US20060180555A1

US20060180555A1 - Rack bracket structure

Info

Publication number: US20060180555A1
Application number: US11/314,016
Authority: US
Inventors: Jui-Yao Shih; Chi-Jen Kang
Original assignee: Asustek Computer Inc
Current assignee: Asustek Computer Inc
Priority date: 2005-02-05
Filing date: 2005-12-22
Publication date: 2006-08-17
Also published as: TWI265771B; TW200630018A

Abstract

A rack bracket structure is applied to fix at least one electronic device onto a rack housing. The rack bracket structure includes a first bracket member, a second bracket member, a pivoting member, a plurality of first locking members and a plurality of second locking members. The first bracket member has at least one first hole and a plurality of second holes. The second bracket member has at least one third hole. The first and the second bracket members are pivoted on the pivoting member. The first locking members pass through the second holes respectively and fix the first bracket member on the electronic device. The second locking members pass through the first and the third holes respectively and fix the first and the second bracket members on the rack housing.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a bracket structure, and more particularly to a rack bracket structure.
2. Related Art
Due to rapid development of business environment, information market trends to an innovative variation. Information technologies (IT) are developed to a simplified design for facilitating enterprises to construct their own information frame structure and achieve the best effects in the shortest time.
More and more enterprises and organizations share resources by local area network (LAN). In local area network, a switcher plays the role of switching path for packets during resources sharing. Connecting network equipments by switchers will be more effective and convenient than by serial connection between these network equipments.
When enterprises apply advanced and expensive switcher or rack-mountable unit, a plurality of brackets are applied to fix electronic devices onto a rack housing in order to achieve effective heat dissipation, prolong lifetime and be operated easily. The switchers mounted on the rack housing in stacked arrangement may save storage space and decrease power consumption.
As shown in FIG. 1, a conventional rack bracket structure 10 includes a rack housing 11, a plurality of bracket members 12, a plurality of first screws 13 and a plurality of second screws 14. The rack bracket structure 10 is applied to fix a plurality of electronic devices E onto the rack housing 11. The first screws 13 pass through the bracket members 12 respectively and fix the bracket members 12 on the electronic devices E. Then, the second screws 14 pass through the bracket members 12 respectively and fix the bracket members 12 on the rack housing 11.
The bracket members 12 of the rack bracket structure 10 should be fitted for the electronic devices E. In order to fix the electronic devices E onto the rack housing 11, the bracket members 12 should have different scales respectively corresponding to the electronic devices E. When the electronic devices E are smaller in scale, even three bracket members 12 are applied to fix two electronic devices E onto the rack housing 11 at the same time.
Because the bracket members 12 are components separated from the electronic devices E, the storage and assembly of components are inconvenient to user. Any loss of the bracket members 12 will cause the electronic devices E could not be mounted onto the rack housing 11.
It is therefore an important subject of the present invention to provide a rack bracket structure to solve the problems regarding to storage and assembly.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the foregoing, the present invention provides a rack bracket structure, in which the bracket members are assembled as a whole for facilitating storage and assembly.
To achieve the above, a rack bracket structure according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied to fix at least one electronic device onto a rack housing. The rack bracket structure includes a first bracket member, a second bracket member, a pivoting member, a plurality of first locking members and a plurality of second locking members. The first bracket member has at least one first hole and a plurality of second holes. The second bracket member has at least one third hole. The first and the second bracket members are pivoted on the pivoting member respectively. The first locking members pass through the second holes respectively and fix the first bracket member on the electronic device. The second locking members pass through the first and the third holes respectively and fix the first and the second bracket members on the rack housing.
To achieve the above, a rack bracket structure according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied to fix at least one electronic device onto a rack housing. The rack bracket structure includes a first bracket member, a second bracket member, a third bracket member, a first pivoting member, a second pivoting member, a plurality of first locking members and a plurality of second locking members. The first bracket member has at least one first hole and a plurality of second holes. The third bracket member has at least one third hole. The first and the second bracket members are pivoted on the first pivoting member respectively. The second and the third bracket members are pivoted on the second pivoting member respectively. The first locking members pass through the second holes respectively and fix the first bracket member on the electronic device. The second locking members pass through the first and the third holes respectively and fix the first and the third bracket members on the rack housing.
