COLD AISLE MECHANISME AND SLIDE RAIL ASSEMBLY WITH SAME

Abstract

A slide rail assembly with cold aisle mechanism A slide rail assembly with a cold aisle mechanism includes outer frame, middle frame, left stop, right stop, elastic member, inner frame, cold aisle operating member, first reset elastic member, cold aisle lock, second reset elastic member, and unlocking operating member. To enter the cold aisle open state, external force is used to move the cold aisle operating member outwards, causing the front end of the cold aisle lock to abut against the first stop portion, thus locking the cold aisle operating member. To return to the cold aisle closed state, an external force is used to pry the unlocking operating member outwards. This causes the unlocking protrusion to lift the front end of the cold aisle lock, and the first reset elastic member moves the cold aisle operating member inwards to return to the unlocked state.

Description

1. FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a limited displacement mechanism, particularly a cold aisle mechanism suitable for server chassis and a slide rail assembly having the same.

2. DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART

With the mature development of the computer industry and cloud technology, the demand for electronic data access is increasing. To meet the demands of massive information access, modern server equipment is structured with multiple pre-installed server chassis within a single server rack. Each pre-installed server chassis may contain a motherboard, power supply, and multiple hard drives. Since the aforementioned preset server chassis contains multiple hard drives, making it quite heavy, the preset server chassis and server rack are connected by a sliding rail structure. For example, the server chassis is equipped with two slide rails on both sides, and the server rack is equipped with two corresponding slide rails inside. However, when the operator pulls out the preset server chassis (server rack), the entire inner frame of the slide rail assembly may be pulled out, causing the preset server chassis to fall and be damaged. Furthermore, even if the preset server chassis (server rack) can be safely and completely pulled out, it will still restrict the movement space for personnel. Therefore, how to design a sliding rail mechanism that can assist operators in installing the preset server chassis is a topic worthy of discussion and solution.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a slide rail assembly with cold aisle mechanism, which. is switch between a cold aisle closed state and a cold aisle open state, and is suitable for installation on a preset server chassis. The slide rail assembly with cold aisle mechanism comprises an outer frame, a middle frame, a left stop, a right stop, an elastic member, an inner frame, a cold aisle operating member, a first reset elastic member, a cold aisle lock, a second reset elastic member and an unlocking operating member. The outer frame has a limiting member. The middle frame is movably mounted to the outer frame. The left stop is movably mounted at the rear end of the middle frame. The right stop is movably installed at the rear end of the middle frame. A limiting feature is formed between the top of the left stop and the top of the right stop. The elastic member is movably mounted in the middle frame, and its two ends are respectively connected to the bottom of the left stop and the bottom of the right stop. The inner frame is movably mounted to the middle frame, and the inner frame is connected to the preset server chassis. The cold aisle operating member is movably mounted to the inner frame. The cold aisle operating member has a limiting groove, and one side of the limiting groove is a first stop portion. The cold aisle operating member has a second stop portion at the rear end. The first reset elastic member has one end thereof connected to the inner frame and an opposite end thereof connected to the cold aisle operating member. The cold aisle lock is movably mounted to the inner frame and located on the first stop portion of the cold aisle operating member. The second reset elastic member has one end thereof connected to the inner frame and the other end thereof connected to the cold aisle lock. The unlocking operating member is movably mounted to the inner frame and located above the cold aisle lock. The bottom of the unlocking mechanism has an unlocking protrusion located next to the top of the cold aisle lock.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exploded schematic diagram of the slide rail assembly with cold aisle mechanism of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is another exploded schematic diagram of the slide rail assembly with cold aisle mechanism of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of the slide rail assembly with cold aisle mechanism of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the slide rail assembly with cold aisle mechanism of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the slide rail assembly with cold aisle mechanism of this invention in the open cold aisle state.

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing the slide rail assembly with cold aisle mechanism of the present invention in the state of having its cold aisle fully opened.

FIG. 7 is another schematic diagram showing the slide rail assembly with cold aisle mechanism of the present invention in the state of having its cold aisle fully opened.

FIG. 8 is still another schematic diagram showing the slide rail assembly with cold aisle mechanism of the present invention in the state of having its cold aisle fully opened.

FIG. 9 is still another schematic diagram showing the slide rail assembly with cold aisle mechanism of the present invention in the state of having its cold aisle fully opened.

FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing the slide rail assembly with cold aisle mechanism of the present invention in the closed cold aisle state.

FIG. 11 is another schematic diagram showing the slide rail assembly with cold aisle mechanism of the present invention in the completed closed cold aisle state.

FIG. 12 is still another schematic diagram showing the slide rail assembly with cold aisle mechanism of the present invention in the completed closed cold aisle state.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The following detailed example will make it easier to understand the purpose, technical content, features, and effects of this invention.

Please refer to FIGS. 1 to 5. As shown in the figures, the slide rail assembly with cold aisle mechanism 100 has a closed cold aisle state and an open cold aisle state and is suitable for installation into a preset server chassis (not shown). The server chassis is pre-installed inside a server rack. The slide rail assembly with cold aisle mechanism 100 comprises an outer frame 101, a middle frame 102, a left stop 103, a right stop 104, an elastic member 105, an inner frame 106, a cold aisle operating member 107, a first reset elastic member 108, a cold aisle lock 109, a second reset elastic member 110, and an unlocking operating member 111. The middle frame 102 can move relative to the outer frame 101. One side of the inner frame 106 can move relative to the middle frame 102. The outer frame 101 has a limiting member 101A on the inner rear end. The outer frame 101 is connected to a server rack (not shown). The middle frame 102 is movably mounted to the outer frame 101. The left stop 103 can be movably installed at the rear end of the middle frame 102. The right stop 104 can be movably installed at the rear end of the middle frame 102. A limiting feature 1034A is formed between the top of the left stop 103 and the top of the right stop 104. The elastic member 105 is movably mounted on the middle frame 102, and its two ends are respectively connected to the bottom of the left stop 103 and the bottom of the right stop 104. The inner frame 106 can be movably installed on the middle frame 102, and the other side of the inner frame 106 is connected to the preset server chassis, which is located inside a server rack.

In addition, it should be noted that the cold aisle operating member 107 can be movably installed in the inner frame 106. The cold aisle operating member 107 has a limiting groove 1071, wherein the two sides of the limiting groove 1071 are sides of different heights, and the side of the limiting groove 1071 with the lower height is a first stop portion 1071A, wherein the rear end of the cold aisle operating member 107 is a second stop portion 1072. The second stop portion 1072 is in the form of a slightly downward slope. One end of the first reset elastic member 108 is connected to the inner frame 106, and the other end of the first reset elastic member 108 is connected to the cold aisle operating member 107. When the cold aisle operating member 107 is pulled outward, the first reset elastic member 108 is stretched and has a restoring force. When the cold aisle operating member 107 is pulled outward, the first reset elastic member 108 is stretched and has a restoring force.

Furthermore, the cold aisle lock 109 can be movably installed on the inner frame 106, and the central area of the cold aisle lock 109 is located on the first stop portion 1071A of the cold aisle operating member 107. The top of the cold aisle lock 109 has a rounded shape, and the front end 109B of the cold aisle lock 109 has a protruding shape. One end of the second reset elastic member 110 is connected to the inner frame 106, and the other end of the second reset elastic member 110 is connected to the cold aisle lock 109. The unlocking operating member 111 is movably mounted on the inner frame 106 and positioned above the cold aisle lock 109. The bottom of the unlocking operating member 111 has an unlocking protrusion 111A, which is located next to the top portion 109A of the cold aisle lock 109. The lowest horizontal position of the unlocking protrusion 111A is higher than the highest horizontal position of the top portion 109A of the cold aisle lock 109, so as to push the top portion 109A of the cold aisle lock 109 when it is necessary to unlock the cold aisle.

The elastic member 105, first reset elastic member 108, and second reset elastic member 110 mentioned above can all be springs.

The following will further explain the two cold aisle states of the slide rail assembly with cold aisle mechanism 100: cold aisle closed state and cold aisle open state.

Please refer to FIGS. 6 through 12. To move from the cold aisle closed state to the cold aisle open state, an external force is required to move the cold aisle operating member 107 outward (the outward refers to the position of the handle as shown in the figures) so that the front end 109B of the cold aisle lock 109 abuts against the first stop portion 1071A, thereby putting the cold aisle operating member 107 into the locked state. Furthermore, to transition from the cold aisle open state to the cold aisle closed state, an external force is required to pry the unlocking operating member 111 outwards, causing the unlocking protrusion 111A to push or move the front end 109B of the cold aisle lock 109 upwards. Simultaneously, the first reset elastic member 108 will move the cold aisle operating member 107 inward to return to the unlocked state. Afterward, the cold aisle lock 109 will return to the first stop portion 1071A via the second reset elastic member 110.

