International Business Machines Corporation

Wayne A Barringer

David P Graybill

Madhusudan K Iyengar

Casimer M DeCusatis

Roger R Schmidt

Gerard Vincent Weber, Jr

James J Steffes

Edward Joseph Seminaro

Alfred Stanley Decker

Guenter Schaefer

Eric James McKeever

Daniel J Stigliani, Jr

Maris A Sturans

Thong N Nguyen

David J Pinckney

James E Boyette, Jr

Christopher M Fleck

Benjamin J Lyndgaard

Joseph E Santilli

Eric James Mckeever

An assembly includes: a server rack; first side and second side outer rails attached to the rack and positionally fixed relative to the rack; a support device attached to the rack adjacent to a rear of the rack; a computer network switch having a port side positioned adjacent to the rear of the rack; and first side and second side inner rails attached to the network switch and positionally fixed relative to the network switch, the inner rails being slidably attached to the outer rails. The network switch is movable between a retracted position and an extended position, and the support device is located such that the support device physically blocks the network switch from being removed from the rear of the server rack.

Network switch mounting system

An apparatus includes a connector cover and a lever arm coupled to the connector cover, the lever arm being shaped to accommodate a portion of an activating pin, wherein contact of the activating pin with the lever arm causes a movement of the connector cover from a first position to a second position. The apparatus includes a latch assembly comprising a clamp, the clamp in a clamped position preventing the connector cover from moving from the first position to a second position. The apparatus includes a first bracket with a first indentation, the first indentation being sized to accommodate a portion of a first locating pin, wherein an insertion of the first locating pin into the first indentation moves the clamp from the clamped position to an unclamped position, the unclamped position permitting the connector cover to move when activated by the insertion of the activating pin.

Connector cover with separate activation and latching mechanisms

A method is presented for adjusting coolant flow resistance through one or more liquid-cooled electronics racks. Flow restrictors are employed in association with multiple heat exchange tube sections of a heat exchange assembly, or in association with a plurality of coolant supply lines or coolant return lines feeding multiple heat exchange assemblies. Flow restrictors associated with respective heat exchange tube sections (or respective heat exchange assemblies) are disposed at the coolant channel inlet or coolant channel outlet of the tube sections (or of the heat exchange assemblies). These flow restrictors tailor coolant flow resistance through the heat exchange tube sections or through the heat exchange assemblies to enhance overall heat transfer within the tube sections or across heat exchange assemblies by tailoring coolant flow. In one embodiment, the flow restrictors tailor a coolant flow distribution differential across multiple heat exchange tube sections or across multiple heat exchange assemblies.

Apparatus and method for adjusting coolant flow resistance through liquid-cooled electronics rack(s)

Flow restrictors are employed in association with multiple heat exchange tube sections of a heat exchange assembly, or in association with multiple coolant supply lines or coolant return lines feeding multiple heat exchange assemblies. Flow restrictors associated with respective heat exchange tube sections (or respective heat exchange assemblies) are disposed at the coolant channel inlet or coolant channel outlet of the tube sections (or of the heat exchange assemblies). These flow restrictors tailor coolant flow resistance through the heat exchange tube sections or through the heat exchange assemblies to control overall heat transfer within the tube sections or across heat exchange assemblies. In one embodiment, the flow restrictors tailor a coolant flow distribution differential across multiple heat exchange tube sections or across multiple heat exchange assemblies.

Apparatus for adjusting coolant flow resistance through liquid-cooled electronics racks

A cooling apparatus and method are provided which include an air-to-liquid heat exchanger and system coolant inlet and outlet plenums mounted to an electronics rack door along an edge of the door remote from the edge hingedly mounted to the rack. The plenums are in fluid communication with the heat exchanger and respectively include an inlet and outlet. Coolant supply and return hoses are disposed above the electronics rack and couple the inlet plenum to a coolant supply header and the outlet plenum to a coolant return header. The hoses are sufficiently long and flexible to open or close the door. A stress relief structure is attached to the top of the door and clamps the supply and return hoses in fixed relation to relieve stress on connect couplings at the ends of the hoses to the plenum inlet and outlet during opening or closing of the door.

Stress relieved hose routing to liquid-cooled electronics rack door

A method and apparatus for clamping a semiconductor mask to a carrier device is taught. The apparatus is comprised of a base member to which is attached an elongated spring. Both the base and the spring have affixed to them a means for compressively contacting the mask surface when the mask is put in place. In the preferred embodiment, that contact means is made of sapphire shaped in the form of a dome. The clamp further includes an adjustment screw that can be used to adjust the height of the contact means affixed to the base member. In this manner, the surface of the mask can be adjusted so that it is planarized to the right orientation relative to an e-Beam or laser source that will be used to scribe a pattern on the mask. Finally, the clamp includes electrical contacts, and the materials out of which the clamp is made are deliberately selected, so that no electrical or magnetic forces can build up on the clamp or the wafer that might adversely affect the scribing process.

