Computer system for highly-dense mounting of system components

• US 6,490,153 B1
• Filed: 08/06/1999
• Issued: 12/03/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: California Digital Corporation, VA Linux Systems
• Original Assignee: California Digital Corporation
• Inventors: Ogrey, Robert E., Casebolt, Matthew P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Schuberg, Darren
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHANG, YEAN HSI
• Application Number:
  US09/370,121
• Time in Patent Office: 1,215 Days
• Field of Search: 361/683-687, 361/753, 361/724-731, 361/736-742, 361/748, 361/752, 361/756, 361/758, 361/770
• US Class Current: 361/679.33
• 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 system with densely-mounted components and effective cooling is provided. A hard drive mounting structure for “hot swap” hard drives utilizes a hard drive assembly in which a hard drive is mounted between a pair of parallel rails connected by a retaining portion. The rails provide a precise mechanism for loading and unloading the “hot swap” drive, without increasing the overall height of each hard drive assembly. A handle with double-cam actuation is used during insertion and removal of the hard drive assembly. In accordance with the present invention, two half-height hard drives may be stacked in a server mountable in a 2U rack. A tool-less lock is provided for releasably securing expansion cards to the computer case without the use of screws.

Claims

1. A computer system, comprising:

a case including a first drive bay; and

a first drive assembly removably mounted in the first drive bay, said first drive assembly comprising;

a first hard drive; and

a first drive chassis, comprising;

a first rail provided along a first side of the first hard drive;

a second rail substantially parallel to the first rail and provided along a second side of the first hard drive opposite the first side;

a retaining portion adjacent a front side of the first hard drive and connecting a front end of the first rail to a front end of the second rail, the retaining portion comprising a top plate and a bottom plate;

a first notch provided on a first interior side of the first drive bay;

a handle rotatably connected to the retaining portion of the first drive chassis and between the top plate and the bottom plate, the handle having a first end and a second end distal from the first end, said handle being rotatable about an axis perpendicular to the top and bottom plates and located between the first and second ends of the handle, said handle defining a closed position in which the first end of said handle is a first distance from the front end of the first rail of the first drive assembly, and said handle defining an open position in which the handle is rotated about the axis such that the first end of the handle is a second distance from the front end of the first rail of the first drive assembly, the first distance being less than the second distance; and

a first latch provided on the first end of the handle and adapted to engage the first notch when the first drive assembly is inserted into the first drive bay and the handle is in the closed position;

wherein the first drive chassis does not include any portion which is adjacent to a top surface and a bottom surface of the first hard drive.

2. The computer system of claim 1, further comprising:

a second drive bay provided beneath the first drive bay; and

a second drive assembly removably mounted in the second drive bay, said second drive assembly comprising;

a second hard drive; and

a second drive chassis, comprising;

a first rail provided along a first side of the second hard drive;

a second rail substantially parallel to the first rail and provided along a second side of the second hard drive opposite the first side; and

a retaining portion adjacent a front side of the second hard drive and connecting a front end of the first rail to a front end of the second rail;

wherein the second drive chassis does not include any portion which is adjacent to a top surface and a bottom surface of the second hard drive.

3. The computer system of claim 2, wherein a lower plane of the first hard drive is separated from an upper plane of the second hard drive by less than about 0.1 inches.

4. The computer system of claim 2, wherein:

the case includes a top cover and a bottom cover;

an upper plane of the first hard drive is separated from the top cover by less than about 0.1 inches; and

a lower plane of the second drive assembly is separated from the bottom cover by less than about 0.1 inches.

5. The computer system of claim 2, wherein the second hard drive is a half-height hard drive.

6. The computer system of claim 2, wherein the second drive bay is adapted to receive a half-height hard drive.

7. The computer system of claim 2, further comprising:

a first guide rail provided on a first interior side of the second drive bay for receiving the first rail of the second drive assembly; and

a second guide rail provided on a second interior side of the second drive bay opposite the first interior side for receiving the second rail of the second drive assembly.

8. The computer system of claim 1, wherein said case is approximately 3.5 inches tall.

9. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the case is adapted to be mounted in a 2U rack mount.

10. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the first hard drive is a half-height hard drive.

11. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the first drive bay is adapted to receive a half-height hard drive.

12. The computer system of claim 1, further comprising:

a first pair of guide rails provided on a first interior side of the first drive bay for receiving the first rail of the first drive assembly; and

a second pair of guide rails provided on a second interior side of the first drive bay opposite the first interior side for receiving the second rail of the first drive assembly.

