Cold aisle containment mechanism and slide rail assembly having the same

Abstract

The utility model discloses a slide rail assembly with cold channel mechanism, it includes outer frame, middle frame, left stop piece, right stop piece, elastic part, inner frame, cold channel operating part, first reset elastic part, cold channel lock piece, second reset elastic part and unlocking operating part, if want to enter to open cold channel state, then through external force to cold channel operating part moves to the outside and makes the front end of cold channel lock piece abuts at first stop portion to let the cold channel operating part enter to lock state, if want to return to close cold channel state, then through external force to unlock operating part to the outside and stir, to make unlocking protruding portion to link the front end of cold channel lock piece and go up and through first reset elastic part to let cold channel operating part move to the inside and restore to the unlocking state.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to a limiting movement mechanism, and more particularly to a cold aisle mechanism suitable for server chassis and a slide rail assembly having the same. Background Technology

[0002] With the maturity and development of the computer industry and cloud technology, the demand for electronic data access is increasing. To meet this massive information access demand, modern server equipment consists of multiple server chassis housed within a server rack. Each server chassis contains a motherboard, power supply, and multiple hard drives. Because these server chassis contain multiple hard drives, they are quite heavy. Therefore, a sliding rail structure is used to connect the server chassis and the server rack. For example, the server chassis has two sliding rails on each side, and the server rack has two corresponding sliding rails inside. However, when an operator pulls out the server chassis (server rack), the inner frame of the sliding rail may be pulled out entirely, causing the server chassis to fall and be damaged. Furthermore, even if the server chassis (server rack) can be safely and completely pulled out, it can restrict the movement of personnel. Therefore, how to design a slide rail mechanism that can assist operators in installing server chassis is a topic worthy of discussion and solution.

[0003] Therefore, how to solve the problems and deficiencies of the existing technologies is the research topic that relevant businesses are eager to develop. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The main objective of this utility model is to provide a slide rail assembly with a cold aisle mechanism, which has a closed cold aisle state and an open cold aisle state and is suitable for installation in a server chassis. The slide rail assembly with the cold aisle mechanism includes 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 locking member, a second reset elastic member, and an unlocking operating member. The outer frame has a limiting member on its rear inner side. The middle frame is movably mounted to the outer frame. The left stop is movably mounted to the rear end of the middle frame. The right stop is movably mounted to the rear end of the middle frame, wherein 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 to 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 is connected to the server chassis. A cold aisle operating member is movably mounted to the inner frame. The cold aisle operating member has a limiting groove, with one side of the limiting groove forming a first stop, and the rear end of the cold aisle operating member forming a second stop. A first reset elastic member has one end connected to the inner frame and the other end connected to the cold aisle operating member. A cold aisle lock member is movably mounted to the inner frame and located above the first stop of the cold aisle operating member. A second reset elastic member has one end connected to the inner frame and the other end connected to the cold aisle lock member. An unlocking operating member is movably mounted to the inner frame and located above the cold aisle lock member. The bottom of the unlocking operating member has an unlocking protrusion located next to a top of the cold aisle lock member. Attached Figure Description

[0005] Figure 1 This is an exploded view of the cold aisle mechanism and the slide rail assembly having the present invention.

[0006] Figure 2 This is another exploded view of the cold aisle mechanism of this utility model and the slide rail assembly having it.

[0007] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the cold aisle mechanism of this utility model and the slide rail assembly having it.

[0008] Figure 4 This is a cross-sectional view of the cold aisle mechanism of this utility model and the slide rail assembly having it.

[0009] Figure 5 This is a diagram showing the cold aisle mechanism and slide rail assembly of the present invention in the open cold aisle state.

[0010] Figure 6 This diagram shows the completed cold aisle opening state of the cold aisle mechanism and slide rail assembly of this utility model.

[0011] Figure 7 This diagram shows the completed cold aisle opening state of the cold aisle mechanism and slide rail assembly of this utility model.

[0012] Figure 8 This diagram shows the completed cold aisle opening state of the cold aisle mechanism and slide rail assembly of this utility model.

