Damper for electronic equipment rack

Abstract

A damper system for an electronics rack is provided. The damper system may include an electronics rack, a battery backup unit, and a plurality of rails disposed within the electronics rack. The battery backup unit is slidably secured to the plurality of rails and tuned to dampen seismic vibrations of the electronics rack during an earthquake. The battery backup unit can also provide power to an electronic device disposed in the rack during a power-off period.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates generally to the field of electronic equipment racks, and more particularly to a damper system for an electronic equipment rack. Background Art

[0002] An electronics rack is a physical structure used to house various electronic devices. Electronic equipment racks are typically made of durable materials (e.g., metal, composite materials, etc.) and can be secured to the floor to provide stability to the rack. Typically, electronics racks house electronic equipment in a vertical configuration. For example, a server rack will house various switches, routers, servers, cables, etc. in a vertical configuration within rectangular drawers or compartments of the server rack. In this way, server racks allow for the storage of a large amount of equipment in a small physical footprint. However, due to the rigidity of the physical structure of an electronics rack, it may be susceptible to structural failure during a seismic event. Summary of the invention

[0003] According to one aspect of the present invention, a damper system for an electronic equipment rack is provided. The damper system may include an electronic equipment rack, a battery backup unit, and a plurality of rails disposed within the electronic equipment rack. The battery backup unit may be slidably secured to the plurality of rails and tuned to dampen seismic oscillations of the electronic equipment rack during an earthquake. This is more advantageous than a standard electronic equipment rack because the damper system prevents structural failure of the seismic rack and / or damage to electronic equipment within the seismic rack by minimizing vibrations during an earthquake. In addition, in the event of a power loss caused by an earthquake, the battery backup unit may provide power to one or more electronic devices disposed in the electronic equipment rack.

[0004] In some embodiments, the battery backup unit can directly power the one or more electronic devices via the plurality of rails. This is superior to standard wired connections of electronic devices that may become loose or detached due to vibrations during an earthquake.

[0005] In some embodiments, the plurality of rails may be disposed within a removably secured drawer within the electronics rack, where power may be supplied to the battery backup unit through connections between power rails of the electronics rack and wheels of the drawer to recharge the battery backup unit. This allows the battery backup unit to maintain a full charge prior to an earthquake and further avoids the use of wires that may become loose or detached.

[0006] According to another aspect of the present invention, a damper system for a server rack is provided. The damper system includes a server rack containing servers, a battery backup unit electrically coupled to the servers, and a plurality of rails disposed within the server rack. The battery backup unit is slidably secured to the plurality of rails and is tuned to dampen seismic vibrations of the server rack during an earthquake.

[0007] According to another aspect of the present invention, a method for damping vibrations of an electronic equipment rack during an earthquake is provided. The method includes, in response to seismic vibrations of the electronic equipment rack caused by the earthquake, using a damper system for the electronic equipment rack to damp the seismic vibrations. In some embodiments, the method also includes, in response to a loss of power to one or more electronic devices disposed in the electronic equipment rack, supplying power to the one or more electronic devices disposed in the electronic equipment rack by the battery backup unit of the damper system. Once power is restored, the method also includes recharging the battery backup unit of the damper system via a direct connection.

[0008] The above summary is not intended to describe each illustrated embodiment or every implementation of the present disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] The accompanying drawings included in the present disclosure are incorporated into the specification and form a part of the specification. They illustrate embodiments of the present disclosure and, together with the specification, are used to explain the principles of the present disclosure. The accompanying drawings are only illustrations of typical embodiments and do not limit the present disclosure.

[0010] Figure 1 A front perspective view of a damper system for an electronics rack is shown in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0011] Figure 2A A top view of a drawer is shown of a damper system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0012] Figure 2B A side view of a drawer is shown showing a damper system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0013] Figure 3 A front view of a drawer of a damper system coupled to a power rail of an electronics rack is shown according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

[0014] Figure 4A A side view of a wheel of a drawer of a damper system connected to a power rail of an electronics rack is shown in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0015] Figure 4BA side view of a wheel of a drawer of a damper system connected to a powered rail with a safety disconnect is shown according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0016] Figure 5 A flow chart is illustrated of an example method for damping seismic vibrations of an electronics rack using a damper system according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

[0017] Although the embodiments described herein may have various modifications and alternative forms, the details thereof have been shown by way of example in the accompanying drawings and will be described in detail. However, it should be understood that the specific embodiments described should not be construed as limiting. On the contrary, the present invention will encompass all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives that fall within the scope of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0018] Aspects of the present disclosure relate generally to the field of electronic equipment racks, and more particularly to dampers for electronic equipment racks. While the present disclosure is not necessarily limited to such applications, various aspects of the present disclosure may be understood through a discussion of various examples using this context.

