Patents by Inventor John David Schnabel

John David Schnabel has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 7106584
    Abstract: An electronics assembly, for example for use as a network server, comprises a frame that encloses a number of components of the assembly, a facia panel that is attached to a surface of the frame, and is formed as an upper and a lower part that are retained together generally horizontally. The assembly includes a printed circuit board for providing information relating to the assembly, the printed circuit board being located within the facia panel between the two parts. The frame and the fascia panel have a locating element at each side of the fascia panel for ensuring correct positioning of the panel with respect to the frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2006
    Assignee: Sun Microsystems, Inc.
    Inventors: Andrew John Yair, John David Schnabel
  • Patent number: 7014155
    Abstract: In a cabinet having vertically extending side members (5) forming part of a chassis of the cabinet, panel mounts (1), also to extend vertically in the cabinet and to have panels mounted thereupon, are mountable to the side members (5) by integral members (3) which extend parallel to the outer face of the panel mount (1) at a spacing from the outer face and in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal extent of the panel mount (1), i.e., horizontally. The integral members (3) are engaged in respective apertures in the side members (5) or in braces (7) extending between the side members (5) followed by forward or rearward movement to effect securement, retaining means such as pins or studs then being inserted in aligned bores (8, 9) in the panel mounts (1) and side members (5) to prevent return movement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2006
    Assignee: APW Electonics Limited
    Inventors: John David Schnabel, John Richard Parkin
  • Patent number: 7004553
    Abstract: In a cabinet having vertically extending side members (5) forming part of a chassis of the cabinet, panel mounts (1), also to extend vertically in the cabinet and to have panels mounted thereupon, are mountable to the side members (5) by integral members (3) which extend parallel to the outer face of the panel mount (1) at a spacing from the outer face and in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal extent of the panel mount (1), i.e., horizontally. The integral members (3) are engaged in respective apertures in the side members (5) or in braces (7) extending between the side members (5) followed by forward or rearward movement to effect securement, retaining means such as pins or studs then being inserted in aligned bores (8, 9) in the panel mounts (1) and side members (5) to prevent return movement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2006
    Assignee: APW Electronics Ltd.
    Inventors: John David Schnabel, John Richard Parkin
  • Patent number: 6921055
    Abstract: In a cabinet having vertically extending side members (5) forming part of a chassis of the cabinet, panel mounts (1), also to extend vertically in the cabinet and to have panels mounted thereupon, are mountable to the side members (5) by integral members (3) which extend parallel to the outer face of the panel mount (1) at a spacing from the outer face and in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal extent of the panel mount (1), i.e., horizontally. The integral members (3) are engaged in respective apertures in the side members (5) or in braces (7) extending between the side members (5) followed by forward or rearward movement to effect securement, retaining means such as pins or studs then being inserted in aligned bores (8, 9) in the panel mounts (1) and side members (5) to prevent return movement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2005
    Assignee: APW Electronics Limited
    Inventors: John David Schnabel, John Richard Parkin
  • Patent number: 6886798
    Abstract: A support for holding an electronics assembly, comprises: (i) a rigid frame (6) that can be secured to the assembly; (ii) one or more cushioning elements (8) for protecting an electronics assembly held by the support against mechanical shocks during handling; and (iii) a plurality of handles (16) to enable the support to be manually lifted. The handles may be employed to lift both the assembly and the support, or they may be used to release the support from the assembly once the assembly is in place in an electronics cabinet. The support protects the assembly during installation in data centres after other packing materials have been discarded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2005
    Assignee: Sun Microsystems, Inc.
    Inventors: Matthew C. Cain, Jay Kevin Osborn, John David Schnabel, Denise Silverman, Andrew John Yair
  • Patent number: 6877204
    Abstract: A method of joining a plurality of sheets by means of a blind rivet, comprises: (i) forming holes in the sheets and placing the sheets together so that the holes are in register and form a single hole therethrough; (ii) inserting a blind rivet into the hole formed in the sheets from a working side thereof, the blind rivet comprising a sleeve (1) positioned about a mandrel that has a head (4); and (iii) setting the rivet. The hole (24) is radially enlarged at the outwardly facing surface of at least the sheet on the blind side, and the sleeve of the rivet is deformed during setting to form a rivet joint in which no part of the rivet is proud of the outwardly facing surface (28) of the sheet at least on the blind side of the sheets. The method enables rivet joints to be formed in sheets, for example used in enclosures that house modules, where there is no space available for the set rivets to protrude.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2005
    Assignee: Sun Microsystems, Inc.
