Adjustable Device Carrier for Modular Chassis

• US 20160157379A1
• Filed: 11/19/2014
• Published: 06/02/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Morton, Michael Harris, Du, Yinggang
• Granted Patent: US 9,420,718 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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: 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: H05K 3/325 by abutting or pinching, i.e. without alloying process; mechanical auxiliary parts therefor adaptations of leads inserted in holes for press-fit connections H05K3/308
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/183 support rails therefor

Abstract

Adjustable device carriers for modular chassis. In some embodiments, a carrier configured to receive an electronic device may include a front panel and lateral rails coupled to the front panel, where the lateral rails are configured to be inserted into a slot of a modular chassis, where the modular chassis is configured to receive an Information Handling System (IHS), where the IHS is configured to communicate with the electronic device via a backplane, and where the lateral rails have an adjustable length configured to accommodate electronic devices of different sizes.

Claims

1. A carrier configured to receive an electronic device, the carrier comprising:

a front panel; and

lateral rails coupled to the front panel, wherein the lateral rails are configured to be inserted into a slot of a modular chassis, wherein the modular chassis is configured to receive an Information Handling System (IHS), wherein the IHS is configured to communicate with the electronic device via a backplane, and wherein the lateral rails have an adjustable length configured to accommodate electronic devices of different sizes.

2. The carrier of claim 1, wherein each of the lateral rails includes two sections coupled via a telescoping system configured to allow the two sections to move along a same axis with respect to one another.

3. The carrier of claim 2, wherein each of the two sections includes at least one hole configured to enable the electronic device to be coupled to the lateral rail and to restrict relative movement between the two sections via the telescoping system.

4. The carrier of claim 2, wherein at least one of the lateral rails includes at least one light guide configured to make a signal visible through the front panel, and wherein the signal is provided by at least one of:

(a) the backplane of the modular chassis;

or (b) the electronic device.

5. The carrier of claim 4, wherein the signal is a power signal or an operation status signal.

6. The carrier of claim 4, wherein the telescoping system includes a shield configured to extend an overall length of the at least one light guide.

7. The carrier of claim 6, wherein the shield is configured to redirect at least a portion of the signal to indicate one of at least two different configurations of the carrier via the front panel.

8. The carrier of claim 7, wherein the at least one light guide is configured to indicate a length of the lateral rails.

9. The carrier of claim 8, wherein a first visual indication corresponds to a first length and wherein a second indication corresponds to a second length different from the first length.

10. A modular chassis, comprising:

a plurality of slots; and

at least one device carrier coupled to the plurality of slots, the device carrier further comprising;

a front panel; and

lateral rails coupled to the front panel, wherein the lateral rails have an adjustable length configured to accommodate electronic devices of varying sizes.

11. The modular chassis of claim 10, wherein each of the lateral rails is configured to be coupled to a corresponding lateral surface of a given electronic device.

12. The modular chassis of claim 11, wherein the given electronic device includes a Hard Disk Drive (HDD).

13. The modular chassis of claim 10, wherein at least one of the lateral rails includes at least one light guide configured to make a light signal originated from a backplane of the modular chassis visible through the front panel.

14. The modular chassis of claim 13, wherein the at least one light guide is configured to make a power signal visible through the front panel.

15. The modular chassis of claim 13, wherein the at least one light guide is configured to make an operation status signal visible through the front panel.

16. The modular chassis of claim 12, wherein the at least one light guide is configured to indicate a length of the lateral rails.

17. The modular chassis of claim 15, wherein a first visual indication corresponds to a first length and wherein a second indication corresponds to a second length different from the first length.

18. A method, comprising:

receiving an electronic device;

receiving a carrier comprising;

a front panel; and

lateral rails coupled to the front panel, wherein the lateral rails have an adjustable length configured to accommodate electronic devices of different sizes, and wherein each of the lateral rails includes two sections coupled via a telescoping system configured to allow the two sections to move along a same axis with respect to one another;

adjusting the length of the lateral rails to match a length of the electronic device; and

coupling the electronic device to the carrier, at least in part, by restricting relative movement between the two sections of each of the lateral rails via the telescoping system.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising inserting the carrier into a slot of a modular chassis.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein at least one of the lateral rails includes at least one light guide configured to make a signal visible through the front panel, and wherein the signal is provided by at least one of:

(a) the backplane of the modular chassis;

or (b) the electronic device.