Electricity: electrical systems and devices – Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical... – For electronic systems and devices
Reexamination Certificate
2000-04-18
2002-03-12
Picard, Leo P. (Department: 2835)
Electricity: electrical systems and devices
Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical...
For electronic systems and devices
C361S726000, C361S801000, C361S747000, C361S732000, C360S137000, C360S137000, C312S332100, C312S333000, C369S075110
Reexamination Certificate
active
06356441
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
which has 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
includes a housing
26
, a disk drive
28
, a daughter card
30
and a lever
32
. The main assembly
24
includes a support structure
34
that defines (i) an opening
36
through which the disk drive assembly
22
enters and exits the housing
34
, 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 support structure opening
36
.
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 how the disk drive assembly
22
installs into the main assembly
24
and removes from the main assembly
24
will now be provided with reference to
FIGS. 1
,
2
A and
2
B.
As shown in
FIG. 1
, the lever
32
fastens to the housing
26
via hardware
52
which allows the lever
32
to pivot around a horizontally-oriented pivot axis
54
. The lever
32
has a left side and a right side (collectively, sides
62
) through which the hardware
52
is mounted. Each side
62
includes a large finger
56
that defines, in combination with a lower edge
60
of the lever
32
, a groove
58
at the bottom of the lever
32
.
To install the disk drive assembly
22
into the main assembly
24
, the user initially positions the lever
32
away from the housing as shown in FIG.
2
A. The user then slides the disk drive assembly
22
into the main assembly support structure
34
until the post
44
fits within the groove
58
on each side
62
of the lever
32
. The user then pushes on the lever
32
such that the lever
32
rotates about the pivot axis
54
toward the housing
26
. As the user pushes on the lever
32
, the large fingers
56
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.
As shown in
FIG. 1
, the lever
32
includes a pinch-type latch mechanism
64
having a pair of spring-loaded pinch members
66
. Each pinch member
66
includes a tapered tabbed end
72
(see FIG.
2
A). The tapered tabbed ends
72
align with an opening
70
defined by the housing
26
, and are narrower toward the opening
70
. As such, when the user pushes the lever
32
toward to the housing
26
to install the disk drive assembly
22
within the main assembly
24
, the tapered tabbed ends
72
pass through the opening
70
. That is, friction from the housing
26
(i.e., the sides of the opening
70
) pushes the ends
72
toward each other to compress a small spring (not shown) which is disposed between the pinch members
66
until the ends
72
pass through the opening
70
. Then, the tapered tabbed ends
72
spring back to lock the lever
32
to the housing
26
, as shown in FIG.
2
B.
In
FIG. 2B
, the disk drive assembly
22
is secured to the main assembly
24
. That is, lever
32
is locked to the housing
26
and is now prevented from pivoting around the pivot axis
54
. Furthermore, the large fingers
56
of the lever
32
extend against the post
44
preventing the disk drive assembly
22
from inadvertently disconnecting from the main assembly
24
(e.g., due to vibration).
The lever
32
further includes an area
68
(see
FIG. 1
) which is capable of 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.
To remove the disk drive assembly
22
from the main assembly
24
, the user grabs the pinch members
66
of the pinch-type latch mechanism
64
(e.g., using a thumb and forefinger), squeezes (or pinches) the pinch members
66
together along an axis
67
that is horizontal and parallel to the pivot axis
54
, and pulls the lever
32
away from the housing
26
. In response to the user's movements, the tapered tabbed ends
72
of the pinch members
66
move toward each other enabling the tabbed ends
72
to pass through the opening
70
, and enabling the lever
32
to pivot away from the housing
26
about the pivot axis (see again FIG.
2
A). As the lever
32
pivots away from the housing
26
, the edge
60
of the lever pushes against the post
44
to provide leverage that moves the disk drive assembly
22
away from 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.
It should be understood that the above-described operation of the lever
32
requires the user to possess considerable hand and wrist strength and coordination. In particular, the user must apply force in three directions: in two opposite directions along the horizontal axis
67
by squeezing the pinch member
66
to disengage the latch mechanism
64
from the housing
26
, and in an outward direction to pivot the lever
32
away from the housing
26
.
In some maintenance situations, the user may wish to install or remove several disk drive assemblies
22
in a row (e.g., into or out of one or more rows or columns of side-by-side main assemblies
24
). In a situation in which multiple disk drive assemblies
22
must be removed, the user can squeeze and pull on the latch mechanisms
64
of each disk drive assembly
22
until that disk drive assembly
22
disconnects from the connector
40
of the corresponding main assembly
24
, and then partially slide that disk drive assembly
22
through the main assembly
36
without fully removing that disk drive assembly
22
from the main assembly
24
. Once the user has disconnected each disk drive assembly
22
in this manner, the user can then remove the disk drive assemblies
22
by sliding each disk drive assembly
22
fully out of its corresponding main assembly
24
.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Unfortunately, there are drawbacks to conventional data sto
Chapin & Huang , L.L.C.
EMC Corporation
Huang David E.
Lea-Edmonds Lisa
Picard Leo P.
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