Carrier for an electronic device

• US 6,050,658 A
• Filed: 02/23/1998
• Issued: 04/18/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sanmina-SCI Corporation
• Original Assignee: Richmount Computer Limited
• Inventors: Farrell, Brendan, O'Sullivan, Hans
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuomo, Peter M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): HANSEN, JAMES ORVILLE
• Application Number:
  US09/027,974
• Time in Patent Office: 785 Days
• Field of Search: 312/223.1, 312/223.2, 312/333, 312/330.1, 211/26, 361/683, 361/685, 361/724, 361/725, 361/726, 361/727
• US Class Current: 312/223.1
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0208 Interlock mechanisms; Means for avoiding unauthorised use or function, e.g. tamperproof

Abstract

A carrier for an electronic device comprises a hollow casing (14) for accomodating the electronic device, which casing is configured for sliding insertion into and out of a rack. A latch (46) at the rear of the casing releasably retains the casing in the rack, and an actuating rod (52) extends from the front of the casing to the latch to operate the latter. A lock (104) on the front (16) of the carrier releasably locks the actuating rod (52) in the latched position of the latch (46) to prevent unauthorised withdrawal of the carrier from the rack.

Claims

1. A carrier for an electronic device, the carrier comprising a hollow casing for accommodating the electronic device, the casing having a front and a rear and being configured for sliding insertion into and out of a rack from its rear, latch means at the rear of the casing for releasably retaining the casing in the rack, an elongated latch-actuating member extending from the front of the casing to the latch means and slidable longitudinally of the casing between a first position wherein the latch means is in a latched position and a second position wherein the latch means is in an unlatched position, spring means biasing the latch-actuating member to its first position, the latch-actuating member being manually movable from its first position to its second position against the spring bias, and lock means for releasably locking the latch-actuating member in its first position, wherein the latch-actuating member moves rearwardly relative to the casing from its first position to its second position and has a rearwardly facing surface at its front end, and wherein the lock means includes a member which can be selectively positioned in front of the rearwardly facing surface to block said rearward movement.

2. A carrier as claimed in claim 1, wherein the casing has a front panel whose rear surface is formed with a housing, wherein the front end of the latch-actuating member extends into the housing from the rear, and wherein the spring means is located in the housing.

3. A carrier as claimed in claim 2, wherein the housing is open at the front of the panel and receives a push button, the push button being coupled to the front end of the latch-actuating member.

4. A carrier as claimed in claim 2, wherein the spring means is a compression spring acting between an interior surface of the housing and the front end of the latch member.

5. A carrier as claimed in claim 1, wherein the casing has a front panel, wherein the lock means includes a cylindrical barrel rotatably mounted on the rear surface of the panel, the barrel having a radial extension which can be selectively positioned in front of the rearwardly facing surface of the latch-actuating member by rotation of the barrel, and wherein the barrel is rotatable by a key inserted therein through an aperture in the front panel.

6. A carrier as claimed in claim 5 wherein the barrel has an axial bore of non-circular cross-section, wherein the aperture in the front panel has substantially the same cross-section as the bore, and wherein the key has a shaft and a head, the shaft having a first portion whose cross-section is substantially the same as that of the bore and aperture to allow the shaft to be inserted through the aperture into the bore when the aperture and bore are in register, and the shaft further having a second portion between the first portion and the head having a cross-section which allows the key to be turned when the second portion is aligned with the aperture, the radial extension being in front of the rearwardly facing surface of the latch-actuating member when the aperture and bore are in register.

7. A carrier as claimed in any preceding claim, further including an electrically conductive electromagnetic (EM) shield across the front of the casing, the EM shield including means for electrical connection with the EM shields of neighbouring device carriers in the rack.

8. Rack-mounted electronic apparatus, comprising a rack removably accommodating a plurality of electronic device casings, each casing having a front and a rear and being slidably inserted into the rack from its rear so that the fronts of the casing are aligned vertically one above another, and each casing further including an electromagnetic shield extending across the front of each casing and occupying substantially the full width and height of the front of the casing, the shield having a top edge and a bottom edge, the shield further having electrical contact means disposed along at least one of said top and bottom edges for establishing an electrical connection with the shield which is immediately adjacent said at least one edge in the rack, whereby all the shields of the casings are electrically connected together.

9. Apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein the electrical contact means comprises a set of contact fingers disposed along said at least one edge, said set of contact fingers of a shield making direct electrical connection with an immediately adjacent shield.

10. Apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein each casing is made of metal, and wherein the electrical contact means comprises a set or contact fingers disposed along said at least one edge, said set of contact fingers of a shield making direct electrical connection with an immediately adjacent casing.