Pivoting Mounts For Media Drives

• US 20120268889A1
• Filed: 06/19/2009
• Published: 10/25/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Doerr, Alan B., Nguyen, Minh H., Smith, Kelly K., Ganta, Kapil Rao Ganta Papa Rao Bala
• Granted Patent: US 8,649,167 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/679.33
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/128 of the plurality of recording/reproducing devices, e.g. disk drives, onto a chassis
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

Apparatus (100) is provided for mounting media drives. Top and bottom frames (102, 104) are coupled together in a pivoting relationship (106, 108). The frames (102, 104) are configured to receive top and bottom media drives, respectively. In a closed position, the top frame (102) fits substantially over the bottom frame (104). In an open position, the top frame (102) pivots away from the bottom frame (104) by a pivot angle (136) sufficient to insert the bottom media drive into or remove the bottom media drive from the bottom tray (104).

Claims

1. Apparatus (100) for mounting media drives, comprising:

top and bottom frames (102, 104) coupled together in a pivoting relationship (106, 108), the frames configured to receive top and bottom media drives, respectively;

wherein

in a closed position, the top frame (102) fits substantially over the bottom frame (104); and

in an open position, the top frame (102) pivots away from the bottom frame (104) by a pivot angle (136) sufficient to insert the bottom media drive into or remove the bottom media drive from the bottom frame (104).

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

in the open position, the pivot angle (136) is at least ninety degrees and the top frame (102) entirely clears a volume (138) extending orthogonally upward from a perimeter of the bottom frame (104).

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a latch (140) configured to hold the top and bottom frames (102, 104) in the closed position.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein:

the pivoting relationship (106, 108) comprises a pivot axis (110) disposed on a first side of the frames (102, 104); and

the latch (140) is disposed on a second side of the frames (102, 104) opposite the first side.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein:

the latch (140) is anchored to the top frame (102) defines a catch (142) for engagement with a latching surface (144) of the bottom frame (104), is resilient, and is biased such that the catch (142) engages with the latching surface (144) when the top frame (102) is pivoted down from the open to the closed position.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a bracket (164) configured to receive the bottom frame (104), and further configured to be mounted to a support structure (166) in an enclosure (162).

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein:

the enclosure (162) is an enclosure of a computing device.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein:

the support structure (166) comprises a tray that is configured to be mounted within the enclosure (162).

9. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein:

the support structure (166) comprises a portion of a chassis wall of the enclosure, (162).

10. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein:

the pivoting relationship (106, 108) comprises a pivot axis (110);

the bracket (164) defines a width (w) along an axis orthogonal to the pivot axis (110); and

the width (w) is sufficiently large that the top and bottom frames (102, 104) remain within the width (w) in both the closed and the open positions.

11. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein:

the support structure (166) and the bracket (164) define a plurality of right-angle slots (192, 194, 198, 202, 204, 208) and a corresponding plurality of spools (210-220) for engagement with the right-angle slots, configured such that the bracket (164) may be moved orthogonally (222) toward a plane (224) of the support structure (166) and then translated parallel (226) with the plane (224) to secure the bracket (164) to the support structure (166) in two axes (x, y).

12. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising:

holes (236, 238) in the support structure (166) and bracket (164), aligned for receiving a fastener (240) to prevent further translation (226) of the bracket (164) relative to the support structure (166) once the bracket (164) has been secured to the support structure (166).

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein:

either the right-angle slots (191-208) or the spools (210-220) are sufficiently numerous that the bracket (164) may be secured to the support structure (166) in more than one position relative to the support structure (166).

14. A method of installing a media drive in a host structure, comprising:

disengaging (244) a latch (140) that secures a top media drive mounting frame (102) to a bottom media drive mounting frame (104), the top frame (102) pivotingly coupled (106, 108) to the bottom frame (104);

pivoting (246) the top frame (102) away from the bottom frame (104);

inserting (248) the media drive into the bottom frame (104); and

pivoting (250) the top frame (102) down again such that the latch (140) engages once again to secure the top frame (102) to the bottom frame (104).

15. A computing device, comprising:

an enclosure (162); and

top and bottom media drive mounting frames (102, 104) disposed within the enclosure (162);

wherein

the top and bottom frames (102, 104) are pivotingly coupled to one another (106, 108) such that, in a closed position, the top frame (102) is disposed over the bottom frame (104) and, in an open position, the top frame (102) pivots away from the bottom frame (104) to enable access to contents of the bottom frame (104).