IP Library Granted Patent US 11,582,874
Granted Patent B2
US 11,582,874 · App. 16/743,198 · Granted Feb 14, 2023

Interlocking transportation totes

Inventors: James Don Curlee (Round Rock, TX); Steven Embleton (Austin, TX); Joshua Scott Keup (Austin, TX); Ben John Sy (Austin, TX)
Assignee: Dell Products L.P.
H05K5/0208H05K5/0013H05K5/0221H05K5/0234H05K7/18
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,582,874
App. No.
16/743,198
Granted
Feb 14, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

A system may include first and second apparatuses. The first and second apparatuses may each include: an enclosure portion including a plurality of mounting features that are configured to receive information handling systems, wherein dimensions of the enclosure portion define a footprint; a base portion disposed below the enclosure portion and coupled to the enclosure portion; a plurality of casters coupled to the base portion and mounted in respective positions that are laterally displaced from the base portion such that the positions are outside the footprint of the enclosure portion; and a locking mechanism. The first and second apparatuses may be operable to be coupled together via their respective locking mechanisms for transport.

Claims (40)

1. A system comprising:

first and second apparatuses, wherein the first and second apparatuses each include:

an enclosure portion including a plurality of mounting features that are configured to receive information handling systems, wherein dimensions of the enclosure portion define a footprint;

a base portion disposed below the enclosure portion and coupled to the enclosure portion;

a plurality of casters coupled to the base portion and mounted in respective positions that are laterally displaced from the base portion such that the positions are outside the footprint of the enclosure portion; and

a locking mechanism, wherein the locking mechanism includes a plurality of locking mechanisms including a top locking mechanism disposed on a top surface of the enclosure portion;

wherein the first and second apparatuses are operable to be coupled together via their respective locking mechanisms for transport.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the locking mechanism of the first apparatus is operable to be coupled to the locking mechanism of the second apparatus via a coupler bolted to the respective locking mechanisms.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the locking mechanism of the first apparatus is operable to be coupled to the locking mechanism of the second apparatus via an electromechanical lock that is configured to be actuated wirelessly.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of locking mechanisms includes a bottom locking mechanism disposed adjacent to a caster of the plurality of casters.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein:

each of the plurality of casters includes a caster platform disposed above the respective caster;

each caster platform has a physical dimension associated therewith; and

the first apparatus includes a gap between a pair of adjacent caster platforms that is sized to be at least as large as the physical dimension of a selected caster platform of the second apparatus, such that the selected caster platform of the second apparatus is insertable into the gap.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the gap is sized to be as large as the physical dimension of the selected caster platform of the second apparatus plus a selected clearance amount.

7. The system of claim 5 , wherein each physical dimension associated with each respective caster platform is equal.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the enclosure portion and the mounting features are sized to receive information handling systems that conform to standardized rack unit sizes.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the enclosure portion is coupled to the base portion via at least one vibration damper.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of casters are shock-absorbing casters.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first and second apparatuses are reusable such that, without the use of any single-use materials:

the first and second apparatuses are configured to have loaded therein a plurality of information handling systems, be coupled together via their respective locking mechanisms, be transported from a first location to a second location, and have the plurality of information handling systems be unloaded therefrom.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of mounting features are compliant with EIA-310.

13. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first and second apparatuses are configured for transportation of the information handling systems, but are not configured to allow for operation of the information handling systems while the information handling systems are received therein.

14. A method comprising:

forming first and second apparatuses, wherein forming each apparatus of the first and second apparatuses includes:

forming an enclosure portion including a plurality of mounting features that are configured to receive information handling systems, wherein dimensions of the enclosure portion define a footprint;

coupling a base portion to the enclosure portion below the enclosure portion; and

coupling a plurality of casters to the base portion mounted in respective positions that are laterally displaced from the base portion such that the positions are outside the footprint of the enclosure portion; and

coupling a locking mechanism to the apparatus, wherein the locking mechanism includes a plurality of locking mechanisms including a top locking mechanism disposed on a top surface of the enclosure portion;

wherein the first and second apparatuses are operable to be coupled together via their respective locking mechanisms for transport.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising coupling the first and second apparatuses together via a coupler bolted to the respective locking mechanisms.

16. The method of claim 14 , further comprising coupling the first and second apparatuses together via an electromechanical lock that is actuated wirelessly.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein the respective enclosure portions and mounting features are sized to receive information handling systems that conform to standardized rack unit sizes.

18. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:

loading a first plurality of information handling systems into the enclosure portion of the first apparatus;

loading a second plurality of information handling systems into the enclosure portion of the second apparatus;

coupling the first and second apparatus together via their respective locking mechanisms;

transporting the coupled first and second apparatuses from a first location to a second location;

unloading the first and second pluralities of information handling systems; and

reusing the first and second apparatuses by loading additional information handling systems into the enclosure portions of the first and second apparatuses.

Assignments (9)
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 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 →
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 →
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 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 15, 2020
From: CURLEE, JAMES DON; EMBLETON, STEVEN; KEUP, JOSHUA SCOTT; SY, BEN JOHN
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.
Reel/Frame 051520/0926 →