Slide-Out Rack Platform Locking for Shock-Protected Electronics
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Solution Overview
Problem
Transportation of precision electronic instrumentation requires bulky packaging for shock and vibration protection, and existing rack mount cases are often too heavy and cumbersome for efficient movement, especially when carrying only a few pieces of equipment.
Innovation Solution
A slide-out platform system in a rack mount case, featuring slideable rails with indexing holes and detent members for secure positioning, allows for easy installation, operation, and transportation of electronic equipment without the need for a full inner frame, using composite materials and shock-mounted components for protection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a full rack mount inner frame is used, then equipment is securely protected during transportation, but the case becomes too heavy and cumbersome to move
Solution Approach 1:
The rack mount case is divided into a stationary outer shell and a movable slide-out platform. The platform contains the shock-mounted equipment and can be independently extended or retracted, eliminating the need for a heavy full-frame inner structure while maintaining protection during transportation when the platform is retracted.
Solution Approach 2:
The slide-out platform provides dynamic adaptability, allowing the equipment compartment to be extended only when needed for equipment access or operation, and retracted when not in use to minimize weight and maximize portability. This dynamic configuration replaces the static full-frame structure.
2Weight of moving object
If a slide-out platform is used, then weight is reduced and accessibility is improved, but equipment may be more vulnerable to shock and vibration
Solution Approach 1:
The equipment mounted on the slide-out platform is equipped with shock mounts that provide preemptive cushioning against shock and vibration forces. This prior cushioning protects the equipment even though the platform is lighter and more exposed than a full-frame structure, resolving the contradiction between weight reduction and protection.
3Manufacturing precision
If indexing holes and detent members are added, then platform positioning precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The positioning system is segmented into discrete indexing holes in the rails and corresponding detent members on the platform. This segmentation allows for simple, precise positioning at predetermined intervals without requiring complex continuous control mechanisms, balancing precision with simplicity.
Data Source
AI summary
A system for a slide-out platform in a rack mount case includes a slide-out platform configured to secure electronic equipment. The platform is slideably attached to the rack mount case using a first rail and a second rail. The first and second rail have a series of indexing holes in order to allow a dagger pin to secure the platform in place.