3.5 inch hot-swappable docking module

• US 7,035,097 B2
• Filed: 11/13/2003
• Issued: 04/25/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DZU Technology Corporation
• Original Assignee: DZU Technology Corporation
• Inventors: Petrov, Peter D., Kalintchev, Stefan H, Dimitrov, Lubomir T, Dimov, Ivan G, Parushev, Ivan M
• Primary Examiner(s): LEA EDMONDS, LISA S
• Application Number:
  US10/714,136
• Publication Number:
  US 20050105265A1
• Time in Patent Office: 894 Days
• Field of Search: 361/685, 296/030.4, 369/75.1, 369/75.2, 369/76, 369/77.1, 369/77.2, 369 78- 82, 360/98.01, 360/137
• US Class Current: 361/679.33
• 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: G11B 33/1493 Electro-Magnetic Interference [EMI] or Radio Frequency Interference [RFI] shielding; grounding of static charges

Abstract

A docking module for conventional small form factor disk drives provides, in one embodiment, space for two such disk drives embedded in tray loaders, within a standard 3.5 inches halve height floppy bay. The docking module provides hot swappable insertion and removal of tray loaders together with disk drives. The bay is provided within a housing member. A button attached to a lever mechanism disconnects the docking module connector from the tray loader connector and partially pull out the loader when the button is pushed; An EMI shield fixedly coupled to the tray loaders each provide a barrier to electromagnetic interference.

Claims

1. A docking module for use with conventional small form factor disk drives, comprising:

a housing member having a plurality of slots;

a plurality of tray loaders for holding small form factor disk drives, each said slot being configured to receive each said tray loader;

a connecting means for connecting said small form factor disk drive to a host, said small form factor disk drive having a first connector;

said tray loader having a second connector for connecting said first connector of said small form factor disk drive, a third connector electrically connected to said second connector;

said connecting means being a PCBA back plane having a fourth electrical connector for connecting to said host, a plurality of fifth connector for removably connecting to said third connector of said tray loader;

a button attached to a lever mechanism for disengaging said third connector of said tray loader from said fifth connector;

a slide means within said housing for moving said tray loader within said housing.

2. The docking module according to claim 1, wherein said tray loader has a nominal width up to 2.75 inches and a nominal depth up to 4 inches and a nominal height up to 0.8 inches.

3. The docking module according to claim 2, wherein said slide means is a slide mounted within said housing and connected to the said button, whereby said slide moves within said housing when said button is depressed.

4. The docking module according to claim 3, wherein said tray loader has an EMI shield.

5. A docking module for use with conventional small form factor disk drives, comprising:

a housing member having a plurality of slots;

a plurality of tray loaders for holding small form factor disk drives, each said slot being configured to receive each said tray loader;

a connecting means for connecting said small form factor disk drive to a host, said small form factor disk drive having a first connector;

said connecting means being a PCBA back plane having a second electrical connector for connecting to said host, a plurality of third connector for removably connecting to said first connector of said small form factor disk drive;

a button attached to a lever mechanism for disengaging said first connector from said third connector;

a slide means within said housing for moving said tray loader within said housing.

6. The docking module according to claim 5, wherein said tray loader has a nominal width up to 2.75 inches and a nominal depth up to 4 inches and a nominal height up to 0.8 inches.

7. The docking module according to claim 6, wherein said slide means is a slide mounted within said housing and connected to the said button, whereby said slide moves within said housing when said button is depressed.

8. The docking module according to claim 7, wherein said tray loader has an EMI shield.

9. A docking module for use with conventional small form factor disk drives, comprising:

a housing member having at least two slots;

two tray loaders for holding two small form factor disk drives, each said small form factor disk drive having a first connector, each said tray loader having a second electrical connector for electrically and removably connecting to said small form factor disk drive, a third connector electrically connected to said second connector, each said slot being configured to receive each said tray loader, said tray loader having an EMI shield, said tray loader having a nominal width up to 2.75 inches and a nominal depth up to 4 inches and a nominal height up to 0.8 inches;

a PCBA back plane having a fourth electrical connector for connecting to said host, two fifth connectors for removably connecting to each said third connector of said tray loader;

a button attached to a lever mechanism for disengaging said first connector of said tray loader from said third connector;

a slide mounted within said housing and connected to said button, whereby said slide moves within said housing and carries said tray loader when said button is depressed.

10. A docking module for use with conventional small form factor disk drives, comprising:

a housing member having at least two slots;

two tray loaders for holding two small form factor disk drives, each said small form factor disk drive having a first connector, each said slot being configured to receive each said tray loader, said tray loader having an EMI shield and a nominal width up to 2.75 inches and a nominal depth up to 4 inches and a nominal height up to 0.8 inches;

a PCBA back plane having a second electrical connector for connecting to a host, two third connectors for removably connecting to each said first connector of said small form factor disk drive;

a button attached to a lever mechanism for disengaging said first connector of said tray loader from said third connector;

a slide mounted within said housing and connected to said button, whereby said slide moves within said housing and carries said tray loader when said button is depressed.