Drive carrier

• US 20050270737A1
• Filed: 06/07/2004
• Published: 12/08/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Wrycraft, Sean Conor, Wilson, Helenaur, Donovan, Andrew
• Granted Patent: US 7,280,352 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/679.370
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/184 Mounting of motherboards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/187 Mounting of fixed and removable disk drives
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/126 Arrangements for providing electrical connections, e.g. connectors, cables, switches
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/128 of the plurality of recording/reproducing devices, e.g. disk drives, onto a chassis

Abstract

There is provided a drive carrier. The drive carrier is configured to receive a media drive and is also configured to be removably receivable in a receiving location of a computer system. The drive carrier includes a base portion, a handle portion and a latch mechanism for securing the carrier within the receiving location. The base portion and the handle portion are configured to co-operate to operate the latch mechanism on insertion and/or removal of the carrier from the receiving location, for inserting and/or removing the carrier from the receiving location and operating the latch mechanism with a single movement of the handle portion.

Claims

1. A drive carrier configured to receive a media drive and configured to be removably receivable in a receiving location of a computer system, the carrier comprising:

a base portion;

a handle portion; and

a latch mechanism for securing the carrier within the receiving location, wherein the base portion and the handle portion are configured to co-operate to operate the latch mechanism on insertion and/or removal of the carrier from the receiving location, for inserting and/or removing the carrier from the receiving location and operating the latch mechanism with a single movement of the handle portion.

2. The drive carrier of claim 1, wherein the single movement is a linear movement in the direction of insertion/removal of the drive carrier from the receiving location.

3. The drive carrier of claim 2, wherein the handle portion is actuable to move between a first position and a second position relative to the base portion for operating the latch mechanism, and wherein the single movement of the handle portion includes actuating the handle between the first position and the second position.

4. The drive carrier of claim 3, wherein when the handle is in the first position the latch mechanism is in a deployed state for securing the drive carrier within the receiving location, and when the handle is in the second position, the latch mechanism is in a retracted state for allowing insertion and/or removal of the drive carrier from the receiving location.

5. The drive carrier of claim 4, wherein the latch mechanism comprises a resilient latch portion and an aperture in the handle portion, wherein when the latch mechanism is in the deployed state, the latch portion protrudes through the aperture in the handle portion for engaging with a formation of the receiving location, and wherein movement of the handle from the first position to the second position causes the latch portion to be retracted through the aperture in the handle portion.

6. The drive carrier of claim 5, wherein the latch portion is integrally formed with the base portion.

7. The drive carrier of claim 5, wherein the latch portion comprises a folded portion of springy metal.

8. The drive carrier of claim 5, wherein when the latch mechanism is in the retracted state, the latch portion urges against an inner surface of the handle portion.

9. The drive carrier of claim 3, further comprising one or more guide rails for guiding movement of the handle portion between the first position and the second position.

10. The drive carrier of claim 9, wherein the handle portion comprises one or more slides located within the guide rails.

11. The drive carrier of claim 9, wherein the guide rails are formed integrally with the base portion.

12. The drive carrier of claim 9, wherein the guide rails are formed from a plastics material.

13. The drive carrier of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of electromagnetic interference (EMI) fingers configured to occupy:

a deployed position for abutting against a neighbouring drive carrier, media drive or inner wall of the receiving location; and

a retracted position for reducing sliding resistance on insertion and/or removal of the drive carrier from the receiving location.

14. The drive carrier of claim 13, wherein the handle portion is actuable to move between a first position and a second position relative to the base portion for operating the latch mechanism and for moving the EMI fingers between the deployed position and the retracted position respectively, and wherein the single movement of the handle portion includes actuating the handle between the first position and the second position.

15. The drive carrier of claim 14, wherein the EMI fingers are fixed relative to the base portion, and wherein the handle portion comprises a ramp upon which the EMI fingers are operable to ride, whereby movement of the handle portion from the second position to the first position causes the ramp portion to urge the EMI fingers into the deployed position.

16. The drive carrier of claim 13, wherein the EMI fingers are integrally formed with the base portion.

17. The drive carrier of claim 1, wherein the handle portion comprises one or more light pipes for directing light from an indicator light of a received media drive.

18. The drive carrier of claim 1, comprising one or more electrostatic discharge (ESD) fingers configured to urge against an inner wall of the receiving location when the drive carrier is received in the receiving location.

19. The drive carrier of claim 18, wherein one or more of the ESD fingers are formed integrally with the base portion.

20. The drive carrier of claim 1, further comprising one or more formations for guiding movement of the carrier within the receiving location.

21. The drive carrier of claim 1, wherein the base portion comprises sheet metal.

22. The drive carrier of claim 1, wherein the base portion comprises a plastics material.

23. Drive carrier means for receiving a media drive, the carrier means being configured to be removably receivable in a receiving location of a computer system and comprising:

base means;

handle means; and

latch means for securing the carrier means within the receiving location, wherein the base means and the handle means are configured to co-operate to operate the latch means on insertion and/or removal of the carrier means from the receiving location, for inserting and/or removing the carrier means from the receiving location and operating the latch means with a single movement of the handle means.

24. A drive carrier and a media drive received in the drive carrier, the carrier being configured to be removably receivable in a receiving location of a computer system, the carrier comprising:

a base portion;

a handle portion; and

a latch mechanism for securing the carrier within the receiving location, wherein the base portion and the handle portion are configured to co-operate to operate the latch mechanism on insertion and/or removal of the carrier from the receiving location, for inserting and/or removing the carrier from the receiving location and operating the latch mechanism with a single movement of the handle portion.

25. A computer system comprising:

a receiving location; and

a drive carrier removably received within the receiving location, the drive carrier being configured to receive a media drive and comprising;

a base portion;

a handle portion; and

a latch mechanism for securing the carrier within the receiving location, wherein the base portion and the handle portion are configured to co-operate to operate the latch mechanism on insertion and/or removal of the carrier from the receiving location, for inserting and/or removing the carrier from the receiving location and operating the latch mechanism with a single movement of the handle portion.

26. The computer system of claim 25, further comprising at least one additional drive carrier and media drive received with the receiving location.

27. A method of removing a media drive from a computer system, the method comprising:

providing a drive carrier having the media drive received therein, the drive carrier being removably received within a receiving location of the computer system, the drive carrier comprising;

a base portion;

a handle portion; and

a latch mechanism for securing the carrier within the receiving location, wherein the base portion and the handle portion are configured to co-operate to operate the latch mechanism on insertion and/or removal of the carrier from the receiving location, for inserting and/or removing the carrier from the receiving location and operating the latch mechanism with a single movement of the handle portion; and

moving the handle to operate the latch mechanism and remove the carrier from the receiving location.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the movement is a single, linear movement in the direction of removal of the drive carrier from the receiving location.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein the single movement includes actuating the handle portion relative to the base portion from a first position in which the latch mechanism is in a deployed state for securing the drive carrier within the receiving location to a second position in which the latch mechanism is in a retracted state.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the single movement subsequently includes sliding the drive carrier and the media drive out from the receiving location.

31. A method of installing a media drive in a computer system, the method comprising:

providing a drive carrier having the media drive received therein, the drive carrier comprising;

a base portion;

a handle portion; and

a latch mechanism for securing the carrier within the receiving location, wherein the base portion and the handle portion are configured to co-operate to operate the latch mechanism on insertion and/or removal of the carrier from the receiving location, for inserting and/or removing the carrier from the receiving location and operating the latch mechanism with a single movement of the handle portion; and

moving the handle to insert the carrier within the receiving location and to operate the latch mechanism.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the movement is a single, linear movement in the direction of insertion of the drive carrier within the receiving location.

33. The method of claim 31, wherein the single movement includes sliding the drive carrier and the media drive into the receiving location.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the single movement subsequently includes actuating the handle portion relative to the base portion from a second position in which the latch mechanism is in a retracted state to a first position in which the latch mechanism is in a deployed state for securing the drive carrier within the receiving location.