[0019] An electronics rack is a physical structure used to house various electronic devices. Electronic equipment racks are typically made of durable materials (e.g., metal, composite materials, etc.) and can be secured to the floor to provide stability to the rack. Typically, electronics racks house electronic devices in a vertical configuration. For example, a server rack will house various switches, routers, servers, cables, etc. in a vertical configuration within rectangular drawers or bays of the server rack. In this way, server racks allow for the storage of a large number of devices in a small physical footprint.

[0020] However, due to the rigidity of the physical structure of the electronic equipment rack, it may be prone to structural failure during an earthquake event. For example, the movement of the ground during an earthquake may produce a resonant seismic vibration and may cause the electronic equipment rack to move or sway. The greater the amplitude of the vibration / oscillation, the more likely the electronic equipment rack is to suffer structural damage, tilt or even collapse. In order to overcome the tilt, some electronic equipment racks can be anchored to the floor, but if the seismic vibration is significant, this method still makes the rack susceptible to structural damage. In addition, due to the violent movement of the rack caused by the vibration, the electronic equipment or devices arranged in the rack may be damaged.

[0021] Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a novel electronic equipment rack including a damper. Specifically, some embodiments of the present disclosure include a damper system, which includes an electronic equipment rack, a battery backup unit, and a plurality of rails arranged together with the electronic equipment rack, wherein the battery backup unit is slidably fixed to the plurality of rails and is tuned to suppress seismic vibrations of the electronic equipment rack during an earthquake or other ground shaking event (e.g., weather-related, human-generated, etc.). In some embodiments, the plurality of rails may include a set of multi-axis rails that allow the battery backup unit to slide in the xy plane to dampen vibrations. Unlike conventional electronic equipment racks, the damper system prevents structural damage to the rack by dispersing the energy generated by the earthquake and placed on the structure. In addition, the battery backup unit is also configured to supply power to electrical devices / components stored in the electronic equipment rack in the event of a power failure. In some embodiments, power can be directly supplied through the rails of the damper system. This is more advantageous than conventional wired connections, which may become loose or detached due to vibrations during an earthquake.

[0022] It should be understood that the above advantages are exemplary advantages and should not be interpreted as limiting. Embodiments of the present disclosure may include all, some, or none of the above advantages while remaining within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0023] Reference now Figure 1 , shows a front perspective view of a damper system 100 for an electronic equipment rack 102 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The damper system 100 includes an electronic equipment rack 102, a battery backup unit 104, and a plurality of rails 106 disposed within the electronic equipment rack 102. In some embodiments, the electronic equipment rack 102 may be configured as a server rack that accommodates one or more servers and / or additional electronic equipment (e.g., routers, switches, networking equipment, etc.). The battery backup unit 104 is slidably secured to the plurality of rails 106 and is tuned to dampen seismic vibrations of the electronic equipment rack 102 during an earthquake or any other type of vibration generating event (e.g., weather-related events, man-made events, etc.). In an embodiment, the battery backup unit 104 may be mass tuned using one or more damping mechanisms (not shown) configured to assist in damping seismic vibrations. The damping mechanism may be any type of damping device (e.g., springs, hydraulic devices, fluids, rubbers, foams, friction products, etc.) capable of producing a damping effect. This is more advantageous than a standard electronic equipment rack because the damper system 100 prevents structural failure of the rack and / or damage to any electronic equipment stored within the rack by minimizing vibrations during an earthquake. Additionally, in the event of a power loss caused by an earthquake, the battery backup unit can provide power to one or more electronic devices disposed in the electronic equipment rack.

[0024] In an embodiment, the battery backup unit 104 may include one or more fasteners (not shown) that secure the battery backup unit to the plurality of rails 106. The fasteners may be any type of fastener, such as screws, bolts, magnetic fasteners, clips, etc. In an embodiment, the battery backup unit 104 includes a sliding mechanism that allows the battery backup unit to slide along the plurality of rails 106. For example, the sliding mechanism may include slide rails, rollers, wheels, ball bearings, etc., and this is not meant to be limiting.

