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US-12621953-B1 - Frame structure for electronic equipment enclosure

US12621953B1US 12621953 B1US12621953 B1US 12621953B1US-12621953-B1

Abstract

A frame structure for an electronic equipment enclosure includes vertical frame members and horizontal frame members arranged to form rear and front frames connected together via horizontal front-to-back members. At least one of the vertical frame members includes a closed profile and a vertical channel extending a length thereof for providing access to an adjustment assembly of a leveling foot. The adjustment assembly is positioned within the vertical channel and outside of the closed profile. At least one of the horizontal frame or front-to-back members is a structural member having a closed profile that includes at least one T-slot channel and at least one recessed groove extending a length thereof. The at least one recessed groove includes a row of mounting apertures arranged therein.

Inventors

  • William Drew Krietzman
  • Preston Ellis HENNRICH

Assignees

  • CHATSWORTH PRODUCTS, INC.

Dates

Publication Date
20260505
Application Date
20241202

Claims (20)

  1. 1 . An electronic equipment structure comprising: a frame structure that includes a plurality of interconnected vertical and horizontal frame members, wherein at least one of the horizontal frame members is a structural member having a closed profile that includes at least one T-slot channel and at least one recessed groove extending a length thereof, the at least one recessed groove including a row of mounting apertures arranged therein; an accessory part including a recessed area and an elongate opening located in the recessed area, the accessory part being arranged such that the recessed area is in alignment with the at least one recessed groove of the structural member; and a fastener extending through each of the elongate opening of the accessory part and a selected one of the mounting apertures of the at least one recessed groove such that the fastener does not protrude beyond an outward-facing surface of the accessory part.
  2. 2 . The electronic equipment structure of claim 1 , wherein a hooking tab of the accessory part hooks over a ledge of the at least one T-slot channel.
  3. 3 . The electronic equipment structure of claim 1 , wherein a position of the accessory part relative to the frame structure is adjustable by shifting a position of the fastener within the elongate opening of the accessory part.
  4. 4 . The electronic equipment structure of claim 1 , wherein the at least one recessed groove is arranged along an interior-facing surface of the structural member.
  5. 5 . The electronic equipment structure of claim 1 , wherein each mounting aperture includes a boss at an interior of the closed profile of the structural member.
  6. 6 . The electronic equipment structure of claim 5 , wherein the fastener is a thread-forming fastener.
  7. 7 . The electronic equipment structure of claim 6 , wherein the thread-forming fastener penetrates a coating at an inner surface of the boss at the selected one of the mounting apertures to establish metal-on-metal contact between the thread-forming fastener and the structural member, thereby establishing an electrical bonding connection.
  8. 8 . The electronic equipment structure of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the vertical frame members includes a closed profile having a cutaway for receiving an end of one of the horizontal frame members.
  9. 9 . The electronic equipment structure of claim 1 , wherein at least some of the vertical frame members and the horizontal frame members include at least one inset area extending the length thereof.
  10. 10 . The electronic equipment structure of claim 9 , further comprising a plurality of panels seated within the inset areas such that the panels do not protrude beyond a footprint defined by the frame structure.
  11. 11 . The electronic equipment structure of claim 1 , wherein a bottom end of at least one of the vertical frame members is connected to a lower one of the horizontal frame members via a weld connection to facilitate transfer of an equipment load from the at least one vertical frame member, through the lower one of the horizontal frame members, and to a support block arranged therebeneath.
  12. 12 . The electronic equipment structure of claim 1 , wherein each of the vertical members includes a channel extending a length thereof for providing access to an adjustment assembly of a leveling foot.
  13. 13 . The electronic equipment structure of claim 12 , wherein each adjustment assembly includes a stud accessible from above the adjustment assembly, whereby rotation of the stud adjusts a position of the corresponding leveling foot.
  14. 14 . The electronic equipment structure of claim 13 , wherein a top-facing surface of each stud includes a hexagonal-shaped recess.
  15. 15 . An electronic equipment structure comprising: a frame structure that includes a plurality of interconnected vertical and horizontal frame members, wherein at least one of the horizontal frame members is a structural member having a closed profile that includes at least one T-slot channel and at least one recessed groove extending a length thereof; a hardware component including an oblong head seated transversely within the at least one T-slot channel to prevent inadvertent removal therefrom, the hardware component further including a shaft extending outward from between opposed ledges of the at least one T-slot channel; an accessory part including an elongate opening, the accessory part being arranged such that the shaft of the hardware component passes through the elongate opening; and a nut tightened on the shaft of the hardware component to secure the accessory part to the structural member.
  16. 16 . The electronic equipment structure of claim 15 , wherein a position of the hardware component relative to the structural member is infinitely adjustable within a range defined by the length of the structural member.
