Storage Blade

• US 20090257185A1
• Filed: 04/10/2008
• Published: 10/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NetApp, Inc.
• Original Assignee: LSI Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Harvey, Robert T., Signer, Ryan S.
• Granted Patent: US 8,014,156 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/679.320
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/181 Enclosures for portable computers G06F1/1613
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/183 Internal mounting support structures, e.g. for printed circuit boards, internal connecting means for buses G06F13/409
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/1489 characterized by the mounting of blades therein, e.g. brackets, rails, trays H05K7/1491 takes precedence

Abstract

A blade-system computer component with a chassis and a blade. The chassis has a housing for a blade, chassis electrical contacts for making electrical connections to the blade, and two rails for engaging the blade along two sides of a length of the blade. Each of the two rails has a slider portion and a rack portion that both engage the blade, and are both disposed along an entire length of the two rails. The blade has blade electrical contacts for making electrical connections to the chassis, two glides disposed along the entire length of the two sides of the blade, where each of the two glides engage the slider portion of each of the two rails, and provide stability to the blade during relative movement between the blade and the chassis. At least one pinion engages the rack portion of at least one of the two rails, and provides dampening to the relative movement between the blade and the chassis.

Claims

1. A blade-system computer component, comprising:

a chassis having,

a housing for a blade,

chassis electrical contacts for making electrical connections to the blade, and

two rails for engaging the blade along two sides of a length of the blade, each of the two rails having a slider portion and a rack portion that both engage the blade and are both disposed along an entire length of the two rails, and

the blade having,

blade electrical contacts for making electrical connections to the chassis,

two glides disposed along the entire length of the two sides of the blade, each of the two glides for engaging the slider portion of each of the two rails, and for providing stability to the blade during relative movement between the blade and the chassis, and

at least one pinion for engaging the rack portion of at least one of the two rails, and for providing dampening to the relative movement between the blade and the chassis.

2. The blade-system of claim 1, wherein the chassis accommodates more than one blade, and one rail is disposed between each two adjacent blades, and the rails disposed between two blades have slider portions and rack portions disposed along the entire length of two sides of the rail.

3. The blade-system of claim 1, wherein the blade includes a motor attached to the pinion, for providing the relative movement between the blade and chassis.

4. The blade-system of claim 1, wherein the blade includes a dampener attached to the pinion, for dampening the relative movement between the blade and the chassis.

5. The blade-system of claim 1, wherein the blade includes two pinions, one pinion on each side of the blade, one of each of the two pinions for engaging the rack on the rail disposed on an associated side of the blade.

6. The blade-system of claim 1, wherein the blade comprises a storage blade.

7. The blade-system of claim 1, wherein the blade includes a handle for providing the relative movement and for carrying the blade when it is not disposed within the chassis.

8. The blade-system of claim 1, wherein the blade includes a handle for providing the relative movement and for carrying the blade when it is not disposed within the chassis, the handle including status indicators for operation of components on the blade.

9. A blade-system computer component, comprising:

a chassis having,

a housing for a blade,

chassis electrical contacts for making electrical connections to the blade, and

two rails for engaging the blade along two sides of a length of the blade, and

the blade having,

blade electrical contacts for making electrical connections to the chassis,

two glides disposed along the entire length of the two sides of the blade, each of the two glides for engaging the two rails, and for providing stability to the blade during relative movement between the blade and the chassis, and

a handle for providing the relative movement and for carrying the blade when it is not disposed within the chassis, the handle including status indicators for operation of components on the blade.

10. The blade-system of claim 9, wherein the chassis accommodates more than one blade, and one rail is disposed between each two adjacent blades, and the rails disposed between two blades have slider portions and rack portions disposed along the entire length of two sides of the rail.

11. The blade-system of claim 9, wherein the blade includes a pinion for engaging a rack on the rail, and a motor attached to the pinion for providing the relative movement between the blade and chassis.

12. The blade-system of claim 9, wherein the blade includes a pinion for engaging a rack on the rail, and a dampener attached to the pinion for dampening the relative movement between the blade and the chassis.

13. The blade-system of claim 9, wherein the blade includes two pinions, one pinion on each side of the blade, one of each of the two pinions for engaging a rack on the rail disposed on an associated side of the blade.

14. The blade-system of claim 9, wherein the blade comprises a storage blade.

15. A blade for a computer blade-system, the blade comprising:

electrical contacts for making electrical connections to a chassis, a glide disposed along a length of the blade, the glide for engaging a slider on the chassis,

a pinion for engaging a rack on the chassis, and

a handle.

16. The blade-system of claim 15, wherein the blade includes a motor attached to the pinion, for providing the relative movement between the blade and chassis.

17. The blade-system of claim 15, wherein the blade includes a dampener attached to the pinion, for dampening the relative movement between the blade and the chassis.

18. The blade-system of claim 15, wherein the blade includes two pinions, one pinion on each side of the blade, one of each of the two pinions for engaging the rack on the rail disposed on an associated side of the blade.

19. The blade-system of claim 15, wherein the blade includes two glides disposed on opposing sides of the blade and along the entire length of the blade.

20. The blade-system of claim 15, wherein the blade comprises a storage blade.