[0013] Figure 9 This diagram shows the completed cold aisle opening state of the cold aisle mechanism and slide rail assembly of this utility model.

[0014] Figure 10 This is a diagram showing the closed cold aisle state of the cold aisle mechanism and the slide rail assembly having the present invention.

[0015] Figure 11 This diagram shows the cold aisle mechanism and slide rail assembly of the present invention in a closed cold aisle state.

[0016] Figure 12 This diagram shows the cold aisle mechanism and slide rail assembly of the present invention in a closed cold aisle state.

[0017] In the figure, the reference numerals include:

[0018] 100: Slide rail assembly with cold aisle mechanism

[0019] 101: Outer Frame

[0020] 101A: Limiting component

[0021] 102: Mid-frame

[0022] 103: Left stop

[0023] 104: Right block

[0024] 1034A: Limiting feature

[0025] 105: Elastic component

[0026] 106: Inner frame

[0027] 107: Cold aisle operating components

[0028] 1071: Limiting groove

[0029] 1071A: First stop section

[0030] 1072: Second stop section

[0031] 108: First reset elastic element

[0032] 109: Cold aisle locking mechanism

[0033] 109A: Top

[0034] 109B: Frontend

[0035] 110: Second reset elastic element

[0036] 111: Unlock Operation Component

[0037] 111A: Unlock the protrusion

[0038] FT: Fasteners Detailed Implementation

[0039] The present invention will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of the present invention and not intended to limit it. Furthermore, it should be noted that, for ease of description, the accompanying drawings show only the parts relevant to the present invention, not the entire structure.

[0040] Example

[0041] Please see Figures 1 to 5 As shown in the figure, a slide rail assembly 100 with a cold aisle mechanism has a closed cold aisle state and an open cold aisle state and is suitable for installation in a server chassis (not shown), wherein the server chassis is installed in a server rack. The slide rail assembly 100 with a cold aisle mechanism includes an outer frame 101, a middle frame 102, a left stop 103, a right stop 104, a spring member 105, an inner frame 106, a cold aisle operating member 107, a first reset spring member 108, a cold aisle locking member 109, a second reset spring member 110, and an unlocking operating member 111. A limiting member 101A is provided on the inner rear end of the outer frame 101, and 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 is movably mounted to the rear end of the middle frame 102. A right stop 104 is movably mounted on the rear end of the middle frame 102, wherein a limiting feature 1034A is formed between the left stop 103 and the right stop 104. An elastic member 105 is movably mounted on the middle frame 102, and both ends of the elastic member 105 are respectively connected to the bottom of the left stop 103 and the bottom of the right stop 104. An inner frame 106 is movably mounted to the middle frame 102 and is connected to the server chassis, which is housed within a server rack.

[0042] Furthermore, it should be noted that the cold aisle operating member 107 is movably mounted to the inner frame 106. The cold aisle operating member 107 has a limiting groove 1071, with two sides of different heights. The side of the limiting groove 1071 with the lower height is a first stop portion 1071A. The rear end of the cold aisle operating member 107 is a second stop portion 1072, which has a slightly downward slope. One end of the first reset elastic member 108 is connected to the inner frame 106, and the other end 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.

[0043] Furthermore, the cold aisle lock 109 is movably mounted to the inner frame 106, with the central region of the body of the cold aisle lock 109 located above the first stop portion 1071A of the cold aisle operating member 107. The top of the cold aisle lock 109 has an arc-shaped profile, and the front end of the cold aisle lock 109 has a protruding profile. 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 operation component 111 is movably mounted to the inner frame 106 and located above the cold aisle lock 109. The bottom of the unlocking operation component 111 has an unlocking protrusion 111A, which is located next to a top 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 109A, so as to push the top 109A of the cold aisle lock 109 when it is necessary to unlock the cold aisle.

[0044] The aforementioned elastic element 105, the first reset elastic element 108, and the second reset elastic element 110 can all be springs.

[0045] The following will further explain the two cold aisle states of the slide rail assembly 100 with the cold aisle mechanism: the closed cold aisle state and the open cold aisle state.

