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US 6,650,533 B2Granted
Pluggable drive carrier assembly
Assignee3ware, Inc.
InventorsRobert B. Curtis, Bryan T. Silbermann, Robert W. Horst
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
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Assignee3ware, Inc.
InventorsRobert B. Curtis, Bryan T. Silbermann, Robert W. Horst
Estimating the term…
A computer system with a pluggable drive carrier assembly comprises a cabinet and a circuit board disposed within the cabinet. The circuit board, such as a base board, has a number of connectors attached to a first surface. A drive unit such as a hard disk drive is secured within a carrier. A logic connector and a power connector are adapted to attach to the drive. A flexible circuit assembly connects the logic connector and the power connector to a blind plug. The blind plug is adapted to mate with any of the number of connectors. A cam surface and lever arrangement is used to urge into engagement the blind plug and the selected one of the number of connectors. The logic connector and the power connector both have a number of contacts that extend in a direction generally parallel to the first surface of the circuit board such that a backplane is not required and can be eliminated.
A computer system comprising a circuit board and a first connector mounted to said circuit board, a drive secured to a carrier and having a drive connector disposed on a surface, said circuit board extending in a direction generally normal to said surface, said carrier comprising an electrical conduit, said electrical conduit comprising a mating connector and a blind-plug, said mating connector being adapted to connect to said drive connector and said blind-plug being adapted to couple to said first connector.
An electronic system comprising an enclosure, a base board positioned within said enclosure, said base board comprising a docking connector fixed to a surface of said base board, a drive carrier being adapted for insertion into said enclosure along a first axis, a drive being disposed within said drive carrier, said drive having a connector disposed along a first surface, said first axis extending in a direction generally parallel to said base board and an electrical conduit extending between said connector of said drive and said docking connector of said base board.
A pluggable drive carrier comprising a carrier body adapted to receive a drive and having an outside surface, a blind plug connector mounted to said outside surface, an electrical conduit being electrically coupled to said blind plug connector, a second connector being secured to said electrical conduit and said second connector being capable of being disposed within said carrier body.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.