International Business Machines Corporation

Cynthia Michelle Grosser

Brian Alan Trumbo

Dean Frederick Herring

Mark Edmund Maresh

Paul Andrew Wormsbecher

Karl Klaus Dittus

Michael Sven Miller

Mohanlal Savji Mansuria

Steven E Howell

Edward N Dials

Kevin Duane Johnson

Andrew S Heinzmann

Leo Harold Webster, Jr

Peter Andrew Smith

Susan Pohl Wise

Richard P Southers

Michael J Huck

Courtney Long

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 present invention is an information processing system. The information system comprises a housing, a card insulator, and a card insulator guide. The card insulator comprises a planar portion, a handle portion coupled to the planar portion, the handle portion including a securing element for securing the card insulator to the housing. The card insulator guide is coupled to the housing wherein the card insulator guide comprises at least one slot for receiving the card insulator and a retainer lid hingedly coupled to the at least one slot for securing the card insulator to the card insulator guide. Through the use of the system in accordance with the present invention, the card insulator is coupled to the information processing system in a more secure fashion thereby preventing the card insulator from popping out of position as a result a shock or vibration to the information processing system.

Card insulator and retention guide for a computer system having hot plugable adapter cards

A connector for use in a computer is arranged so as to accept an adapter card and a card insulator. The adapter card is inserted into one or more first openings. The card insulator is inserted into one or more second openings. The connector has an insulating molding common to the first and second openings.

Insulating divider and connector for hot plug adapter card slots

A computer has at least one adapter card slot for receiving an optional adapter card. A cover plate is rotatable hinged and has open and closed positions. In the closed position, the cover plate covers the adapter card slot and inhibits the insertion or removal of an adapter card. When the cover plate is raised into the open position, a tab on the back of the cover plate is rotated out of the slot of an optical switch, and the optical switch then signals circuitry to remove power and bus signals from the adapter card slot; thereby permitting the adapter card to be removed from or inserted into the slot without removing power to the entire computer. When the cover plate is returned to the closed position, the tab is reinserted into the slot of the optical switch, which in turn signals the circuitry to return power and bus signals to the adapter card slot. A locking tab firmly clamps the adapter card bracket to the housing bracket; thereby providing a good ground connection from the adapter card to the computer housing.

Hot plug adapters using optical switches

A removable card insulator and guide prevents inadvertent shorting during the insertion or removal of an adapter card into a 'hot-plug' computer system. The card insulator includes perpendicular first and second planar portions. When installed in a computer system, the first planar portion is positioned perpendicular to the motherboard, and the second planar portion is positioned parallel to the motherboard such that any components on the motherboard are positioned between the second planar portion and the motherboard. The second planar portion includes a slot through which an adapter card connector can be passed to mate with a connector on the motherboard. A step has perpendicular riser and tread portions, wherein the riser is attached perpendicular to the second planar portion, such that the tread is parallel to and offset from the second planar portion. When installed in the computer system, the tread is closer to the motherboard than the second planar portion and provides protection against the inadvertent shorting of an adapter card bracket to the motherboard. The opposing edges of the card insulator are inserted into guides attached to opposing walls of the computer system.

Card insulator and guide for a computer system having hot plugable

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Apex, NC, United States of America

Cynthia Michelle Grosser