Blank panel for rack units

Abstract

A plank panel for covering fronts of electronic equipment racks consists of preferably three face plates separable via a break-off groove such that the plank panel may be easily reduced to a lesser height. The face plates provide slots for fasteners that slide in from the side and are adjustable to slight dimensional discrepancies and various configurations of the mounting holes of various rack systems.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A blank panel comprised of at least two face plates separable combined along a break-off groove extending between two opposing side surfaces of said blank panel, wherein at least one of said at least two face plates has two contact faces on opposing ends adjacent said side surfaces separated by reinforcement ribs, and wherein at least one of said at least two face plates has two finite channels inward extending from both of said opposing side surfaces along said contact faces for exchangably and slidably holding a correspondingly shaped mating structure.  
     
     
         2 . The blank panel of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of said contact faces further comprises positioning indicators for indicating a predetermined position of said mating structure.  
     
     
         3 . The blank panel of  claim 1 , wherein said break-off groove includes a thin film bridge structurally exclusively connecting two adjacent of said at least two face plates.  
     
     
         4 . The blank panel of  claim 3 , wherein said break-off groove further comprises angled and oppositely of said thin film bridge positioned levering faces for inducing a tension force onto said thin film bridge at and in excess of a break-off bending angle between said two adjacent face plates.  
     
     
         5 . The blank panel of  claim 1 , wherein said mating structure is part of a fastener having at least two laterally resilient protrusions extending substantially symmetrically with respect to an attachment axis of said fastener, said attachment axis being substantially perpendicular with respect to said contact face while said mating structure is held in said channel.  
     
     
         6 . The blank panel of  claim 5 , wherein said at least two laterally resilient protrusions feature straddle legs extending away from said mating structure in an straddle angle such that said at least two laterally resilient protrusions induce a pulling force via said straddle legs and said mating structure on said face plate, while said laterally resilient protrusions are inserted in an orifice hole.