Sun Microsystems, Inc.

Gary S Rumney

Peter Heffernan

Rhod James Jones

David C Liddell

Michael J Bushue

Jeremy B Rolls

Stephen David Sparkes

A slide includes a fixed portion comprising a rack-mounting ear capable of being attached to a rack and a first connecting ear and a telescoping portion slidably engaged with the fixed portion and comprising a second connecting ear capable of being joined with the first connecting ear. The telescoping portion is capable of being attached to a component enclosure. A method includes attaching a fixed portion of a slide to a rack, attaching a telescoping portion of the slide to a component enclosure, and slidably engaging the telescoping portion with the fixed portion. The method further includes moving the telescoping portion relative to the fixed portion in a first direction to retract the component enclosure into the rack and joining a connecting ear of the telescoping portion and a connecting ear of the fixed portion.

Apparatus and method for mounting a component in a rack

The present invention provides a U-seam for coupling a panel to an electronics bay. The U-seam includes a top element, a side element, and a base element coupled to the top element through the side element, wherein the top element and the base element are spaced apart to form a gap therebetween, and wherein the gap is adapted to receive a portion of a first panel and to reduce the amount of electromagnetic interference passing between the portion of the first panel and the top, the side, and the base elements.

U-seam

A cover for a access opening in a face of a housing of an electronic circuit module for a rack-mounted circuit is described, wherein the cover is pivotable to overlie a part of the face of the housing adjacent to an access opening closed by the cover. A hinge assembly for such a cover is described.

Hinged cover for rack-mountable module

There is described a support rail and a support element for engaging an edge of an expansion card mounted in a circuit housing, wherein the support element is fixable in a selected position along the length of the support rail by engagement of a detent on the support element and a facing abutment surface on the rail.

PCI card support

A component cage for detachable mounting an ancillary component such as a hard disc drive in a housing for an electronic circuit is described. The cage has internal step surfaces to engage support runners of the component. The formation of elongated slots in the cage to accommodate support runners is avoided, improving the electromagnetic shielding ability of the cage.

Disc drive cage

Electronics assembly including a protective shield

A computer system includes a chassis with a single motherboard supporting at least one processor module. A power sub-system receives three power supply units and distributes power within the computer system. Each of the three power supplies has a power rating such that two of the three power supplies are sufficient to power the computer system. The combination of such a single-motherboard-based design with a redundant three-power supply sub-system provides reliability of operation in a cost-effective manner. The power sub-system includes a power distribution board with power distribution logic operable to distribute power from the power supply units for powering the processor module. The power distribution logic is operable to interrupt power for powering the processor module when two of the power supply units fail or are not present. An alarm sub-system is provided for reporting power supply faults.

Powering computer systems

A computer system includes processing circuitry and alarm circuitry connectable to a network. A power sub-system includes at least three power supply units, wherein at least a predetermined plurality of power supply units are required to power the computer system. A power distribution mechanism is connectable to the power supply units. The power distribution mechanism is connected to the processing circuitry to supply main power thereto and is connected to the alarm circuitry to supply standby power thereto. The power distribution mechanism is operable to supply main power to the processing circuitry when at least a said predetermined plurality of connected power supplies are operative and is operable to supply standby power to the alarm circuitry when at least one power supply is operative. The power distribution mechanism enables power to be supplied to the alarm circuitry when only one power supply remains operative such that an alarm can still be reported over the network when the other power supply units have failed or are not present. The alarm circuitry also enables remote diagnostic functions to be performed from a remote location over the network.

Processing and alarm circuitries each having different power supply unit(s) requirement and powering the respective device when the corresponding requirements is met

A carriage, provided with a mounting for one or more media devices is slideably mountable in a system unit (for example a computer system unit) such that the carriage may be slid out of an aperture the system unit. The slideable carriage means that the system unit does not need to be opened in order to insert, remove, or replace a media drive. For example, a media drive can be removed from the system unit by sliding the carriage out of the system unit, disconnecting cables from the media drive and the removing the media drive from the carriage. Similarly, a media drive can be installed in the system unit by mounting the media drive in the carriage, connecting cables to the media drive and reinserting the carriage within the system unit. The use of the slideable carriage is particularly useful for rack mountable systems where it is undesirable to have to remove the system unit from the racking system to insert a media drive.

Mounting media drives in a computer system on a carriage

A computer system includes a chassis, electronic circuitry, a plurality of removable power supply units, and a power distribution mechanism to which the power supply units are connectable. The chassis includes at least one connector for effecting a connection to a first, chassis, ground potential. The electrical circuitry is connected to a second, logic, ground potential. Each of the power supply units is provided with a separate removable grounding plate for selectively coupling chassis ground to logic ground. The use of a power distribution mechanism with a plurality of removable power supply units enables redundancy for the power supply units, whereby the system can remain powered when one of the power supply units fail. The use of the grounding plates for each of the power supply units enables reliable connection of the electrical and chassis grounds can be effected, even when one of the power supply units and/or its connecting cable is faulty. When it is desired to isolate the electrical and chassis grounds, then all of the grounding plates can be removed.

Grounding computer systems

A power sub-frame is provided for a system unit. The power sub-frame has four walls defining first, second, third and fourth sides of a open, rectangular frame. A fifth side is open for receiving a plurality of power supply units for powering the system unit. A power distribution board located at a sixth side of the frame opposite to the open side, for making electrical contact to the power supply units. The power sub-frame can be manufactured as a sub-assembly for the system unit, facilitating manufacture, testing and maintenance. The power sub-frame can be pre-assembled with power distribution logic and cabling ready to be mounted in a system unit. The system unit can, for example, be a computer system unit for rack mounting in a telecommunications application.

Growing community of inventors

Leighton Buzzard, United Kingdom

Gary S Rumney