Adjustable carrier

• US 10,455,715 B2
• Filed: 12/01/2017
• Issued: 10/22/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC (Seagate Technology Holdings Plc)
• Original Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC (Seagate Technology Holdings Plc)
• Inventors: Choyikkunnil, Anil Koyad, Devapalan, Kiran Padmakumari, Gopalakrishna, Shankar, Francis, Saju Cheeran Verghese
• Primary Examiner(s): Lopez Cruz, Dimary S
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wright, Ingrid D
• Application Number:
  US15/829,298
• Publication Number:
  US 20190174642A1
• Time in Patent Office: 690 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/022 Cases
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/124 of the single recording/reproducing device, e.g. disk drive, onto a chassis
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0004 comprising several parts forming a closed casing
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0217 Mechanical details of casings covers, lids, hoods or members for covering apertures H05K5/03
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/1487 Blade assemblies, e.g. blade cases or inner arrangements within a blade

Abstract

Carriers may be adapted, or configured, to secure one of a plurality of varying-sized devices received thereby. Regardless of the size of the device, an interface of the device may be positioned proximate an interface opening of the carrier for, for example, operable coupling to an enclosure. The carrier may include a first side rail, a second side rail, and a movable rail that moves between the first and second side rail to adapt, or configure, the carrier to secure the one of the plurality of varying-sized devices received thereby. For example, the movable rail may be linearly translatable between the first and second side rails.

Claims

1. A carrier comprising:

a first side rail and a second side rail spaced apart from the first side rail, each of the first and second side rails extending between a forward end region and an interface end region;

a movable rail extending between the forward end region and the interface end region, the movable rail linearly translatable between the first and second side rails to receive one of a plurality of varying-width devices between the movable rail and the second side rail;

a forward portion extending between a first end region and a second end region, wherein the first end region of the forward portion is connected to the forward end region of the first side rail and the second end region of the forward portion is connected to the forward end region of the second side rail; and

an interface portion extending between a first end region and a second end region, wherein the first end region of the interface portion is connected to the interface end region of the first side rail and the second end region of the interface portion is connected to the interface end region of the second side rail,

wherein the movable rail maintains contact with at least one of the forward portion and the interface portion when moving between the first and second side rails.

2. The carrier of claim 1, further comprising at least one locating member movably attached to the movable rail to position the one of the plurality of varying-width devices, wherein the at least one locating member is positionable at a first position to receive a first device of the plurality of varying-width devices such that an interface of the first device is proximate the interface end region of the movable rail, and wherein the at least one locating member is positionable at a second position to receive a second device of the plurality of varying-width devices such that an interface of the second device is proximate the interface end region of the movable rail.

3. The carrier of claim 1, further comprising:

a forward portion extending between a first end region and a second end region, wherein the first end region of the forward portion is connected to the forward end region of the first side rail and the second end region of the forward portion is connected to the forward end region of the second side rail; and

a slider apparatus coupled to the movable rail and extending through at least a portion of the forward portion, wherein the slider apparatus, when actuated by a user, allows the movable rail to be moved between the first and second side rails.

4. The carrier of claim 3, wherein the slider apparatus is configurable between a locked position and an unlocked position, wherein the movable rail moves between the first side rail and the second side rail when the slider apparatus is in the unlocked position and the movable rail is restricted from movement when the slider apparatus is in the locked position.

5. The carrier of claim 1, wherein the movable rail extends parallel with both of the first and second side rails when the movable rail moves between the first side rail and the second side rail.

6. An apparatus comprising:

a first side rail extending between a forward end region and an interface end region;

a second side rail extending between the forward end region and the interface end region;

a movable rail extending between the forward end region and interface end region and positioned between the first and second side rail, the movable rail movable between an expanded configuration to receive a first device and a reduced configuration to receive a second device that is different than the first device, the movable rail defining an outer surface facing the first side rail and an opposite inner surface facing the second side rail in both the expanded and reduced configurations, an expanded distance measured between the inner surface of the movable rail and the second side rail when the movable rail is in the expanded configuration is greater than a reduced distance measured between the inner surface of the movable rail and the second side rail when the movable rail is in the reduced configuration; and

an interface portion extending between a first end region and a second end region, wherein the first end region of the interface portion is connected to the interface end region of the first side rail and the second end region of the interface portion is connected to the interface end region of the second side rail,

wherein the interface portion defines an interface groove that receives a second end protrusion of the movable rail.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising:

a forward portion extending between a first end region and a second end region, wherein the first end region of the forward portion is connected to the forward end region of the first side rail and the second end region of the forward portion is connected to the forward end region of the second side rail,

wherein the movable rail maintains contact with at least one of the forward and interface portions when moving between the reduced and extended configurations.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein at least one of the forward portion and the interface portion comprises a restriction element configured to restrict motion of the movable rail in at least one of the reduced configuration and the expanded configuration.

9. The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising at least one locating member movably attached to the movable rail to position at least one of the first and second devices, wherein the at least one locating member is positionable at a first position when the movable rail is in the expanded configuration such that an interface of the first device is proximate the interface end region of the movable rail, and wherein the at least one locating member is positionable at a second position when the movable rail is in the reduced configuration such that an interface of the second device is proximate the interface end region of the movable rail.

10. The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising:

a forward portion extending between a first end region and a second end region, wherein the first end region of the forward portion is connected to the forward end region of the first side rail and the second end region of the forward portion is connected to the forward end region of the second side rail; and

a slider apparatus coupled to the movable rail and extending through at least a portion of the forward portion, wherein the slider apparatus, when actuated by a user, allows the movable rail to be moved between the reduced configuration and the expanded configuration.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the slider apparatus is configurable between a locked position and an unlocked position, wherein the movable rail moves between the reduced configuration and the expanded configuration when the slider apparatus is in the unlocked position and the movable rail is restricted to either of the reduced configuration or the expanded configuration when the slider apparatus is in the locked position.

12. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the movable rail abuts the first side rail when in the expanded configuration.

13. A system comprising:

a first side rail extending between a forward end region and an interface end region;

a second side rail extending between the forward end region and the interface end region;

a movable rail extending between the forward end region and the interface end region and positioned between the first side rail and the second side rail to receive one of a first device and a second device, the first device defining a first width between a first edge and a second edge and the second device defining a second width between a first edge and a second edge that is less than the first width, the movable rail defining an outer surface facing the first side rail and an opposite inner surface facing the second side rail, the movable rail movable between an expanded configuration defining an expanded opening to receive the first device such that the inner surface of the movable rail abuts the first edge of the first device and a reduced configuration defining a reduced opening to receive the second device such that the inner surface of the movable rail abuts the first edge of the second device; and

at least one locating member pivotally attached to the movable rail to position at least one of the first and second devices, wherein the at least one locating member is configured to be positioned at a first position when the movable rail is in the expanded configuration such that an interface of the first device is proximate the interface end region of the movable rail, and wherein the at least one locating member is configured to be positioned at a second position when the movable rail is in the reduced configuration such that an interface of the second device is proximate the interface end region of the movable rail.

14. The system of claim 13, further comprising:

a forward portion extending between a first end region and a second end region, wherein the first end region of the forward portion is connected to the forward end region of the first side rail and the second end region of the forward portion is connected to the forward end region of the second side rail; and

an interface portion extending between a first end region and a second end region, wherein the first end region of the interface portion is connected to the interface end region of the first side rail and the second end region of the interface portion is connected to the interface end region of the second side rail,

wherein the movable rail maintains contact with at least one of the forward and interface portions when moving between the reduced and extended configurations.

15. The system of claim 13, further comprising:

a forward portion extending between a first end region and a second end region, wherein the first end region of the forward portion is connected to the forward end region of the first side rail and the second end region of the forward portion is connected to the forward end region of the second side rail; and

a slider apparatus coupled to the movable rail and extending through at least a portion of the forward portion, wherein the slider apparatus, when actuated by a user, allows the movable rail to be moved between the reduced configuration and the expanded configuration.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the slider apparatus is configurable between a locked position and an unlocked position, wherein the movable rail moves between the reduced configuration and the expanded configuration when the slider apparatus is in the unlocked position and the movable rail is restricted to either of the reduced configuration or the expanded configuration when the slider apparatus is in the locked position.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the movable rail moves linearly between the reduced configuration and the expanded configuration.