Patent Application
20110175503
The present invention relates to data center equipment cabinets and, in particular, to data center equipment cabinets having improved space utilization.
In a data center, equipment cabinets may be used to mount equipment. An equipment rack is disposed within the equipment cabinet, leaving narrow vertical spaces to the sides of the equipment rack, between the equipment rack and the cabinet walls. When a front access opening in the cabinet has a width that is less than or equal to the width of the equipment rack, it is very difficult to access and utilize the narrow vertical spaces to the left and right of the equipment rack. Accordingly, oftentimes, this space goes unutilized, thereby increasing the necessary square footage of a data center. And data center operating costs are generally proportional to the square footage of floor space occupied by equipment cabinets. Therefore, unutilized cabinet space increases data center operating costs. Further, the relative dimensions of the access opening and the width of the equipment rack may make it difficult to access sockets on the back of the rack-mounted equipment. This problem may be exacerbated when the narrow vertical spaces to the left and right of the equipment rack are used for routing cables and/or cooling air to rack-mounted equipment.
Additionally, when both RFID tags and RFID reader antennas are mounted in the central rack space, an attempted RF signal transmission between the two may be blocked by electronic equipment, especially shielded equipment, also mounted in the central rack space.
According to one aspect, there is provided an equipment cabinet having an equipment rack and cabinet walls surrounding the equipment rack. The equipment rack is accessible by an opening in one of the cabinet walls. The equipment rack includes vertical rails, defining a virtual front face plane, to which equipment housings may be mounted. Additionally, there is provided a mounting bracket positioned to increase space utilization within the equipment cabinet, and configured to facilitate access to the equipment disposed in the cabinet. The mounting bracket includes a plate and a protrusion extending from the plate. The plate may be coupled to the equipment rack or to the cabinet walls, so that the protrusion is disposed between the equipment rack and the cabinet walls. Devices may then be coupled to the protrusion, thereby enabling installation of additional equipment in the cabinet without consuming valuable central rack space. For example, the number of patch panels, or connection housings disposed within the central rack space may be reduced or eliminated, thereby allowing more central rack space for equipment. Utilization of this otherwise unused space on the sides of the cabinet can reduce the number of cabinets necessary for a particular data center and, thereby, reduce the overall cost of the data center, because the total square footage dedicated to network equipment can be reduced.
The protrusion is disposed at an angle relative to the front face plane of the rack so that the devices mounted to the protrusion are easily accessible from the front opening in the cabinet, even when the width of the front opening is substantially the same size as, or smaller than, the width of the rack. Patch panels, adapter modules, or similar devices, for example, may be coupled to the mounting bracket and connected to the rack-mounted equipment so as to present sockets that would normally appear on the back side of rack-mounted equipment on the front side of the cabinet for easy access by trades.
According to another aspect, radio frequency identification (RFID) hardware may be coupled to the mounting bracket to improve interrogation of RFID tags, or to retrofit/upgrade RFID applications where equipment must be added to cabinets that are already very full. That is, the space in the cabinet outside the central rack space may be used as a communication channel among elements used to facilitate identification of components within the cabinet. The RFID hardware may include, for example, RFID tags integrated into the plugs, sockets, or adapter modules, coupled to the mounting bracket. Alternatively, or in addition, to the foregoing, the RFID hardware and/or may include one or more RFID readers and/or reader antennas, for example. Still further, alternatively or in addition to the foregoing, the RFID hardware may include elements for sending or receiving signals used to identify other elements within the cabinet, for example. When RFD tags integrated into plugs, sockets, or adapter modules, are coupled to the mounting bracket, they may be positioned in a location where they receive more RF signal strength from RFID reader antennas located within the cabinet. That is, the RFID tags may be positioned at a location wherein they have a more direct line of communication with an RFID reader antenna with reduced interference from an intervening piece of equipment. Similarly, an RFID reader antenna may be coupled to a mounting bracket and positioned at a location adjacent to a rack-mounted housing having therein patch panels, sockets, and/or adapters, with RFID tags. In the case of retrofitting or upgrading RFID capability in an already full cabinet, devices including either one, or both, RFID tags and RFID readers and/or reader antennas may be coupled to mounting brackets and positioned in otherwise unutilized space between the equipment rack and cabinet walls.
According to another aspect, there is provided an equipment cabinet. The equipment cabinet includes a front wall having a front opening therein, the front opening having a width. A side wall is coupled to the front wall. An equipment rack is disposed adjacent to the front wall and to the side wall, the equipment rack having a width, wherein the width of the equipment rack is approximately equal to or larger than the width of the front opening. The equipment rack has a front face plane facing the front opening. A space is disposed between the equipment rack and the side wall, and between the equipment rack and the front wall. A mounting bracket includes a plate and a protrusion, wherein the plate is coupled to one of the equipment rack, the front wall and the side wall, so that the protrusion is disposed in the space. Further, the protrusion has a substantially planar surface that is neither parallel to, nor in the same plane as, the front face plane.
According to another aspect, there is provided an equipment cabinet having RFID hardware. The equipment cabinet includes an equipment rack including vertical rails that define a central rack space. A mounting bracket includes a plate and a protrusion, wherein the plate is coupled to one of the vertical rails so that the protrusion is disposed outside of the central rack space. RFID hardware is coupled to the protrusion. The RFID hardware may include RFID tags, RFID readers and/or reader antennas, for example. Further, a piece of electromagnetically shielded equipment may be disposed in the central rack space.
According to another aspect, there is provided an equipment cabinet including an equipment rack, an outer structure, and a mounting bracket. The equipment rack includes a central rack space. The outer structure is coupled to the equipment rack and is disposed outside the central rack space. A space is disposed outside of the central rack space and is defined by the equipment rack and the outer structure. The mounting bracket includes a plate and a protrusion, wherein the plate is coupled to one of the equipment rack and the outer structure so that the protrusion is disposed in the space. Further, RFID hardware is coupled to the protrusion.
The RFID hardware may include at least one of an RFID tag and an RFID reader antenna. In one instance, the RFID hardware includes an RFID tag, and the equipment cabinet further comprises an RFID reader antenna disposed so as to emit RFID signals into the space. In another instance, the RFID hardware includes an RFID reader or reader antenna, and an RFID tag is mounted elsewhere in the cabinet.
The outer structure may include a wall.
Additional features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the detailed description which follows, and in part will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the description or recognized by practicing the invention as described in the written description and claims hereof, as well as the appended drawings.
It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are merely exemplary of the invention, and are intended to provide an overview or framework to understanding the nature and character of the invention as it is claimed.
The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of principles of the invention, and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate one or more embodiment(s), and together with the description serve to explain the principles and operation of the invention. It is to be understood that the various features of the invention disclosed in this specification and in the drawings can be used in any and all combinations.
In the following detailed description, for purposes of explanation and not limitation, example embodiments disclosing specific details are set forth to provide a thorough understanding of the principles of the present invention. However, it will be apparent to one having ordinary skill in the art, having had the benefit of the present disclosure, that the present invention may be practiced in other embodiments that depart from the specific details disclosed herein. Moreover, descriptions of well-known devices, methods and materials may be omitted so as not to obscure the description of the principles of the present invention. Finally, wherever applicable, like reference numerals refer to like elements.
The term “cable” as used herein may be, for example, an optical fiber cable and may include one or more optical fibers therein.
According to one aspect, there is provided an equipment cabinet having an equipment rack and cabinet walls. The equipment rack includes a front face plane facing a front opening in the equipment cabinet, and a central rack space in which equipment is mounted. A mounting bracket is positioned to increase space utilization within an equipment cabinet, and configured to facilitate access to the equipment disposed in the cabinet. The mounting bracket includes a plate and a protrusion extending from the plate. The plate may be coupled to the equipment rack or to the walls of the cabinet, so that the protrusion is disposed between the equipment rack and the cabinet walls. Devices may then be coupled to the protrusion, thereby enabling installation of additional equipment in the cabinet without consuming valuable central rack space. For example, patch panels, adapter modules, and RFID hardware may be coupled to the protrusion.
The protrusion is disposed at an angle relative to the front face plane of the rack so that the devices mounted to the protrusion are easily accessible from the front opening in the cabinet, even when the width of the front opening is substantially the same size as, or smaller than, the width of the rack.
Equipment cabinet 2 includes a front wall 4, a side wall 6, a second side wall 8, and a back wall 10. The front wall 4 is coupled to the side wall 6 and second side wall 8. Additionally, the front wall 4 has a front opening 16 having a width 18. A door 12 is sized and configured to cover the front opening 16. The back wall 10 is also coupled to the side wall 6 and the second side wall 8, and is disposed opposite to the front wall 4. Any suitable manner of coupling the walls 4, 6, 8, and 10, may be used. For example, although not shown, four vertically extending posts may be disposed at the four corners of the equipment cabinet 2, and the walls may be coupled to the vertically extending posts. Alternatively, for example, the walls may be directly coupled to one another.