13. The computer system of claim 1, further comprising:

a shoulder provided on a second interior side of the first drive bay opposite the first interior side; and

a cam provided at the second end of the handle and adapted to abut the shoulder when the first drive assembly is inserted into the first drive bay.

14. The computer system of claim 13, wherein the first drive assembly further comprises:

a spring providing a force on the handle, urging the handle to rotate from the closed position to the open position.

15. The computer system of claim 13, further comprising:

a second notch provided on the second interior side of the first drive bay;

a second latch provided on the second end of the handle and adapted to engage the second notch when the first drive assembly is inserted in the first drive bay.

16. The computer system of claim 1, further comprising a fan provided in the case adjacent a rear portion of the first drive bay, said fan creating an airflow from a front side of the first drive assembly to a rear side of the first drive assembly.

17. The computer system of claim 1, wherein a top portion of the case is formed of thin gauge sheet metal less than approximately 0.05 inches thick.

18. The computer system of claim 1, wherein a bottom portion of the case is formed of thin gauge sheet metal less than approximately 0.05 inches thick.

19. The computer system of claim 1, further comprising, in the first rail of the first drive chassis, a light transmitting member for transmitting light from a rear portion of the first drive bay to a front portion of he first hard drive.

20. The computer system of claim 19, wherein:

the first rail of the first drive chassis defines a channel extending from a rear portion of the first hard drive to the front portion of the first hard drive; and

the light transmitting member is a fiber optic filament provided in the channel.

21. The computer system of claim 1, further comprising, in the second rail of the first drive chassis, a light transmitting member for transmitting light from a rear portion of the first drive bay to a front portion of the first hard drive.

22. The computer system of claim 21, wherein:

the second rail of the first drive chassis defines a channel extending from a rear portion of the first hard drive to the front portion of the first hard drive; and

the light transmitting member is a fiber optic filament provided in the channel.

23. A hard drive mounting structure, comprising:

a hard drive bay including;

a first notch provided on a first interior side of said hard drive bay; and

a shoulder provided on a second interior side of said hard drive bay opposite the first interior side; and

a hard drive assembly, comprising;

a hard drive;

a chassis attached to the hard drive, said chassis including a retaining portion positioned adjacent a front portion of the hard drive, the retaining portion comprising a top plate and a bottom plate;

a handle rotatably connected to the retaining portion between the top plate and the bottom plate, the handle having a first end and a second end distal from the first end, said handle being rotatable about an axis perpendicular to the top and bottom plates and located between the first and second ends of the handle, said handle defining a closed position in which the first end of said handle is a first distance from the chassis, and said handle defining an open position in which the handle is rotated about the axis such that the first end of the handle is a second distance from the chassis, the first distance being less than the second distance;

a first latch provided on the first end of the handle and adapted to engage the first notch when the hard drive assembly is inserted into the hard drive bay and the handle is in the closed position; and

a cam provided at the second end of the handle and adapted to abut the shoulder when the hard drive assembly is inserted into the hard drive bay.

24. The hard drive mounting structure of claim 23, wherein the hard drive assembly further comprises:

a spring providing a force on the handle, urging the handle to rotate from the closed position to the open position.

25. The hard drive mounting structure of claim 23, further comprising:

a second notch provided on the second interior side of the hard drive bay;

a second latch provided on the second end of the handle and adapted to engage the second notch when the hard drive assembly is inserted in the hard drive bay.

26. The hard drive mounting structure of claim 23, wherein the chassis comprises:

a first rail provided along one side of the hard drive;

a second rail provided along an opposite side of the hard drive;

wherein the retaining portion is attached to a front end of the first rail and a front end of the second rail.

27. The hard drive mounting structure of claim 23, wherein the chassis does not include any portion which is adjacent to a top surface and a bottom surface of the hard drive.

28. The hard drive mounting structure of claim 23, further comprising:

a first guide rail provided on the first interior side of the hard drive bay for receiving the first rail of the hard drive assembly; and

a second guide rail provided on the second interior side of the first drive bay for receiving the second rail of the hard drive assembly.

29. The hard drive mounting structure of claim 23, wherein the hard drive is a half-height hard drive.

30. The hard drive mounting structure of claim 23, further comprising a fan adjacent a rear portion of the hard drive bay, said fan creating an airflow from a front side of the hard drive assembly to a rear side of the hard drive assembly.