IP Library Granted Patent US 10,874,027
Granted Patent B2
US 10,874,027 · App. 16/700,542 · Granted Dec 22, 2020

Equipment module adapter blocks

Inventors: Samuel Maxwell Marrs (Bradley, IL); Alva Benjamin Eaton (Nottingham Park, IL)
Assignee: EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
H05K7/1489H05K5/0221H05K7/14
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,874,027
App. No.
16/700,542
Granted
Dec 22, 2020
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 (24)

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 at least one post;

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 at least one post;

inserting an equipment module into an opening of the carrier pack between the first and second adapter blocks, causing first and second spring loaded latches of the equipment module to attach to the posts, thereby holding the equipment module in place against the first and second adapter blocks; 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 each of the first and second adapter blocks comprises a center hole, and wherein the method includes mounting the equipment module to the first and second adapter blocks using first and second fasteners passing through the center holes of the first and second adapter blocks.

6. 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.

7. 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.

8. An adapter block configured for installing an equipment module in an equipment carrier pack 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 and second holes are configured to receive adapter fasteners therethrough for mounting the adapter block to a plurality of spaced apart mounting holes of a pack rail of an equipment carrier pack;

at least one center hole, between the first and second holes, through the adapter block from the front side to the back side, wherein the center hole is configured to receive a fastener therethrough for mounting the adapter block to an equipment module; and

at least one post extending away from the adapter block, wherein each of the at least one post is configured to engage a spring loaded latch of the equipment module.

9. The adapter block of claim 8 , comprising first and second posts.

10. The adapter block of claim 8 , wherein the at least one post comprises a tapered edge tapering from the front side to the back side.

11. The adapter block of claim 8 , wherein the top hole comprises a top notch and the bottom hole comprises a bottom notch.

12. The adapter block of claim 8 , wherein the adapter block is formed of die casted metal.

13. The adapter block of claim 8 , wherein the adapter block comprises a plurality of cavities in the adapter block.

Assignments (11)
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 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 (053311/0169) 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 CORPORATION; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 060438/0742 →
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 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 27, 2020
From: VCE COMPANY, LLC
To: VCE IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 054179/0363 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 27, 2020
From: MARRS, SAMUEL M.; EATON, ALVA B.
To: VCE COMPANY, LLC
Reel/Frame 054179/0247 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jun 5, 2020
From: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 053311/0169 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Apr 22, 2020
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 053546/0001 →
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 →
MERGER Recorded Mar 26, 2020
From: VCE IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 052236/0497 →
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 →
Continuity (3)
Continuation 16167498 · Oct 22, 2018
Division 14727370 · Jun 1, 2015
Related Publication 20200107465A1 · Apr 2, 2020