Battery storage cabinet with unique battery equipment brackets

Abstract

The present invention provides a battery storage cabinet and a battery storage cabinet storage system that enables efficient storage of batteries while allowing easy installation and removal of individual batteries, comprising shelves for fixing electronic devices such as battery equipment to the shelves, a storage cabinet including the shelves, and a method for fixing the battery equipment to the shelves. [Solution] The shelf may include a top surface. The shelf may include a set of retaining tabs 112 configured to connect a set of battery devices. The shelf may include a set of aligning tabs 114 configured to align the one or more battery devices when one or more of the battery devices of the set of battery devices are moved from a non-fixed position to a fixed position.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 744,642, filed on January 13, 2025, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] The present disclosure relates to a battery storage vault, and more particularly to a mounting system within the battery storage vault.

Background Art

[0003] Data centers rely heavily on batteries to provide primary or secondary power to servers within the data center. These batteries are often safely housed in compartments such as battery vaults. Due to space limitations within the data center, it is necessary to be able to quickly remove individual batteries from a battery pack if needed, while also housing the battery packs within the battery vault in the smallest possible space. However, current battery storage systems cannot improve the packing efficiency of the batteries within the vault while allowing for easy installation and removal of individual batteries. For example, in a system that includes battery equipment in layers or rows from front to back, technicians may need to access the rear or side panels of the battery vault for installation and / or removal of each shelf of the batteries.

[0004] Therefore, there is a need for a battery vault and a battery vault storage system that can efficiently store batteries while allowing for easy installation and removal of individual batteries.

Summary of the Invention

[0005] Therefore, the present disclosure is directed to a shelf for fixing electronic devices such as battery equipment to a shelf, a vault including the shelf, and a method for fixing the battery equipment to the shelf.

[0006] In some embodiments, the technology described herein relates to a shelf for securing battery equipment, the shelf comprising a top surface, a set of retaining tabs configured to connect a set of battery equipment, and a set of aligning tabs configured to align the one or more battery equipment of the set of battery equipment when one or more battery equipment is moved from an unfixed position to a fixed position.

[0007] In some embodiments, the technology described herein relates to a storage cabinet, which includes a storage cabinet frame and at least one shelf for securing battery equipment, the at least one shelf including a top surface and a set of retaining tabs configured to hold a set of battery equipment in a first row and a set of aligning tabs configured to align the one or more battery equipment when one or more of the set of battery equipment is moved from an unfixed position to a fixed position.

[0008] In some embodiments, the techniques described herein relate to a method for securing a battery device to a shelf, the method comprising: positioning the battery device in an unfixed position on the shelf including a set of alignment tabs and a set of retaining tabs; guiding the battery device between pairs of alignment tabs of the set of alignment tabs; and moving the battery device until at least one tab-receiving element of the battery device contacts at least one retaining tab of the set of retaining tabs.

[0009] It should be understood that both the general description above and the detailed description below are illustrative and explanatory, and do not necessarily limit the disclosure. The accompanying drawings illustrating the subject matter of this disclosure are incorporated herein and constitute part thereof. Together, the above description and drawings serve to illustrate the principles of this disclosure. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] Many of the advantages of this disclosure can be better understood by those skilled in the art by referring to the accompanying drawings.

[0011] [Figure 1]This is a perspective view showing the top surface of a shelf for housing electronic devices according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0012] [Figure 2A] This is an enlarged perspective view showing two retaining tabs of the shelf described above, according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0013] [Figure 2B] This is an enlarged perspective view showing a pair of the above-described shelf alignment tabs according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0014] [Figure 3] This is an inverted top perspective view showing a pair of battery devices arranged on a shelf and connected together, according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0015] [Figure 4] This figure shows a storage cabinet, according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, which includes a storage cabinet frame and multiple shelves for securing one or more battery devices.

[0016] [Figure 5] This is a process flow diagram illustrating a method for securing battery equipment to a shelf according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0017] Before describing in detail one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, it should be understood that the applications of such embodiments are not limited to the configuration details and arrangements of components, steps, or methodologies described below or shown in the drawings above. The detailed descriptions of the embodiments below may include numerous specific details for a more thorough understanding of the present disclosure. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art who benefit from this immediate disclosure that the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented without some of those specific details. In other cases, well-known features may not be described in detail to avoid unnecessarily complicating the disclosure.

