Electricity: electrical systems and devices – Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical... – For electronic systems and devices
Reexamination Certificate
1999-03-19
2001-07-03
Feild, Lynn D. (Department: 2835)
Electricity: electrical systems and devices
Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical...
For electronic systems and devices
C361S725000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06256204
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention pertains to computer systems and other information handling systems and, more particularly, to an injection molded carrier for a disk drive or other electronic component that includes an integrally molded latching mechanism and in which the disk drive or other electronic component is attached to the carrier using a wire form mechanism.
Disk drives and other peripheral electronic components are frequently mounted on a carrier that can be slidably inserted into a chassis. The chassis typically houses a multiplicity of disk drives in individual “bays.” Each bay usually includes a pair of chassis rails that receive mating carrier rails positioned on either side of the carrier. A latching mechanism is usually included to latch the disk drive in the chassis.
The invention described below is an improved carrier assembly for a disk drive or other electronic component that achieves low manufacturing cost by using a one piece, injection molded carrier and a “wire form” attaching mechanism for attaching the disk drive or other electronic component to the carrier without the use of tools. The carrier also includes an integrally molded latching mechanism that can be released by simply pulling on the integrally molded handle. Thus, one hand unlatching and removal of the drive is possible.
FIG. 1A
is a top plan view of a prior art wire form attaching mechanism, which is similar to the one described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,587,889 to Sacherman. Referring to this figure, a wire form
100
includes a main body portion
101
, which assumes an arcuate shape when the wire form is not installed in the carrier assembly (i.e., when the wire form is “free standing”). Legs
102
and
103
are formed at opposite ends of body portion
101
and the legs are angled inward towards body portion
101
at an angle “A”, wherein “A” is less than 90 degrees.
FIG. 1B
is a top plan view of a prior art slidable carrier assembly, such as the one illustrated in Sacherman. Referring to this figure, which illustrates the carrier assembly removed from the chassis, legs
102
and
103
are inserted through holes
104
a
and
104
b
in carrier rail
104
and then into holes
105
a
and
105
b
of disk drive housing
105
. The arcuate shape in body portion
101
pulls the legs inward (towards one another) engaging the tips of the legs into the interior walls of holes
105
a
and
105
b,
thereby attaching disk drive housing
105
to carrier rail
104
.
FIG. 1C
is similar to
FIG. 1B
, except that the carrier assembly is illustrated inserted in the chassis. Referring to this figure, chassis rail
106
compresses the arcuate shape of body portion
101
, thereby causing legs
102
and
103
to move outward and away from the interior walls of holes
105
a
and
105
b
and decreasing the force F
1
between the legs and the interior walls of the holes. In fact, the retaining force F
1
may be reduced to zero, such that carrier rail
104
is only loosely held onto disk drive housing
105
.
The invention described below includes a wire form attaching mechanism of a design different from that of the prior art. In particular, the wire form of the present invention is designed to increase the holding force between a disk drive housing and the carrier rail when the carrier assembly is inserted into the chassis. In order to achieve good electrical grounding of the disk drive housing, this is particularly important when using an electrically insulating carrier, such as the plastic injection molded carrier described below. In other words, a path for electrical conduction is formed between the grounded chassis rail and the wire form, and also between the wire form and the disk drive housing. Consequently, it is imperative that the legs of the wire form remain in tight engagement with the walls of the holes in the disk drive housing when the carrier assembly is inserted into the chassis.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Briefly, the invention is an electronic component assembly for slidable insertion into a chassis having a chassis rail and a detent. The assembly includes a carrier having a flexible handle and a carrier rail. The carrier rail includes a flexible end portion and one end of the handle is connected to the flexible end portion of the rail. The flexible end portion includes a latch for engaging the detent in the chassis. The carrier is slidably insertable into the chassis such that the carrier rail engages the chassis rail. When the carrier is inserted into the chassis a predetermined distance, the latch engages the detent in the chassis, thereby latching the carrier in the chassis. The carrier is slidably removable from the chassis by application of a force applied between the two ends of the handle. This force causes the handle to bend, which in turn causes the flexible end portion of the carrier rail to bend, thereby disengaging the latch from the detent. The assembly also includes an electronic component attached to the carrier.
In another embodiment, the invention is an electronic component assembly for slidable insertion into a chassis. The assembly includes a carrier having a carrier rail and a hole in the carrier rail. An electronic component is attached to the carrier. The electronic component has a hole that is aligned with the hole in the carrier rail. A wire form includes a body portion and a leg at one end of the body portion. The leg is angled outward from the body portion and inserted through the hole in the carrier rail and into the hole in the electronic component. The body portion forms an arch when the carrier is removed from the chassis, and forces the leg against the distal wall of the hole in the electronic component. The chassis rail compresses the arch of the body portion of the wire form when the carrier is inserted into the chassis. This increases the force of the leg against the wall of the hole in the electronic component.
REFERENCES:
patent: Re. 35915 (1998-10-01), Hastings et al.
patent: 5587889 (1996-12-01), Sacherman
patent: 5653518 (1997-08-01), Hardt
patent: 5734557 (1998-03-01), McAnally et al.
patent: 5806949 (1998-09-01), Johnson
patent: 5978212 (1999-11-01), Boulay et al.
patent: 6017004 (2000-01-01), Grantham
patent: 6025987 (2000-02-01), Allirot et al.
patent: 6061244 (2000-05-01), O'Sullivan
Gundlach John Geoffrey
Wormsbecher Paul Andrew
Feild Lynn D.
International Business Machines - Corporation
McKinley Martin J.
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