Sliding rail mounting arrangement

Abstract

A sliding rail mounting arrangement for connecting a sliding rail to a column inside a server rack is disclosed to include a spring clip for clamping on an angled end flange of the sliding rail and securing the angled end flange to one mounting hole of the column, the spring clip having two protruded portions and a retaining spring block for engaging into respective mounting holes and a locating hole at the angled end flange of sliding rail upon clamping of the spring clip on the angled end flange, and a locating pin protruded from one side thereof on the middle for engaging into one mounting hole of the column for enabling the spring clip and the angled end flange of the sliding rail to be affixed to the column with screws to complete the installation by one person.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to the installation of a sliding rail in a server rack and more particularly to a sliding rail mounting arrangement that couples each end of the sliding rail to a respective column inside the server rack.

2. Description of Related Art

A regular server rack is adapted to accommodate a number of servers at different elevations. Pairs of sliding rails are provided inside the server rack and fixedly connected between columns at different elevations for receiving servers. After insertion of servers into the sliding rails, servers are locked to the sliding rails. In a standard server rack, the columns each have a plurality of rectangular through holes disposed at different elevations for the mounting of the sliding rails and the sliding rails each have a plurality of circular mounting holes at each end for connection to the rectangular through holes of the columns, and therefore a locating plate is required for use as an adapter interface between the rectangular through holes and the circular mounting holes.

FIG. 1 illustrates a sliding rail mounting arrangement according to the prior art. As illustrated in FIG. 1, a locating plate 91 is used with a sliding rail 93 for fastening to a column 92 with screws 94. The installation of the sliding rail 93 needs two persons. During installation, one person holds the locating plate 91 and the sliding rail 93 at the column 92, and the other person fasten the screws 94 to the column 92 and the sliding rail 93 and the locating plate 91. If one person wishes to install the sliding rail 93 by oneself, the locating plate 91 may fall from the sliding rail 93 when inserting the screws 94 into the circular through holes 921 of the columns 92.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention has been accomplished under the circumstances in view. It is one object of the present invention to provide a sliding rail mounting arrangement, which enables one person to achieve the installation by oneself.

To achieve these and other objects of the present invention, the sliding rail mounting arrangement comprises a sliding rail, and a spring clip. The sliding rail has an angled end flange at one end thereof. The angled end flange has a locating hole and at least one mounting hole. The spring clip can be clamped on the angled end flange of the sliding rail. The spring clip comprises a left clamping plate, a right clamping plate opposite to the left clamping plate, and a breach-opening defined between the left clamping plate and the right clamping plate for receiving the angled end flange of the sliding rail. The left clamping plate comprises at least one through hole corresponding to the at least one mounting hole of the angled end flange of the sliding rail, at least one protruded portion respectively extended along the at least one through hole and protruded from an inner side thereof for engaging into the corresponding at least one mounting hole of the angled end flange of the sliding rail, at least one top sloping edge sloping downwards from the top of corresponding protruded portion to the breach-opening, and a locating pin protruded from an outer side thereof for insertion to an external support. The right clamping plate comprises at least one fastening member corresponding to the at least one mounting hole of the angled end flange of the sliding rail and the at least one through hole of the left clamping plate for fastening to the external support, and a retaining spring block for engaging into the locating hole of the angled end flange of the sliding rail.

During installation, the spring clip can be clamped on the angled end flange of the sliding rail with the at least one protruded portion thereof for engaging into the corresponding at least one mounting hole of the angled end flange of the sliding rail, the retaining spring block thereof for engaging into the locating hole of the angled end flange of the sliding rail by one person to reduce the time of installation waste.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exploded view showing a sliding rail mounting arrangement according to the prior art.

FIG. 2 is a schematic drawing showing pairs of sliding rails installed in a server rack at different elevations according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of a sliding rail mounting arrangement according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an elevational view of the left clamping plate of the spring clip according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is an elevational view of the right clamping plate of the spring clip according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of the first embodiment of the present invention, showing the protrusion of the left clamping plate engaged into the respective mounting hole of the angled end flange of the sliding rail.