Mask clamping device

Apparatus for contact exposing each side of a substrate to a different image on a mask includes a first-side imaging station for imaging the first side of the substrate, a second-side imaging station for imaging the second side thereof, an intermediate station between the imaging stations for inverting the substrate. In each imaging station, the substrate is moved longitudinally with a transport carriage, from which it is transferred to an imaging carriage to be driven to an imaging point at which illumination through the mask occurs. The imaging carriage moves in both longitudinal and transverse directions, providing for both exposure to a mask covering the substrate and for step-and-repeat exposure of multiple portions of the substrate to a smaller image. Before exposure, the top surface of the substrate is aligned to be parallel to the adjacent mask, fiducial markings in the substrate are aligned with fiducial markings on the mask, and air is evacuated from the area between the mask and the substrate.

System for contact imaging both sides of a substrate

A test system for applying electrical tests to circuits on flexible substrates includes a first transport system moving frames, each of which is configured for holding a single such flexible substrate, a loading station in which the substrates are individually loaded onto the frames, a testing station in which the electrical tests are applied, and an unloading station in which the substrates are removed from the frames. Within the testing station, each frame is disengaged from the first transport system and fastened to a second transport system, which moves the frame in a pattern causing a number of segments of the substrate within the frame to be placed between probe arrays adjacent each of the opposite sides of the substrate. These arrays are each aligned with visual markings on the adjacent side of the substrate, and the arrays are then moved into engagement with the substrate for the testing process. When testing of a particular substrate is complete, the frame is disengaged from the second transport system and fastened to the first transport system to be carried to the unloading station.

Apparatus and method for testing flexible circuit substrates

A flexible sheet to which manufacturing processes are to be applied is tensioned within a carrying fixture having tacky surfaces to which the flexible sheet is fastened. One version of the fixture includes an 'L'-shaped attachment surface on a frame member and two tensioning members deflected toward the frame member in mutually perpendicular directions. When the flexible sheet has been fastened to the carrying fixture, the tensioning members are allowed to return toward their undeflected positions while applying tensioning forces to the flexible sheet. Another version of the fixture includes 'L'-shaped attachment surfaces on both a frame member and a tensioning member. A loading station includes a stack of unprocessed flexible sheets, a fixture for deflecting tensioning member(s) within the carrying fixture, and a robot arm moving a transport fixture capable of carrying a flexible sheet and a carrying fixture. An unloading station includes a stack to processed flexible sheets, a fixture at which processed flexible sheets are separated from the carrying fixtures, and a similar robot arm with a similar transport fixture. A lower conveyor carries loaded fixtures from the loading station to the unloading station. An upper conveyor carries empty fixtures from the unloading station to the loading station.

Apparatus and method for conveying a flexible sheet through

Fixture and method for carrying a flexible sheet under tension through

A device for testing multi-fiber optical cables includes a number of test stations into which an end of a cable under test is plugged. Some to the test stations provide for the attachment of an array connector, while others provide for the attachment of a number of discrete connectors. The optical input/output port of an OTDR unit is connected to each of the test stations through an optical switch, which connects this port with only one such station at a time. Within each station, signals from the optical switch are divided among a number of light paths by a splitter, which also returns signals from these light paths to the OTDR through the optical switch. The various light paths within each station include fiber optic jumpers which vary in length, so that a single test pulse from the OTDR is reflected back from a number of interfaces in the cable under test as a train of pulses.

Testing an optical cable having multiple fibers by the application of a

In a tool for measuring optical power on a fiber optic cable link, optical conditioning means in conjunction with a splitter are used to achieve measurement consistency and repeatability. In accordance with preferred embodiments of the present invention, light conditioning means are provided by disposing the optical fiber cable in a position so as to achieve mode filtering. This may be accomplished either by disposing the optical fiber in a coil, as for example in a mandrel, or disposing the coil in a series of serpentine or zig-zag paths.

Portable fiber optic splitter tool for multimode optical fiber cable link

A station for testing fiber optic jumper cables includes four indexing plugboard stations. A single cable to be tested is typically attached to extend between two of the plugboard stations. Each plugboard station includes three columns of plug positions, corresponding to three styles of connecters which may be used at the ends of the cable to be tested. An upper row, and a central row, of plug positions correspond to the contact types (PC or APC) which may be used. An indexing mechanism is provided to align one of the plug positions in the central row with a reference cable extending from the plugboard station. Reference jumpers extend from the upper row, being docked in a lower row of plug positions if the cable to be tested is connected to the central row, or being plugged into the central row if the cable to be tested is connected to the upper row. The reference cable extending from each of the plugboard stations is brought into and out of contact with one of the central-row plugboard positions, facilitating a sequence of tests. The reference cables from two of these plugboard stations are connected through an optical switch to an optical time domain reflectometer (OTDR), while the other two reference cables are simply connected to connectors at their far ends. A computer controls indexing the plugboard stations and brings the reference cables into engagement according to a preferred sequence.

Growing community of inventors

Poughkeepsie, NY, United States of America

Wayne A Barringer