[0025] In the illustrated embodiment, the battery backup unit 104 is shown as a cube, however, this is not meant to be limiting. Note that the size, shape, dimensions, weight, etc. of the battery backup unit 104 may vary. Additionally, the plurality of rails 106 are shown having a first set of rails 106A positioned along the y-axis and a second set of rails 106B vertically disposed on top of the first set of rails 106B positioned along the x-axis. Note that various configurations of the plurality of rails 106 may vary. For example, fewer or more rails may be included in the configuration of the plurality of rails 106. In some embodiments, the rails may include various shapes and / or properties. For example, the rails may be curved and / or include a damping mechanism not shown but within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0026] In the illustrated embodiment, the plurality of rails 106 are disposed within a removably fixed drawer 108 that can be removed and / or fixed to the electronic equipment rack 102 via rails 110. However, in some embodiments, the plurality of rails 106 can be disposed within the electronic equipment rack 102 without the need for a drawer 108. For example, the plurality of rails 106 can be permanently fixed to the electronic equipment rack 102. In some embodiments, the drawer 108 can include a plurality of wheels (not shown) that allow the drawer to be removed from the electronic equipment rack 102.

[0027] Reference now Figure 2A and Figure 2B , respectively, show a top view of a drawer 208 of a damper system and a side view of a drawer 208 of a damper system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The drawer 208 may be substantially similar to Figure 1 The drawers 108 and 208 of the damper system 100 may be configured to be removably secured within an electronic equipment rack, such as Figure 1 An electronic equipment rack 102 is provided.

[0028] In an exemplary embodiment, a plurality of rails 206A and 206B, collectively referred to as rails 206, are disposed within drawer 208. In the illustrated embodiment, the plurality of rails 206 include a set of multi-axis rails that allow the battery backup unit 204 to slide in the xy plane when the electronic equipment rack is shaken. For example, rail 206B allows the battery support unit 204 to slide along the x-axis, while rail 206A allows the battery support unit 104 to slide along the y-axis. As shown, rail 206A is located at the top of rail 206B. In the illustrated embodiment, rail 206A is configured to slide along rail 206B. In some embodiments, rail 206A includes a sliding mechanism that allows the rail to slide along rail 206B in response to seismic vibrations. In some embodiments, the rail configuration may be different as long as the sliding function is maintained. For example, rail 206B may be positioned on rail 206A, or in another example, the rails may be interconnected so that they move and are disposed in the same plane.

[0029] In some embodiments, the battery backup unit 204 may include one or more damping mechanisms (not shown) configured to assist in damping seismic vibrations. The damping mechanism may be any type of damping device (e.g., springs, hydraulic devices, fluids, rubber, foam, friction products, etc.) capable of producing a damping effect. For example, the battery backup unit 204 may include a plurality of damping springs attached to each side of the battery backup unit 204 and / or the rails 206 to damp seismic vibrations. For example, one or more damping springs may be connected to each side of the battery backup unit 204 to keep it in the center of the rack during an earthquake. The damping springs may be mass tuned to a vibration frequency that best prevents structural failure of the electronic equipment rack. The vibration frequency may be a given amplitude or amplitude range (e.g., based on a Richter scale measurement) based on a potential earthquake that will most likely cause structural failure of the electronic equipment rack.

[0030] In some embodiments, multiple rails 206 can be configured to supply power directly from battery backup unit 204 to one or more electronic devices stored in the electronics rack. For example, multiple rails 206 can be constructed of a conductive material (e.g., metal) so that power can be sent from battery backup unit 204 to another electrical device within the rack through multiple rails 206 and drawer 208. In some embodiments, battery backup unit 204 can include a wired connection or cable to the electronic devices within the rack. For example, a backup battery can be electrically coupled to a server within a server rack. In some embodiments, battery backup unit 204 is recharged via a wireless connection, as described below.

[0031] Reference now Figure 3, shows a front zoomed view of wheels 312 of a drawer of a damper system 300 connected to power rails 316 of an electronics rack 302 in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. In the illustrated embodiment, rails 310 are secured to a side wall of the electronics rack 302. Rails 310 include rails 316 configured to provide power to recharge a battery backup unit (not shown) via wheels 312 of the drawer. As shown, power may be supplied from power rails 316 to wheels 312 and through shaft 314 of the drawer. Shaft 314 may connect / contact multiple rails, such as where a battery backup unit is secured within a drawer. Figure 1 , Figure 2A and Figure 2B In an embodiment, wheels 312, axles 314, power rails 316, and rails 310 may be constructed of conductive materials (e.g., various metals). In this way, the battery backup unit can remain fully charged before an earthquake and avoid the use of wires that may become loose or detached.

[0032] Reference now Figure 4A , shows a side view of wheels 412 of a drawer of a damper system 400A connected to a power rail 416 of an electronic equipment rack in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. In the illustrated embodiment, wheels 412 are secured to a drawer 418 and are configured to contact the power rail 416 when placed in the electronic equipment rack. Wheels 413 are secured to a side wall or rail of the equipment rack and remain stationary when the drawer 418 is removed. As shown, wheels 412 can slide along the power rail 416 toward wheels 413 when approaching and / or removing the drawer 418 holding the battery backup unit.

[0033] Reference now Figure 4B , shows a side view of a wheel 412 of a drawer of a damper system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, which is connected to a power rail 416 with a safety disconnect 420. In the illustrated embodiment, the wheel 412 is fixed to the drawer 418 and is configured to contact the power rail 416 when placed in an electronic equipment rack. The wheel 413 is fixed to the side wall or rail of the equipment rack and remains stationary when the drawer 418 is removed. As shown, when approaching and / or removing the drawer 418 holding the battery backup unit, the wheel 412 can slide along the power rail 416 toward the wheel 413. In the illustrated embodiment, the power rail 416 includes a safety disconnect that prevents the user from contacting the live electrical connection when removing the drawer. The safety disconnect 420 is shown as a protrusion arranged along the power rail 416. However, this example is not meant to be limiting. The safety disconnect can be any type of configuration that prevents the user from touching the power rail 416. In this way, the drawer 418 can be safely removed from the rack without the risk of contacting the live power rail 416.

[0034] Reference now Figure 5, a flowchart of an example method 500 for damping seismic vibrations of an electronic equipment rack using a damper system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. The method 500 utilizes Figure 1 The damper system 100 described in.

[0035] In an embodiment, method 500 begins by using a damper system for the electronic equipment rack to damp the seismic shock in response to seismic shock of the electronic equipment rack caused by an earthquake. This is shown in step 505. For example, in the event of an earthquake, the damper system will damp the shock by using a mass tuned battery backup unit to prevent failure of structural components of the electronic equipment rack. This is more advantageous than a standard electronic equipment rack because the damper system prevents structural failure of the rack and / or damage to the electronic equipment within the rack by minimizing the shock during an earthquake.

[0036] In some embodiments, method 500 continues by supplying power to one or more electronic devices arranged in an electronic equipment rack in response to a power loss to one or more electronic devices arranged in the electronic equipment rack. This is shown in step 510. For example, due to the severity of an earthquake, the total power supplied to the electronic equipment rack may be lost. Therefore, the battery backup unit not only acts as a damper, but is also configured to supply battery backup power to the electronic equipment of the rack. For example, the battery backup unit can provide backup power to a server arranged in a rack. In some embodiments, the battery backup unit directly supplies power to the electronic equipment via a series of power rails. For example, the battery backup power can be sent through one or more rails of the electronic equipment rack through multiple rails supporting the battery backup unit and sent to the electronic equipment. In some embodiments, the backup unit may include cables and / or busbars that directly provide battery backup power to the electronic equipment.

[0037] In an embodiment, the battery backup unit may include circuitry (e.g., a sensor, a switch, etc.) configured to sense when power is supplied by a power rail of an electronics rack or if a power loss occurs. The circuitry may include a switch mechanism, and when a power loss is detected / sensed, the battery backup unit will turn on and begin providing backup power to the electronics of the electronics rack. The circuitry of the battery backup unit is also configured to detect when power is returned to the power rail of the electronics rack. In response to power being returned to the rack, the backup battery will cut off / stop supplying backup battery power to the rack.

[0038] In some embodiments, method 500 continues by recharging the battery backup unit of the damper system in response to power being restored to the electronics rack. This is shown in step 515. In some embodiments, the battery backup unit is recharged through a direct connection between the battery backup unit and the electronics rack, as described above. This allows the battery backup unit to maintain a full charge prior to the earthquake and further avoids the use of wires that may become loose or detached.

[0039] In an embodiment, the circuitry of the battery backup unit may include a sensor / switch that detects and / or measures the percentage battery charge of the battery backup unit and initiates or terminates a charging function based on the percentage battery charge. For example, once it is determined that the battery backup unit is fully charged, the switch will terminate the charging function. In some embodiments, in the event of another earthquake, the method 500 returns to step 505.

[0040] The terms used herein are only used for the purpose of describing specific embodiments, and it is not intended to limit various embodiments. As used herein, the singular forms "one", "an" and "the" are intended to also include plural forms, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will also be understood that the terms "including" and / or "comprising" when used in this specification specify the existence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements and / or components, but do not exclude the existence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components and / or their groups. In the previous detailed description of the example embodiments of various embodiments, reference is made to the accompanying drawings (wherein the same reference numerals represent the same elements), which form a part of the present invention, and wherein specific example embodiments in which various embodiments can be practiced are illustrated by way of illustration. These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice these embodiments, but other embodiments may be used, and logical, mechanical, electrical and other changes may be made without departing from the scope of the various embodiments. In the previous description, many specific details are set forth to provide a thorough understanding of the various embodiments. However, various embodiments may be implemented without these specific details. In other examples, in order not to obscure the embodiments, known circuits, structures and techniques are not shown in detail.

[0041] Different instances of the word "embodiment" used in this specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, but they may refer to the same embodiment. Any data and data structures shown or described herein are examples only, and in other embodiments, different data amounts, data types, number and type of fields, field names, number and type of rows, records, entries or data organizations may be used. In addition, any data may be combined with logic, so that a separate data structure may not be required. Therefore, the above detailed description should not be construed as restrictive.

[0042] The description of various embodiments of the present disclosure has been presented for illustrative purposes, but is not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the disclosed embodiments. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope of the described embodiments. The terms used herein are selected to best explain the principles of the embodiments, practical applications, or technical improvements existing in the market, or to enable other persons of ordinary skill in the art to understand the embodiments disclosed herein.

[0043] Although the present disclosure has been described in terms of specific embodiments, it is expected that changes and modifications will become apparent to those skilled in the art. It is therefore intended that the following claims be interpreted as covering all such changes and modifications that fall within the scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A damper system for an electronic equipment rack, comprising: Electronic equipment racks; Battery backup unit; as well as A plurality of rails are disposed within the electronics rack, wherein the battery backup unit is slidably secured to the plurality of rails and is tuned to dampen seismic shaking of the electronics rack during an earthquake.

2. The damper system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of guides comprises a set of multi-axis guides that allow the battery backup unit to slide in an xy plane. 3 . The damper system of claim 1 , wherein the electronics rack comprises an upper portion, a middle portion, and a lower portion, and wherein the plurality of rails are positioned in the upper portion of the electronics rack.

4. The damper system of claim 1, wherein a plurality of damping springs are secured to the battery backup unit.

5. The damper system of claim 4, wherein the plurality of damping springs are tuned to a vibration frequency to prevent structural failure of the electronics rack in response to the earthquake.

6. The damper system of claim 1, wherein the battery backup unit supplies power to one or more electronic devices disposed in the electronics rack in response to a loss of power from the earthquake.

7. The damper system of claim 6, wherein the battery backup unit supplies power directly to the one or more electronic devices via the plurality of rails.

8. The damper system of claim 7, wherein the plurality of rails are disposed in a removably secured drawer within the electronics rack.

9. The damper system of claim 8, wherein power is supplied to the battery backup unit through the connection between the first rail of the electronics rack and the wheels of the drawer to recharge the battery backup unit.

10. The damper system of claim 9, wherein the first rail of the electronics rack includes a safety disconnect configured to disable power to the drawer when the drawer is removed from the electronics rack.

11. A damper system for a server rack, comprising: a server rack including a server; a battery backup unit electrically coupled to the server; as well as A plurality of rails are disposed within the server rack, wherein the battery backup unit is slidably secured to the plurality of rails and is tuned to dampen seismic shaking of the server rack during an earthquake.

12. The damper system of claim 11, wherein the plurality of rails comprises a set of multi-axis rails that allow the battery backup unit to slide in an xy plane.

13. The damper system of claim 11, wherein a plurality of damping springs are secured to the battery backup unit.

14. The damper system of claim 13, wherein the plurality of damping springs are tuned to a vibration frequency to prevent structural failure of the server rack in response to the earthquake.

15. The damper system of claim 11, wherein the battery backup unit supplies power to the server in response to a loss of power from the earthquake.

16. The damper system of claim 15, wherein the battery backup unit supplies power directly to the server via the plurality of rails.

17. The damper system of claim 11, wherein the plurality of rails are disposed in a removably secured drawer within the server rack, and wherein power is supplied to the battery backup unit through a connection between a first rail of the server rack and a wheel of the drawer to recharge the battery backup unit.

18. A method for damping vibrations of an electronic equipment rack during an earthquake, the method comprising: In response to seismic shaking of the electronic equipment rack caused by an earthquake, The seismic vibrations are damped using a damper system for the electronic equipment rack, the damper system comprising: the electronic equipment rack; Battery backup units; and A plurality of rails are disposed within the electronics rack, wherein the battery backup unit is slidably secured to the plurality of rails and is tuned to dampen seismic shaking of the electronics rack during an earthquake.

19. The method according to claim 18, further comprising: In response to a loss of power to one or more electronic devices disposed in the electronic equipment rack, Power is supplied to the one or more electronic devices disposed in the electronic equipment rack via the battery backup unit of the damper system.

20. The method according to claim 19, further comprising: In response to power being restored to the electronics rack, the battery backup unit of the damper system is recharged directly through the plurality of rails.

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