Two post rack with floor mounting brackets

This Utility Application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/328,229 filed Apr. 27, 2010, entitled “Two Post Rack With Floor Mounting Brackets”, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

This disclosure relates to a floor mounting bracket for a two post rack which mounts electronic equipment. More specifically, the disclosure relates to a floor mounting bracket that provides multiple mounting options for high density switch applications.

Typical two post racks for mounting electronic equipment have only one floor mounting option. For example, Panduit's CMR19X84 and NFR84 two post racks each have bracket holes which provide for only one floor mounting option. These prior mounting brackets cannot be used with 3 inch and 6 inch deep two post racks, without creating additional holes in the floor surface. Also, these prior mounting brackets do not provide the most rigid installation for two post racks.

A floor mounting bracket having multiple floor mounting options is needed to provide rack mounting flexibility, as well as to provide a more rigid rack installation.

In one aspect of the invention, a bracket assembly for mounting a rack to a floor includes a bracket. The bracket comprises a rack-mounting surface having at least one pair of rack-mounting openings for mounting the bracket to the rack, and a floor-mounting surface extending from the rack-mounting surface. The floor-mounting surface has at least three pairs of floor-mounting openings for mounting the bracket to the floor.

In another aspect of the invention, a method is provided for replacing a rack for supporting electrical equipment. A first rack, having a first width, is removed from a floor by removing first bolts extending between floor-mounting openings in the first rack and holes in the floor. A second rack, having a second width different than the first width, is installed to the floor by inserting the first bolts or second bolts through pre-manufactured floor-mounting openings in the second rack into the holes in the floor.

FIG. 1 illustrates a front perspective view of a two post 6 inch deep rack having a floor mounting bracket according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 illustrates a top view of the rack of FIG. 1 .

FIG. 3 illustrates a graph comparing the deflections for various loads applied to the rack of FIG. 1 at two different mounting locations.

FIG. 4 illustrates a top view of the rack of FIG. 1 positioned adjacent a two post 3 inch deep rack with coplanar front faces.

FIG. 5 illustrates a top view of the rack of FIG. 1 positioned adjacent a two post 3 inch deep rack with coplanar back faces.

FIG. 6 illustrates a top view of the rack of FIG. 1 positioned adjacent a two post 3 inch deep rack on the same center line.

FIG. 1 illustrates a front perspective view of a two post 6 inch deep rack 10 . Rack 10 includes two L-shaped brackets 12 and 14 , two uprights 16 and 18 , and two crossbars 20 and 22 . Each of brackets 12 and 14 has a supporting surface 24 integrally attached perpendicularly to an attachment surface 26 . Brackets 12 and 14 are removably attached to uprights 16 and 18 . Similarly, crossbars 20 and 22 are removably attached to uprights 16 and 18 . Uprights 16 and 18 are each U-shaped. A plurality of vent openings 28 and 30 extend vertically along each of uprights 16 and 18 . Preferably, vent openings 28 are generally square-shaped and vent openings 30 are generally rectangular-shaped. Vent openings 28 and 30 aid in maximizing air flow and cooling of equipment installed in rack 10 , especially when high density switches are utilized.

FIG. 2 illustrates a top view of rack 10 . Bracket 12 has three pairs of holes (A-A, B-B and C-C) to mount rack 10 to the floor. Similarly, bracket 14 has three pairs of holes (D-D, E-E and F-F) to mount rack 10 to the floor. Bracket 12 has a depth D 1 of 6.0 inches, upright 16 has a depth D 2 of 6.0 inches and bracket 14 has a depth D 3 of 6.0 inches. Thus, the overall depth D 4 of rack 10 is 18.0 inches. Holes A-A are spaced 1.25 inches from end 34 of bracket 12 , and holes A-A are spaced 1.5 inches from holes B-B. Holes B-B are spaced 1.5 inches from holes C-C, and holes C-C are spaced 1.75 inches from upright 16 .

FIG. 3 illustrates a graph comparing the deflections for various loads applied to rack 10 at two different mounting locations. Specifically, the graph compares deflections using hole patterns A-A and F-F, positioned 15.5 inches apart, and deflections using hole patterns C-C and D-D, positioned 9.5 inches apart. As shown in FIG. 3 , forces of x, 2x, and 3x were applied to the center of the top of rack 10 with the mounting bolts in hole patterns A-A and F-F, and the deflections at the top of rack 10 were recorded in inches for each of these forces. The same forces were then applied to the center of the top of rack 10 with the mounting bolts in hole patterns C-C and D-D, and the deflections of rack 10 were recorded in inches for each of these forces. Depending on the amount of force applied, there was in a range of four to six times the amount of deflection of rack 10 when holes patterns A-A and F-F were used versus the amount of deflection of rack 10 when hole patterns C-C and D-D were used. Thus, a rack with a smaller mounting footprint results in a more rigid installation. For brackets 12 and 14 , hole patterns C-C and D-D provide the most rigid installation.

As best seen in FIG. 4 , 3 inch deep two post racks, such as rack 32 , are typically installed with mounting bolts 12.5 inches apart (D 5 ). Distance D 5 corresponds to the distance between holes A-A and D-D on rack 10 . Also, as shown in FIG. 5 , distance D 5 corresponds to the distance between holes C-C and F-F on rack 10 . Likewise, as shown in FIG. 6 , distance D 5 corresponds to the distance between holes B-B and E-E on rack 10 . Thus, there are three 12.5 inch hole patterns that can be utilized in brackets 12 and 14 , which provides the ability to customize for a particular installation. For example, brackets 12 and 14 allow a customer to upgrade from rack 32 to rack 10 , without having to create additional holes in the floor surface.

As best seen in FIG. 4 , utilizing hole patterns A-A and D-D results in the front faces of rack 10 and rack 32 being coplanar. When upgrading from rack 32 to rack 10 , this mounting configuration allows equipment installed in rack 32 to be installed in the same location in rack 10 , which significantly reduces the need to disturb any cabling, and eliminates the need to create additional holes in the floor surface. This mounting configuration will also provide a clean, flush appearance if rack 10 is installed in an aisle of racks 32 .

As best seen in FIG. 5 , utilizing hole patterns C-C and F-F results in the back faces of rack 10 and rack 32 being coplanar. Rack 32 can be replaced by rack 10 , without the need to create additional holes in the floor surface.

As best seen in FIG. 6 , utilizing hole patterns B-B and E-E results in the centers of rack 10 and rack 32 being aligned. This mounting configuration is desirable when rack equipment is removed when upgrading from rack 32 to rack 10 , but other items, such as floor cut-outs or overhead ladder racking, remain in place.

Brackets 12 and 14 provide more floor mounting options than prior mounting brackets for two post racks. Hole patterns A-A thru F-F allow the front faces, back faces or centers of racks 10 and 32 to be aligned. The hole patterns also allow rack 32 to be replaced by rack 10 , using the existing holes in the floor surface. The hole patterns further allow for the most rigid installation of rack 10 .

It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing relates to exemplary embodiments of the disclosure and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure.