IP Library Granted Patent US 9,974,202
Granted Patent B1
US 9,974,202 · App. 15/334,322 · Granted May 15, 2018

Electronic equipment divider assembly

Inventors: Michael S. Good (Fountain, MN); Curtis E. Larsen (Eden Valley, MN); Kevin M. O'Connell (Rochester, MN)
Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
H05K7/1487A47B88/975H05K7/1421A47B2088/976
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,974,202
App. No.
15/334,322
Granted
May 15, 2018
Kind
B1
Abstract

A divider can be installed within an electronic equipment rack drawer to enhance the structural strength of the drawer. The divider can include two members, formed from plates of material, each member having a rectangular center section with a height spanning a distance between a top plate and an upper base plate of an electronic equipment rack drawer. The two members can each have a header and a footer extending outwardly from the center section. The headers can be attached to the top plate, and the footers can be attached to the upper base plate of the electronic equipment rack drawer. The center sections of the two members can be fastened, in an adjacent, coplanar orientation to each other.

Claims (14)

1. A method of attaching a divider to an electronic equipment rack drawer, the method comprising:

aligning a first footer of a first divider member and a second footer of a second divider member with a corresponding at least one opening in an upper base plate of an electronic equipment rack drawer;

inserting, into the at least one opening, the first footer and the second footer;

rotating the first divider member and the second divider member to bring a center section of the first divider member into an adjacent, coplanar orientation with a center section of the second divider member;

attaching the center section of the first divider member to the center section of the second divider member;

attaching the first footer and the second footer to a bottom surface of the upper base plate of the electronic equipment rack drawer; and

attaching a first header of the first divider member and a second header of the second divider member to a bottom surface of a top plate of the electronic equipment rack drawer.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein aligning the first footer and the second footer includes aligning the first footer that has a width greater than a width of the first header and aligning the second footer that has a width greater than a width of the second header.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein aligning the first footer includes aligning a first plurality of tabs projecting outwardly from bottom edges of the center section of the first divider member in a first direction normal to the center section of the first divider member.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein aligning the second footer includes aligning a second plurality of tabs projecting outwardly from bottom edges of the center section of the second divider member in a second direction normal to the center section of the second divider member.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein attaching the first footer and the second footer to a bottom surface of the upper base plate of the electronic equipment rack drawer includes using at least one fastener.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein attaching the first footer and the second footer to a bottom surface of the upper base plate of the electronic equipment rack drawer includes using an attachment process selected from the group consisting of: spot welding and swaging.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein attaching the first header and the second header to the bottom surface of the top plate of the electronic equipment rack drawer includes using at least one fastener.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein attaching the first header and the second header to the bottom surface of the top plate of the electronic equipment rack drawer includes using an attachment process is selected from the group consisting of: spot welding and swaging.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 26, 2016
From: GOOD, MICHAEL S.; LARSEN, CURTIS E.; O'CONNELL, KEVIN M.
To: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 040129/0295 →