Equipment rack 20 is disposed in the equipment cabinet 2 whereby the front wall 4, side walls 6, 8, and back wall 10, are disposed around the equipment rack 20. The equipment rack 20 includes four vertical rails 22, horizontal rails 24, and a central rack space 26 within the bounds defined by the vertical rails 22. The rack 20 has a width 28 defined by two vertical rails 22 that are disposed adjacent to opposite side walls 6,8 of the equipment cabinet 2. The width 28 of the rack 20 is substantially equal to, or larger than, the width 18 of the front opening 16.
Each vertical rail 22 has a side surface 23 facing the interior of a wall of the equipment cabinet 2. Each vertical rail 22 may also have a front surface 25. The vertical rails 22 at the front of the equipment cabinet 2 define a virtual front face plane 32 that faces the front opening 16. The front face plane 32 may be generally coplanar with at least one point on each front surface 25 of the vertical rails 2 at the front of the equipment cabinet.
A horizontal rail 24 may be coupled to two vertical rails 22. A horizontal rail 24 may be coupled to two vertical rails 22 disposed adjacent to one of the side walls 6, 8, so that the horizontal rail 24 extends substantially parallel to that side wall. Alternatively, or in addition to the foregoing, a horizontal rail 24 may be coupled to two vertical rails 22 disposed adjacent to the front wall 4 or to the back wall 10, so that the horizontal rail 24 extends substantially parallel to the front wall 4 or to the back wall 10. Further, a horizontal rail 24 may be coupled to two other horizontal rails 24. Any suitable number of horizontal rails 24 may be used at any suitable position along the length of the vertical rails 22.
A space 14 is defined between the rack 20 and the equipment cabinet 2. More specifically, space 14 is disposed between the outer surfaces 23, 25 of the vertical rails 22 and the inner surfaces of the side walls 6, 8, as well as between the outer surfaces 23, 25 of the vertical rails 22 and the inner surfaces of the front wall 4 and the back wall 10. Stated another way, the space 14 is disposed outside of the central rack space 26.
A piece of equipment 30 is mounted to the equipment rack 20 and is disposed in the central rack space 26. The piece of equipment 30 may be coupled to either the vertical rails 22, the horizontal rails 24, or any combination thereof. The piece of equipment 30 faces toward the front opening 16 so that the equipment may be accessed by trades. The piece of equipment 30 may be any type of telecommunications equipment (and/or other equipment), for example, a blade server mainframe, a disk drive array, an Ethernet switch, a SAN controller, or a communications switch. Further, the piece of equipment 30 may be one that has at least a portion of its interior components shielded from electromagnetic energy.
The mounting bracket 40 includes a plate 42, and a protrusion 44 coupled to the plate 42. As shown in
As shown in more detail in
The substantially planar surface 45 is disposed at an angle 41 with respect to the plate 42. The angle 41 may be any suitable angle. In some embodiments, the angle 41 is chosen so that when the plate 42 is mounted either to the equipment rack 20 or to the cabinet 2, the substantially planar surface 45 is not disposed in the same plane as, nor parallel to, the front face plane 32. For example, when the plate 42 is mounted to the side surface 23 of a vertical rail 22, as shown in
Although only one mounting bracket 42 is shown in
Next, the operation and use of the equipment cabinet 2 and mounting bracket 40 will be explained.
When the width 28 of the equipment rack 20 is substantially the same as, or larger than, the width 18 of the front opening 16, it is difficult for trades to access space 14, let alone utilize the space 14. Accordingly, the mounting bracket 40 may be employed not only to utilize this space 14 but to facilitate access to the devices mounted in the space 14. Devices that may be mounted in space 14 include patch panels 50, adapter modules 54, and RFID hardware, for example.
As shown in
As shown in
The bracket 40 may be used to mount an adapter module 54, as shown in
For example, the adapter module 54 may have two cables 58 extending from one side of the adapter module 54, wherein the end of each cable 58 not connected to the adapter module 54 has an MTP connector. The cables 58 may be twelve-fiber cables, for example. The other side of the adapter module 54 may then have a sockets 55 of a different connection type, for example LC. Any desired device or equipment may be plugged into a socket 55. Each of the sockets 55 may be a two-fiber socket, and is connected to selected ones of the fibers from the cables 58.
