| Rack system, adapter, rack frame, support rail, and method of making a rack system -> Monitor Keywords |
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Rack system, adapter, rack frame, support rail, and method of making a rack systemRelated Patent Categories: Supports: Racks, Knockdown, Vertically Adjustable, Plural Beams Between Plural Pairs Of Uprights (e.g., Pallet Rack, Etc.)Rack system, adapter, rack frame, support rail, and method of making a rack system description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060157436, Rack system, adapter, rack frame, support rail, and method of making a rack system. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0001] 1. Technical Field [0002] The present invention relates to a rack system which can position support rails used to support various devices on rack frames, an adapter, a rack frame, a support rail, and a method of making a rack system. More particularly, the present invention relates to a rack which enables support rails to be mounted on rack frames having different specifications. [0003] 2. Background [0004] As a rack to mount various types of electronic devices, there is widely used a rack having support rails that are attached to rack frames in a fixed manner and devices are mounted on the support rails. This type of rack is useful especially in a case where multiple devices are mounted in a vertical array. [0005] In conventional racks, multiple pairs of support rails are attached beforehand to the right and left sides of a rack frame at prescribed vertical intervals and both sides of a device are each supported by a pair of support rails, whereby the device is mounted within the rack. However, in this case, a device having a large height may not be capable of being mounted within the rack. Therefore, the rack must be constructed so that the vertical intervals of the support rails have a sufficient size. However, when a device having a small height is mounted, gaps are produced in the vertical intervals, thereby wasting space in the rack. In particular, it has become necessary to utilize a limited space to a maximum degree owing to recent requirements for smaller rack size and higher density mounting, and it has become necessary to minimize the vertical gaps between mounted devices in the rack. [0006] To meet such requirements, racks have been proposed in which attaching positions of the support rails can be adjusted with respect to rack frames according to the height of the devices to be mounted. For example, in a rack disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-137062, multiple projections are provided in the attaching portions of rack frames (mount angles) and support rails (panels and shelves), and through holes and notches are provided on the support rail side. By fitting these through holes and notches around the projections of the rack frames, positioning is performed while adjusting the attaching positions of the support rails with respect to the rack frames. In the rack of Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-137062, by adjusting the vertical positions of the support rails according to the height of the devices, the vertical gaps between the mounted devices can be minimized and the requirements for smaller rack size and higher density mounting may be met. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0007] However, because in the rack of Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-137062, the rack frames and support rails are constructed beforehand as sets (e.g., assemblies), support rails of one kind of rack frame may not be attachable to different kinds of rack frames having different specifications for projections and through holes. Hence, when a variety of racks are provided for the various kinds of devices which is a result of recent "open design" (e.g., a design which can be generically used for many kinds of devices), support rails must be used which are suited to the rack frames to be furnished. In particular, in a usual rack, multiple support rails are used for one rack frame. Therefore, when many kinds of rack frames are provided, many kinds of support rails must be prepared suited to each kind of rack frame. This is undesirable in terms of control (e.g., management) as well as cost. The same problem arises when the depth dimension of racks differs in addition to the above-described specifications for projections and through holes and notches, and it is necessary to prepare support rails having many kinds of depth dimensions suited to the depth dimensions of rack frames. [0008] In view of the foregoing and other exemplary problems, drawbacks, and disadvantages of the conventional techniques, it is an exemplary feature of the present invention to provide a rack system, a rack frame, a support rail, and a method of making a rack system which enable one support frame (e.g., support rail) to be mounted on different kinds of rack frames. In particular, for example, the present invention provides a rack which enables a support frame to be mounted on rack frames having different specifications for structures (e.g., positioning structures) for positioning the support frame in rack frames or rack frames having different depth dimensions. [0009] The present invention provides a rack system including a rack frame, a support rail which is fixable to the rack frame. A device is supportable by the support rail. Multiple positioning projections are provided on at least one of the rack frame and the support rail and each of which is fittable into positioning holes of different kinds provided in the other of the at least one of the rack frame and the support rail. [Exemplary Advantage of the Invention] [0010] According to the present invention, for example, one support rail may be fixed to rack frames having different positioning holes and rack frames having different depth dimensions, thereby increasing the versatility of the support rail. Likewise, for example, one rack frame may be fixed to support rails having different positioning holes. As a result, by simply preparing one support rail or one rack frame, a rack can be constructed in which wasted vertical space within the rack is eliminated regardless of the kinds of rack frames or the kinds of support rails and, at the same time, the cost of racks may be lowered by the versatility of the support rail or rack frames. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0011] The novel and exemplary features believed characteristic of the invention are set forth in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, as well as other exemplary features and advantages thereof, will be best understood by reference to the detailed description which follows, read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein: [0012] FIG. 1 shows a schematic perspective view of an exemplary rack 1 of the present invention; [0013] FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of an exemplary support rail 3; [0014] FIG. 3 shows an enlarged perspective view of an exemplary fixing flange 6; [0015] FIG. 4 shows a perspective view which shows how exemplary fixing is performed to an exemplary rack frame 2 having positioning holes 23A; [0016] FIG. 5 shows a perspective view which shows an example of how device 100 is mounted on an exemplary rack 2; [0017] FIG. 6 shows a perspective view which shows how exemplary fixing is performed to an exemplary rack frame 2 having positioning holes 23B; [0018] FIG. 7 shows a perspective view which shows how an exemplary adapter 9 is fixed; [0019] FIGS. 8A-8B show a perspective view of an exemplary guide piece 41 and of an exemplary modification thereof 41A; [0020] FIGS. 9A-9C show a perspective view of an exemplary stopper 51 and an exemplary modification thereof 51A, 51B; and Continue reading about Rack system, adapter, rack frame, support rail, and method of making a rack system... Full patent description for Rack system, adapter, rack frame, support rail, and method of making a rack system Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Rack system, adapter, rack frame, support rail, and method of making a rack system patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. 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