Low-profile swing gate to support service element interface hardware

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9442513-B2
Application number	US-201615045483-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 17, 2016
Priority date	Feb 3, 2015
Publication date	Sep 13, 2016
Grant date	Sep 13, 2016

Abstract

An apparatus for positioning service element interface devices is provided. A gate is affixed to a computing rack by a gate hinge that rotates on a first axis. A tray is affixed to the gate. The tray has a first side and a second side that are opposite exterior surfaces of the tray. A first display and a first keyboard are affixed to the first side. A second display and a second keyboard are affixed to the second side. The first keyboard and the first display provide a first interface that is redundant with a second interface provided by the second keyboard and the second display.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for positioning service elements, the apparatus comprising:
a gate affixed to a computing rack by a gate hinge enabling rotation of the gate relative to the computing rack along a first axis, wherein the gate hinge comprises a primary hinge and a secondary hinge, and wherein the gate hinge allows 180 degrees of rotation on a first axis, and wherein the first axis is parallel to an edge of the computing rack to which the gate hinge is affixed;
a tray affixed to the gate, the tray having a first side and a second side, wherein the first side and the second side are opposite exterior surfaces of the tray, wherein a) the tray is affixed to the gate by a hinge that rotates around a center axis that is parallel to the first axis from a middle point of a top edge of the tray to a middle point of a bottom edge of the tray, b) a first keyboard is affixed to the first side by a first keyboard hinge at a top edge of the first keyboard, c) a second keyboard is affixed to the second side by a second keyboard hinge at a top edge of the second keyboard, and d) the first keyboard is positioned opposite the second keyboard;
a first display and the first keyboard affixed to the first side;
a second display and the second keyboard affixed to the second side,

wherein the first keyboard and the first display provide a first interface, and wherein the second keyboard and the second display provide a second interface; and
a retaining pin having an engaged position and a disengaged position, wherein the retaining pin interferes with the rotation of the tray around the center axis when in the engaged position, and wherein the retaining pin does not interfere with the rotation of the tray around the center axis when in the disengaged position;
wherein i) the first display is affixed to the first side by a first display hinge proximate to a top edge of the first display, ii) the second display is affixed to the second side by a second display hinge proximate to a top edge of the second display, and wherein the first display is positioned opposite the second display, iii) the first display hinge is a first friction hinge that rotates on a second axis and the second display hinge is a second friction hinge that rotates on a third axis that is substantially parallel to the second axis, iv) the first friction hinge positions the first display at an angle relative to the first side, v) the second friction hinge positions the second display at an angle relative to the second side, vi) the hinge of the first keyboard rotates on a second axis and positions the first keyboard relative to the first side, vii) the hinge of the second keyboard rotates on a third axis and positions the second keyboard relative to the second side, viii) a first locking device selectively interferes with the rotation of the first keyboard hinge, ix) a second locking device selectively interferes with the rotation of the second keyboard hinge, x) the first interface and the second interface are redundant, and xi) each of the first and second interfaces is an interface to each of at least one computing device mounted within the computing rack.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Ecker Richard M
• Mcintosh Steven C
• Mullady Robert K
• Torok John G

Classifications

• G06F1/1601 Primary

  Constructional details related to the housing of computer displays, e.g. of CRT monitors, of flat displays (constructional details related to flat displays integrated in a portable computer, e.g. laptop, handheld computer G06F1/1637; constructional details related to television receivers H04N5/64) · CPC title

• H05K7/1494 Primary

  having hardware for monitoring blades, e.g. keyboards, displays (methods or software therefore H05K7/1498) · CPC title

• G06F1/16 Primary

  Constructional details or arrangements · CPC title

• G06F3/023

  Arrangements for converting discrete items of information into a coded form, e.g. arrangements for interpreting keyboard generated codes as alphanumeric codes, operand codes or instruction codes · CPC title

• G06F3/0227

  Cooperation and interconnection of the input arrangement with other functional units of a computer (G06F3/023 - G06F3/037 take precedence) · CPC title