Apparatus for removably supporting a plurality of hot plug-connected hard disk drives

Apparatus for supporting and providing a plug connection for a disk drive, comprising:

• a housing cage structure having an open end, a rear end wall having a plug socket thereon, first and second opposite side walls extending between said open end and said rear end wall and having facing surfaces, and opposing channel portions formed on said open front end and extending parallel to said opposite side walls;
• first and second elongated guide channel members having open side portions, interiors, and generally U-shaped cross-sections along their lengths;
• means for mounting said guide channel members on the facing surfaces of said first and second side walls of said housing cage structure in a parallel relationship in which said open side portions of the mounted first and second guide channel members face one another and said first and second guide channel members longitudinally extend toward said plug socket in a generally laterally aligned relationship therewith;
• a support tray member having opposite front corners portions, and side edge portions slidably and supportingly receivable in the interiors of said first and second guide channel members in a manner permitting said support tray member to be slid rearwardly along said first and second guide members to bring said support tray member to an operating position within said cage structure, said support tray member having a rear end portion and a top side portion disposed forwardly of said rear end portion;
• a printed circuit board;
• means for removably mounting said printed circuit board on said rear end portion of said support tray member for movement therewith in a manner such that when said support tray member is rearwardly moved through said cage structure to said operating position a rear portion of the mounted printed circuit board is conductively and removably received within said plug socket;
• means for removably securing a disk drive to said top side portion of said support tray member for movement therewith;
• means for electrically coupling said printed circuit board to the disk drive;
• a pair of ejection lever members pivotally mounted on said opposite front corner portions of said support tray member for movement relative thereto between opened and closed positions, said ejection lever members being operative, when pivoted relative to said front corner portions, to engage said cage structure front end channel portions in a manner selectively creating an insertion or withdrawal force on said support tray member;
• and
• cooperatively interengageable locking means on said ejection lever members and said support tray member for releasably holding said ejection lever members in said closed position thereof.

Apparatus for supporting and providing a plug connection for a disk drive, comprising:

• a housing cage structure having an open front end, a rear end wall having a plug socket thereon, and first and second opposite side walls extending between said open front end and said rear end wall and having facing surfaces;
• first and second elongated guide channel members having open side portions, interiors, and generally U-shaped cross-sections along their lengths;
• means for mounting said guide channel members on the facing surfaces of said first and second side walls in a parallel relationship in which said open side portions of the mounted first and second guide channel members face one another and said first and second guide channel members longitudinally extend toward said plug socket in a generally laterally aligned relationship therewith;
• a support tray member having opposite side edge portions slidably and supportingly receivable in the interiors of said first and second guide channel members in a manner permitting said support tray member to be slid rearwardly along said first and second guide channel members to bring said support tray member to an operating position within said cage structure, said support tray member having a rear end portion and a top side portion disposed forwardly of said rear end portion;
• a printed circuit board;
• means for removably mounting said printed circuit board on said rear end portion of said support tray member for movement therewith in a manner such that when said support tray member is rearwardly moved through said cage structure to said operating position a rear portion of the mounted printed circuit board is conductively and removably received within said plug socket;
• means for removably securing a disk drive to said top side portion of said support tray member for movement therewith;
• means for electrically coupling said printed circuit board to the disk drive;
• sheet metal grounding clip members carried by said guide channel members and deformingly pressed against said first and second side walls of said housing cage structure;
• and
• cooperatively engageable means on said printed circuit board and said grounding clip members for temporarily grounding said printed circuit board as said support tray member is being moved through said cage structure toward and away from said operating position.