Collapsible Rack Bracket Structure That Avoids Hinge Torque Load
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing rack-mounting brackets with fixed stand-off arms are bulky for storage and shipping, while foldable brackets with hinges may deform under the weight and torque of the equipment due to the hinges bearing the load and torque, compromising structural integrity.
Innovation Solution
A bracket with moveably connected stand-off arms that can be folded for compact storage and shipping, where the hinges or mechanisms connecting the arms to the back member are located inside the span between the arms, allowing the arms to support their own weight and the equipment's weight and torque without transmitting torque through the hinges, using anchors spaced at standard distances for secure attachment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If foldable stand-off arms with hinges are used, then the bracket becomes compact for storage and shipping, but the hinges must bear the weight and torque of the arms and equipment, causing potential deformation or failure
Solution Approach 1:
The bracket is divided into three main segments: the back member, the stand-off arms, and the folding mechanism. By positioning the folding mechanism only to connect the arms to the back member (and not to support the anchors), the structural load is segmented away from the folding joints, allowing compact folding while maintaining strength during use.
Solution Approach 2:
The weight-bearing function is extracted from the folding mechanism and assigned to the rigid stand-off arms and their anchors. The folding mechanism is left with only the function of enabling compact storage, removing the conflicting requirement for it to simultaneously bear heavy loads and torques.
2Strength
If fixed rigid stand-off arms are used, then the bracket can strongly support the weight and torque of mounted equipment, but the bracket becomes bulky for storage and shipping
Solution Approach 1:
The stand-off arms transition from a static fixed configuration to a dynamic foldable configuration. During installation and use, the arms extend rigidly to provide full structural support. During storage and shipping, the arms can be folded against the back member to reduce the bracket's depth, enabling compact storage while maintaining full strength when deployed.
3Device complexity
If hinges are positioned at the outer edges of the stand-off arms, then the bracket structure is simplified, but the hinges must support the full torque of the mounted equipment
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of positioning the folding mechanism at the outer edges of the stand-off arms (which would subject it to maximum torque), the anchors are positioned at the outer edges while the folding mechanism is placed inward between them. This inverts the conventional arrangement, allowing the folding mechanism to be structurally protected from the full torque loads while still enabling the arms to extend to their full functional length.
Data Source
AI summary
A bracket supports the weight of stand-off standard-width rack-mount equipment and can collapse flat for storage or shipping. An embodiment comprises a back member along the bracket's mounting plane and two stand-off arms each having portions extending along the plane and extending normal to it. Each arm moveably attaches to permit positioning the arm when the bracket is not installed so as to decrease the arm's normal dimension, and each arm comprises at least one anchor permitting attachment to a supporting structure. Another embodiment concerns a method of installing a bracket with a back member and moveably connected stand-off arms, comprising moving each arm in a manner that increases the arm's extension in a direction normal to the mounting plane, and attaching to at least one supporting structure each stand-off arm at at least one anchor.