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US 9,607,660 B2Granted
Carrier used for mounting data storage drive into enclosure
AssigneeSeagate Technology LLC
InventorsRichard E. Bennett, II, Odie Killen
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A data storage carrier includes a middle member with at least one handle between ends of the middle member. Side members are coupled to the respective ends of the middle member via living hinges. The side members each include at least two protrusions configured to interface with side mounting holes of a data storage drive. The living hinges are bendable so that the protrusions interface with the side mounting holes of the drive and the middle member interfaces with a back side of the drive.
Claims20
An apparatus comprising:
- a middle member comprising at least one handle between first and second ends of the middle member;
- and
- first and second side members coupled to the respective first and second ends of the middle member via first and second living hinges, the first and second side members each comprising at least two protrusions configured to interface with side mounting holes of a bare data storage drive, the first and second living hinges being bendable so that the protrusions interface with the side mounting holes of the bare data storage drive and the middle member interfaces with a back side of the bare data storage drive, the first and second living hinges being formed with a bias that applies a preload force to hold the protrusions into the side mounting holes of the bare data storage drive, the back side of the bare data storage drive facing away from a connector side of the bare data storage drive.
An enclosure comprising:
- a backplane circuit board comprising drive connectors located opposite an opening of the enclosure;
- a plurality of upper dividers near the opening of the enclosure;
- a plurality of lower dividers located proximate the backplane circuit board;
- and
- a plurality of data storage drives each fitted with carriers that mechanically interface with guiding features of the upper and lower dividers, the carriers each comprising:
- a middle member spanning a back side of the data storage drive, the back side of the data storage drive facing away from a connector side of the data storage drive;
- and
- first and second side members coupled to first and second ends of the middle member via first and second living hinges, the first and second side members each comprising at least two protrusions configured to interface with side mounting holes of the data storage drive, the first and second living hinges bendable so that the protrusions interface with the side mounting holes of the data storage drive, the first and second living hinges being formed with a bias that applies a preload force to hold the protrusions into the side mounting holes of the bare data storage drive.
5 more elements
A method comprising
- installing a carrier onto a data storage drive, the carrier that encompassing two sides and a back side of the data storage drive, the back side facing away from a connector side of the data storage drive, the installing of the carrier onto the data storage drive comprises flexing the side members outward and aligning protrusions of the side members with side mounting holes on the disk drive the first and second living hinges formed with a bias that applies a preload force to hold the protrusions into the side mounting holes of the bare data storage drive;
- inserting the carrier and data storage drive into upper divider slots of an enclosure;
- pushing the carrier and data storage drive into the enclosure until side members of the carrier interface with lower divider slots;
- and
- pushing the carrier and data storage drive further into the enclosure until a connector of the data storage drive interfaces with a backplane connector of the enclosure.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.