Linear push-push mechanism for removable storage cartridge system
AssigneeWestern Digital Technologies, Inc.
InventorsJohn L. Harting, Thomas F. Meehan, Herman Chong-Han Yang
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A removable storage cartridge system may include a linear push-push mechanism comprising a carriage having a lock bar and a lock bar spring, and an enclosure having a mounting bracket having a lock guide. The lock guide is configured to interact with the lock bar and spring such that, in response to a first pushing force, reception of the carriage into the mounting bracket positions the carriage into a locked position within the enclosure and, in response to a second pushing force, the carriage is released from the locked position and ejected from the system.
Claims19
A removable storage cartridge system comprising:
- an enclosure comprising a bay configured to house a removable data storage device;
- a removable storage device carriage configured to removably couple with a removable data storage device;
- a lock bar;
- a lock bar spring;
- a mounting bracket coupled with said enclosure within said bay;
- and
- a lock guide;
- wherein said lock guide is configured to interact with said lock bar and said lock bar spring such that:
- in response to a first pushing force applied directly or indirectly to said carriage in a particular direction, reception of said carriage into said mounting bracket positions said carriage into a locked position within said enclosure, and
- in response to a second pushing force applied directly or indirectly to said carriage in said particular direction, said carriage is released from said locked position.
A method of configuring a removable storage cartridge system, the method comprising:
- inserting a removable storage device cartridge, comprising a removable data storage device housed in a carriage, into a locked position within an enclosure bay mounting bracket;
- wherein said inserting includes (a) sliding a protuberance of a carriage lock bar into a mounting bracket lock guide insertion channel to removably couple said cartridge with a lock guide detent corresponding to said locked position, and (b) extending a carriage lock bar spring that is positioned at a distance in a direction from said protuberance and provides a rotational bias to said lock bar toward said direction, and (c) engaging a removable storage device data interface connector with a system circuit board data interface connector;
- wherein said mounting bracket lock guide comprises an inclined wall that, in conjunction with a guide wall, forms said insertion channel leading to said lock detent.
A removable storage system enclosure comprising:
- a bay configured to house a removable data storage device;
- and
- a mounting bracket within said bay, wherein said mounting bracket comprises a lock guide;
- wherein said lock guide is configured to interact with a removable storage device carriage lock bar and spring such that:
- in response to a first pushing force applied directly or indirectly to said removable storage device carriage in a particular direction, reception of said carriage into said mounting bracket positions said carriage into a locked position within said enclosure, and
- in response to a second pushing force applied directly or indirectly to said carriage in said particular direction, said carriage is released from said locked position.
A removable storage device carriage configured to removably couple with a removable data storage device, the carriage comprising:
- a lock bar comprising:
- a protuberance configured to slide within an insertion channel and an ejection channel of a removable storage system enclosure mounting bracket lock guide and to removably couple with a lock detent of said lock guide when corresponding to a locked position, and
- a spring attachment feature;
- and
- a lock bar spring attached to said spring attachment feature and which extends in response to a first pushing force and contracts in response to a second pushing force.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.