    Inventors: John David Schnabel, Stephen David Sparkes
  • Patent number: 6833994
    Abstract: An electronics assembly comprises: (i) a chassis (1); (ii) at least one front panel (40, 42) that is arranged in front of the chassis to obscure the chassis; and (iii) at least one device (60) that is mounted on the chassis and supports the or a front panel. The or each device (60) or the or each panel (40, 42) includes at least one retaining element (62) that extends out of the device or panel and is received in a recess in the or each panel or in the or each device respectively to retain the panel on the chassis. The element is manually retractable into the device or panel to allow the panel to be removed from the chassis. The assembly may include, for example, air filters in the panel(s), and these may be changed quickly so that the assembly does not need to be powered down.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2004
    Assignee: Sun Microsystems, Inc.
    Inventors: Andrew John Yair, John David Schnabel, Sean Conor Wrycraft
  • Patent number: 6810562
    Abstract: A spacing member (15) on a hinge arm (1) bears against guide surfaces (22, 231)and locates a hinge pin (16) generally beneath a hinge pin hole in a recess (2) to be mounted on a door to be hingedly mounted on a cabinet which has a frame mounting the hinge arm. Lowering of the recess when so generally located cause a chamfer (161) on the end of the hinge pin (16) to accurately align the hinge pin with the hinge pin hole as the hinge pin (16) enters the hinge pin hole to move the spacing member (15) out of engagement with the guide surfaces (22, 231).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2004
    Assignee: APW Electronics Ltd.
    Inventors: David Horne, John David Schnabel
  • Publication number: 20040165366
    Abstract: An electronics assembly comprises:
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 16, 2003
    Publication date: August 26, 2004
    Applicant: Sun Microsystems, Inc.
    Inventors: John David Schnabel, Stephen David Sparkes
  • Patent number: 6751841
    Abstract: A method of joining a plurality of sheets by means of a blind rivet, comprises: (i) forming holes in the sheets and placing the sheets together so that the holes are in register and form a single hole therethrough; (ii) inserting a blind rivet into the hole formed in the sheets from a working side thereof, the blind rivet comprising a sleeve (1) positioned about a mandrel that has a head (4); and (iii) setting the rivet. The hole (24) is radially enlarged at the outwardly facing surface of at least the sheet on the blind side, and the sleeve of the rivet is deformed during setting to form a rivet joint in which no part of the rivet is proud of the outwardly facing surface (28) of the sheet at least on the blind side of the sheets. The method enables rivet joints to be formed in sheets, for example used in enclosures that house modules, where there is no space available for the set rivets to protrude.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2004
    Assignee: Sun Microsystems, Inc.
    Inventors: John David Schnabel, Stephen David Sparkes
  • Patent number: 6746502
    Abstract: An electronics assembly includes a chassis and a panel mounted on the chassis. The panel has an air filter on a surface of the panel which is retained in position on the panel by one or more retaining elements (80), for example plastics rivets, that can be operated to allow release of the air filter from the panel. The air filter can be changed very quickly during maintenance of the assembly without the need to switch the assembly off during changing of the air filter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2004
    Assignee: Sun Microsystems, Inc.
    Inventors: Andrew John Yair, John David Schnabel, Sean Conor Wrycraft, Stephen Paul Haworth
  • Patent number: 6744641
    Abstract: An elongate gasket that can be placed on an electrical assembly in order to reduce electromagnetic interference, comprises (i) an elongate deformable strip (1) of electrically conductive material that has been folded along its length to form an arcuate cross-sectional profile; and (ii) an attachment arrangement (10, 12) to secure the gasket onto the component; At least one of the strip and the attachment arrangement is folded at an end region (30) thereof over the end of the other of the strip and the attachment arrangement in order to provide a smoothly varying longitudinal profile at the end of the gasket. This form of gasket allows components such as modules, to be inserted into recesses in an assembly by sliding along the gasket without damage to the gasket or causing it to be shifted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2004
    Assignee: Sun Microsystems, Inc.