As mentioned above, due to a plurality of bracket members of a rack bracket structure according to the present invention are integrally assembled, the bracket members are pivoted on the pivoting member as a whole. A rack bracket structure according to the present invention could fix at least one electronic device, and when the rack bracket structure is not used, the bracket members could be rotated to be located side by side for saving space. That is, the integrally assembled bracket members avoid loss issue and meet extension requirement in the future. Furthermore, the shape of individual bracket members could be the same to save molding fee and reduce production cost.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given herein below illustration only, and thus is not limitative of the present invention, and wherein:
FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing the electronic devices are fixed on a conventional rack bracket structure;
FIG. 2 is a schematic view showing the first embodiment of a rack bracket structure according to the present invention;
FIG. 3 is another schematic view showing the first embodiment of a rack bracket structure according to the present invention;
FIG. 4 is the other schematic view showing the first embodiment of a rack bracket structure according to the present invention;
FIG. 5 is a schematic view showing the second embodiment of a rack bracket structure according to the present invention;
FIG. 6 is another schematic view showing the second embodiment of a rack bracket structure according to the present invention;
FIG. 7 is the other schematic view showing the second embodiment of a rack bracket structure according to the present invention;
FIG. 8 is a schematic view showing the third embodiment of a rack bracket structure according to the present invention;
FIG. 9 is another schematic view showing the third embodiment of a rack bracket structure according to the present invention;
FIG. 10 is the other schematic view showing the third embodiment of a rack bracket structure according to the present invention;
FIG. 11 is a schematic view showing the fourth embodiment of a rack bracket structure according to the present invention; and
FIG. 12 is another schematic view showing the fourth embodiment of a rack bracket structure according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein the same references relate to the same elements.
As shown in FIG. 2, the first embodiment of a rack bracket structure 20 according to the present invention includes a first bracket member 21, a second bracket member 22, a pivoting member 23, a plurality of first locking members 24 and a plurality of second locking members 25.
The first bracket member 21 has at least one first hole 211 and a plurality of second holes 212. In this embodiment, the first bracket member 21 has two first holes 211 and four second holes 212. The amount and location of holes should be fitted for the electronic device.
The second bracket member 22 has at least one third hole 221. In this embodiment, the second bracket member 22 has two third holes 221. The first bracket member 21 and the second bracket member 22 may be made of metal or plastic. For example, the first bracket member 21 and the second bracket member 22 are made of metal.
The first bracket member 21 and the second bracket member 22 are pivoted on the pivoting member 23 respectively. The pivoting member 23 may be a rivet, a blind rivet or a screw-and-nut. For example, the pivoting member 23 is a rivet.
In this embodiment, the first bracket member 21 has a first pivoting portion 213 and the second bracket member 22 has a second pivoting portion 223. The pivoting member 23 passes through the first pivoting portion 213 and the second pivoting portion 223 respectively and acts as a shaft, the first bracket member 21 and the second bracket member 22 may be rotated along the pivoting member 23. In this embodiment, the pivoting member 23 is parallel to the first bracket member 21 and the second bracket member 22. The first bracket member 21 and the second bracket member 22 are assembled as a whole by the pivoting member 23.
As shown in FIG. 3, the rack bracket structure 20 according to the present invention is applied to fix at least one electronic device E onto a rack housing R. The electronic device E may be a switcher, a router or a server. In this embodiment, the first bracket member 21 and the second bracket member 22 may have an opening 214 and 224 respectively for monitoring the status of the electronic device E.
Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the first locking members 24 pass through the second holes 212 respectively and fix the first bracket member 21 on the electronic device E. The second locking members 25 pass through the first hole 211 and the third hole 221 respectively and fix the first bracket member 21 and the second bracket member 22 on the rack housing R. In this embodiment, the rack bracket structure 20 according to the present invention further comprises a plurality of third locking members 26, which passing through a plurality of fourth holes 222 of the second bracket member 22 respectively and fixing the second bracket member 22 on another electronic device E. The rack bracket structure 20 fixes two electronic devices E to the rack housing R at the same time.
As shown in FIG. 4, when the rack bracket structure 20 is not used, the first bracket member 21 and the second bracket member 22 may be rotated along the pivoting member 23 to be located side by side for saving space. It may avoid loss issue of the first bracket member 21 and the second bracket member 22 under such an arrangement.
As shown in FIG. 5, the second embodiment of a rack bracket structure 30 according to the present invention includes a first bracket member 31, a second bracket member 32, a pivoting member 33, a plurality of first locking members 34 and a plurality of second locking members 35.