[0018] As used in this disclosure, the letters following a reference number are intended to refer to entities having features or features that may be similar to, but are not necessarily identical to, those previously described with the same reference number (e.g., 1, 1a, 1b). Such abbreviations are used for convenience only and should not be construed as limiting this disclosure in any way unless expressly stated to the contrary.

[0019] Furthermore, unless otherwise specified, "or" refers to an inclusive or exclusive, not an inclusive or exclusive or. For example, condition A or B is if any one of the following is true: A is true (or exists) and B is false (or does not exist), A is false (or does not exist) and B is true (or exists), and both A and B are true (or exist).

[0020] In addition, singular forms may be used to describe elements and components of embodiments of the present disclosure. This is done solely for convenience, and the singular form is intended to include "one" or "at least one," and unless it is clear that there is another meaning, the singular form includes the plural form.

[0021] Finally, any reference to "one embodiment" or "an embodiment" as used in this disclosure means that the particular elements, features, structures, or characteristics described in connection with that embodiment are included in at least one embodiment of this disclosure. The appearances of the phrase "in an embodiment" in various places in this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment, and may include an embodiment that includes one or more of the features explicitly described or inherent in this disclosure, or any combination or sub - combination of two or more such features, along with any other features that may not necessarily be explicitly described or inherent in this disclosure.

[0022] Shelves for fixing electronic devices such as batteries or battery devices, a storage vault including one or more of such shelves, and a method for fixing electronic devices are disclosed. The shelf includes an upper surface, and the upper surface includes a set of retaining tabs configured to connect one or more battery devices, and a set of alignment tabs configured to assist an operator to easily and accurately push the battery towards the retaining tabs to fix the battery device to the shelf. The shelf enables a blind mate or blind connection (e.g., a connection where there is no need to see a physical connector) of the battery device to the shelf, making it easy for the operator to install. Since the retaining tabs and the alignment tabs are formed from the material of the shelf and do not require additional fixtures, the shelf reduces the number of parts that need to be installed during the assembly of the shelf / battery storage vault and the fixing of the battery device.

[0023] FIG. 1 shows a top perspective view of a shelf 100 for housing an electronic device according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. The shelf described above may house any type of device including, but not limited to, a battery, a battery device, and / or a computer (e.g., a server). By way of example, the shelf 100 may be configured to secure two battery devices that store power for supplying power to one or more computers. The shelf described above may be configured to house any number of battery devices including, but not limited to, one, two, three, four, five, six, or seven or more battery devices. The shelf 100 may be composed of any type of material including metal. By way of example, the shelf 100 may include aluminum or iron.

[0024] In an embodiment, the shelf 100 includes side ribs 102a, 102b (e.g., disposed on opposite sides 103a, 103b) of the shelf 100 and is configured to be connectable to a storage vault. By way of example, the side ribs 102a, 102b may be connectable to one or more support structures (e.g., the frame or frame elements) of the storage vault by fixtures and / or may be slidable into grooves within the storage vault. The side ribs 102a, 102b may also provide structural support to the shelf 100 to keep the upper surface 104 (e.g., the upper surface facing upward with respect to the shelf 100) relatively flat and uniform while resisting the weight of the battery devices described above.

[0025] In an embodiment, the shelf 100 includes a front rib 106 and a rear rib 108 (e.g., disposed on the front side 107 and the rear side 109 of the shelf respectively) configured to be connectable to a support structure of a storage vault. The front rib 106 and the rear rib 108 may be fixable to the storage vault by fixtures. The front rib 106 and the rear rib 108 may also provide structural support to the shelf 100.

[0026] In an embodiment, the shelf 100 includes one or more support ribs 110 configured to provide additional support to the shelf. For example, one or more support ribs 110 may be positioned between the side ribs 102a, 102b and substantially parallel to the side ribs 102a, 102b or substantially parallel to the front rib 106. In other examples, the one or more support ribs 110 may not be positioned parallel to the side ribs 102a, 102b or the front rib 106. The one or more support ribs may be positioned relative to the lower surface 111 of the shelf 100 (e.g., the lower surface 111 opposite the upper surface 104 and facing downwards).

[0027] In an embodiment, the shelf 100 includes a set of retaining tabs 112 configured to connect to one or more battery devices. For example, the set of retaining tabs 112 may be configured to be blind-mate or blind-connected to the one or more battery devices. For example, the set of retaining tabs 112 may be configured to receive battery devices sliding across the top surface 104 of the shelf 100. When the battery devices come into contact with the set of retaining tabs 112, one or more of the retaining tabs interact with one or more tab-receiving elements (e.g., recesses) of the battery devices, connecting the one or more retaining tabs to the battery devices. The interaction between the retaining tabs 112 and the tab-receiving elements may include a press fit (e.g., press fit, friction fit), a tuck fit, or a snap fit. For example, the interaction between the retaining tabs 112 and the tab-receiving elements of the battery devices may include a "snap" snap fit. The shelf 100 may include any number of retaining tabs 112 for which battery devices are connected.

