Vertical Secure Equipment Rack for Floor Space Savings
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Solution Overview
Problem
Standard computer equipment cabinets waste space by mounting components horizontally, leading to inefficiencies in floor space utilization, especially in smaller facilities that lack dedicated rooms for equipment storage.
Innovation Solution
A rack that securely mounts industry-standard electronic equipment vertically, allowing for substantial floor space savings by using interchangeable bracket sets, a bottom vented panel or fan tray, and a lockable top cover, and can be installed on any solid surface, with optional secure features for tamper resistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If equipment is mounted horizontally in standard cabinets, then equipment can be installed using industry standard configurations, but floor space utilization is wasted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies vertical mounting of rack equipment instead of traditional horizontal mounting. By changing the mounting dimension from horizontal to vertical, the rack utilizes wall space and vertical clearance, reducing the floor space footprint by approximately 50% while maintaining full compatibility with standard 19-inch rack equipment and 1U height increments.
2Ease of operation
If standard horizontal cabinets are used, then equipment can be accessed from front and back, but actual floor space requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The vertical rack configuration changes the spatial arrangement from horizontal to vertical, allowing equipment to be accessed from the front while occupying minimal floor space. The vertical orientation enables the same equipment to be mounted in a compact footprint that requires approximately half the floor space of traditional horizontal cabinets.
3Area of stationary object
If vertical mounting is implemented, then floor space is saved, but equipment must be mounted in a non-typical manner
Solution Approach 1:
The vertical rack is designed with universal compatibility for all standard 19-inch rack-mounted equipment. It uses industry-standard 1U height increments (1.75 inches per unit) and supports various mounting configurations including 4U, 6U, 8U, and 10U bracket sets, making it adaptable to different equipment types while maintaining vertical space efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The rack system changes the mounting parameter from horizontal to vertical orientation while maintaining compatibility with standard equipment dimensions. It provides interchangeable bracket sets in different U-height configurations (4U, 6U, 8U, 10U) and supports mounting on various surfaces including walls and relay racks, enabling flexible vertical deployment.
4Area of stationary object
If rack depth is reduced to 26 inches, then space efficiency is improved, but equipment depth options are restricted
Solution Approach 1:
The vertical rack with 26-inch effective working depth provides space-efficient mounting while maintaining versatility through interchangeable bracket sets in multiple U-height configurations (4U, 6U, 8U, 10U). This allows accommodation of various equipment depth requirements within the constrained vertical footprint, supporting different equipment functions including fiber optic nodes, phone systems, and power distribution.
Data Source
AI summary
A secure electronic equipment rack with horizontal side panels on which components are mounted vertically. The side panels of the rack are shorter than the depth of components to be mounted, thus allowing space to be saved. The rack can include tamper resistance by adding baffling of ventilation areas, for example in both top and bottom vent patterns, and can be designed to be assembled in an overlapping fashion which allows no exposed hardware with the last piece to be assembled being the first to be removed in sequence.