Disk drive assembly with press fit lever

• US 6,515,854 B1
• Filed: 07/31/2000
• Issued: 02/04/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Emc IP Holding Company LLC (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: EMC Corporation (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Claprood, Edward
• Primary Examiner(s): Schuberg, Darren
• Assistant Examiner(s): DUONG, HUNG V
• Application Number:
  US09/628,968
• Time in Patent Office: 918 Days
• Field of Search: 361/685, 361/683, 361/684, 361/686, 361/724-727, 361/732, 361/740, 361/754-755, 361/759, 361/798, 361/801, 312/223.2, 312/244, 312/331-331, 312/334.23, 439/60, 439/152-153, 439/157, 439/327, 439/328, 439/331, 439/345, 439/304, 439/928.1
• 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 33/124 of the single recording/reproducing device, e.g. disk drive, onto a chassis
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/1411 for securing or extracting box-type drawers

Abstract

The invention is directed to techniques which use a press fit lever for a disk drive assembly. Such a press fit lever alleviates the need for additional hardware (e.g., screws and inserts) thus reducing complexity, costs and time associated with installing levers on disk drive assemblies. One arrangement is directed to a data storage system having a main assembly and a disk drive assembly. The main assembly includes a supporting structure and a connector fastened to the supporting structure. The disk drive assembly includes a disk drive assembly having a housing, a disk drive attached to the housing, and a lever that installs the housing into and removes the housing from the main assembly to enable the disk drive to respectively connect to and disconnect from the connector of the main assembly. The lever includes a frame portion, and side portions that extend from the frame portion. The side portions pivotably couple the lever to the housing in a press fit manner such that the frame portion is capable of pivoting relative to the housing and the main assembly in order to secure the housing to and release the housing from the main assembly. In this arrangement, there is no need for screws or inserts to couple the lever to the housing.

Claims

1. A disk drive assembly, comprising:

a housing;

a disk drive attached to the housing; and

a lever that secures the housing to and releases the housing from a main assembly, the lever including;

a frame portion, and

side portions that extend from the frame portion, the side portions pivotably coupling the lever to the housing in a press fit manner such that the frame portion is capable of pivoting relative to the housing and the main assembly in order to secure the housing to and release the housing from the main assembly;

wherein the side portions of the lever include stubs, wherein the lever further includes a cantilever mechanism that extends from the frame portion; and

wherein the frame portion, the side portions including the stubs, and the cantilever mechanism form a single, contiguous member of the lever.

2. The disk drive assembly of claim 1 wherein the housing defines cavities, and wherein the stubs of the side portions of the lever insert into the cavities defined by the housing in order to pivotably couple the lever to the housing.

3. The disk drive assembly of claim 1 wherein the cantilever mechanism includes multiple cantilever elements, each cantilever element extending from the frame portion.

4. The disk drive assembly of claim 1 wherein the housing defines holes, and wherein the stubs are configured to move toward each other and insert into the holes defined by the housing in order to pivotably couple the lever to the housing in the press fit manner.

5. The disk drive assembly of claim 4 wherein the frame portion and the side portions of the lever are integrated into a unitary member with the frame portion and the side portions of the lever being unable to substantially move relative to each other.

6. A disk drive assembly, comprising:

a housing;

a disk drive attached to the housing; and

a lever that secures the housing to and releases the housing from a main assembly, the lever including;

a frame portion, and

side portions that extend from the frame portion, the side portions pivotably coupling the lever to the housing in a press fit manner such that the frame portion is capable of pivoting relative to the housing and the main assembly in order to secure the housing to and release the housing from the main assembly;

wherein the housing defines cavities;

wherein the side portions of the lever include stubs that insert into the cavities defined by the housing in order to pivotably couple the lever to the housing; and

wherein each side portion includes a finger that defines, with the frame portion, a groove that engages with the main assembly; and

wherein each finger has one of the stubs that insert into the cavities defined by the housing.

7. A disk drive assembly, comprising:

a housing;

a disk drive attached to the housing; and

a lever that secures the housing to and releases the housing from a main assembly, the lever including;

a frame portion, and

side portions that extend from the frame portion, the side portions pivotably coupling the lever to the housing in a press fit manner such that the frame portion is capable of pivoting relative to the housing and the main assembly in order to secure the housing to and release the housing from the main assembly;

wherein the housing defines cavities;

wherein the side portions of the lever include stubs that insert into the cavities defined by the housing in order to pivotably couple the lever to the housing; and

wherein the frame portion and the side portions including the stubs form a single, contiguous member of the lever.