[0028] In an embodiment, the shelf 100 includes a set of alignment tabs 114 configured to align one or more battery devices. For example, the set of alignment tabs 114 may be configured to align one or more battery devices from a non-fixed position (e.g., the position of the front rib 106 or a position near it) to a fixed position where the battery devices are connected to the set of holding tabs 112. The set of alignment tabs 114 may include alignment tabs 114 of any shape or size. For example, the alignment tabs 114 may include a simple fold made of material rising from the top surface 104. The shelf 100 may include any number of alignment tabs 114 for connecting battery devices.

[0029] In an embodiment, the shelf 100 includes a set of openings 116 within the top surface 104. The openings 116 can be used for a variety of functions. For example, one or more openings may include small holes used in combination with fasteners (e.g., screws) to attach one or more components of the electronic equipment or storage unit to the shelf. For example, the openings 116 may include screw holes that can be used to attach support rods and / or busbars, which themselves can be connected to the battery equipment. As another example, one or more openings 116 may include larger holes (e.g., circles or rectangles) that allow wiring to be routed between the shelves 100. For example, the one or more openings 116 may be used to pass wiring for connecting one or more battery equipment in series or parallel.

[0030] Figure 2A shows an enlarged perspective view of two retaining tabs 112a, 112b of a shelf 100 according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. The retaining tabs 112a, 112b may include vertical members 202a, 202b connected to the top surface 104 at a first end, and horizontal members 204a, 204b connected to the vertical members at a second end. The L-shape of the retaining tabs 112a, 112b may provide a basis for interaction and connection between 112a, 112b and the battery equipment.

[0031] In this embodiment, the retaining tabs 112a and 112b are punched out (e.g., stamped) from the top surface (e.g., leaving holes 206a and 206b). The punched and molded retaining tabs 112a and 112b adhere well to the top surface 104 and provide considerable strength for connection to the battery device.

[0032] Figure 2B shows an enlarged perspective view of the pair of alignment tabs 114a, 114b of the shelf 100 according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. Each of the above pair of alignment tabs 114a, 114b may include vertical members 208a, 208b connected to the top surface 104 at a first end. The above positions of the pair of alignment tabs 114a, 114b provide a valley 210 through which the battery equipment is guided when it is moved (e.g., slid) from the above non-fixed position to the above fixed position.

[0033] In the embodiment, the above pair of alignment tabs 114a, 114b are punched out (e.g., stamped) from the above top surface (e.g., leaving holes 212a, 212b). The punched-out alignment tabs 114a, 114b adhere well to the top surface 104 and provide considerable strength for guiding and positioning the above battery equipment.

[0034] Figure 3 shows an inverted top perspective view of a pair of battery devices 300a, 300b arranged and connected on a shelf 100 according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. Four retaining tabs 112c, 112d, 112e, 112f connect the above battery devices to the top surface 104 of the shelf 100 (e.g., by interacting with tab receiving elements 304a, 304b, 304c, 304d). The battery devices 300a, 300b may be further connected to the top surface 104 of the shelf 100 via support rods 302 connected to both the shelf 100 and one or more battery devices 300a, 300b. As shown in Figure 3, the arrangement of the retaining tabs 112c, 112d, 112e, 112f and the alignment tab 114 allows two battery devices 300a, 300b to be mounted side by side on the shelf 100.

[0035] Figure 4 shows a storage cabinet 400, according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, which includes a plurality of shelves 100 mounted on a storage cabinet frame 401 and for securing one or more battery devices 300c, 300d. The rear and side panels of the storage cabinet 400 are removed to expose the shelves 100 and battery devices 300. The storage cabinet 400 may include or be connectable to any number of shelves, including but not limited to one shelf, two or more shelves 100, four or more shelves 100, eight or more shelves 100, or sixteen or more shelves 100. For example, the above storage cabinet may include nine shelves 100. The shelves 100 may be attached to the frame 401 (e.g., columns of frame 401) by screws or other fasteners.