The following will further explain the situation of pulling the preset server chassis outward in the cold aisle open state, and then pushing the preset server chassis back after closing the cold aisle.

In the cold aisle open state, when the preset server chassis is manually pulled outward, the inner frame 106 moves outward under an external force. The bottom of the right stop 104 of the middle frame 102 is blocked by the second stop portion 1072, thus limiting the outward movement of the middle frame 102. The right stop 104 is set on the middle frame 102. Furthermore, when the inner frame 106 is moved outward by an external force, the outer frame 101 will move outward along with the middle frame 102 until the limiting member 101A moves into the limiting feature 1034A between the left stop 103 and the right stop 104 and stops. Therefore, the preset server chassis is designed to be pulled out to a limited length, leaving more usable space for personnel to move around. When closing the cold aisle, manual external force is required to pry the unlocking operating member 111 outwards, so that the unlocking protrusion 111A pushes or moves the front end 109B of the cold aisle lock 109 upwards. At the same time, the first reset elastic member 108 will move the cold aisle operating member 107 inward to return it to the unlocked state. After that, the preset server chassis can be pushed back.

The terms “first,” “second,” etc., in the description of this application, the scope of the patent application, and the above-mentioned figures are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence.

In summary, the slide rail assembly with cold aisle mechanism disclosed in this invention can bring the following benefits:

• • 1. Opening the cold aisle reduces the space available for personnel to move around; and
  • 2. The cold aisle mechanism prevents preset server chassis from falling and causing damage.

Claims

1. A cold aisle mechanism for mounting on a slide rail assembly, comprising:

a cold aisle operating member movably mounted to a slide rail assembly, said cold aisle operating member comprising a limiting groove and a first stop portion formed on one side of said limiting groove;

a first reset elastic member having one end thereof connected to said slide rail assembly, and an opposite end thereof connected to said cold aisle operating member;

a cold aisle lock movably mounted to said slide rail assembly and located on said first stop portion of said cold aisle operating member, said cold aisle lock comprising a top; and

an unlocking operating member movably mounted to said slide rail assembly and located on said cold aisle lock, said unlocking operating member comprising an unlocking protrusion located on a bottom thereof next to the said top of said cold aisle lock.

2. The cold aisle mechanism as claimed in claim 1, which is switchable between a cold aisle open state and a cold aisle closed state, wherein to transition from said cold aisle closed state to said cold aisle open state, an external force is applied to move said cold aisle operating member outwards, causing one end of said cold aisle lock to abut against said first stop portion, thus locking said cold aisle operating member; to transition from said cold aisle open state to said cold aisle closed state, an external force is used to pry said unlocking operating member outward, causing said unlocking protrusion to lift a front end of said cold aisle lock, so that said first reset elastic member moves said cold aisle operating member inward to return said cold aisle operating member to the unlocked state.

3. The cold aisle mechanism as claimed in claim 1, wherein said slide rail assembly comprises an outer frame, a middle frame and an inner frame, said middle frame being movable relative to said outer frame, said inner frame having one side thereof connected to and installed on a preset server chassis, said outer frame comprising a limiting member located on an inner side of a rear end thereof, said inner frame being movably mounted to said middle frame, said cold aisle operating member, said cold aisle lock and said unlocking operating member being installed in said inner frame, said first reset elastic member having one end thereof connected to said inner frame.

4. The cold aisle mechanism as claimed in claim 3, further comprising a left stop, a right stop, an elastic member and a limiting feature formed between a top of said left stop and a top of said right stop, said left stop being movably mounted at a rear end of said middle frame, said middle frame being movable relative to said outer frame, one side of said inner frame being movable relative to said middle frame, said cold aisle operating member being drivable by said inner frame, said right stop being movably mounted at the said rear end of said middle frame, said elastic member being movably mounted in said middle frame, said elastic member having two opposite ends thereof respectively connected to a bottom of said left stop and a bottom of said right stop.

