Removable Transport Caster Assembly for Tool-Free Cabinet Relocation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Data center cabinets with fixed casters are costly due to their permanent installation, and existing removable transport casters are difficult to install, requiring the cabinet to be lifted off the ground.
Innovation Solution
A removable transport caster assembly with a mounting plate, lifting plate, and wheel assembly, secured by a transport caster bracket that can be easily installed on data center cabinets without tools, allowing for offset mounting for easy access and clearance from equipment rails, and featuring a lifting lever for lifting the cabinet without load on the wheels during installation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If fixed casters are installed on data center cabinets, then the cabinet can be easily relocated, but the cost of the cabinet increases
Solution Approach 1:
The caster assembly is designed to be removable rather than permanently fixed, allowing the system to dynamically transition between mobile and stationary states. The caster can be installed when relocation is needed and removed when not needed, making the mobility capability dynamic rather than static, thus reducing permanent cost while maintaining operational flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the parameter of caster attachment from permanent (fixed) to temporary (removable). This parameter change allows the same caster hardware to serve multiple cabinets over time, reducing the per-cabinet cost while maintaining the ability to relocate cabinets when needed.
2Ease of manufacture
If removable transport casters are installed on data center cabinets, then the cabinet cost is reduced, but the installation becomes difficult requiring the cabinet to be lifted off the ground
Solution Approach 1:
The caster assembly is designed with preliminary positioning features including alignment guides and a lowering mechanism that prepares the caster for installation before the cabinet is lifted. The alignment guides pre-position the caster relative to the cabinet frame, and the lowering mechanism is pre-configured to lower the cabinet onto the caster wheels, making the installation process easier despite the removable nature.
Solution Approach 2:
The mounting plate serves as an intermediary component between the caster assembly and the cabinet frame. It provides a standardized interface that simplifies installation by distributing loads and providing alignment features, mediating the connection between the removable caster and the permanent cabinet structure.
3Device complexity
If transport casters are designed for easy installation without lifting the cabinet, then installation complexity is reduced, but the structural design becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The caster assembly is segmented into multiple independent components: the caster wheel, mounting plate, alignment guides, and lowering mechanism. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function while simplifying the overall installation process, as each segment can be independently manufactured and assembled without increasing overall design complexity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables cost-effective relocation of data center cabinets by allowing a single set of transport casters to be used across multiple cabinets, with easy installation and tool-free mounting, reducing installation complexity and improving cabinet mobility.
Implementation Method 1
a lifting lever pivotally connected to the mounting bracket
Implementation Method 2
a lifting plate pivotally connected to the mounting plate
Data Source
AI summary
A removable transport caster assembly secured to side to side beams or front to back beams in a data center cabinet in a data center. The removable transport caster assembly is temporarily installed on the cabinet to enable the cabinet to be relocated to another location in the data center. The removable transport caster assembly includes a transport caster and a transport caster bracket secured to the transport caster. The transport caster has a mounting plate, a mounting bracket extending from the mounting plate, a lifting plate pivotally connected to the mounting plate, a lifting lever pivotally connected to the mounting bracket and a wheel assembly. The transport caster bracket secures the transport caster to the cabinet when relocation of the cabinet is desired.