Hard disc drive support tray apparatus with built-in handling shock reduction, EMI shielding and mounting alignment structures

For use in conjunction with a housing cage structure having an open end, and an end wall spaced rearwardly apart from and facing the open end and having a plug socket thereon, disk drive apparatus insertable rearwardly through the open housing cage structure end in a manner removably holding said disk drive apparatus therein and operatively coupling it to the plug socket, said disk drive apparatus comprising:

• a molded plastic support tray member having a rear end portion and a top side portion disposed forwardly of said rear end portion, said support tray member being rearwardly movable inwardly through the open housing cage structure end, toward the plug socket on its end wall, to an operating position, said support tray member having a spaced plurality of post portions projecting upwardly from said top side portion thereof, said post portions having transversely enlarged upper end portions, said support tray further having a first spaced plurality of holes formed therein;
• a metal mounting plate spaced apart from said support tray member top side portion in an overlying, parallel, facing relationship therewith, said mounting plate having a second spaced plurality of holes formed therethrough, a top side, and a rear end portion,
• said post portions slidingly extending upwardly through said second spaced plurality of holes and having transversely enlarged outer end sections outwardly overlying said top side of said mounting plate;
• a spaced plurality of elastomeric members captively retained between said mounting plate and said top side portion of said support tray member and extending downwardly beyond the bottom side of said support tray member;
• a hard disk drive secured to said top side of said mounting plate;
• a printed circuit board having a connector edge portion;
• means for mounting said printed circuit board on said rear end portion of said mounting plate for movement therewith in a manner such that when said support tray member is rearwardly moved through the cage structure to said operating position said connector edge portion of the mounted printed circuit board is conductively and removably received within the plug socket;
• coupling means for electrically coupling said printed circuit board to said disk drive;
• and
• support means associated with said mounting plate and cooperatively engageable with a portion of the housing cage structure, in response to movement of said support tray into the housing cage structure to said operating position, to removably support said support tray member within the housing cage structure.

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, said first and second opposite side walls having facing surfaces;
• a facing pair of horizontally oriented guide channel members mounted on said first and second opposite side walls and having interior surfaces;
• a plastic support tray member having a rear end portion and a top side portion disposed forwardly of said rear end portion, said support tray member being rearwardly movable inwardly through the open front housing end to an operating position;
• a metal mounting plate spaced apart from said support tray member top side portion in an overlying, parallel, facing relationship therewith, said mounting plate having a top side, a rear end portion, and a pair of opposite side edges slidably movable longitudinally into and through said guide channel members to support said mounting plate thereon;
• fastening means for securing said mounting plate to said support tray member top side portion in a manner permitting relative transverse movement thereof toward and away from one another;
• means captively retained between said mounting plate and said support tray member top side portion and extending transversely outwardly through the bottom side of said support tray member for forming resilient shock absorbing projections thereon;
• means for securing a disk drive to said top side of said mounting plate;
• a printed circuit board having a connector edge portion;
• means for mounting said printed circuit board on said rear end portion of said mounting plate for movement therewith in a manner such that when said support tray member is rearwardly moved through the cage structure to said operating position said connector edge portion of the mounted printed circuit board is conductively and removably received within the plug socket;
• and
• coupling means for electrically coupling said printed circuit board to the disk drive.