[0036] The rear side 402 of the storage unit 400 shows retaining tabs 112g, 112h, and 112i for connecting battery equipment 300c and 300d to the shelf 100. In this way, a technician accessing the front side 404 of the storage unit 400 can position the battery equipment 300d at the front of the shelf 100 near the front rib 106 and between the pair of alignment tabs 114a and 114b (in a non-fixed position), and slide (e.g., move) the battery equipment 300d until it interacts with and connects to the retaining tabs 112h and 112i.

[0037] Figure 5 shows a process flowchart illustrating a method 500 for securing a battery device 300 to a shelf 100, according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. Method 500 may be used in conjunction with the shelf 100 and / or storage unit 400 described in the present disclosure.

[0038] In an embodiment, the method 500 includes step 510 of positioning the battery equipment 300 on the shelf 100 in a non-fixed position (e.g., near the front rib 106 and / or toward the front side 404 of the storage unit), where the shelf 100 includes a set of alignment tabs 114 and a set of retaining tabs 112.

[0039] In an embodiment, method 500 includes step 520 of guiding the battery device 300 between the pair of alignment tabs 114a, 114b of the set of alignment tabs 114. In an embodiment, method 500 includes step 520 of moving the battery device 300 until at least one tab receiving element 304 of the battery device 300 contacts at least one retaining tab 112 of the set of retaining tabs 112. For example, the technician may move the battery device 300 until the technician senses resistance by the retaining tab 112 or until an audible or tactile event (e.g., a click) indicates that the battery device 300 has been connected to the shelf 100.

[0040] The subjects described in this disclosure may also refer to different components contained within or connected to other different components. The configurations described above are merely illustrative, and it should be understood that many other configurations are actually implementable to achieve the same functionality. Conceptually, any arrangement of components to achieve the same functionality is effectively “associated” in such a way that the desired functionality is achieved. Thus, any two components in this disclosure that are combined to achieve a particular functionality can be seen as “associating” with each other to achieve the desired functionality, regardless of the configuration or intermediary components. Similarly, any two components that are associated in this way can be seen as “operably connected” or “operably linked” with each other to achieve the desired functionality, and any two components that can be associated in this way can be seen as “operably linkable” with each other to achieve the desired functionality. Specific examples of operafully linkable components include, but are not limited to, physically matable and / or physically interacting components, and / or wirelessly interacting and / or wirelessly interacting components, and / or logically interacting and / or logically interactable components.

[0041] Those skilled in the art will generally understand that the terms used in this disclosure, and in particular in the appended claims (e.g., the main part of the appended claims), are generally intended to be “open” terms (e.g., the term “including” should be interpreted as “including but not limited to,” the term “having” should be interpreted as “having at least,” and “including” should be interpreted as “including but not limited to,” etc.).

[0042] While specific aspects of the subject matter described herein have been illustrated and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that, in accordance with the teachings of this disclosure, modifications and alterations are possible without departing from the subject matter of this disclosure and its broader aspects. Accordingly, the appended claims should encompass all such modifications and alterations within the true spirit and scope of the subject matter described herein. Furthermore, it should be understood that the present invention is defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A shelf for securing battery equipment in a storage room, Top surface and, A set of retaining tabs configured to connect a set of battery devices, A set of alignment tabs configured to align one or more battery devices when one or more battery devices of the set of battery devices are moved from a non-fixed position to a fixed position, A shelf equipped with a shelf.

2. One or more of the retaining tabs in the set of retaining tabs are A vertical member connected to the upper surface at its first end, A horizontal member connected to the vertical member at its second end, The shelf according to claim 1, comprising:

3. The shelf according to claim 2, wherein one or more of the set of retaining tabs are punched out from the top surface of the shelf.

4. The shelf according to claim 1, wherein one or more of the set of alignment tabs are provided with a vertical member connected at a first end to the upper surface.

5. The shelf according to claim 4, wherein one or more of the set of alignment tabs are punched out from the top surface.

6. The shelf according to claim 1, wherein the set of retaining tabs is configured to be blindly connected to the set of battery devices.

7. The shelf according to claim 1, further comprising two side ribs positioned on opposite sides of the shelf, wherein the two side ribs are configured to be connectable to the support structure of the storage unit.

8. The shelf according to claim 1, further comprising front ribs and rear ribs positioned on the front and rear sides of the shelf, wherein the front ribs and rear ribs are configured to be connectable to the support structure of the storage unit.

9. The shelf according to claim 8, further comprising a support rib positioned on the lower surface of the shelf, wherein the support rib is positioned between the front rib and the rear rib.