  17. 17 . The electronic equipment structure of claim 15 , wherein at least one of the vertical frame members includes a closed profile having a cutaway for receiving an end of one of the horizontal frame members.
  18. 18 . The electronic equipment structure of claim 15 , wherein at least some of the vertical frame members and the horizontal frame members include at least one inset area extending the length thereof.
  19. 19 . The electronic equipment structure of claim 18 , further comprising a plurality of panels seated within the inset areas such that the panels do not protrude beyond a footprint defined by the frame structure.
  20. 20 . The electronic equipment structure of claim 15 , wherein a bottom end of at least one of the vertical frame members is connected to a lower one of the horizontal frame members via a weld connection to facilitate transfer of an equipment load from the at least one vertical frame member, through the lower one of the horizontal frame members, and to a support block arranged therebeneath.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS The present application is a continuation patent application of, and claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 120 to, U.S. nonprovisional patent application Ser. No. 18/377,783, filed Oct. 7, 2023, which '783 application issued on Dec. 3, 2024 as U.S. Pat. No. 12,160,974, which '783 application, any publication thereof, and the patent issuing therefrom are each incorporated by reference herein in their entirety, and which '783 application is a continuation patent application of, and claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 120 to, each of: (a) U.S. nonprovisional patent application Ser. No. 17/550,989, filed Dec. 14, 2021 and issued as U.S. Pat. No. 11,818,860 on Nov. 14, 2023, which '989 application, any application publication thereof, and the patent issuing therefrom are each expressly incorporated herein by reference in their entirety, and which '989 application is a U.S. nonprovisional patent application of, and claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) to, U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 63/125,506, filed Dec. 15, 2020, which '506 application is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety;(b) U.S. nonprovisional patent application Ser. No. 17/662,624, filed May 9, 2022 and issued as U.S. Pat. No. 11,818,861 on Nov. 14, 2023, which '624 application, any application publication thereof, and the patent issuing therefrom are each expressly incorporated herein by reference in their entirety, and which '624 application is a U.S. continuation patent application of, and claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 120 to, U.S. nonprovisional patent application Ser. No. 17/550,989, filed Dec. 14, 2021 and issued as U.S. Pat. No. 11,818,860 on Nov. 14, 2023, which '989 application, any application publication thereof, and the patent issuing therefrom are each expressly incorporated herein by reference in their entirety, and which '989 application is a U.S. nonprovisional patent application of, and claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) to, U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 63/125,506, filed Dec. 15, 2020, which '506 application is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety; and(c) U.S. nonprovisional patent application Ser. No. 17/662,630, filed May 9, 2022 and issued as U.S. Pat. No. 11,818,862 on Nov. 14, 2023, which '630 application, any application publication thereof, and the patent issuing therefrom are each expressly incorporated herein by reference in their entirety, and which '630 application is a U.S. continuation patent application of, and claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 120 to, U.S. nonprovisional patent application Ser. No. 17/550,989, filed Dec. 14, 2021 and issued as U.S. Pat. No. 11,818,860 on Nov. 14, 2023, which '989 application, any application publication thereof, and the patent issuing therefrom are each expressly incorporated herein by reference in their entirety, and which '989 application is a U.S. nonprovisional patent application of, and claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) to, U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 63/125,506, filed Dec. 15, 2020, which '506 application is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. Additionally, the entirety of each of the following commonly-assigned U.S. provisional patent applications is incorporated herein by reference: (a) U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 63/125,489, filed Dec. 15, 2020, and entitled, “SLIDABLE MOUNTING HARDWARE FOR ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT ENCLOSURE,” attached hereto as Appendix A;(b) U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 63/125,499, filed Dec. 15, 2020, and entitled, “CASTER ATTACHMENT SYSTEM USING MATING FEATURES,” attached hereto as Appendix B; and(c) U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 63/125,504, filed Dec. 15, 2020, and entitled, “BRUSH PORT ASSEMBLY,” attached hereto as Appendix C. The disclosure of each of the foregoing U.S. provisional patent applications is contained in the corresponding appendix, as designated above, each of which is likewise incorporated herein in its entirety by reference and is intended to provide background and technical information with regard to the systems and environments of the inventions of the current nonprovisional patent application. COPYRIGHT STATEMENT All of the material in this patent document is subject to copyright protection under the copyright laws of the United States and other countries. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in official governmental records but, otherwise, all other copyright rights whatsoever are reserved. BACKGROUND OF THE PRESENT INVENTION Field of the Present Invention The present invention relates generally to frame structures for electronic equipment enclosures and cabinets, and, in particular, to sturdy and adaptable frame structures for electronic equipment enclosures and cabinets capable of accommodating a variety of different parts and accessories. Background