Storage enclosure carrier which supports multiple storage devices
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An apparatus comprising:
- a carrier housing having length, width and thickness dimensions adapted to accommodate at least one hard disc drive (HDD) having a selected HDD form factor and configured for engagement in a storage enclosure housing;
a plurality of solid state drives (SSDs) each conforming to a selected SSD form factor supported within the length, width and thickness dimensions of the carrier housing and each individually retractable from a front facing portion of the carrier housing without removal of the carrier housing from the storage enclosure housing;
a carrier connector configured to mate with a storage enclosure connector of the storage enclosure housing; and
a control board disposed within the carrier housing and connected to the plurality of SSDs, the control board comprising a switch circuit configured to multiplex electrical interconnection of each of the plurality of SSDs to the storage enclosure connector.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Method and apparatus for populating and operating a storage enclosure carrier with multiple hot swappable storage devices. In some embodiments, a carrier housing having length, width and thickness dimensions is adapted to accommodate at least one hard disc drive (HDD) having a selected HDD form factor and configured for engagement in a storage enclosure housing. A plurality of solid state drives (SSDs) each conforming to a selected SSD form factor are supported within the length, width and thickness dimensions of the carrier housing. Each of the SSDs is individually retractable from a front facing portion of the carrier housing without removal of the carrier housing from the storage enclosure housing.
19 Citations
20 Claims
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1. An apparatus comprising:
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a carrier housing having length, width and thickness dimensions adapted to accommodate at least one hard disc drive (HDD) having a selected HDD form factor and configured for engagement in a storage enclosure housing; a plurality of solid state drives (SSDs) each conforming to a selected SSD form factor supported within the length, width and thickness dimensions of the carrier housing and each individually retractable from a front facing portion of the carrier housing without removal of the carrier housing from the storage enclosure housing; a carrier connector configured to mate with a storage enclosure connector of the storage enclosure housing; and a control board disposed within the carrier housing and connected to the plurality of SSDs, the control board comprising a switch circuit configured to multiplex electrical interconnection of each of the plurality of SSDs to the storage enclosure connector. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A storage enclosure comprising:
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a storage enclosure housing having overall length and width dimensions, a front facing surface and a rear facing surface; at least a selected one of a storage enclosure control board supporting a control circuit, a power supply, or a cooling fan mounted within the storage enclosure housing adjacent the rear facing surface; a plurality of storage enclosure connectors mounted within the storage enclosure housing at a medial location thereof; and a plurality of carrier assemblies disposed within the storage enclosure housing adjacent to and extending through the front facing surface, each of the carrier assemblies comprising a carrier housing sized to accommodate at least one storage device having a 3½
in form factor or a 2½
in form factor, a plurality of solid state drive (SSD) cards each conforming to a selected M.2 SSD form factor, a multi-card connector which receivingly engages the SSD cards and a carrier control board supporting a switching circuit connected to the multi-card connector and a selected one of the storage enclosure connectors, each of the SSD cards individually removable and replaceable through an access aperture in a front facing surface of the carrier housing without removal of the carrier housing from the storage enclosure housing. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method comprising:
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populating a storage enclosure housing with a storage enclosure control board supporting a control circuit, a power supply, and a cooling fan adjacent a rear facing surface of the storage enclosure housing, and a plurality of storage enclosure connectors adjacent a medial location of the storage enclosure housing; placing a plurality of solid state drive (SSD) cards conforming to a selected M.2 SSD form factor standard into a carrier assembly housing sized to accommodate at least one storage device having a 3½
in form factor or a 2½
in form factor, the plurality of SSD cards contactingly engaging a multi-card connector within the carrier assembly housing along a zero degree insertion path orthogonal to a front facing surface of the carrier assembly housing; andinserting the carrier assembly housing into the storage enclosure housing through a front facing surface of the storage enclosure housing to engage a carrier connector in communication with the multi-card connector with a selected one of the plurality of storage enclosure connectors. - View Dependent Claims (20)
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Specification