Disk drive assembly with press fit lever

Details Disk drive assembly with press fit lever Disk drive assembly with press fit lever

2000-07-31

2003-02-04

Schuberg, Darren (Department: 2835)

Electricity: electrical systems and devices

Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical...

For electronic systems and devices

C361S801000, C312S331000, C439S157000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06515854

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A typical computer system includes a data storage system (or subsystem) having one or more disk drives. Some data storage systems allow a user to install or remove a disk drive in a relatively quick manner without handling any cables or screws.
FIG. 1
shows a conventional data storage system
20
having relatively quick disk drive installation and removal capabilities. The data storage system
20
includes a disk drive assembly
22
and a main assembly
24
. The disk drive assembly
22
has a sheet metal housing
26
, a disk drive
28
, a daughter card
30
and a lever
32
. The main assembly
24
has a sheet metal support structure
34
that defines (i) an opening
36
through which the disk drive assembly
22
enters and exits, and (ii) a back end
38
. The main assembly
24
further includes a connector
40
which mounts to the back end
38
of the support structure
34
, and a post
44
(e.g., a metallic bar) that fastens to a side or edge of the opening
36
of the support structure
34
.
A user can install the disk drive assembly
22
into the main assembly
24
, or remove the disk drive assembly
22
from the main assembly
24
, by operating the lever
32
and sliding the disk drive assembly housing
26
through the opening
36
of the main assembly support structure
34
. The housing
26
includes guides
46
,
48
which facilitate motion of the housing
26
within the support structure
34
. In particular, the guides
46
align with corresponding guides within the support structure
34
(corresponding guides not shown) to properly align the disk drive assembly
22
within the support structure
34
. Furthermore, the guide
48
(and guides
46
to some extent) reduces friction between surfaces of the disk drive assembly housing
26
and the support structure
34
.
When the disk drive assembly
22
is properly installed within the main assembly
24
, a connecting portion
50
of the daughter card
30
mates with the slot
42
of the connector
40
. Contacts along the connecting portion
50
make electrical contact with corresponding contacts within the connector
40
. In this mated position, the disk drive assembly
22
is capable of receiving power and communicating with other devices (e.g., a processor) through the connector
40
in order to perform data storage and retrieval operations. The daughter card
30
operates as an interface between the other devices and the disk drive
28
.
Further details of the lever
32
and how the lever
32
operates with the disk drive assembly
22
will now be provided with reference to
FIGS. 1 and 2
. The lever
32
includes sides
52
having large fingers
54
. The large fingers
54
define grooves
56
with a lower edge
58
of the lever
32
. The lever
32
further includes a latch
60
which latches to the housing
26
through a housing hole
70
(
FIG. 2
) in order to secure the lever
32
in an upright position, and a cavity
62
(
FIG. 1
) for supporting a light emitting diode (LED) assembly (not shown) to provide operation information to the user when the disk drive assembly
22
is installed and in operation. The lever sides
52
define holes
64
through which hardware pivotably fastens the lever
32
to the housing
26
thus enabling the lever
32
to rotate around a pivot axis
66
. In particular, as shown in
FIG. 2
, metal screws
72
pass through the holes
64
of the lever
32
and corresponding holes in the housing
26
, and thread into metal inserts
74
disposed on the interior of the housing
26
.
During the disk drive assembly manufacturing process, a user or automated machinery typically installs the screws
72
and inserts
74
. In particular, for each side
52
, the user or machinery places an insert
74
on the inner side of the housing
26
, and passes a screw
72
through a corresponding hole
64
of the lever
32
and through an outer side of the housing
26
. The user or machinery then threads that screw
72
into the insert
74
to pivotably secure the lever
32
to the housing
26
. Typically, the user or machinery adds the disk drive
28
and the daughter card
30
to the housing
26
in subsequent manufacturing steps.
To install the disk drive assembly
22
into the main assembly
24
, the user initially positions the lever
32
away from the housing
26
as shown in FIG.
2
. The user then slides the disk drive assembly
22
into the main assembly support structure
34
until the post
44
fits within the groove
56
on each side
52
of the lever
32
. The user then pushes on the lever
32
such that the lever
32
rotates about the pivot axis
66
toward the housing
26
. As the user pushes on the lever
32
, the large fingers
54
of the lever
32
grab the post
44
thus enabling the lever
32
to provide leverage to move the housing
26
further into the support structure
34
. Such movement causes the connecting portion
50
of the daughter card
30
to properly mate with the connector
40
in a controlled and consistent manner. The user typically pushes the lever
32
until the lever is completely upright and so that the latch
60
latches into the opening
70
of the housing
26
to secure the lever
32
in the upright position.
To remove the disk drive assembly
22
from the main assembly
24
, the user squeezes the latch
60
to release the latch
60
from the housing
26
, and pulls the lever
32
away from the housing
26
. The lever
32
pivots away from the housing
26
, and the edge
58
of the lever
32
pushes against the post
44
to provide leverage that moves the disk drive assembly
22
away from the back end
38
of the support structure
34
in a controlled and consistent manner. Accordingly, the portion
50
of the daughter card
30
disconnects from the slot
42
of the connector
40
, and the disk drive assembly
22
slides out of the main assembly
24
. The user then lifts the disk drive assembly
22
away from the main assembly
24
to complete the removal process.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Unfortunately, there are drawbacks associated with a conventional disk drive assembly which uses metal screws and metal inserts to pivotably mount a lever to a disk drive assembly housing. For example, with reference to
FIGS. 1 and 2
, the screws
72
and the inserts
74
are separate hardware that is dis-contiguous with the lever
32
itself. Accordingly, there is an additional cost associated with the screws
72
and the inserts
74
, and an additional time requirement for a user or machinery to install the screws
72
and the inserts
74
in order to pivotably secure the lever
32
to the housing
26
. Additionally, there is time and costs associated with training the user or configuring the machinery to properly install the screws
72
and the inserts
74
. Furthermore, there is a likelihood that the screws
72
and the inserts
74
will disassemble from the lever
32
causing other problems, e.g., a detached lever
32
, a disk drive assembly
22
stuck within a main assembly
24
, etc.
In contrast, the invention is directed to techniques which use a press fit lever for a disk drive assembly. Such a press fit lever alleviates the need for additional hardware (e.g., screws and inserts) thus reducing complexity, costs and time associated with installing levers on disk drive assemblies. Furthermore, since there are no screws or inserts required, there can be fewer parts (e.g., no parts) holding the lever in place that could disassemble.
One arrangement is directed to a data storage system having a main assembly and a disk drive assembly. The main assembly includes a supporting structure and a connector fastened to the supporting structure. The disk drive assembly includes a disk drive assembly having a housing, a disk drive attached to the housing, and a lever that installs the housing into and removes the housing from the main assembly to enable the disk drive to respectively connect to and disconnect the connector of the main assembly. The lever includes a frame portion, and side portions that extend from the frame portion. The side portions pivotably

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