Ejection mechanism assembly for storage drive and storage drive having the ejection mechanism assembly

• US 10,126,786 B2
• Filed: 07/30/2015
• Issued: 11/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: JP Morgan Chase Bank, N.A. (JP Morgan Chase & Co)
• Original Assignee: Western Digital Technologies Incorporated (Western Digital Corporation)
• Inventors: Szeremeta, Wojciech, Cariker, Bruce A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Klimowicz, William J
• Application Number:
  US14/813,634
• Publication Number:
  US 20170034942A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,202 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/18 Packaging or power distribution
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/187 Mounting of fixed and removable disk drives
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/124 of the single recording/reproducing device, e.g. disk drive, onto a chassis
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/128 of the plurality of recording/reproducing devices, e.g. disk drives, onto a chassis

Abstract

A drive ejection mechanism, a storage drive enclosure and a server device having the drive ejection mechanism assembly are provided. The ejection mechanism assembly includes a lower guide member, an ejection member, a drive retaining member, and a biasing member. The lower guide member have a first end and a second end and may include a floor and at least one sidewall defining a lower drive insertion path. The ejection member may be slidingly coupled to the lower guide member. The drive retaining member may be hingedly connected to the first end of the lower guide member. The biasing member may be configured to bias the ejection member toward the first end of the lower guide member.

Claims

1. A drive ejection mechanism assembly for a storage drive, the drive ejection mechanism assembly comprising:

a lower guide member having a first end and a second end, the lower guide member being configured for placement in a drive bay and comprising;

a floor; and

at least one side wall extending upward from the floor of the lower guide member, wherein the floor and the at least one side wall define a lower drive insertion path;

an ejection member slidingly coupled to the lower guide member;

a drive retaining member hingedly connected to the first end of the lower guide member; and

a biasing member configured to bias the ejection member relative to the drive retaining member, wherein a first end of the biasing member is connected to the ejection member and a second end of the biasing member is connected to a retaining plate mounted to the floor of the lower guide member.

2. The drive ejection mechanism assembly of claim 1, wherein the at least one side wall of the lower guide member comprises:

a first side wall; and

a second side wall extending substantially parallel to the first side wall, the second side wall having an alignment biasing member configured to apply a biasing force in the direction of the first side wall.

3. The drive ejection mechanism assembly of claim 1, wherein the biasing member is connected to a tab extending from the ejection member through a groove formed in the floor of the lower guide member to an underside of the floor.

4. The drive ejection mechanism assembly of claim 1, wherein the lower guide member further comprises a backplane registration member configured to engage a backplane disposed within a chassis of the storage drive, the backplane registration member being disposed on the second end of the lower guide member, the second end of the lower guide member being opposite the first end of the lower guide member.

5. The drive ejection mechanism assembly of claim 1, wherein the drive retaining member comprises a linear member hingedly connected to the lower guide member and rotatable between a retaining position substantially perpendicular to the floor of the lower guide member and an open position substantially parallel to the floor of the lower guide member.

6. The drive ejection mechanism assembly of claim 1, further comprising a light pipe configured to transmit light between the first end and the second end of the lower guide member, wherein the light pipe is mounted on the lower guide member below the floor of the lower guide member.

7. The drive ejection mechanism assembly of claim 1, wherein:

tension in the biasing member increases when the storage drive is inserted in the drive bay; and

the tension in the biasing member decreases when the storage drive is removed from the drive bay.

8. The drive ejection mechanism assembly of claim 1, wherein:

the ejection member and the biasing member are not connected to the drive retaining member; and

a change in tension in the biasing member causes the storage drive to be ejected from the drive bay.

9. A storage drive enclosure for a storage drive, the storage drive enclosure comprising:

a drive chassis defining at least one storage drive bay; and

a drive ejection mechanism assembly disposed within the chassis, the drive ejection mechanism assembly comprising;

a lower guide member having a first end and a second end, the lower guide member being mounted in the drive chassis and comprising;

a floor; and

at least one side wall extending upward from the floor of the lower guide member, wherein the floor and the at least one side wall define a lower drive insertion path;

an ejection member slidingly coupled to the lower guide member;

a drive retaining member hingedly connected to the first end of the lower guide member; and

a biasing member configured to bias the ejection member relative to the drive retaining member, wherein a first end of the biasing member is connected to the ejection member and a second end of the biasing member is connected to a retaining plate mounted to the floor of the lower guide member.

10. The storage drive enclosure of claim 9, further comprising a backplane disposed within the drive chassis, the backplane being disposed adjacent to the second end of the lower guide member,

wherein the backplane comprises a connector configured to engage a corresponding connector on the storage drive inserted in the at least one storage drive bay.

11. The storage drive enclosure of claim 10, wherein the at least one side wall of the lower guide member comprises:

a first side wall; and

a second side wall extending substantially parallel to the first side wall, the second side wall having an alignment biasing member configured to apply a biasing force in the direction of the first side wall to the storage drive inserted into the at least one storage drive bay to facilitate alignment between the connector of the backplane and the corresponding connector of the storage drive.

12. The storage drive enclosure of claim 10, wherein the lower guide member further comprises a backplane registration member configured to engage the backplane and align the lower guide member with the connector of the backplane, the backplane registration member being disposed on the second end of the lower guide member, the second end of the lower guide member being opposite the first end of the lower guide member.

13. The storage drive enclosure of claim 10, further comprising a light pipe configured to transmit light between the first end and the second end of the lower guide member.

14. The storage drive enclosure of claim 13, wherein:

the backplane further comprises an indicator light source;

an end of the light pipe is disposed adjacent to the indicator light source; and

the light pipe is mounted on the lower guide member below the floor of the lower guide member between the lower guide member and the drive chassis.

15. The storage drive enclosure of claim 9, further comprising an upper guide member being mounted above the lower guide member in the chassis and aligned with the lower guide member,

wherein the upper guide member comprises:

a ceiling; and

at least one upper side wall extending downward from the ceiling of the upper guide member, wherein the ceiling and the at least one upper side wall define an upper drive insertion path.

16. The storage drive enclosure of claim 9, wherein:

the ejection member is pushed towards the second end of the lower guide member when the storage drive is inserted within the at least one storage drive bay, and

the ejection member is pushed towards the first end of the lower guide member when the storage drive is removed from the at least one storage drive bay.

17. The storage drive enclosure of claim 9, wherein the drive retaining member comprises a linear member hingedly connected to the lower guide member and rotatable between a retaining position substantially perpendicular to the floor of the lower guide member and an open position substantially parallel to the floor of the lower guide member.

18. A server device comprising:

a storage drive enclosure comprising;

a drive chassis defining at least two storage drive bays; and

a drive ejection mechanism assembly disposed within the chassis, the drive ejection mechanism assembly comprising;

a lower guide member having a first end and a second end, the lower guide member being mounted in the chassis and comprising;

a floor;

a first side wall extending upward from the floor of the lower guide member, wherein the floor and the first side wall define a lower drive insertion path for a first storage drive bay of the at least two storage drive bays; and

a second side wall extending upward from the floor of the lower guide member,. wherein the floor and the second side wall define a lower drive insertion path for a second storage drive bay of the at least two drive storage drive bays;

a first ejection member slidingly coupled to the lower guide member;

a second ejection member slidingly coupled to the lower guide member;

a first drive retaining member hingedly connected to the first end of the lower guide member;

a second drive retaining member hingedly connected to the first end of the lower guide member;

a first biasing member configured to bias the first ejection member relative to the first drive retaining member, wherein a first end of the first biasing member is connected to the first ejection member and a second end of the first biasing member is connected to a retaining plate mounted to the floor of the lower guide member; and

a second biasing member configured to bias the second ejection member relative to the second drive retaining member, wherein a first end of the second biasing member is connected to the second ejection member and a second end of the second biasing member is connected to the retaining plate mounted to the floor of the lower guide member.

19. The server device of claim 18, further comprising a backplane disposed within the drive chassis, the backplane being disposed adjacent to the second end of the guide member,

wherein the backplane comprises:

a first connector configured to engage a corresponding connector on a first storage drive inserted in the first storage drive bay; and

a second connector configured to engage a corresponding connector on a second storage drive inserted in the second storage drive bay.

20. The server device of claim 19, wherein the lower guide member further comprises:

a third side wall extending substantially parallel to the first side wall, the third side wall comprising a first alignment biasing member configured to apply a biasing force toward the first side wall, the biasing force being applied to the first storage drive inserted into the first storage drive bay to facilitate alignment between the first connector of the backplane and the corresponding connector of the first storage drive; and

a fourth side wall extending substantially parallel to the second side wall, the fourth side wall comprising a second alignment biasing member configured to apply a biasing force toward the second side wall, the biasing force being applied to the second storage drive inserted into the second storage drive bay to facilitate alignment between the second connector of the backplane and the corresponding connector of the second storage drive.