[0046] Please see Figures 6 to 12To transition from the closed cold aisle state to the open cold aisle state, an external force is required to move the cold aisle operating member 107 outward (the outward position refers to the handle position in the figure) so that the front end of the cold aisle locking member 109 abuts against the first stop portion 1071A, thereby locking the cold aisle operating member 107. Conversely, to transition from the open cold aisle state to the closed cold aisle state, an external force is required to push the unlocking operating member 111 outward, causing the unlocking protrusion 111A to push or engage the front end of the cold aisle locking member 109 upward. Simultaneously, the first reset elastic member 108 moves the cold aisle operating member 107 inward to return to the unlocked state. Afterward, the cold aisle locking member 109 returns to the first stop portion 1071A via the second reset elastic member 110.

[0047] The following will further explain the situation of pulling the server chassis outwards when the cold aisle is open, and pushing the server chassis back after the cold aisle is closed.

[0048] When the cold aisle is open, and the server chassis is manually pulled outward, the inner frame 106 moves outward under external force. The bottom of the right stop 104 of the middle frame 102 is blocked by the second stop 1072, limiting the outward movement of the middle frame 102. Furthermore, when the inner frame 106 moves outward under external force, the outer frame 101 moves 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, stopping there. Therefore, the server chassis can only be pulled out to a limited length, leaving more usable space for personnel movement. On the other hand, when closing the cold aisle, manual external force is required to push the unlocking mechanism 111 outwards, causing the unlocking protrusion 111A to push or engage the front end of the cold aisle lock 109 upwards. Simultaneously, the first reset elastic member 108 will cause the cold aisle mechanism 107 to move inwards and return to the unlocked state. Afterwards, the server chassis can be pushed back in.

[0049] The terms "first," "second," etc., in the specification, scope of the application, and the above-mentioned drawings are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence.

[0050] In summary, the slide rail assembly with a cold aisle mechanism disclosed in this invention can bring the following benefits:

[0051] 1. Opening the cold aisle reduces the space required for personnel to move around; and

[0052] 2. A cold aisle mechanism is used to prevent server chassis from falling and causing damage.

Claims

1. A cold aisle mechanism, particularly suitable for installation on a slide rail assembly, characterized in that, include: A cold aisle operating component (107) is movably mounted to the slide rail assembly. The cold aisle operating component (107) has a limiting groove (1071) and one side of the limiting groove (1071) is a first stop (1071A). A first reset elastic element (108) is provided with one end connected to the slide rail assembly and the other end connected to the cold aisle operating element (107). A cold aisle locking member (109) is movably mounted to the slide rail assembly and located on the first stop (1071A) of the cold aisle operating member (107); and An unlocking operation (111) is movably mounted to the slide rail assembly and located above the cold aisle lock (109). The bottom of the unlocking operation (111) has an unlocking protrusion (111A) and is located next to a top (109A) of the cold aisle lock (109).

2. The cold aisle mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cold aisle mechanism has an open cold aisle state and a closed cold aisle state. To move from the closed cold aisle state to the open cold aisle state, an external force is used to move the cold aisle operating member (107) outward and cause the front end (109B) of the cold aisle locking member (109) to abut against the first stop (1071A) so that the cold aisle operating member (107) enters the locked state. To move from the open cold aisle state to the closed cold aisle state, the external force is used to push the unlocking operating member (111) outward so that the unlocking protrusion (111A) drives the front end (109B) of the cold aisle locking member (109) upward and, through the first reset elastic member (108), the cold aisle operating member (107) moves inward to return to the unlocked state.

3. The cold aisle mechanism according to claim 2, characterized in that, The slide rail assembly includes an outer frame (101), a middle frame (102), and an inner frame (106), and the inner frame (106) is connected and installed to a server chassis. The outer frame (101) has a limiting member (101A) on the inner rear end. The middle frame (102) is movably installed to the outer frame (101), and the inner frame (106) is movably installed to the middle frame (102). The cold aisle operating member (107), the cold aisle locking member (109), and the unlocking operating member (111) are installed on the inner frame (106). One end of the first reset elastic member (108) is connected to the inner frame (106). The cold aisle mechanism further includes: A left stop (103) is movably mounted on the rear end of the middle frame (102); A right stop (104) is movably mounted to the rear end of the middle frame (102), wherein a limiting feature (1034A) is formed between the left stop (103) and the right stop (104); and An elastic member (105) is movably mounted on the middle frame (102), and the two ends of the elastic member (105) are respectively connected to the bottom of the left stop (103) and the bottom of the right stop (104).