8. A method for installing a disk drive assembly in a main assembly, the disk drive assembly including a housing and a lever, the method comprising the steps of:

partially inserting the disk drive assembly into the main assembly; and

pivoting the lever of the disk drive assembly around a pivot axis, at which the lever is pivotably coupled to the housing in a press fit manner, in order to secure the disk drive assembly to the main assembly;

wherein the lever includes a frame portion and side portions;

wherein the side portions define grooves with the frame portion; and

wherein the step of pivoting includes the step of;

moving the lever such that the grooves engage with portions of the main assembly when securing the disk drive assembly to the main assembly.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the housing defines holes, wherein the lever defines stubs, and wherein the method further includes the step of:

moving the stubs of the lever toward each other and inserting the stubs into the holes defined by the housing in order to pivotably couple the lever to the housing in the press fit manner.

10. A method for removing a disk drive assembly from a main assembly, the disk drive assembly including a housing and a lever, the method comprising the steps of:

pivoting the lever of the disk drive assembly around a pivot axis, at which the lever is pivotably coupled to the housing in a press fit manner, in order to release the disk drive assembly from the main assembly; and

sliding the disk drive assembly out of the main assembly;

wherein the lever includes a frame portion and side portions;

wherein the side portions define grooves with the frame portion; and

wherein the step of pivoting includes the step of;

moving the lever such that the grooves engage with portions of the main assembly when securing the disk drive assembly to the main assembly.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the housing defines holes, wherein the lever defines stubs, and wherein the method further includes the step of:

moving the stubs of the lever toward each other and inserting the stubs into the holes defined by the housing in order to pivotably couple the lever to the housing in the press fit manner.

12. A lever for installing a disk drive assembly into and removing the disk drive assembly from a main assembly, the lever comprising:

a frame portion;

side portions, extending from the frame portion, that pivotably couple the lever to a housing in a press fit manner such that the frame portion is capable of pivoting relative to the housing and the main assembly in order to secure the housing to and release the housing from the main assembly; and

a cantilever mechanism that extends from the frame portion, wherein the side portions of the lever include stubs, wherein the frame portion, the side portions including the stubs, and the cantilever mechanism form a single, contiguous member of the lever.

13. The lever of claim 12 wherein the cantilever mechanism includes multiple cantilever elements, each cantilever element extending from the frame portion.

14. The lever of claim 12 wherein the stubs are configured to move toward each other and insert into holes defined by the housing in order to pivotably couple the lever to the housing in the press fit manner.

15. The lever of claim 14 wherein the frame portion and the side portions are integrated into a unitary member with the frame portion and the side portions of the lever being unable to substantially move relative to each other.

16. A lever for installing a disk drive assembly into and removing the disk drive assembly from a main assembly, the lever comprising:

a frame portion; and

side portions, extending from the frame portion, that pivotably couple the lever to a housing in a press fit manner such that the frame portion is capable of pivoting relative to the housing and the main assembly in order to secure the housing to and release the housing from the main assembly;

wherein the housing defines cavities, and wherein the side portions of the lever include stubs that insert into the cavities defined by the housing in order to pivotably couple the lever to the housing.

17. The lever of claim 16 wherein each side portion includes a finger that defines, with the frame portion, a groove that engages with the main assembly;

and wherein each finger has one of the stubs that insert into the cavities defined by the housing.

18. The lever of claim 16 wherein the frame portion and the side portions including the stubs form a single, contiguous member of the lever.

19. A data storage system, comprising:

a main assembly having a supporting structure and a connector fastened to the supporting structure; and

a disk drive assembly having a housing, a disk drive attached to the housing, and a lever that installs the housing into and removes the housing from the main assembly to enable the disk drive to respectively connect to and disconnect from the connector of the main assembly, the lever including;

a frame portion, and

side portions that extend from the frame portion, the side portions pivotably coupling the lever to the housing in a press fit manner such that the frame portion is capable of pivoting relative to the housing and the main assembly in order to secure the housing to and release the housing from the main assembly, wherein the housing defines cavities, and wherein the side portions of the lever include stubs that insert into the cavities defined by the housing in order to pivotably couple the lever to the housing.