Solid state drive (SSD) with open top and bottom covers

• US 7,517,231 B2
• Filed: 10/30/2007
• Issued: 04/14/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Super Talent Technology, Corporation
• Original Assignee: Super Talent Electronics, Inc.
• Inventors: Li, Qijin, Ni, Jim Chin-Nan, Nan, Nan, Ma, Abraham C., Hiew, Siew S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gilman; Alexander
• Application Number:
  US11/929,917
• Publication Number:
  US 20080089020A1
• Time in Patent Office: 532 Days
• Field of Search: 439/76.1, 439/906, 361/684, 361/737, 361/732.752, 257/679
• US Class Current: 439/76.1
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 9/0067 Devices for protecting against damage from electrostatic discharge

Abstract

A solid state drive (SSD) device includes a printed-circuit board assembly (PCBA), a connector mounted on the circuit board, an open-frame support-type housing including first and second parallel elongated brackets extending along opposing peripheral edges of said circuit board, each bracket including a first connecting structure for securing the circuit board to the housing, and a second connecting structure for connecting the housing to an internal rack frame of a host system. The open-frame support type housing does not include a top cover and a bottom cover, whereby both of said opposing first and second surfaces are exposed by first and second openings. The housing includes optional end rails that form a box-like frame. The elongated brackets are formed using die-cast metal, stamped metal, or molded plastic with copper posts. Optional clamp-type brackets clamp along side edges of the PCBA.

Claims

1. A solid state drive (SSD) device for providing persistent memory in a host system having an internal rack frame, the SSD device comprising:

a printed-circuit board assembly (PCBA) including a circuit board having opposing first and second surfaces;

a plurality of memory chips mounted to at least one of the first and second surfaces of the circuit board;

a controller chip mounted to one of the first and second surfaces of the circuit board, the controller chip having a input/output interface circuit for interfacing with the host system, and a processing unit for accessing the plurality of memory chips in response to commands from the host system received by the input/output interface circuit;

a connector mounted on the circuit board for connecting the controller chip to the host system; and

an open-frame support-type housing including first and second parallel elongated brackets extending along opposing peripheral edges of said circuit board, each of said first and second brackets including a first connecting structure disposed within said housing for securing said circuit board to said housing, and a second connecting structure disposed on an outside of said housing for connecting to said internal rack frame of said host system,

wherein said open-frame support type housing does not include a top cover and a bottom cover, whereby both of said opposing first and second surfaces are exposed by first and second openings, respectively, that extend between said first and second elongated brackets, and

wherein the connector is disposed in one of said first and second openings,

wherein said first and second parallel elongated brackets comprise substantially identical structures,

wherein each said first connecting structure comprises a plurality of screw holes defined in said first and second brackets,

wherein said PCBA defines second screw holes,

wherein said PCBA is mounted on said support posts of each of said first and second parallel elongated brackets such that each first screw hole is aligned with a corresponding one of said second screw holes,

wherein the SSD device further comprises a plurality of first screws, each first screw extending through a corresponding one of said second screw holes and into its corresponding first screw hole, whereby said first and second parallel elongated brackets are connected solely by said PCBA and said first screws,

wherein each of said first and second parallel elongated brackets comprises a lower clamp structure and an upper clamp structure,

wherein each said first connecting structure comprises said first screw holes defined through said lower clamp structure of each of said first and second parallel elongated brackets, and third screw holes defined through said upper clamp structure of each of said first and second parallel elongated brackets, and

wherein each of said first screws extends through an associated third screw hole, through an associated second screw hole, and into an associated first screw hole,

whereby said PCBA is clamped between said upper clamp structure and said lower clamp structure of each of said first and second parallel elongated brackets.

2. A solid state drive (SSD) device for providing persistent memory in a host system having an internal rack frame, the SSD device comprising:

a printed-circuit board assembly (PCBA) including a circuit board having opposing first and second surfaces;

a plurality of memory chips mounted to at least one of the first and second surfaces of the circuit board;

a controller chip mounted to one of the first and second surfaces of the circuit board, the controller chip having a input/output interface circuit for interfacing with the host system, and a processing unit for accessing the plurality of memory chips in response to commands from the host system received by the input/output interface circuit;

a connector mounted on the circuit board for connecting the controller chip to the host system; and

an open-frame support-type housing including first and second parallel elongated brackets extending along opposing peripheral edges of said circuit board, each of said first and second brackets including a first connecting structure disposed within said housing for securing said circuit board to said housing, and a second connecting structure disposed on an outside of said housing for connecting to said internal rack frame of said host system,

wherein said open-frame support type housing does not include a top cover and a bottom cover, whereby both of said opposing first and second surfaces are exposed by first and second openings, respectively, that extend between said first and second elongated brackets, and

wherein the connector is disposed in one of said first and second openings,

wherein said first and second parallel elongated brackets comprise substantially identical structures,

wherein each said first connecting structure comprises a plurality of screw holes defined in said first and second brackets,

wherein said PCBA defines second screw holes,

wherein said PCBA is mounted on said support posts of each of said first and second parallel elongated brackets such that each first screw hole is aligned with a corresponding one of said second screw holes,

wherein the SSD device further comprises a plurality of first screws, each first screw extending through a corresponding one of said second screw holes and into its corresponding first screw hole, whereby said first and second parallel elongated brackets are connected solely by said PCBA and said first screws,

wherein each of said first and second parallel elongated brackets comprises a molded elongated plastic structure including first and second hollow structures disposed at opposite ends thereof, and first and second metal structures, respectively disposed in said first and second hollow structures of each of said first and second parallel elongated brackets,

wherein each said first connecting structure comprises said first screw holes defined in a first portion of each of said first and second metal structures of each of said first and second brackets, and

wherein each of said second connecting structures comprises a plurality of third screw holes defined in a second portion of each of said first and second metal structures of each of said first and second brackets.