Removable Display for Rack-Mounted Server Status
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Solution Overview
Problem
Rack-mountable information handling components have limited space on their front panels for displaying status information, leading to small, difficult-to-read text and limited information capacity, which increases manufacturing and maintenance costs without providing continuous visual status updates.
Innovation Solution
A removable system management information display system with a housing, screen, control, and mount structure that can be connected to various information handling components, allowing for a larger display area than traditional integrated displays and enabling information sharing across multiple components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If a display is integrated on the front panel of a rack-mountable component, then the component can provide status information from the front panel, but the display area is limited to the component's footprint (typically 1U height of 1.75 inches), resulting in small, difficult-to-read text and limited information capacity
Solution Approach 1:
The display is separated from the information handling component and placed on a removable tray or cabinet that can be positioned independently. This segmentation allows the display to have a larger area not constrained by the component's front panel dimensions, while the component itself remains compact for rack mounting.
Solution Approach 2:
A removable tray or cabinet serves as an intermediary between the information handling component and the display. This intermediary provides a larger surface area for the display while maintaining the compact footprint of the original component in the rack system.
2Loss of information
If multiple display elements are added to communicate more status information from the front panel, then more information can be displayed, but the manufacturing and maintenance costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The display and the information handling component are merged into a single removable tray assembly. This allows one display unit to serve multiple components, reducing the total number of displays needed and lowering manufacturing and maintenance costs while increasing information capacity.
Solution Approach 2:
The removable tray with display is designed to be universally compatible with multiple different information handling components. This multi-functionality allows a single display unit to communicate status information for various components, reducing overall system cost while providing comprehensive information coverage.
3Area of stationary object
If the height of the tray or cabinet is increased to provide a larger display area, then more information can be displayed, but the footprint in the rack increases, reducing the number of components that can be fitted into a given rack
Solution Approach 1:
The system is segmented into a compact information handling component (maintaining small rack footprint) and a separate display function on a removable tray. This allows the display area to be enlarged without increasing the permanent footprint of the component in the rack, preserving rack density.
Solution Approach 2:
The display tray is designed to be removable and repositionable, allowing flexible configuration. When not in use, it can be removed from the rack entirely, maintaining full rack density. When needed, it can be positioned in front of components for enhanced display without permanently occupying rack space.
Data Source
AI summary
A display system is disclosed for an information system component that includes a case with a first connector. The display system comprises a housing, a screen mounted on the housing and configured to display information, a control mounted on the housing for controlling an aspect of operation of the screen, and a mount structure configured to connect the housing to the information system component. The mount structure is configured to removably mount the housing on the case of the information system component. The mount structure includes a second connector configured to removably connect to the first connector on the case of the information system component.