherein the set of mounting rails includes a front pair of left and right mounting rails and a back pair of left and right mounting rails.

8. The equipment rack set forth in claim 1 , wherein the first and second caster bracket assemblies are substantially identical.

Assignees

• Cooper Technologies Co
• Eaton Intelligent Power Ltd

Inventors

• Jost Henry D
• Latino Richard M
• Sandoval Lorena E
• Rau Joseph

Classifications

• B62B2301/05

  Details of the attachment of the wheel assembly to the chassis · CPC title

• B62B2205/006

  dismountable · CPC title

• B62B3/02

  involving parts being adjustable, collapsible, attachable, detachable or convertible · CPC title

• B62B3/005

  Details of storage means, e.g. drawers, bins or racks · CPC title

• A47B96/20

  Furniture panels or like furniture elements · CPC title