FIG. 7 is sectional view of the first embodiment of the present invention, showing the retaining spring block of the right clamping plate engaged into the locating hole of the angled end flange of the sliding rail.

FIG. 8 is an exploded view of a sliding rail mounting arrangement according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is an exploded view of a sliding rail mounting arrangement according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIG. 2, a server rack 3 is shown comprising four vertically columns 31 in four corners which can be magnetically attractive by magnets, and pairs of sliding rail 1 horizontally connected between the columns 31 at two sides for supporting servers at different elevations. These two sliding rails 1 are installed in the server rack 3 in the same manner. The installation of one sliding rail 1 in the server rack 3 is explained hereinafter for understanding of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 3, the sliding rail 1 has an angled end flange 11 at each end. The angled end flange 11 has two mounting holes 111 and a locating hole 112. The mounting holes 111 are respectively and equally spaced above and below the locating hole 112. Preferably, the mounting holes 111 and the locating hole 112 are transversely extended oblong holes. The angled end flange 11 is connected to one column 31 through a spring clip 2.

Referring to FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 and FIG. 3 again, the spring clip 2 comprises a left clamping plate 21, a right clamping plate 22, a ridge 24 joining the left clamping plate 21 and the right clamping plate 22, and a breach-opening 23 defined between the left clamping plate 21 and the right clamping plate 22. The ridge 24 is opposite to the breach-opening 23. The left clamping plate 21 has two through holes 211 respectively disposed near the top and bottom sides, and two protruded portions 212 respectively extended along the border of the through holes 211 and protruding from the inner side in direction toward the right clamping plate 22, each protruded portion 212 having a top sloping edge 213 sloping downwards from the top of corresponding protruded portion 212 toward the breach-opening 23, a locating pin 214 perpendicularly extended from the outer side on the middle and equally spaced between the through holes 211. The right clamping plate 22 has two fixed fastening members, for example, screwed nuts 221 perpendicularly extended from the outer side corresponding to the two through holes 211 of the left clamping plate 21, and a retaining spring block 222 protruded from the inner side and protruding toward the left clamping plate 21. The ridge 24 has three through holes 241 that enable the user to open the clamping plates 21,22 with less effort.

Referring to FIG. 6, FIG. 7, and FIG. 1˜FIG. 5 again, during installation, bend the clamping plates 21,22 outwards to open the breach-opening 23 for enabling the spring clip 2 to be clamped on the angled end flange 11 at one end of the sliding rail 1. At this time, the top sloping edge 213 guides the respective protruded portion 212 of the left clamping plate 21 into the respective mounting hole 111 at the angled end flange 11 of the sliding rail 1, keeping the two through holes 211 of the left clamping plate 21 and the screwed nuts 221 of the right clamping plate 22 respectively aimed at the mounting holes 111 of the angled end flange 11 and the retaining spring block 222 of the right clamping plate 22 engaged into the locating hole 112 of the angled end flange 11. Because the mounting holes 111 and the locating hole 112 are transversely extended oblong holes, the spring clip 2 can be moved horizontally relative to the sliding rail 1 within the constraint of the oblong mounting holes 111 and locating hole 112. Of course, it is workable to have each mounting hole 111 or the locating hole 112 designed to be a circular or rectangular hole.

After connection of the spring clip 2 to the angled end flange 11 of the sliding rail 1, the spring clip 2 is attached with the sliding rail 1 to the column 31 to insert the locating pin 214 into one circular mounting hole 311 at the column 31 (the column 31 is an angle bar having two longitudinal series of circular mounting holes 311 in the two sidewalls), and then two screws 4 are respectively inserted through the adjacent top and bottom circular through holes 311 at the column 31 and the two through holes 211 of the left clamping plate 21 and then respectively threaded into the screwed nuts 221 of the right clamping plate 22.