Cables 58 from the adapter module 54 may be plugged into respective sockets 52 on the back side of a patch panel 50 similar to the patch panel 50 as described above. A corresponding socket 52 on the front side of the patch panel 50 may then be connected to another cable 59. Cable 59 may be a twelve-fiber trunk cable for example. Selected fibers from the cable 59 may then be connected to any desired device, for example, a piece of equipment 30 in the equipment cabinet 2, a piece of equipment in another equipment cabinet, or a hand-held device, as follows. The fibers in a cable 59 are connected to the cables 58 of an adapter module 54 by mutual connection to the patch panel 50. The adapter module 54 then separates selected pairs of fibers from the cables 58 to each socket 55. Cables connected to the sockets 55 may then be plugged directly into equipment 30 (or other equipment either in the same or a different equipment cabinet), or into other patch panels 50 (as shown in
When the bracket 40 is used to mount devices (for example patch panels or adapter modules) to which cables may be repeatedly connected and disconnected, and when the width 28 is substantially the same as or greater than the width 18, access to the devices is facilitated by disposing the substantially planar surface 45 so that it is neither in the same plane as, nor parallel to, the front face plane 32.
Radio frequency identification (RFID) hardware may be coupled to the mounting bracket 40 to improve interrogation of RFID tags, or to retrofit/upgrade RFID applications where equipment must be added to cabinets that are already very full. RFID hardware may include, for example, RFID tags, RFID readers, or RFID reader antennas. For example, the mounting bracket 40 may be used to mount at least one of RFID tags and RFID reader antennas. That is, one mounting bracket 40 may be used to mount one or more RFID tags, whereas one or more RFID reader antennas are disposed elsewhere in the cabinet. In this situation, the RFID reader antenna may be disposed so as to emit RFID signals into the space in which the tag is located. By way of another example, the mounting bracket 40 may be used to mount one or more RFID reader antennas, whereas one or more RFID tags are located elsewhere in the cabinet 2. By way of still further example, one mounting bracket 40 may be used to mount both one or more RFID tags and one or more RFID antennas. By way of still further example, one mounting bracket 40 may be used to mount one or more RFID tags, whereas a second mounting bracket 40 may be used to mount one or more RFID reader antennas.
According to one embodiment, as shown in
Referring back to
Referring back to
Further, the placement of RFID reader antennas 64 in the space 14 will improve the readability of RFID components 60 also mounted in the space 14. That is, the RFID reader antennas 64 and RFID components 60 that are both mounted in the space 14 will have a more direct line of sight to one another, thereby improving the RF signal strength and, ultimately, the interaction between the RFID tags and antennas. Further, in this case, the walls of the equipment cabinet are useful in enhancing the channeling of RF energy along the space 14 to improve the readability of the RFID components 60.
The above approaches for mounting RFID components 60 and/or RFID reader antennas 64, in the space 14 may also be attractive for data center RFID retrofit or upgrade applications where equipment must be added to cabinets that are already very full. In a similar manner, other RFID hardware advantageously may be mounted using bracket 40. As shown in
It should be emphasized that the above-described embodiments of the present invention, particularly any “preferred” embodiments, are merely possible examples of implementations, merely set forth for a clear understanding of principles of the invention. Many variations and modifications may be made to the above-described embodiments of the invention without departing substantially from the spirit and principles of the invention. All such modifications and variations are intended to be included herein within the scope of this disclosure and the present invention and protected by the following claims.
For example, RFID reader antennas 64 as shown in
By way of further example, the equipment cabinet 2 may take on a more open configuration. For example, the equipment cabinet 2 may include only an equipment rack 3 either with a base 27 as shown in
By way of still further example, in general the equipment cabinet 2 may include some form of outer structure disposed adjacent to the equipment rack 3 and that defines, together with the equipment rack 3 a space 14 into which other equipment racks may not be located. That is, such outer structure limits the extent to which the equipment racks 3 of adjacent cabinets 2 may be located near one another. For example, the outer structure may include at least one of a base 27, a support 21, a top 29, and a wall 4, 6, 7, 10. Thusly, there is defined a space 14 adjacent to the equipment rack 3 and outside of the central rack space 6.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61/114628 | Nov 2008 | US | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/US09/64123 | 11/12/2009 | WO | 00 | 4/1/2011 |