10. The shelf according to claim 1, further, Front ribs and rear ribs, positioned on the front and rear sides of the shelf, are configured to be connectable to the support structure of the storage unit, A support rib positioned on the underside of the shelf, located between the front rib and the rear rib and substantially parallel thereto, The storage unit comprises side ribs positioned on the opposite side of the shelf, configured to be connectable to the support structure of the storage unit, Here, one or more of the retaining tabs in the set of retaining tabs are A vertical member connected to the upper surface at its first end, A horizontal member connected to the vertical member at its second end, Equipped with, Here, one or more of the retaining tabs of the set of retaining tabs are punched out from the upper surface of the shelf, One or more of the set of alignment tabs are provided with a vertical member connected at a first end to the upper surface, One or more of the alignment tabs in the set of alignment tabs are punched out from the top surface, The set of retaining tabs is configured to be blindly connected to the set of battery devices. shelf.

11. It is a storage facility, Storage cabinet frame and A shelf configured to hold battery equipment, Equipped with, The aforementioned at least one shelf is Top surface and, A set of retaining tabs configured to connect a set of battery devices, A set of alignment tabs configured to align one or more battery devices when one or more battery devices of the set of battery devices are moved from a non-fixed position to a fixed position, A storage facility equipped with these features.

12. One or more of the retaining tabs in the set of retaining tabs are A vertical member connected to the upper surface at its first end, A horizontal member connected to the vertical member at its second end, The storage cabinet according to claim 11, comprising the features described above.

13. The storage cabinet according to claim 12, wherein one or more of the retaining tabs of the set of retaining tabs are punched out from the upper surface of the shelf.

14. The storage cabinet according to claim 11, wherein one or more of the set of alignment tabs are provided with a vertical member connected at a first end to the upper surface.

15. The storage cabinet according to claim 14, wherein one or more of the set of alignment tabs are punched out from the top surface.

16. The storage cabinet according to claim 11, wherein the set of retaining tabs is configured to be blindly connected to the set of battery devices.

17. The storage cabinet according to claim 11, wherein the shelves further include Front ribs and rear ribs, positioned on the front and rear sides of the shelf, are configured to be connectable to the support structure of the storage unit, A support rib positioned on the underside of the shelf, positioned between the front rib and the rear rib and substantially parallel thereto, It comprises side ribs arranged on the opposite side of the shelf, which are configured to be connectable to the support structure of the storage unit, Here, one or more of the retaining tabs in the set of retaining tabs are A vertical member connected to the upper surface at its first end, A horizontal member connected to the vertical member at its second end, Equipped with, Here, one or more of the retaining tabs of the set of retaining tabs are punched out from the upper surface of the shelf, One or more of the set of alignment tabs are provided with a vertical member connected at a first end to the upper surface, One or more of the alignment tabs in the set of alignment tabs are punched out from the top surface, The set of retaining tabs is configured to be blindly connected to the set of battery devices. Storage.

18. A method for securing battery-powered equipment to a shelf, The step includes placing the battery equipment in a non-fixed position on the shelf, the shelf being Top surface and, A set of retaining tabs configured to connect a set of battery devices, A set of alignment tabs configured to align one or more battery devices when one or more battery devices of the set of battery devices are moved from a non-fixed position to a fixed position, Equipped with, The steps include guiding the battery device between pairs of alignment tabs of the set of alignment tabs, The steps include moving the battery device until at least one tab receiving element of the battery device contacts at least one retaining tab of the set of retaining tabs, A method that includes this.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein the set of retaining tabs is configured to be blindly connected to the set of battery devices.

20. The method according to claim 18, wherein the shelf further comprises Front ribs and rear ribs, positioned on the front and rear sides of the shelf, are configured to be connectable to the support structure of the storage unit, A support rib positioned on the underside of the shelf, located between the front rib and the rear rib and substantially parallel thereto, It comprises side ribs arranged on the opposite side of the shelf, which are configured to be connectable to the support structure of the storage unit, Here, one or more of the retaining tabs in the set of retaining tabs are A vertical member connected to the upper surface at its first end, A horizontal member connected to the vertical member at its second end, Equipped with, Here, one or more of the retaining tabs of the set of retaining tabs are punched out from the upper surface of the shelf, One or more of the set of alignment tabs are provided with a vertical member connected at a first end to the upper surface, One or more of the alignment tabs in the set of alignment tabs are punched out from the top surface, The set of retaining tabs is configured to be blindly connected to the set of battery devices. method.

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