Rack Shelf Back Interface for Automatic Rear Connector Coupling
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Solution Overview
Problem
The installation of electronic systems in racks is cumbersome and inefficient, requiring technicians to walk behind the racks to mount rear flanges and connect power, networking cables, and fluidic conduits, which can lead to high temperatures and increased data center implementation costs due to the reserved space for these tasks.
Innovation Solution
A back interface is integrated into the rack shelves, allowing for automatic coupling of power chords, network cables, and fluidic conduits to the electronic system during installation, eliminating the need for technicians to walk behind the rack and reducing the required installation space.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If technicians manually mount rear flanges and connect cables behind the rack, then the installation can be completed, but the installation process becomes cumbersome and requires additional space behind the rack
Solution Approach 1:
The back interface is pre-integrated into the rack shelf structure, with power chords, network cables, and fluidic conduits already routed and positioned. When the electronic system is installed, these connections are automatically aligned and coupled, eliminating the need for technicians to manually route and connect cables behind the rack.
Solution Approach 2:
The back interface enables the rack shelf to automatically provide and align connection interfaces with the electronic system during installation. The system self-couples the power, network, and cooling connections without requiring manual intervention, making the installation process simpler and faster.
2Ease of operation
If technicians access the back of the rack for installation tasks, then connections can be made, but high temperatures are experienced and space must be reserved
Solution Approach 1:
The connection interfaces are extracted from the traditional location behind the rack and repositioned to the front or side of the rack where technicians can access them in cooler environments. The back interface brings all necessary connections to accessible locations, eliminating the need for technicians to work in the hot space behind the rack.
3Ease of operation
If space is reserved behind the rack for installation tasks, then technicians can perform mounting and connection, but data center implementation costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The connection interfaces are repositioned from the traditional rear horizontal space to vertical or lateral dimensions that are more efficiently utilized. By moving connections to the front or side of the rack, the design eliminates the need for reserved horizontal space behind the rack, optimizing data center floor space utilization and reducing implementation costs.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus is described. The apparatus includes a rack shelf back interface. The rack shelf back interface has first and second flanges to mount to a rack's rear facing rack mounts. The rack shelf back interface has a power connector610 on an inside of a back face of the rack shelf interface, the power connector to mate with a corresponding power connector on an electronic system that is to be installed in the rack shelf. The rack shelf back interface has an alignment feature on the inside of the back face of the rack shelf interface to ensure that the power connector properly mates with the corresponding power connector.