4. The cold aisle mechanism according to claim 2, characterized in that, The cold aisle mechanism includes a second reset elastic member (110), one end of which is connected to the slide rail assembly and located on the first stop (1071A) of the cold aisle operating member (107). The cold aisle lock member (109) is restored to the first stop (1071A) through the second reset elastic member (110).

5. The cold aisle mechanism according to claim 3, characterized in that, The rear end of the cold aisle operating member (107) is a second stop (1072). When the cold aisle is open, when the inner frame (106) is moved outward by an external force, the bottom of the right stop (104) of the middle frame (102) will be blocked by the second stop (1072) and the movement of the middle frame (102) will be limited.

6. The cold aisle mechanism according to claim 3, characterized in that, When the inner frame (106) is subjected to an external force and moves outward, the outer frame (101) moves 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.

7. The cold aisle mechanism according to claim 2, characterized in that, The top (109A) of the cold aisle lock (109) has an arc shape, and the front end (109B) of the cold aisle lock (109) has a protruding shape. The lowest horizontal position of the unlocking protrusion (111A) of the unlocking operation member (111) is higher than the highest horizontal position of the top (109A) of the cold aisle lock (109).

8. A slide rail assembly with a cold aisle mechanism, characterized in that, It has a closed cold aisle state and an open cold aisle state and is suitable for installation in a server chassis. The slide rail assembly (100) with the cold aisle mechanism includes: An outer frame (101) has a limiting member (101A) on the inner rear side. A middle frame (102) is movably mounted to the outer frame (101). A left stop (103) is movably mounted on the rear end of the middle frame (102); A right stop (104) is movably mounted on the rear end of the middle frame (102), wherein a limiting feature (1034A) is formed between the left stop (103) and the right stop (104). An elastic member (105) is movably mounted on the middle frame (102), and the two ends of the elastic member (105) are respectively connected to the bottom of the left stop (103) and the bottom of the right stop (104); An inner frame (106) is movably mounted to the middle frame (102) and the inner frame (106) is connected to the server chassis; A cold aisle operating component (107) is movably mounted to the inner frame (106). The cold aisle operating component (107) has a limiting groove (1071) and one side of the limiting groove (1071) is a first stop (1071A). The rear end of the cold aisle operating component (107) is a second stop (1072). A first reset elastic member (108) is provided with one end connected to the inner frame (106) and the other end connected to the cold aisle operating member (107). A cold aisle locking member (109) is movably mounted to the inner frame (106) and located above the first stop (1071A) of the cold aisle operating member (107); A second reset elastic member (110), one end of which is connected to the inner frame (106), and the other end of which is connected to the cold aisle lock member (109); and An unlocking operation (111) is movably mounted to the inner frame (106) and located above the cold aisle lock (109). The unlocking operation (111) has an unlocking protrusion (111A) at its bottom and is located next to a top (109A) of the cold aisle lock (109).

9. The slide rail assembly with a cold aisle mechanism according to claim 8, characterized in that, If it is to move from the closed cold aisle state to the open cold aisle state, an external force is used to move the cold aisle operating member (107) outward and cause the front end (109B) of the cold aisle locking member (109) to abut against the first stop (1071A) so that the cold aisle operating member (107) enters the locked state.

10. The slide rail assembly with a cold aisle mechanism according to claim 8, characterized in that, If it is to move from the open cold aisle state to the closed cold aisle state, an external force is used to push the unlocking operation member (111) outward, so that the unlocking protrusion (111A) drives the front end (109B) of the cold aisle lock member (109) upward and, through the first reset elastic member (108), the cold aisle operation member (107) moves inward to return to the unlocked state.

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