International Business Machines Corporation

Lenovo (singapore) Pte. Ltd.

Brian Alan Trumbo

Martin Joseph Crippen

Michael Sven Miller

David John Jensen

Karl Klaus Dittus

Jason Aaron Matteson

Brian Michael Kerrigan

Bruce Edwin Baker

Jeffrey W Benck

Paul Andrew Wormsbecher

Charles William Piper

Peter A Smith

Roland Kamakau Alo

Eric T Gamble

Steven E Howell

Francis A Kuchar, Jr

Cynthia Michelle Grosser

Richard D Kirk

Mark C McPherson

Dean Frederick Herring

David Wayne Hill

Richard F Sapper

Pravin S Patel

Daniel Paul Kelaher

David Frederick Champion

Gerard Francis Muenkel

James Edward Hughes

Glenn Edward Myrto

Edward John McNulty

David George Lund

John Geoffrey Gundlach

Mohanlal Savji Mansuria

Daniel F Ansell

Kevin Duane Johnson

Andrew S Heinzmann

Aubrey Lamond Hodges

Robert D Wysong

Robert Mark Lindsay

Alvin G Davis

James C Harris

Kevin M Cash

Susan Pohl Wise

Mark S Bohannon

Richard D Musa

James W Deiso

Jared E Schott

Michael J Huck

Jose E Richards

Richard P Southers

Roland K Alo, Jr

Courtney Long

Francis A Kuchar Jr

An apparatus includes a fan having a fan housing with guidance members extending from opposing sides of the housing, wherein the fan housing has a depth that is less than a height and width. A handle is pivotably coupled to the fan housing, and guidance tracks are positioned on opposing sides of an open channel. Each of the guidance tracks has a first track portion extending from a first face of a chassis in a first direction into the chassis and a second track portion extending from the first track portion in a second direction. The guidance members move along the corresponding guidance tracks, wherein the fan housing moves along the first track portion in a sideways orientation and reaches an operating orientation in the second track portion.

Cooling fan assembly and guidance track for installing and removing a cooling fan

Embodiments of the invention relate to a system and method to enable and support vertical installation of a rack server midplane. The system is comprised of two primary components, including a guide and a bracket. The guide is secured to a server chassis, and is sized to receive the bracket. Upon receipt of the bracket, the bracket is held in position by the guide. The bracket is configured to frictionally hold the midplane in position. Installation of the bracket with the midplane within the chassis includes a direct installation of the bracket to the guide and an indirect installation of the midplane to the guide.

Vertical installation of a server midplane

In a computer system, airflow through first and second cooling regions are normally separated by a chassis wall, and are independently controlled by respective first and second fan modules. The internal chassis wall includes a bypass opening that is normally blocked by the second fan module. In response to removal of the second fan module, the bypass opening is unblocked, to fluidly couple the two cooling regions. A redundant fan module is optionally included in fluid communication with the first cooling region, to either generate airflow through the first cooling region in response to failure or removal of the first fan module, or to supplement the airflow capacity of the first fan module in response to removal of the second fan module.

Automatic coupling of independent cooling regions during fan maintenance

A method includes securing a midplane to a bracket disposed between a first and second ends of a chassis, wherein a first surface of the midplane engages the bracket and faces the first end of the chassis. A first electronic device is secured within the first end of the chassis with a first device connector coupled to a first midplane connector on the first surface of the midplane and a first device latch secured directly to a first slot in the chassis adjacent the first end. A sub-chassis is secured within the second end of the chassis, wherein the sub-chassis has a proximal end that engages a second surface of the midplane. Furthermore, a second electronic device is secured within the sub-chassis with a second device connector coupled to a second midplane connector on the second surface of the midplane and a second device latch secured directly to a slot in the sub-chassis adjacent the distal end of the sub-chassis.

Method of securing electronic devices within a sub-chassis

A rail for toolless installation between first and second vertical rack rails. The rail comprises a telescoping rail body having a first and second ends, and an inside surface having a shelf, wherein a latch assembly is disposed at each end of the rail body. Each latch assembly comprises a flange secured to an end of the rail, a latch arm, a release handle, and a retractable pin. The latch arm is pivotally secured to the rail body, distally extends from the flange, and is biased toward a latched position. The release handle is on the inside surface of the rail body for movement from a latched position to an unlatched position. The retractable pin distally extends from each end and is biased toward a distally extended position, wherein the pin is stepped from a first diameter portion to a second larger diameter portion for adapting to different sized holes.

Toolless rail enabling simplified installation and removal

An apparatus comprises a chassis securing a midplane at a known distance from the first end of the chassis, wherein a first electronic device is securable within the first end of the chassis in connection with a midplane connector on a first surface of the midplane. A sub-chassis is receivable within the second end of the chassis with a proximal end of the sub-chassis engaging a second surface of the midplane. A distal end of the sub-chassis has a sub-chassis latch that secures the sub-chassis in the second end of the chassis with the proximal end engaged against the second surface of the midplane. A second electronic device is securable within the sub-chassis with a second device connector coupled to a midplane connector on the second surface of the midplane and a second device latch secured to a sub-chassis slot adjacent the distal end of the sub-chassis.

Variable latch to position a sub-chassis within a chassis

A system comprises a server chassis and first and second hard disk drive carriers, wherein each carrier supports a hard disk drive. A first hinge rotatably connects a distal end of the first hard disk drive carrier to a first side of the chassis, wherein the first hinge allows the carrier to rotate about a first hinge axis between an open position and a closed position. The first hard disk drive carrier rotates in a first plane between an open position extending beyond the front of the chassis and a closed position within the chassis. A second hinge rotatably connects a distal end of the second hard disk drive carrier to a second side of the chassis that opposite the first side of the chassis, wherein the hinge allows the carrier to rotate about a second hinge axis between an open position and a closed position. The second hard disk drive carrier rotates in a second plane between an open position extending beyond the front of the chassis and a closed position within the chassis, wherein the second plane is parallel to the first plane.

