High density drive chassis assembly

• US 7,312,999 B1
• Filed: 04/29/2005
• Issued: 12/25/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NetApp, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Network Appliance Incorporated (NetApp, Inc.)
• Inventors: Miyamura, Harold, Moisson, Marc, Bondi, Salvatore, Baik, David J., Willheim, David
• Primary Examiner(s): LEA EDMONDS, LISA S
• Application Number:
  US11/118,935
• Time in Patent Office: 970 Days
• Field of Search: 361/724
• US Class Current: 361/724
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/181 Enclosures for portable computers G06F1/1613
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/187 Mounting of fixed and removable disk drives
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/125 the apparatus comprising a plurality of recording/reproducing devices, e.g. modular arrangements, arrays of disc drives
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/128 of the plurality of recording/reproducing devices, e.g. disk drives, onto a chassis

Abstract

The present invention is an apparatus for supporting the dense integration of a plurality of multi-drive modules. A chassis assembly of the present invention may house a plurality of multi-drive modules whereby each multi-drive module may house multiple drives. Each multi-drive module may be easily removed from the chassis for reduced serviceability time. Each drive may be housed within a carrier assembly, the carrier assembly being easily removed from the multi-drive module of the present invention. Advantageously, a dense integration of drives may be achieved while providing proper ventilation and vibration dampening.

Claims

1. A chassis assembly, comprising:

a chassis;

a plurality of multi-drive modules housed within said chassis, each multi-drive module of said plurality of multi-drive modules including a board for coupling to a plurality of drives and an interconnection coupled to said board; and

a second board mounted within said chassis, wherein each drive of said plurality of drives is operatively coupled to said second board via said interconnection, said second board being in electrical contact with said interconnection of each multi-drive module when module is retained within said chassis, each drive of said plurality of drives being secured within a carrier assembly, said carrier assembly being mountable within a multi-drive module.

2. The chassis assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein said chassis includes a plurality of handles.

3. The chassis assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein said plurality of multi-drive modules are arranged in a side by side configuration.

4. The chassis assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein each multi-drive module is capable of securing two rows of carrier assemblies.

5. The chassis assembly as claimed in claim 4, wherein said board of a multi-drive module is located in a middle portion of said multi-drive module, each drive being coupled to a connector on said board.

6. The chassis assembly as claimed in claim 5, wherein said board includes connectors located on two sides of said board of said multi-drive module.

7. The chassis assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein said multi-drive module is tool-lessly removable from said chassis.

8. The chassis assembly as claimed in claim 7, wherein said multi-drive module is supported by said chassis in an extracted position.

9. The chassis assembly as claimed in claim 8, wherein said carrier assembly includes a handle.

10. The chassis assembly as claimed in claim 9, wherein said carrier assembly is removable from said multi-drive module by pulling said handle.

11. The chassis assembly as claimed in claim 9, wherein said multi-drive module includes a drive guide.

12. The chassis assembly as claimed in claim 11, wherein each drive includes a drive roller.

13. The chassis assembly as claimed in claim 12, wherein said drive roller includes a vibration dampening material.

14. The chassis assembly as claimed in claim 12, wherein said drive roller is secured within said drive guide when said carrier assembly is retained within said multi-drive module.

15. The chassis assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein each multi-drive module includes a visible alert.

16. The chassis assembly as claimed in claim 15, wherein said visible alert indicates an error with a drive located within a multi-drive module.

17. The chassis assembly as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a bezel assembly.

18. The chassis assembly as claimed in claim 17, wherein said bezel assembly includes a lightpipe, a bezel and a removable fascia.

19. The chassis assembly as claimed in claim 18, wherein said removable fascia is tool-less mountable to said bezel.

20. A chassis assembly, comprising:

a chassis;

a plurality of multi-drive modules housed within said chassis, each multi-drive module of said plurality of multi-drive modules including a mid-plane circuit board for coupling to a plurality of drives and an interconnection coupled to a first circuit board, said mid-plane circuit board being coupled to each of said plurality of drives via connectors located on two sides of said mid-plane circuit board, each of said plurality of drives being secured within a carrier assembly, said carrier assembly being mountable within said multi-drive module; and

a second board mounted within said chassis;

wherein each drive of said plurality of drives is operatively coupled to said second board via said interconnection, said board being in electrical contact with said interconnection of each multi-drive module when each multi-drive module is retained within said chassis.

21. The chassis assembly as claimed in claim 20, wherein each multi-drive module is capable of securing two rows of carrier assemblies.

22. The chassis assembly as claimed in claim 20, wherein each multi-drive module is tool-lessly removable from said chassis.

23. The chassis assembly as claimed in claim 20, wherein each multi-drive module is supported by said chassis in an extracted position.

24. The chassis assembly as claimed in claim 20, wherein said carrier assembly includes a handle.

25. The chassis assembly as claimed in claim 20, wherein said carrier assembly is removable from said multi-drive module by pulling said handle.

26. The chassis assembly as claimed in claim 20, wherein said multi-drive module includes a drive guide.

27. The chassis assembly as claimed in claim 26, wherein each drive includes a drive roller.

28. The chassis assembly as claimed in claim 27, wherein said drive roller includes a vibration dampening material.

29. The chassis assembly as claimed in claim 28, wherein said drive roller is secured within said drive guide when said carrier assembly is retained within said multi-drive module.

30. A multi-drive module for retention of drives within a chassis, comprising:

a frame;

a drive guide coupled to at least two sides of said frame;

a mid-plane circuit board, said mid-plane circuit board including a plurality of connectors; and

a plurality of carrier assemblies mountable within said frame via said drive guide, each carrier assembly securing a drive, said drive being coupled to said mid-plane circuit board via a connector of said plurality of connectors;

an interconnection, said interconnection being coupled to said mid-plane circuit board, said interconnection being suitable for connecting to a board of said chassis when said multi-drive module is retained within said chassis.

31. The multi-drive module as claimed in claim 30, wherein each multi-drive module is capable of securing two rows of carrier assemblies.

32. The multi-drive module as claimed in claim 30, wherein each multi-drive module is tool-lessly removable from said chassis.

33. The multi-drive module as claimed in claim 30, wherein said carrier assembly includes a handle.

34. The multi-drive module as claimed in claim 33, wherein said carrier assembly is removable from said multi-drive module by pulling said handle.

35. The chassis assembly as claimed in claim 30, wherein said multi-drive module includes a drive guide.

36. The multi-drive module as claimed in claim 35, wherein each drive includes a drive roller.

37. The multi-drive module as claimed in claim 36, wherein said drive roller includes a vibration dampening material.

38. The multi-drive module as claimed in claim 37, wherein said drive roller is secured within said drive guide when said carrier assembly is retained within said multi-drive module.

39. A chassis assembly, comprising:

a chassis;

a plurality of multi-drive modules housed within said chassis, each multi-drive module of said plurality of multi-drive modules including a board for coupling to a plurality of drives and an interconnection coupled to said board;

a second board mounted within said chassis, wherein each drive of said plurality of drives is operatively coupled to said second board via said interconnection, said second board being in electrical contact with said interconnection of each multi-drive module when module is retained within said chassis; and

a bezel assembly, said bezel assembly including a lightpipe, a bezel and a removable fascia.

40. The chassis assembly as claimed in claim 39, wherein said removable fascia is tool-less mountable to said bezel.