Electricity: electrical systems and devices – Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical... – For electronic systems and devices
Patent
1993-02-12
1994-05-03
Picard, Leo P.
Electricity: electrical systems and devices
Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical...
For electronic systems and devices
361685, 3123321, 31233444, H05K 710, H05K 714
Patent
active
053093232
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to the field of electrical units which are removable from their housing.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A current trend in the design of electrical systems is the provision of modular configurations whereby the individual electrical devices making up the system are removable from the system housing. Such systems provide a number of advantages. The customer is able to buy a system which has a combination of different device types tailored to his own requirements. In addition, the manufacturer is able to offer a large number of different systems based on a smaller range of individual device types. If a device becomes defective, it can be removed for repair and replaced with a good device without seriously degrading the performance of the system as a whole.
One type of multi component system is a mass data storage subsystem which comprises removable data storage devices, e.g. disk drives, mounted in a chassis which also contains associated device controllers, power supplies and cooling fans.
With removable disk drives, extra provision in the form of improved shock mounts is commonly required to provide protection for the head disk assembly during handling. Although it may be possible to provide protection sufficient to cope with most handling conditions, it is extremely difficult to achieve such a level of protection within the limited space of a fixed form factor e.g. 5.25 inches. Care is also needed when inserting or removing the disk drive into or from the chassis in order to avoid damage to the head disk assembly.
An article entitled `Removable and Transportable DASD` (IBM Technical Disclosure Bulletin vol. 33 No. 6B November 1990 pp 76-77) describes a disk file module which is designed to be removably installed in the chassis of a user system. The module includes a first handle on its front surface for use in removing the module from either rack or tower mounting chassis. A second handle which folds flat at the top of the unit may be used an additional carrying aid.
A similar arrangement is employed in the EMR removable disk subsystem manufactured by Emulex Corporation. A pair of removable Portable Disk Modules (PDM) are mounted in a chassis and each module has a front mounted handle and a second handle hingeably attached to its top surface. The second handle is presumably used to assist in removal of the module from the chassis.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, the invention provides a removable electrical unit for location in the chassis of an electrical apparatus, the unit including catch means mounted on an outer surface thereof and adapted to engage with stop means mounted on an inner surface of the chassis when the unit is partly withdrawn from the chassis, thereby to prevent complete removal therefrom, the unit further including a combined grip and release mechanism in the form of a handle, exposed by said partial withdrawal, which is operable to disengage the catch means from the stop means thereby to allow complete withdrawal of the unit from the chassis.
When the electrical unit is partially withdrawn from the chassis the catch means and stop means engage thereby preventing complete removal. The combined grip and release mechanism on the unit is actuated to disengage the stop and catch means and the unit can then be completely removed from the chassis. In this way, the user is prevented from removing the unit in such a manner that may cause damage to the electrical/electronic components of the unit and is forced to use the handle in order to remove the unit from the chassis.
It is further preferred that when the unit is at the partly removed position, the handle is movable from a first position lying flush with the surface of the unit, where the latch is engaged with the stop, to a second position standing proud from the unit surface, where the latch is disengaged from the stop.
In a preferred arrangement, the stop means is resilient and deforms when engaged by the latch means when the unit reaches the partly removed position d
REFERENCES:
patent: 3521939 (1970-07-01), Fall et al.
patent: 4006951 (1977-02-01), Geer et al.
patent: 4818986 (1989-04-01), Bauman
IBM Technical Disclosure Bulletin, vol. 33, No. 6B, Nov. 1990, pp. 76-77, "Removable and Transportation DASD".
Golledge Ian
Gray David J.
Spake Steven R.
International Business Machines - Corporation
Phillips Michael W.
Picard Leo P.
Truelson Roy W.
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