As indicated above, the spring clip 2 can be directly plugged into one circular mounting hole 311 of the column 31 during installation, and the protruded portions 212 of the left clamping plate 21 and the retaining spring block 222 of the right clamping plate 22 can be respectively engaged into the mounting holes 111 and locating hole 112 of the angled end flange 11 of the sliding rail 1 during installation. Therefore, one person can easily and quickly install the sliding rail 1 in the server rack.

FIG. 8 shows a sliding rail mounting arrangement according to a second embodiment of the present invention. This embodiment is substantially similar to the first embodiment shown in FIG. 3˜FIG. 7 with the exception of the use of a packing plate 52 between the column, referenced by 51, and the spring clip, referenced by 53. The column 51 has rectangular mounting holes 511. The spring clip 53 is substantially same as the spring clip 2 shown in FIG. 3˜FIG. 7. The packing plate 52 has backwardly protruded top and bottom lugs 521 for engaging into the rectangular mounting holes 511 of the column 51, and a circular center through hole 522 for receiving the locating pin 531 of the spring clip 53.

FIG. 9 shows a sliding rail mounting arrangement according to a third embodiment of the present invention. This embodiment is substantially similar to the first embodiment shown in FIG. 3˜FIG. 7 with the exception of the use of a retaining clamp 61. The retaining clamp 61 has a circular center through hole 611 for receiving the locating pin 631 of the spring clip, referenced by 63. During installation, the retaining clamp 61 is fastened to one rectangular mounting hole 621, and then locating pin 631 of the spring clip 63 is inserted into the respective rectangular mounting hole 621 of the column 62 and the circular center through hole 611 of the retaining clamp 61.

As indicated above, the invention enables the sliding rail to be conveniently and quickly be installed in columns 31 having circular mounting holes 311 or columns 51,62 having rectangular mounting holes 511,621 by one person.

Although the present invention has been explained in relation to its preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that many other possible modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

Claims

1. A sliding rail mounting arrangement comprising:

a sliding rail, said sliding rail having an angled end flange at one end thereof, said angled end flange having a locating hole and at least one mounting hole; and

a spring clip clamped on said angled end flange of said sliding rail, said spring clip comprising a left clamping plate, a right clamping plate opposite to said left clamping plate, and a breach-opening defined between said left clamping plate and said right clamping plate for receiving the angled end flange of said sliding rail, said left clamping plate comprising at least one through hole corresponding to the at least one mounting hole of said angled end flange of said sliding rail, at least one protruded portion respectively extended along said at least one through hole and protruded from an inner side thereof for engaging into the corresponding at least one mounting hole of said angled end flange of said sliding rail, at least one top sloping edge sloping downwards from the top of corresponding protruded portion to the breach-opening, and a locating pin protruded from an outer side thereof for insertion to an external support, said right clamping plate comprising at least one fastening member corresponding to the at least one mounting hole of said angled end flange of said sliding rail and the at least one through hole of said left clamping plate for fastening to said external support, and a retaining spring block for engaging into the locating hole of said angled end flange of said sliding rail.

2. The sliding rail mounting arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein said external support comprising at least one column vertically mounted inside a server rack and adapted to support said spring clip, said at least one column each having a plurality of vertically spaced mounting holes for receiving the locating pin of said spring clip and for the connection of said at least one fastening member of said spring clip.

3. The sliding rail mounting arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein said spring clip further comprises a ridge, which joins said left clamping plate and said right clamping plate opposite to said breach-opening, said ridge having at least one through hole.

4. The sliding rail mounting arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one mounting hole of said angled end flange of said sliding rail is a transversely extended oblong hole.

5. The sliding rail mounting arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the locating hole of said angled end flange of said sliding rail is a transversely extended oblong hole.

6. The sliding rail mounting arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein said at least one fastening member of said right clamping plate each is a screwed nut.