Enclosure for electronic subsystems in a data processing system

Claim 2

An enclosure according to claim 1, further including means (473) disposed in each of said front bays for locking one of said first modules (200) positively in place.

Claim 3

An enclosure according to any previous claim, further including means (484, 485) for locking both said second modules (406, 410, 411) and said environmental module (408) positively in place.

Claim 4

An enclosure according to any previous claim, further including a top member (423) fastened to said side walls.

Claim 5

An enclosure according to any previous claim, further including means for removably fastening said second modules to said top member (423).

Claim 6

An enclosure according to any previous claim, wherein at least some of said second modules (406, 410, 411) include apertures (407) in both end walls thereof so as to allow air to flow through said second modules in response to said cooling means (483).

Claim 7

An enclosure according to any previous claim, wherein said interconnection carrier (477) includes apertures (478) in both faces thereof so as to allow air to flow through said carrier in response to said cooling means.

Claim 8

An enclosure according to any previous claim, wherein said front bays (409) are adapted to allow air to flow from the front of said enclosure to said interconnection carrier (477) in response to said cooling means (483).

Claim 9

An enclosure according to any previous claim, further including a control panel (415) mounted at least partially in front of said front bays (409), and electrical wiring (309) connecting said panel with said wiring in said interconnection carrier (477).

Claim 10

An enclosure according to any previous claim, wherein said first modules (200) comprise functional modules for a data processing system, and said second modules (406, 410, 411) comprise support modules for said functional modules, said first and second modules together forming an integrated subsystem of said data processing system.

Claim 11

An enclosure according to any previous claim, wherein said first modules are media modules (200) for the mass storage of data in said data processing system.

Claim 12

An enclosure according to any previous claim, wherein at least some of said second modules (411) provide power for said first modules.

Claim 13

An enclosure according to any previous claim, wherein at least some of said second modules (406) provide a data interface between said first modules (200) and the remainder of said data processing system.

Claim 14

An enclosure (140') for mounting multiple electronic modules (200, 612, 411) together in a rack (100), said enclosure extending horizontally the full width of said rack and adapted to be mounted above or below other enclosures in said rack and electrically interconnected thereto by inter-enclosure cables, said modules comprising first modules (200, 612) having form factors in a first set and second modules (410, 411) having form factors in a further set different from said first set, each of said modules (200, 612) having electrical connection means on at least one end wall thereof, said enclosure comprising: at least one wall member (416) forming side and bottom walls of a box conforming to the width of said rack, said box having front and rear regions; a plurality of front bay members mounted to said side and bottom walls in said front region for dividing said front region into a plurality of front bays (409) adapted to receive said first modules (200, 612) having said first set of form factors by horizontal motion from the front of said enclosure into said front bays; a plurality of rear bay members disposed in said rear region for dividing said rear region into a plurality of rear bays (481) adapted to receive said second modules (410, 411) having said different set of form factors by horizontal motion from the rear of said enclosure into said rear bays; an interconnection carrier (604) extending the width of said enclosure between said side walls, said carrier having front (617) and rear faces (677), said front face bearing a first plurality of electrical connectors for receiving the electrical connection means of said first modules (200, 612) as said modules move into said front bays, said rear face bearing a second plurality of electrical connectors for receiving the electrical connection means of said second modules (410, 411) as said modules move horizontally into said rear bays of said enclosure, said interconnection carrier (604) further including electrical wiring means interconnecting said electrical connectors of said first and second pluralities; an environmental module (408) extending the width of said enclosure and mounted behind said rear bays (481) so as to hold said second modules (410, 411) in place, said environmental module including powered cooling means for moving air horizontally through said front bays, said interconnection carrier, and said rear region.

Claim 15

An enclosure according to claim 14, wherein said electical wiring means includes further electrical wiring (688) connected to said electrical connectors and extending outside said interconnection carrier (604), said further electrical wiring (688) additionally including electrical connectors for connection to at least one of said other enclosures in said rack.

Claim 16

An enclosure according to claims 14 or 15, wherein one of said walls is provided with an aperture for passing said further wiring outside said enclosure.

Claim 17

An enclosure according to claims 14 to 16, wherein different ones of said front bays (409) have different sizes, so as to accommodate first modules (200, 612) of a plurality of different form factors.

Claim 18

An enclosure according to claim 17, wherein all of said sizes are integer multiples of one of said sizes.