Rotating hard drive installation in a computer chassis

A latch apparatus and method to facilitate leveraged insertion of a component into a component bay to an interfaced position, securing of the component in the component bay when the component interfaces with a host computer, leveraged dislodgement of the component from its interfaced position for removal of the component from the component bay, and proper positioning of the latch apparatus upon insertion of the component housing to ensure proper engagement of the latch apparatus with the component bay for leveraged insertion and removal. One latch apparatus comprises a frame adapted to be secured to a proximal end of a component housing, a handle pivotally secured to the frame, and an extendable arm slidably secured to a distal end of the handle and biased toward an extended position, wherein the distal end of the extendable arm has a distally extending latch key for engaging a slot in the component bay.

Latch for securing a hardware component into a component bay

An improved carrier comprises a tray, an EMC component, and a bezel. The EMC component comprises a top spring set and a bottom spring set. Each spring set comprises a plurality of spring biased contacts connected by a plate and a bar so that each spring set moves in unison when depressed or released. Each tray has a first flange and a second flange and each of the flanges has a cut out portion. When an improved carrier is moved out of an array enclosure, the flanges depress the top spring of the EMC component of the carrier below. When the improved carrier is moved into the array enclosure, the flanges depress the top spring set of the carrier below until the top spring set of the carrier below is released by the cut-out portions of the flanges. When released, the top spring set of the carrier below contacts the bottom spring set of the carrier above to form a continuous EMC shield.

Compact HDD carrier mechanism featuring self actuating EMC springs to prevent HDD component shorting

A hard disk drive carrier having a latch apparatus to facilitate leveraged insertion of a hard disk drive into a receiving drive bay to an interfaced position, securing of the hard disk drive carrier in the drive bay when the hard disk drive secured to the carrier interfaces with a host computer, leveraged dislodgement of the hard disk drive from its interfaced position for removal of the hard disk drive from the drive bay, and proper positioning of the latch apparatus upon insertion of the hard disk drive carrier to ensure proper engagement of the latch apparatus with the drive bay for leveraged insertion and removal.

Hard disk drive carrier latch apparatus

An automatic recirculation airflow damper for use in electronic enclosures utilizing multiple air moving devices to cool electronic components within the enclosure. When an air moving device is removed, the damper automatically closes an orifice associated with the absent air moving device, thus preventing the loss of cooling air from the vacated orifice and the subsequent reduction in cooling capacity. In some embodiments, the damper is attached to the enclosure with hinges. In certain embodiments, the damper is configured with elastomeric material such that the interface between the orifice and the damper offers high impedance to airflow while the damper is in a closed position. The automatic recirculation airflow damper reduces electronic thermal failures and therefore increases the reliability of a system equipped with the device.

Automatic recirculation airflow damper

The invention provides an apparatus, system, and method for enabling the installation of an installable device configured with a required component in a receiving device. A component deactivated interlock obstructs the installation of the installable device when not configured with the required component. The invention makes use of an extendable and retractable plunger disposed upon the installable device, a stop barrier disposed upon the receiving device, and an actuator disposed upon the required component. The plunger normally extends beyond the installable device, and upon contacting the stop barrier of the receiving device obstructs the installation. Upon a physical connection of the required component with the installable device, the actuator retracts the plunger, thereby enabling the installation of the installable device.

Apparatus, system, and method for component deactivated interlock

A handling system for use with a blade is disclosed. The blade is within a computer system. The handling system comprises a chassis for holding the blade and a first handle member coupled to the chassis. The handling system includes a second handle member coupled to the chassis and being oppositely disposed to the first handle member. Finally, the handling system includes a latching mechanism which holds the first and second handle member in a retracted position when engaged therewith. The latching member when activated causes the first and second handle members to spring out to a point where the first and second handle members can be used to remove the chassis from the computer system. A method and system in accordance with the present invention limits the handling system profile dimensionally by providing a spring-loaded latching mechanism for the handle members. In so doing, a blade server system is provided that has a smaller footprint than conventional server systems.

Handling system for use with a blade in a blade server system

A system and apparatus to mount devices to a rack is disclosed. Embodiments may comprise mounting hardware configured to adaptively accommodate attachment features of a rack to mount devices such as servers to the rack. A device attachment member may couple with the device, and some of these device attachment members may comprise a bent portion to facilitate coupling the device to vertical members of a rack. Many device attachment members may have in place of or in addition to the bent portion, a slide attachment member and rack attachment slidably coupled with the device attachment member to provide tool-less attachment of the device to the rack via pins. These rack attachments may also adaptively accommodate attachment features such as round openings, square openings, and/or threaded openings of a vertical member of the rack and may advantageously provide a threaded member to secure the device attachment member to vertical members.

Apparatus and system to mount a device to a rack

The functionality of a blade is expanded by the installation of an expansion unit including expansion components. The blade and expansion unit are provided with connectors allowing the blade components to access and utilize the expansion components when the connectors are mated. The blade and expansion unit include elements ensuring that the connectors align properly as the expansion unit is installed onto the blade, making the installation simple and quick. The blade and expansion unit also include elements securing the connection between the two, once made.

Apparatus and system for functional expansion of a blade

Growing community of inventors

Apex, NC, United States of America

Brian Alan Trumbo