Except for a first pivoting portion 313 of the first bracket member 31 and a second pivoting portion 323 of the second bracket member 32, the first bracket member 31 and the second bracket member 32 have the same functions and characteristics as the first bracket member 21 and the second bracket member 22 in the first embodiment. The corresponding descriptions are omitted for concise purpose.
The first bracket member 31 has a first pivoting portion 313, the second bracket member 32 has a second pivoting portion 323. A pivoting member 33 passes through the first pivoting portion 313 and the second pivoting portion 323 respectively and acts as a shaft, the first bracket member 31 and the second bracket member 32 may be rotated along the pivoting member 33.
The pivoting member 33 may be a rivet, a blind rivet or a screw-and-nut. For example, the pivoting member 33 is a screw-and-nut. The pivoting member 33 may further have an elastic washer 331 to enhance the assembly between the pivoting member 33 and the first bracket member 31 and the second bracket member 32. In this embodiment, the pivoting member 33 is perpendicular to the first bracket member 31 and the second bracket member 32 respectively. The first bracket member 31 and the second bracket member 32 are assembled as a whole by the pivoting member 33.
As shown in FIG. 6, the rack bracket structure 30 is applied to fix at least one electronic device E onto a rack housing R. The electronic device E and the rack housing R have the same functions and characteristics as those in the first embodiment. The corresponding descriptions are omitted for concise purpose.
Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, the first locking members 34 pass through a plurality of second holes 312 respectively and fix the first bracket member 31 on the electronic device E. The second locking members 35 pass through a first hole 311 and a third hole 321 respectively and the first bracket member 31 and fix the second bracket member 32 on the rack housing R.
As shown in FIG. 7, when the rack bracket structure 30 is not used, the first bracket member 31 and the second bracket member 32 may be rotated along the pivoting member 33 to be located side by side for saving space. It may avoid loss issue of the first bracket member 31 and the second bracket member 32 under such an arrangement.
As shown in FIG. 8, the third embodiment of a rack bracket structure 40 according to the present invention includes a first bracket member 41, a second bracket member 42, a third bracket member 43, a first pivoting member 44, a second pivoting member 45, a plurality of first locking members 46 and a plurality of second locking members 47. The rack bracket structure 40 is applied to fix at least one electronic device E onto a rack housing R. In this embodiment, the electronic device E and the rack housing R have the same functions and characteristics as those in the first embodiment, and the corresponding descriptions are omitted for concise purpose.
The first bracket member 41 has at least one first hole 411 and a plurality of second holes 412. In this embodiment, the first bracket member 41 has two first holes 411 and four second holes 412. The amount and location of holes should be fitted for the electronic device.
The third bracket member 43 has at least one third hole 431. In this embodiment, the third bracket member 43 has two third holes 431. The first bracket member 41, the second bracket member 42 and the third bracket member 43 may be made of metal or plastic. For example, the first bracket member 41, the second bracket member 42 and the third bracket member 43 are made of metal.
The first bracket member 41 and the second bracket member 42 are pivoted on the first pivoting member 44 respectively. The second bracket member 42 and the third bracket member 43 are pivoted on the second pivoting member 45 respectively. The first pivoting member 44 and the second pivoting member 45 may be a rivet, a blind rivet or a screw-and-nut respectively.
In this embodiment, the first bracket member 41 has a first pivoting portion 413, the second bracket member 42 has a second pivoting portion 421 and a third pivoting portion 422 and the third bracket member 43 has a fourth pivoting portion 432. The first pivoting member 44 passes through the first pivoting portion 413 and the second pivoting portion 421 respectively, and the second pivoting member 45 passes through the third pivoting portion 422 and the fourth pivoting portion 432 respectively. The first pivoting member 44 assembles the first bracket member 41 and the second bracket member 42 and acts as a shaft, the second pivoting member 45 assembles the second bracket member 42 and the third bracket member 43 and acts as a shaft.
In this embodiment, the first pivoting member 44 and the second pivoting member 45 are parallel to the first bracket member 41, the second bracket member 42 and the third bracket member 43. The first bracket member 41, the second bracket member 42 and the third bracket member 43 are assembled as a whole by the first pivoting member 44 and the second pivoting member 45.
Referring to FIG. 8 again, the first bracket member 41, the second bracket member 42 and the third bracket member 43 may have an opening 414, 424 and 434 respectively for monitoring the status of the electronic devices E.
The first locking members 46 pass through the second holes 412 respectively and fix the first bracket member 41 on the electronic device E. The second locking members 47 pass through the first hole 411 and the third hole 431 respectively and fix the first bracket member 41, the second bracket member 42 and the third bracket member 43 on the rack housing R.
