Slide rail structure for case cabinets

[0002] The present invention relates to a slide rail structure for case cabinets and particularly to a slide rail for mounting a device case in a cabinet.

[0003] Industrial computer processors now being commonly used generally adopt 1U, 2U or 4U specifications. Industrial servers made by different manufacturers have different case lengths. Matching server cabinets should also be made with different lengths to accommodate the servers. Hence conventional slide rails and anchor struts in the cabinets have to be altered to meet the changed server cabinets. As server cabinets are frequently changed to house the newly introduced servers and server cases, the slide rails and anchor struts also have to be changed frequently. This phenomenon incurs a lot of production cost increases. In the event of a slide rail or anchor strut damage, spare parts of the same type and dimensions for replacement are difficult to obtain because they usually are made to orders and by batches. It could cause annoying problems to users and manufacturers.

[0004] In addition, in order to meet configuration requirements of industrial servers, the matching anchor struts and slide rails also need to make height adjustments. A conventional server case cabinet has two end posts with displacement slots formed thereon for adjusting height for anchor struts and servers. Users have to measure installation locations for the computer processors then to position and anchor the computer processors. To provide displacement slots for anchoring the anchor struts at various locations adds more production costs. It also creates additional measuring work for users. It is not convenient or user-friendly.

[0005] Moreover, the device case 1afor a conventional server (as shown in FIG. 1) usually has two side walls 11aand a bottom section 12abridging the two side walls 11ato form a housing chamber 13afor holding hardware such as a power supply, circuit boards and disk driver arrays. The device case 1acontained the hardware of the power supply, circuit boards and disk driver arrays then is installed in a case cabinet to allow users to control operations of various peripheral devices.

[0006] When the device case 1ais installed in the case cabinet, it is mounted on fixed L-type slide rails. In the event of hardware malfunction or hardware expansion is required, the device case la must be removed from the L-type slide rails for doing repairs and maintenance work or expansion for the hardware, then to mount and fasten again the device case 1ato the L-type slide rails in the case cabinet. It is time-consuming and troublesome.

[0007] Some producers have made the L-type slide rails extensible. The extensible slide rails make repairs and expansion of the hardware in the device case 1amore convenient. However the extensible slide rails and frames have more complex structures and take more space, as a result the housing space in the device case 1afor the hardware is shrunk. The device case 1athus might be difficult to house all the hardware required, or the device case 1acannot hold as many hardware as it originally does.

[0008] The primary object of the invention is to resolve aforesaid disadvantages. The invention provides a simpler slide rail structure inside a case cabinet to house server cases of different specifications and dimensions.

[0009] The foregoing, as well as additional objects, features and advantages of the invention will be more readily apparent from the following detailed description, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying, which are given by way of illustration only, and thus are not limitative of the present invention.

[0010] FIG. 1 a perspective view of a conventional device case.

[0011] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a slide rail of the invention.

[0012] FIG. 3A is an exploded view of a slide rail of the invention.

[0013] FIG. 3B is another perspective view of the slide rail of the invention.

[0014] FIG. 4 is a top view of a slide rail of the invention under adjustment.

[0015] FIG. 5 is a top view of a slide rail of the invention.

[0016] FIG. 6 is a schematic view of the slide rails of the invention fastened to a case cabinet.

[0017] FIG. 7 is a schematic view of the slide rails of the invention fastened to a device case.

[0018] FIG. 8 is a schematic view of the slide rails of the invention fastened to a device case of 2U specifications or down.

[0019] FIG. 9 is a schematic view of the slide rails of the invention fastened to a device case of 3U specifications or up.

[0020] FIG. 10 is a schematic view of the slide rail of the invention fastened to a device case of a shorter length.

[0021] FIG. 11 is schematic view of another slide rail of the invention fastened to a device case of a shorter length.

[0022] FIG. 12 is a schematic view of the slide rail of the invention fastened to a device case of a longer length.

[0023] FIG. 13 is perspective view of a device case of the invention.

[0024] FIG. 14 is a front view of a device case of the invention.

[0025] FIG. 15 is a schematic front view of the invention in use.

[0026] FIG. 16 is another schematic front view of the invention in use.

[0027] Referring to FIGS. 2, 3A and 3B, the slide rail according to the invention includes a first slide member 1 and a second slide member 2 slidably engaging with the first slide member 1 for fastening to the interior of a case cabinet (not shown in the drawings) to hold server cases (not shown in the drawings) of different dimensions in the case cabinet to allow users to control operations of various peripheral devices.

[0028] The first slide member 1 has an upper end connecting a first bend section 11 which has at least one adjusting apertures 12 formed thereon, and a lower end connecting at least one second bend section 13 to form a slide space 14 with the first bend section 11. The lower end of the first slide member 1 further connecting a third bend section 15 on another side thereof. The first slide member 1 also has one end connecting a first extended section 16 which has a first fastening section 17 and a recess 18. The first fastening section 17 has at least one aperture 19 for fastening to the interior of the case cabinet.

[0029] The second slide member 2 is pivotally engaged in the slide space 14 and has an upper end connecting a fourth bend section 21 which has at least one aperture 22 formed thereon, and a lower end connecting a fifth bend section 23. The fourth and fifth bend sections 21, 23 are pivotally engaged with the first and second bend sections 11, 13 to allow the second slide member 2 to slide in the first slide member 1 for adjusting the length of the slide rail. The second slide rail member 2 further has one end connecting a second extended section 24 which has at least one aperture 25 formed thereon for fastening to the case cabinet. The second extended section 24 has one end connecting a second fastening section 26 which has at least one aperture 27 formed thereon for fastening to the interior of the case cabinet.

[0030] Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5 for installing the slide rail of the invention in a case cabinet, the first and second slide members 1, 2 may be stretched to a desired length to fit the case cabinet, then utilize fastening elements 28 to run through the adjusting apertures 12 of the first bend section 11 to engage with the apertures 22 on the fourth bend section 21 to adjust and fix the length of the slide rail at the desired length.

[0031] Referring to FIG. 6, once the slide rail has been adjusted and fixed at the selected length, it may be fastened to a cabinet post 3 through engaging fastening elements 28 through apertures 19, 27 on the first and second fastening sections 17, 26 of the first and second extended sections 16, 24 for installing a device case.

[0032] Referring to FIGS. 7, 13, and 14, after the slide rails are fastened to the cabinet posts 3, the device case 4 may be installed on the slide rails. To do so, place the bottom section of the device case 4 on the third bend section 15 of the first slide rail member 1 and fasten an anchor section 41 of the device case 4 to the second extended section 24 of the second slide member 2 through engaging fastening elements 28 through the apertures 25 on the second extended section 24.

[0033] The device case 4 has two side walls 42, 42′ each has a first flange 43, 43′ which connects a second flange 44, 44′. The second flanges 44, 44′ are bridged by a bottom section 45 for forming a housing chamber 46 between the two side walls 42, 42′ to hold hardware such as a power supply, circuit boards and disk drive arrays and the like. The exterior of the first flanges 43, 43′ and second flanges 44, 44′ form indented coupling sections 47, 47′ to straddle on various types of slide rails installed inside the case cabinet (not shown in the drawings). The anchor sections 41, 41′ are extended from the side walls 42, 42′ and have respectively a plurality of apertures 48, 48′ formed thereon to allow the device case 4 be fastened to the interior of the case cabinet.

[0034] Because of the design of the first and second flanges 43, 43′, 44, 44′ on the industrial server case 4, the distance between the two side walls 42, 42′ (housing chamber 46) can be enlarged for hardware expansion use and to hold more power supply, circuit boards and disk drive arrays and the like thereby to enhance control function of the peripheral devices.

[0035] Referring to FIG. 8 for the slide rail of the invention adopting for use on device cases of 2U specifications or down, the device case 4afor an industrial server of 2U or down has a first connection element 41alocated on the front end thereof and over the recess 18 of the first slide member 1. The first connection element 41ahas a first coupling section 42afor fastening to the device case 4a, and a second coupling section 43aopposite to the first coupling section 42afor fastening to the cabinet post 3, and a jutting section 44alocated on another side away from the coupling sections 42a, 43ato allow users to grasp the device case 4aout for hardware expansion or repairs and maintenance.

[0036] Referring to FIG. 9 for the slide rail of the invention adopting for use on device cases of 3U specifications or up, the device case 4bfor an industrial server of 3U or up has a second connection element 41blocated on a front end thereof and straddled over the first fastening section 17 and the recess 18 of the first slide member 1. The second connection element 41bhas a third coupling section 42bfor fastening to the device case 4b, and a fourth coupling section 43bopposite to the third coupling section 42bfor fastening to the cabinet post 3, and a handle 44blocated on another side away from the coupling sections 42b, 43bto allow users to grasp the device case 4bout for hardware expansion or repairs and maintenance.

[0037] Referring to FIG. 10 for the slide rail of the invention to couple with a device case of a shorter length, the device case 4 to be fastened to the slide rails has a shorter length. For fastening, a coupling plate 5 is fastened to the interval of the first and second slide member 1, 2. The coupling plate 5 has at least one aperture 51 formed thereon to receive fastening elements 28 for fastening the device case 4 to the coupling plate 5.

[0038] Referring to FIG. 11 for another instance of the slide rail of the invention to couple with a device cast 4 of a shorter length, as shown in the drawing, the lateral side of the second slide member 2 is pressed to form a bulged section 2awhich has at least one aperture 21aformed thereon. The first slide member 1 has a cut away channel 22acorresponding to the bulged section 2aand for housing the bulged section 2a. To adjust the length of the first and second slide members 1 and 2, the bulged section 2amay be moved in the cut away channel 22auntil reaching a length desired. Then fastening elements 28 may be used to run through the apertures 21afor fastening the device case 4 to the slide rail.

[0039] Referring to FIG. 12 for the slide rail of the invention to couple with a device case 4 of a longer length, as shown in the drawing, the device case 4 has a longer length than the slide rail, the second extended section 26 of the second slide member 2 or cabinet post 3 may be connected with an extended element 6 which has a coupling section 61 connecting an anchoring section 62 with apertures 63 formed thereon. Through the apertures 63, the extended element 6 allows the device case 4 of a longer length fastening to the slide rail of the invention.

[0040] Referring to FIG. 15, when the invention is in use, various of hardware such as a power supply, circuit boards and disk driver arrays are installed in the device case 4, then the device case 4 may be installed in the case cabinet by mounting the indented coupling sections 47, 47′ formed on exterior of the first and second flanges 43, 43′, 44, 44′ in a straddle manner on the slide rails 7 held on the cabinet post 3 such that the device case 4 may be held securely in the case cabinet.

[0041] Referring to FIG. 16 for another use condition of the invention, the indented coupling sections 47, 47′ formed on the exterior of the first and second flanges 43, 43′, 44, 44′ of the device case 4 may be mounted in a straddle manner on extensible slide rails (as shown in FIGS. 2, 3A and 3B) to allow the device case 4 be drawn out from the case cabinet without affecting extension or retraction displacement of the slide rails.

[0042] The invention being thus described, it will be obvious that the same may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope off the following claims.