Computer and data storage devices are housed in standardized equipment enclosures. These enclosures may have an outer, aesthetically pleasing housing that is supported by an inner rack. The rack is a substantially rectilinear metal frame including several vertical columns each provided with a plurality of mounting and alignment openings or holes that permit mounting various devices in the rack.
Rails that mount to the vertical members or columns of the rack support the devices or components. The rails are screwed or bolted to the rack and the devices are placed on a pair or set of rails. In conventional systems, the openings of the rack are spaced in Electronic Industries Association units (EIA-U). The EIA-U is a standardized unit of length equal to 44.45 millimeters. Although standardized placement of the openings improves interchangeability between rails of enclosure systems, the openings in the rack may be round, square, or threaded so the design and selection of rails for the rack is dependent upon the type of openings in the columns or vertical members of the rack.
As a result, the consumer must determine which rails will attach properly to the rack within an enclosure, adding to the complexity of planning and ordering devices and enclosed systems. Further, recent efforts to maximize space utility within racks has increased the variety of rails manufactured, increasing the number of mounting kits that must be stocked by the manufacturer and increasing the burden on the consumer to plan for and purchase enclosure systems and rails.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds