Computer with an improved disk drive mounting assembly

• US 5,768,099 A
• Filed: 01/23/1997
• Issued: 06/16/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Computer Corporation (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Radloff, Timothy, Scholder, Erica
• Primary Examiner(s): FEILD, LYNN DIANA
• Application Number:
  US08/785,416
• Time in Patent Office: 509 Days
• Field of Search: 361/683, 361/684, 361/685, 361/686, 361/724-727, 360/137 D, 360/900, 360/97.01, 360/98.01, 312/223.1, 312/223.2, 248/346, 248/672, 248/581
• US Class Current: 361/679.31
• 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 33/128 of the plurality of recording/reproducing devices, e.g. disk drives, onto a chassis

Abstract

A computer, or other similar type of electronic device including a chassis, and one or more disk drives mounted in the chassis. A mounting bracket for receiving a disk drive is mounted to the computer chassis and is precisely located relative to a wall of the chassis. A mounting plate for receiving another disk drive is mounted relative to the bracket and to the chassis and is also precisely located relative to a wall of the chassis and to the bracket.

Claims

1. A computer comprising a chassis including a bottom wall and a plurality of upright walls;

a processor disposed in the chassis;

a memory device disposed in the chassis;

a bracket disposed in the chassis, the bracket including a base plate and pair of side plates, the base plate being spaced from the chassis bottom wall and the bracket being supported by opposite ones of the upright walls; and

a mounting plate disposed in the chassis, the mounting slate being spaced from the bracket base plate and being supported by the bracket and the opposite ones of the upright walls.

2. The computer of claim 1 further comprising a first disk drive member mounted to the mounting plate.

3. The computer of claim 2 further comprising a second disk drive member secured to the bracket.

4. The computer of claim 1 wherein the upright walls include a side wall, a front wall and a partition wall.

5. The computer of claim 4 wherein the bracket base plate includes an extension supported by the front wall, one of the bracket side plates is supported by the side wall, and the other of the brackets is supported by the partition wall.

6. The computer of claim 5 wherein each of the bracket side plates includes a flange, one flange having notches formed therein and the other flange having slots formed therein.

7. The computer of claim 6 wherein the sidewall includes tabs extending therefrom engaging the notches in the one flange and the partition wall includes fingers engaging the slots in the other flange.

8. The computer of claim 7 wherein the mounting plate includes tabs engaging the sidewall tabs.

9. The computer of claim 7 wherein the fingers are flexible.

10. The computer of claim 8 wherein the mounting plate includes an edge engaging the fingers.

11. The computer of claim 8 wherein the mounting plate includes a notch engaging the front wall.

12. The computer of claim 7 wherein the one flange and the mounting plate engage the sidewall and the other flange and the mounting plate engage the fingers.

13. A method of assembling two disk drives to a computer chassis, comprising the steps of:

mounting a bracket on the chassis, the bracket having a disk mounting surface;

mounting a plate on the bracket, the plate being spaced from the disk mounting surface,

supporting one side of the bracket and an adjacent side of the plate by tabs extending from the chassis;

supporting another side of the bracket and another adjacent side of the plate by fingers extending from the chassis,

mounting a first disk drive between the disk mounting surface and the plate; and

mounting a second disk drive on the plate.

14. A computer chassis comprising:

a base wall and a plurality of upright walls;

a bracket including a base plate and a pair of upright side plates, each side plate having a flange thereon;

a mounting plate, one side portion of the mounting plate and a first one of the flanges being supported by a first one of the upright walls, an opposite side portion of the mounting plate and a second one of the flanges being supported by a second one of the upright walls; and

one of the first and second walls including a flexible finger engaging the bracket and mounting plate.