    Inventor: John David Schnabel
  • Publication number: 20040084583
    Abstract: In a cabinet having vertically extending side members (5) forming part of a chassis of the cabinet, panel mounts (1), also to extend vertically in the cabinet and to have panels mounted thereupon, are mountable to the side members (5) by integral members (3) which extend parallel to the outer face of the panel mount (1) at a spacing from the outer face and in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal extent of the panel mount (1), i.e., horizontally. The integral members (3) are engaged in respective apertures in the side members (5) or in braces (7) extending between the side members (5) followed by forward or rearward movement to effect securement, retaining means such as pins or studs then being inserted in aligned bores (8, 9) in the panel mounts (1) and side members (5) to prevent return movement.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 8, 2003
    Publication date: May 6, 2004
    Inventors: John David Schnabel, John Richard Parkin
  • Publication number: 20040052041
    Abstract: An electronics assembly, for example for use as a network server, comprises a frame that encloses a number of components of the assembly, a facia panel that is attached to a surface of the frame, and is formed as an upper and a lower part that are retained together generally horizontally. The assembly includes a printed circuit board for providing information relating to the assembly, the printed circuit board being located within the facia panel between the two parts. The frame and the fascia panel have a locating element at each side of the fascia panel for ensuring correct positioning of the panel with respect to the frame.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 2, 2003
    Publication date: March 18, 2004
    Applicant: Sun Microsystems,Inc.
    Inventors: Andrew John Yair, John David Schnabel
  • Publication number: 20040051016
    Abstract: In a cabinet having vertically extending side members (5) forming part of a chassis of the cabinet, panel mounts (1), also to extend vertically in the cabinet and to have panels mounted thereupon, are mountable to the side members (5) by integral members (3) which extend parallel to the outer face of the panel mount (1) at a spacing from the outer face and in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal extent of the panel mount (1), i.e., horizontally. The integral members (3) are engaged in respective apertures in the side members (5) or in braces (7) extending between the side members (5) followed by forward or rearward movement to effect securement, retaining means such as pins or studs then being inserted in aligned bores (8, 9) in the panel mounts (1) and side members (5) to prevent return movement.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 8, 2003
    Publication date: March 18, 2004
    Inventors: John David Schnabel, John Richard Parkin
  • Patent number: 6683794
    Abstract: An electronics assembly may include a frame (1) and a motherboard module (18) have cooperating temporary supporting elements (50, 54, 60, 62) that can be engaged to support one edge of the motherboard module until some of the securing elements have been engaged to secure the motherboard module to the frame or after the securing elements have been released. The provision of temporary supporting elements enables a service engineer to support the motherboard module with a single hand while securing it in position with the other hand.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2004
    Assignee: Sun Microsystems, Inc.
    Inventors: John David Schnabel, Andrew John Yair
  • Publication number: 20030227762
    Abstract: An elongate gasket that can be placed on an electrical assembly in order to reduce electromagnetic interference, comprises
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 10, 2002
    Publication date: December 11, 2003
    Inventor: John David Schnabel
  • Publication number: 20030227758
    Abstract: An electronics assembly comprises
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 10, 2002
    Publication date: December 11, 2003
    Inventors: John David Schnabel, Andrew John Yair
  • Publication number: 20030226338
    Abstract: An electronics assembly comprises:
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 10, 2002
    Publication date: December 11, 2003
    Inventors: Andrew John Yair, John David Schnabel, Sean Conor Wrycraft, Stephen Paul Haworth
  • Publication number: 20030226249
    Abstract: A method of joining a plurality of sheets by means of a blind rivet, comprises:
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 10, 2002
    Publication date: December 11, 2003
    Inventors: John David Schnabel, Stephen David Sparkes