As shown in FIG. 9, the rack bracket structure 40 according to the present invention further comprises a plurality of third locking members 48 and a plurality of fourth locking members 49. The third locking members 48 pass through a plurality of fourth holes 423 respectively and fix the second bracket member 42 on another electronic device E. The fourth locking members 49 pass through a plurality of fifth holes 433 respectively and fix the third bracket member 43 on the other electronic device E. The rack bracket structure 40 fixes three electronic devices E to the rack housing R at the same time.
As shown in FIG. 10, when the rack bracket structure 40 is not used, the first bracket member 41, the second bracket member 42 and the third bracket member 43 may be rotated to be located side by side for saving space. It may avoid loss issue of the first bracket member 41, the second bracket member 42 and the third bracket member 43 under such an arrangement.
As shown in FIG. 11, the fourth embodiment of a rack bracket structure 50 according to the present invention includes a first bracket member 51, a second bracket member 52, a third bracket member 53, a first pivoting member 54, a second pivoting member 55, a plurality of first locking members 56 and a plurality of second locking members 57. The rack bracket structure 50 is applied to fix at least one electronic device E onto a rack housing R. In this embodiment, the electronic device E and the rack housing R have the same functions and characteristics as those in the first embodiment, and the corresponding descriptions are omitted for concise purpose. Except for a first pivoting portion 513 of the first bracket member 51, a second pivoting portion 521 and a third pivoting portion 522 of the second bracket member 52 and a fourth pivoting portion 532 of the third bracket member 53, the first bracket member 51, the second bracket member 52 and the third bracket member 53 have the same functions and characteristics as the first bracket member 41, the second bracket member 42 and the third bracket member 43 in the third embodiment. The corresponding descriptions are omitted for concise purpose.
The first bracket member 51 and the second bracket member 52 are pivoted on the first pivoting member 54 respectively. The second bracket member 52 and the third bracket member 53 are pivoted on the second pivoting member 55 respectively. The first pivoting member 54 and the second pivoting member 55 may be a rivet, a blind rivet or a screw-and-nut respectively. For example, the first pivoting member 54 and the second pivoting member 55 are a screw-and-nut respectively.
The first pivoting member 54 and the second pivoting member 55 are perpendicular to the first bracket member 51, the second bracket member 52 and the third bracket member 53 respectively. The first bracket member 51, the second bracket member 52 and the third bracket member 53 are assembled as a whole by the first pivoting member 54 and the second pivoting member 55.
Referring to FIG. 11, the first locking members 56 pass through the second holes 512 respectively and fix the first bracket member 51 on the electronic device E. The second locking members 57 pass through the first holes 511 and the third holes 531 respectively and fix the first bracket member 51, the second bracket member 52 and the third bracket member 53 on the rack housing R. In this embodiment, the rack bracket structure 50 according to the present invention further comprises a plurality of third locking members 58 and a plurality of fourth locking members 59. The third locking members 58 and the fourth locking members 59 have the same functions and characteristics as the third locking members 48 and the fourth locking members 49 in the third embodiment. The corresponding descriptions are omitted for concise purpose.
Referring to FIGS. 11 and 12, the first pivoting member 54 passes through a first pivoting portion 513 and a second pivoting portion 521 respectively, and the second pivoting member 55 passes through a third pivoting portion 522 and a fourth pivoting portion 532 respectively. The first pivoting member 54 assembles the first bracket member 51 and the second bracket member 52 and acts as a shaft, the second pivoting member 55 assembles the second bracket member 52 and the third bracket member 53 and acts as a shaft.
When the rack bracket structure 50 is not used, the first bracket member 51, the second bracket member 52 and the third bracket member 53 may be rotated to be located side by side for saving space. It may avoid loss issue of the first bracket member 51, the second bracket member 52 and the third bracket member 53 under such an arrangement.
In summary, due to a plurality of bracket members of a rack bracket structure according to the present invention is integrally assembled, the bracket members are pivoted on the pivoting member as a whole. A rack bracket structure according to the present invention could fix at least one electronic device, and when the rack bracket structure is not used, the bracket members could be rotated to be located side by side for saving space. That is, the integrally assembled bracket members avoid loss issue and meet extension requirement in the future. Furthermore, the shape of individual bracket members could be the same to save molding fee and reduce production cost.
Although the present invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments, this description is not meant to be construed in a pivoting sense. Various modifications of the disclosed embodiments, as well as alternative embodiments, will be apparent to persons skilled in the art. It is, therefore, contemplated that the appended claims will cover all modifications that fall within the true scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A rack bracket structure applied to fix at least one electronic device onto a rack housing, comprising:

a first bracket member, having at least one first hole and a plurality of second holes;

a second bracket member, having at least one third hole;

a pivoting member, wherein the first and the second bracket members are pivoted on the pivoting member;

a plurality of first locking members, passing through the second holes respectively and fixing the first bracket member on the electronic device; and

a plurality of second locking members, passing through the first and the third holes respectively and fixing the first and the second bracket members on the rack housing.

2. The rack bracket structure according to claim 1, wherein the electronic device is a switcher, a router or a server.

3. The rack bracket structure according to claim 1, wherein the first and the second bracket members are made of metal or plastic.

4. The rack bracket structure according to claim 1, wherein the second bracket member further comprises a plurality of fourth holes.

5. The rack bracket structure according to claim 4, further comprising a plurality of third locking members, passing through the fourth holes respectively and fixing the second bracket member on another electronic device.

6. The rack bracket structure according to claim 1, wherein the first and the second bracket members have an opening respectively.

7. The rack bracket structure according to claim 1, wherein the pivoting member is a rivet, a blind rivet or a screw-and-nut.

8. The rack bracket structure according to claim 7, wherein the pivoting member further comprises an elastic washer.

9. The rack bracket structure according to claim 1, wherein the first bracket member has a first pivoting portion and the second bracket member has a second pivoting portion.

10. The rack bracket structure according to claim 9, wherein the pivoting member passes through the first and the second pivoting portions respectively and acts as a shaft.

11. The rack bracket structure according to claim 1, wherein the pivoting member is parallel to the first and the second bracket members.

12. The rack bracket structure according to claim 1, wherein the pivoting member is perpendicular to the first and the second bracket members.

13. A rack bracket structure applied to fix at least one electronic device onto a rack housing, comprising:

a second bracket member;

a third bracket member, having at least one third hole;

a first pivoting member, wherein the first and the second bracket members are pivoted on the first pivoting member respectively;

a second pivoting member, wherein the second and the third bracket members are pivoted on the second pivoting member respectively;

a plurality of second locking members, passing through the first and the third holes respectively and fixing the first and the third bracket members on the rack housing.

14. The rack bracket structure according to claim 13, wherein the electronic device is a switcher, a router or a server.

15. The rack bracket structure according to claim 13, wherein the first, the second and the third bracket members are made of metal or plastic.

16. The rack bracket structure according to claim 13, wherein the second bracket member further comprises a plurality of fourth holes.

17. The rack bracket structure according to claim 16, further comprising

a plurality of third locking members, passing through the fourth holes respectively and fixing the second bracket member on another electronic device.

18. The rack bracket structure according to claim 13, wherein the third bracket member further comprises a plurality of fifth holes.

19. The rack bracket structure according to claim 18, further comprising

a plurality of fourth locking members, passing through the fifth holes respectively and fixing the third bracket member on the other electronic device.

20. The rack bracket structure according to claim 13, wherein the first, the second and the third bracket members have an opening respectively.

21. The rack bracket structure according to claim 13, wherein the first pivoting member is a rivet, a blind rivet or a screw-and-nut.

22. The rack bracket structure according to claim 13, wherein the second pivoting member is a rivet, a blind rivet or a screw-and-nut.

23. The rack bracket structure according to claim 13, wherein the first and the second pivoting members further comprise an elastic washer respectively.

24. The rack bracket structure according to claim 13, wherein the first bracket member has a first pivoting portion, the second bracket member has a second pivoting portion and a third pivoting portion, and the third bracket member has a fourth pivoting portion.

25. The rack bracket structure according to claim 24, wherein the first pivoting member passes through the first and the second pivoting portions respectively and the second pivoting member passes through the third and the fourth pivoting portions respectively, the first, the second and the third bracket members are rotated along the first and the second pivoting members respectively.

26. The rack bracket structure according to claim 13, wherein the first and the second pivoting members are parallel to the first, the second and the third bracket members.

27. The rack bracket structure according to claim 13, wherein the first and the second pivoting members are perpendicular to the first, the second and the third bracket members.