IP Library Granted Patent US 10,499,528
Granted Patent B2
US 10,499,528 · App. 16/167,498 · Granted Dec 3, 2019

Equipment module adapter blocks

Inventors: Samuel Maxwell Marrs (Bradley, IL); Alva Benjamin Eaton (Nottingham Park, IL)
Assignee: VCE IP Holding Company, LLC
H05K7/1489H05K5/0221H05K7/14
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,499,528
App. No.
16/167,498
Granted
Dec 3, 2019
Kind
B2
Abstract

Equipment racks, methods of installing equipment modules into equipment racks, and adaptor blocks for installing equipment modules into equipment racks are disclosed. In some examples, an equipment rack includes first and second rack rails and a carrier pack mounted to the first and second rack rails. The carrier pack includes first and second pack rails, each pack rail having a plurality of spaced apart mounting holes. The carrier pack includes first and second adapter blocks mounted to the first and second pack rails using the spaced apart mounting holes. Each of the first and second adapter blocks includes at least one post. The carrier pack includes an equipment module mounted to the first and second adapter blocks. The equipment module includes first and second spring loaded latches attached to the posts of the first and second adapter blocks.

Claims (22)

1. A method for installing an equipment module in an equipment rack, the method comprising:

installing a first adapter block to a first pack rail of a carrier pack using one or more first adapter fasteners to secure the first adapter block to a first plurality of spaced apart mounting holes of the first pack rail, wherein the first adapter block comprises a front side, a back side opposing the front side, and at least one post, wherein installing the first adapter block comprises mounting the back side of the first adapter block against the first pack rail, wherein the first adapter block comprises a center hole that extends from the front side to the back side and is aligned over one of the first plurality of spaced apart mounting holes;

installing a second adapter block to a second pack rail of the carrier pack opposite to the first adapter block using one or more second adapter fasteners to secure the second adapter block to a second plurality of spaced apart mounting holes of the second pack rail, wherein the second adapter block comprises a front side, a back side opposing the front side, and at least one post, wherein the back side of the second adapter block is mounted against the second pack rail, wherein the second adapter block comprises a center hole that extends from the front side to the back side and is aligned over one of the second plurality of spaced apart mounting holes;

inserting an equipment module into an opening of the carrier pack between the first and second adapter blocks, causing a first mount of the equipment module to be positioned against the front side of the first adapter block and a second mount of the equipment module to be positioned against the front side of the second adapter block, wherein first and second spring loaded latches of the first and second adapter blocks, respectively, attach to the posts, thereby holding the equipment module in place against the front sides of the first and second adapter blocks;

mounting the first mount to the first adapter block and to the first pack rail by a first module fastener passing through the center hole of the first adapter block and through the one of the first plurality of spaced apart mounting holes;

mounting the second mount to the second adapter block and to the second pack rail by a second module fastener passing through the center hole of the second adapter block and through the one of the second plurality of spaced apart mounting holes; and

installing the carrier pack in the equipment rack.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the carrier pack comprises a converged infrastructure (CI) system, wherein the CI system includes at least one server having the first and second spring loaded latches installed on a housing of the server.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second adapter blocks has a first width from a front side to a back side, and wherein each post has a second width, smaller than the first width, from the front side towards the back side, and wherein inserting the equipment module into the carrier pack comprises causing the first and second spring loaded latches to push past the posts and snap onto the posts.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein each of the posts comprises a tapered edge tapering from the front side to the back side.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first adapter block comprises first and second holes that are aligned over a respective pair of the first plurality of spaced apart mounting holes,

wherein the second adapter block comprises first and second holes that are aligned over a respective pair of the second plurality of spaced apart mounting holes,

wherein installing the first adapter block comprises mounting the first adapter block using the one or more first adapter fasteners passing through the first and second holes and through the respective pair of the first plurality of spaced apart mounting holes to mount the first adapter block to the first pack rail, and

wherein installing the second adapter block comprises mounting the second adapter block using the one or more second fasteners passing through the first and second holes and through the respective pair of the second spaced apart mounting holes to mount the second adapter block to the second pack rail.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second adapter blocks comprises first and second posts, and wherein the equipment module comprises first and second mounts and each of the first and second mounts comprises a top spring loaded latch snapped in behind a respective first post and a bottom spring loaded latch snapped in behind a respective second post.

7. An adapter block comprising:

first and second sides and front and back sides;

first and second holes through the adapter block from the front side to the back side, wherein the first hole comprises a top notch and the second hole comprises a bottom notch;

at least one center hole, between the first and second holes, through the adapter block from the front side to the back side; and

first and second posts extending away from the adapter block, wherein the first and second posts each comprise a tapered edge tapering from the front side to the back side;

wherein the adaptor block comprises a plurality of cavities in the back side of the adaptor block.

8. The adaptor block of claim 7 , wherein the adaptor block is formed of die casted metal.

Assignments (7)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (053546/0001) Recorded Jun 23, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: DELL MARKETING L.P. (ON BEHALF OF ITSELF AND AS SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO CREDANT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.); DELL INTERNATIONAL L.L.C.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL USA L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; DELL MARKETING CORPORATION (SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO FORCE10 NETWORKS, INC. AND WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.); EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 071642/0001 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (052216/0758) Recorded Jun 23, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 060438/0680 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST AF REEL 052243 FRAME 0773 Recorded Nov 2, 2021
From: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 058001/0152 →
MERGER Recorded Mar 26, 2020
From: VCE IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 052236/0497 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Mar 26, 2020
From: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH
Reel/Frame 052243/0773 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT (NOTES) Recorded Mar 24, 2020
From: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 052216/0758 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Mar 21, 2019
From: CREDANT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; DELL INTERNATIONAL L.L.C.; DELL MARKETING L.P.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL USA L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; FORCE10 NETWORKS, INC.; WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A.
Reel/Frame 049452/0223 →