5. The cold aisle mechanism as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a second reset elastic member, said second reset elastic member having one end thereof connected to said slide rail assembly and located on said first stop portion of said cold aisle operating member, so that said cold aisle lock is restored to said first stop portion via said second reset elastic member.

6. The cold aisle mechanism as claimed in claim 1, wherein the said top of said cold aisle lock has a rounded shape; the said front end of said cold aisle lock has a protruding shape; the lowest horizontal position of said unlocking protrusion of said unlocking operating member is higher than the highest horizontal position of the said top of said cold aisle lock.

7. The cold aisle mechanism as claimed in claim 4, wherein said cold aisle operating member further comprises a second stop portion located at a rear end thereof; when said inner frame is moved outward by an external force, the said bottom of said right stop of said middle frame is blocked by said second stop portion, thus limiting the movement of said middle frame.

8. The cold aisle mechanism as claimed in claim 4, wherein when said inner frame is moved outward by an external force, said outer frame moves outward along with said middle frame until said limiting member moves into said limiting feature between said left stop and said right stop and stops.

9. The cold aisle mechanism as claimed in claim 4, wherein the said top of said cold aisle lock has a rounded shape; the said front end of said cold aisle lock has a protruding shape; the lowest horizontal position of said unlocking protrusion of said unlocking operating member is higher than the highest horizontal position of the said top of said cold aisle lock.’

10. A slide rail assembly with cold aisle mechanism, comprising:

an outer frame comprising a limiting member located at a rear end thereof;

a middle frame movably mounted to said outer frame;

a left stop movably mounted at a rear end of said middle frame;

a right stop movably installed at the said rear end of said middle frame;

a limiting feature formed between a top of said left stop and a top of said right stop;

an elastic member movably installed in said middle frame, said elastic member having two opposite ends thereof connected to a bottom of said left stop and a bottom of said right stop, respectively;

an inner frame movably mounted to said middle frame and connected with one side thereof to a preset server chassis; and

a cold aisle mechanism switchable between cold aisle open state and a cold aisle closed state, said cold aisle mechanism comprising a cold aisle operating member movably mounted to said inner frame, said cold aisle operating member comprising a limiting groove and a first stop portion formed on one side of said limiting groove and a second stop portion located at a rear end thereof, a first reset elastic member having one end thereof connected to said slide rail assembly and an opposite end thereof connected to said cold aisle operating member, a cold aisle lock movably mounted to said inner frame and located on said first stop portion of said cold aisle operating member, and an unlocking operating member movably mounted to said inner frame and located on said cold aisle lock, said unlocking operating member comprising an unlocking protrusion located on a bottom thereof next to a top of said cold aisle lock.

11. The slide rail assembly with cold aisle mechanism as claimed in claim 10, wherein to transition from said cold aisle closed state to said cold aisle open state, an external force is applied to move said cold aisle operating member outwards, causing one end of said cold aisle lock to abut against said first stop portion, thus locking said cold aisle operating member.

12. The slide rail assembly with cold aisle mechanism as claimed in claim 10, wherein to transition from said cold aisle open state to said cold aisle closed state, an external force is used to pry said unlocking operating member outward, causing said unlocking protrusion to lift a front end of said cold aisle lock, so that said first reset elastic member moves said cold aisle operating member inward to return said cold aisle operating member to the unlocked state.

13. The slide rail assembly with cold aisle mechanism as claimed in claim 10, wherein said cold aisle mechanism further comprises a second reset elastic member, said second reset elastic member having one end thereof connected to said inner frame and located on said first stop portion of said cold aisle operating member, so that said cold aisle lock is restored to said first stop portion via said second reset elastic member.

14. The slide rail assembly with cold aisle mechanism as claimed in claim 10, wherein said cold aisle lock has a top in a rounded shape; said cold aisle lock has a front end in a protruding shape; the lowest horizontal position of said unlocking protrusion of said unlocking operating member is higher than the highest horizontal position of the said top of said cold aisle lock.

15. The slide rail assembly with cold aisle mechanism as claimed in claim 10, wherein when said inner frame is moved outward by an external force, said right stop has a bottom thereof blocked by said second stop portion, thus limiting the movement of said middle frame.

16. The slide rail assembly with cold aisle mechanism as claimed in claim 10, wherein when said inner frame is moved outward by an external force, said outer frame moves outward along with said middle frame until said limiting member moves into said limiting feature between said left stop and said right stop and stops.