Lift handles having safety interlocks for a rack-mounted enclosure

Abstract

According to one embodiment, a system includes an enclosure configured to be removable from a rack system, the enclosure including at least one bay for insertion of a component therein, a horizontally-oriented upper wall, a horizontally-oriented lower wall, two vertically-oriented sidewalls coupled to the upper and lower walls, and a set of integrated handles, each handle being configured to transition from a recessed position to an extended position, and each handle being configured to be gripped by a hand when in the extended position, wherein each handle is configured to extend higher than the upper wall of the enclosure when in the extended position, and wherein each handle is configured to retract to within an outer profile of the enclosure when in the recessed position. Other systems and enclosures are described according to more embodiments that have improved retractable handles.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system, comprising:
 an enclosure configured to be removable from a rack system, the enclosure comprising:
 at least one bay for insertion of a component therein; 
 a horizontally-oriented upper wall; 
 a horizontally-oriented lower wall; 
 two vertically-oriented sidewalk coupled to the upper and lower walls; and 
 a set of integrated handles, each handle being configured to transition from a recessed position to an extended position, and each handle being configured to be gripped by a hand when in the extended position, 
 wherein each handle is configured to extend higher than the upper wall of the enclosure when in the extended position, and 
 wherein each handle is configured to retract to within an outer profile of the enclosure when in the recessed position. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein four of the handles are located near corners of the upper wall of the enclosure, with two of the handles being positioned within or on an exterior of each of the vertically-oriented sidewalk of the enclosure when in the recessed position. 
     
     
         3 . The system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the enclosure further comprises one or mote catches, each catch being associated with at least one of the handles and configured to release the one or more associated handles, wherein the one or more associated handles are restricted from transitioning from the recessed position to the extended position until the associated catch is disengaged. 
     
     
         4 . The system as recited in  claim 3 , wherein the at least one handle is biased toward the extended position such that disengaging the associated catch while the at least one handle is in the recessed position causes the at least one handle to transition to the extended position. 
     
     
         5 . The system as recited in  claim 4 , wherein the at least one handle is biased toward the extended position with a spring-loaded mechanism. 
     
     
         6 . The system as recited in  claim 3 , wherein each of the handles has one or more catches associated therewith, each associated catch being positioned near to the recessed position of one handle on an exterior of the upper wall or an exterior of one of the vertically-oriented sidewalk of the enclosure, wherein disengaging, the catches releases the associated handle. 
     
     
         7 . The system as recited in  claim 3 , wherein each catch includes a button which is configured to disengage upon being depressed in order to release the one or more corresponding handle. 
     
     
         8 . The system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the enclosure further comprises one or more interlocks, each interlock being physically configured to prevent transition of one or more handles associated therewith from the recessed position to the extended position when a component is installed in at least one bay of the enclosure. 
     
     
         9 . The system as recited in  claim 8 , wherein one or more interlocks are associated with each bay of the enclosure with each interlock being configured to prevent the transition of the one or more handles. 
     
     
         10 . The system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein each handle is configured to extend vertically along one of the vertically-oriented sidewalls of the enclosure when transitioning from the recessed position to the extended position. 
     
     
         11 . The system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein each handle is configured to flip vertically from the recessed position to the extended position, and wherein each handle is oriented sideways on an upper surface of the enclosure when in the recessed position. 
     
     
         12 . The system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein each handle is configured to rotate 180° from the recessed position to the extended position, and wherein each handle is oriented upside down when in the recessed position. 
     
     
         13 . The system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the outer profile of the enclosure is defined as a maximum possible side-to-side width and top-to-bottom height of the enclosure that allows for the enclosure to fit into a stall of the rack system. 
     
     
         14 . The system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein two of the handles are positioned at an extreme rear end of the enclosure on or within the vertically-oriented sidewalk of the enclosure to provide immediate access to the handles upon beginning to remove the enclosure from the rack system. 
     
     
         15 . An enclosure, comprising:
 at least one bay for insertion of a component therein;   a horizontally-oriented upper wall;   a horizontally-oriented lower wall;   two vertically-oriented sidewalls coupled to the upper and lower walls;   four integrated handles, each handle being located near corners of the upper wall of the enclosure and configured to transition from a recessed position to an extended position;   one or more catches, each catch being, associated with at least one of the handles and configured to release the one or more associated handles; and   one or more interlocks, each interlock being physically configured to prevent transition of one or more handles associated therewith from the recessed position to the extended position when a component is installed in at least one bay of the enclosure,   wherein the at least one of the handles is restricted from transitioning from the recessed position to the extended position until the associated catch is engaged,   wherein each handle is configured to be gripped by a hand when in the extended position,   wherein two of the handles are positioned within or on an exterior of each of the vertically-oriented sidewalls of the enclosure when in the recessed position,   wherein each handle is configured to extend higher than the upper wall of the enclosure when in the extended position, and   wherein each handle is configured to retract to within an outer profile of the enclosure when in the recessed position.   
     
     
         16 . The enclosure as recited in  claim 15 , wherein at least one handle is biased toward the extended position such that disengaging one or more catches associated therewith while the at least one handle is in the recessed position causes the at least one handle to transition to the extended position. 
     
     
         17 . The enclosure as recited in  claim 16 , wherein the at least one handle is biased toward the extended position with a spring-loaded mechanism. 
     
     
         18 . The enclosure as recited in  claim 15 , wherein each of the handles has one of the catches associated therewith, each associated catch being positioned near to the recessed position of one handle on an exterior of the upper wall or an exterior of one of the vertically-oriented sidewalk of the enclosure, wherein disengaging the catches releases the associated handle. 
     
     
         19 . The enclosure as recited in  claim 15 , wherein each catch includes a button which is configured to disengage upon being depressed in order to release the one or more corresponding handles. 
     
     
         20 . The enclosure as recited in  claim 15 , wherein one or more of the interlocks are associated with each bay of the enclosure with each interlock being configured to prevent the transition of the one or more corresponding handles from the recessed position to the extended position when a component is installed in at least one bay of the enclosure.