Mounting fastener for a rack

Abstract

A mounting fastener for a rack having a clip and a fastener coupled to the clip, wherein the fastener has a first shaped exterior adapted for insertion of the fastener into a first shaped aperture of the rack. The mounting fastener also includes a mounting adapter selectively disposed adjacent the fastener, wherein the mounting adapter has a second shaped exterior adapted for insertion of the adapter into a second shaped aperture of the rack.

1 . A mounting fastener for a rack, comprising: 
 a clip;    a fastener coupled to the clip, wherein the fastener has a first shaped exterior adapted for insertion of the fastener into a first shaped aperture of the rack; and    a mounting adapter selectively disposed adjacent the fastener, wherein the mounting adapter has a second shaped exterior adapted for insertion of the adapter into a second shaped aperture of the rack.    
   
   
       2 . The mounting fastener of  claim 1 , wherein the clip comprises a resilient U-shaped structure.  
   
   
       3 . The mounting fastener of  claim 1 , wherein the fastener comprises a threaded hole.  
   
   
       4 . The mounting fastener of  claim 3 , wherein the fastener is secured within the clip.  
   
   
       5 . The mounting fastener of  claim 1 , wherein the fastener comprises a boss member having the first shaped exterior.  
   
   
       6 . The mounting fastener of  claim 1 , wherein the first shaped exterior is circular and the second shaped exterior is rectangular.  
   
   
       7 . The mounting fastener of  claim 1 , wherein the mounting adapter is disposed substantially around the fastener.  
   
   
       8 . A system, comprising: 
 a rack device; and    a rack-mounting assembly, comprising: 
 a clip;  
 a fastener having a boss portion disposed within the clip, wherein the boss portion has a first external shape permitting insertion of the boss portion into a rack aperture; and  
 an insert removably disposed about the boss portion and having a second external shape permitting insertion of the insert into a different rack aperture.  
   
   
   
       9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the rack device comprises a rack structure adapted to support a plurality of rack-mountable components via the rack-mounting assembly.  
   
   
       10 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the rack-mountable device comprises a server.  
   
   
       11 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the rack-mountable device comprises a power supply.  
   
   
       12 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the rack-mountable device comprises a programmable logic controller.  
   
   
       13 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the first external shape comprises a circular circumference and the second external shape comprises a polygonal circumference.  
   
   
       14 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the insert comprises a C-shaped structure.  
   
   
       15 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the clip comprises a pair of members springably biased toward one another.  
   
   
       16 . A system, comprising: 
 means for coupling a rack-mountable device to a first shaped rack aperture; and    means for adapting the means for coupling to a second shaped rack aperture.    
   
   
       17 . The system of  claim 16 , comprising the rack-mountable device.  
   
   
       18 . The system of  claim 16 , comprising a rack having at least one of the first and second shaped rack apertures.  
   
   
       19 . The system of  claim 18 , comprising the rack-mountable device mounted in the rack.  
   
   
       20 . A method, comprising the acts of: 
 providing a rack-mounting assembly comprising a clip and a fastener engageable with a first shaped mounting aperture of a rack; and    providing a fastener-to-aperture adapter engageable with a second shaped mounting aperture of the rack.    
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein providing the rack-mounting assembly comprises forming a U-shaped clip having a pair of members biased toward one another.  
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein providing the rack-mounting assembly comprises positioning the fastener at least partially within the clip.  
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein providing the fastener-to-aperture adapter comprises jacketing the fastener at least partially with the fastener-to-aperture adapter.  
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein providing the rack-mount assembly comprises providing an internally threaded boss member of the fastener at least partially within a resilient U-shaped structure of the clip.  
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 20 , comprising providing a rack-mountable device that is selectively mountable into a first rack without the fastener-to-aperture adapter and is selectively mountable into a second rack with the fastener-to-aperture adapter disposed about the fastener.  
   
   
       26 . A system, comprising: 
 a rack unit; and    a threaded clip fastener, comprising: 
 a pair of resilient clip members extending opposite one another;  
 an internally threaded boss mounted between the pair of resilient clip members, wherein the internally threaded boss has a first external shape to facilitate insertion of the internally threaded boss through a first rack-mounting aperture;  
 a mounting aperture adapter, comprising: 
 an opening to facilitate placement of the mounting aperture adapter about the internally threaded boss; and  
 a boss having a second external shape surrounding the opening to facilitate insertion of the boss through a second rack-mounting aperture different from the first rack-mounting aperture.  
 
   
   
   
       27 . The system of  claim 26 , wherein the rack unit comprises a rack-mountable server.  
   
   
       28 . The system of  claim 26 , wherein the rack unit comprises a rack structure comprising a plurality of legs adapted to support a plurality of rack-mountable devices.  
   
   
       29 . The system of  claim 26 , wherein the first external shape is substantially cylindrical and the second external shape is substantially rectangular.