Vibration dampening in shipping unit with pallet

Abstract

A shipping unit includes a rack cabinet, computerized devices and a pallet. The computerized devices are mounted within the rack cabinet. The rack cabinet is mounted on the pallet. The pallet includes layers of sheets of structural material and a layer of blocks of vibration dampening padding between first and second ones of the layers of sheets of structural material. Each block of vibration dampening padding includes a lower rectangular portion and an upper tapered portion.

1 . A shipping unit comprising:
 a rack cabinet;   computerized devices mounted within the rack cabinet; and   a pallet on which the rack cabinet is mounted comprising layers of sheets of structural material and a layer of blocks of vibration dampening padding between first and second ones of the layers of the sheets of structural material, each block of vibration dampening padding comprising a lower rectangular portion and an upper tapered portion.   
   
   
       2 . A shipping unit as defined in  claim 1 , wherein:
 the upper tapered portion is trapezoidal in cross section.   
   
   
       3 . A shipping unit as defined in  claim 1 , wherein:
 the upper tapered portion has a first bearing area contacting the first layer of the sheets of structural material when the pallet is not weighted by the rack cabinet and the computerized devices; and   a weight of the rack cabinet and the computerized devices on the pallet causes the blocks of padding to be compressed with a deformation of the upper tapered portion resulting in the upper tapered portion having a second bearing area contacting the first layer of the sheets of structural material, the second bearing area larger than the first bearing area.   
   
   
       4 . A shipping unit as defined in  claim 3 , wherein:
 the aforementioned rack cabinet and computerized devices are a first cabinet/devices combination and the weight thereof is a first weight;   a second weight of a second cabinet/devices combination on the pallet causes the blocks of padding to be compressed with a deformation of the upper tapered portion resulting in the upper tapered portion having a third bearing area contacting the first layer of the sheets of structural material; and   the second weight is larger than the first weight and the third bearing area is larger than the second bearing area.   
   
   
       5 . A shipping unit as defined in  claim 4 , wherein:
 the first and second weights are between about 300 and 2000 pounds.   
   
   
       6 . A shipping unit comprising:
 a means for containing a plurality of computerized devices;   a means attached to the containing means for supporting the containing means during transportation thereof;   a means within the supporting means for dampening vibration of the containing means, the vibration caused by the transportation of the containing means, the vibration dampening means comprising a lower rectangular portion and an upper tapered portion.   
   
   
       7 . A shipping unit as defined in  claim 6 , wherein:
 the upper tapered portion is trapezoidal in cross section.   
   
   
       8 . A shipping unit as defined in  claim 7 , further comprising:
 a means within the supporting means for providing structural rigidity to the supporting means and contacting the vibration dampening means;   and wherein:   the upper tapered portion has a first bearing area contacting the structural rigidity providing means when the supporting means is not weighted by the containing means and the computerized devices; and   a weight of the containing means and the computerized devices on the supporting means causes the vibration dampening means to be compressed with a deformation of the upper tapered portion resulting in the upper tapered portion having a second bearing area contacting the structural rigidity providing means, the second bearing area larger than the first bearing area.   
   
   
       9 . A shipping unit as defined in  claim 8 , wherein:
 the aforementioned containing means and computerized devices are a first containing-means/devices combination and the weight thereof is a first weight;   a second weight of a second containing-means/devices combination on the pallet causes the vibration dampening means to be compressed with a deformation of the upper tapered portion resulting in the upper tapered portion having a third bearing area contacting the structural rigidity providing means; and   the second weight is larger than the first weight and the third bearing area is larger than the second bearing area.   
   
   
       10 . A shipping unit as defined in  claim 9 , wherein:
 the first and second weights are between about 300 and 2000 pounds.   
   
   
       11 . A pallet for shipping a rack cabinet containing computerized devices, comprising:
 layers of the sheets of structural material;   an engaging device with which the rack cabinet can be mounted to a top one of the layers of the sheets of structural material; and   a layer of blocks of vibration dampening padding between first and second ones of the layers of board, each block of padding comprising a lower base portion and an upper tapered portion.   
   
   
       12 . A pallet as defined in  claim 11 , wherein:
 the upper tapered portion is trapezoidal in cross section; and   the lower base portion is rectangular in cross section.   
   
   
       13 . A pallet as defined in  claim 12 , wherein:
 the upper tapered portion has a first bearing area contacting the first layer of board when the pallet is not weighted by the rack cabinet and the computerized devices;   the blocks of padding are compressible when the pallet is weighted by the rack cabinet and the computerized devices with a deformation of the upper tapered portion resulting in the upper tapered portion having a second bearing area contacting the first layer of board; and   the second bearing area is larger than the first bearing area.   
   
   
       14 . A pallet as defined in  claim 13 , wherein:
 the aforementioned rack cabinet and computerized devices are a first cabinet/devices combination and the weight thereof is a first weight;   the blocks of padding are compressible when the pallet is weighted by a second weight of a second cabinet/devices combination with a deformation of the upper tapered portion resulting in the upper tapered portion having a third bearing area contacting the first layer of board; and   the second weight is larger than the first weight and the third bearing area is larger than the second bearing area.   
   
   
       15 . A pallet as defined in  claim 14 , wherein:
 the first and second weights are between about 300 and 2000 pounds.   
   
   
       16 . A method of mitigating vibration on a rack cabinet containing computerized devices and mounted on a pallet, comprising:
 providing a pallet having layers of board and a layer of blocks of vibration dampening padding between first and second ones of the layers of board, each block of padding comprising a lower base portion and an upper trapezoidal portion; and   placing the rack cabinet on the pallet to cause the layer of blocks of padding to be compressed by a weight of the rack cabinet and the computerized devices, the upper trapezoidal portions of the blocks of padding maintaining a gap between the lower base portion and the first layer of board and attenuating vibrations of the rack cabinet and the computerized devices during transportation of the pallet, the rack cabinet and the computerized devices.   
   
   
       17 . A method as defined in  claim 16 , wherein:
 when the pallet is not weighted by the rack cabinet and the computerized devices, the upper trapezoidal portion has a first bearing area contacting the first layer of board;   when the pallet is weighted by the rack cabinet and the computerized devices, compression of the blocks of padding causes the upper trapezoidal portion to have a second bearing area contacting the first layer of board; and   the second bearing area is larger than the first bearing area.   
   
   
       18 . A method as defined in  claim 17 , wherein:
 the aforementioned rack cabinet and computerized devices are a first cabinet/devices combination and the weight thereof is a first weight;   a second cabinet/devices combination has a second weight greater than the first weight; and   when the pallet is weighted by the second cabinet/devices combination, compression of the blocks of padding causes the upper trapezoidal portion to have a third bearing area, larger than the second bearing area, contacting the first layer of board.   
   
   
       19 . A method as defined in  claim 18 , wherein:
 the first and second weights are between about 300 and 2000 pounds.