ENCLOSURE SYSTEM FOR COMPUTING EQUIPMENT

• US 20160363966A1
• Filed: 06/15/2015
• Published: 12/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC (Seagate Technology Holdings Plc)
• Original Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC (Seagate Technology Holdings Plc)
• Inventors: Davis, David Michael, Killen, Odie, Worrall, Alexander Carl
• Granted Patent: US 10,025,357 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/187 Mounting of fixed and removable disk drives
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/20 Cooling means
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/00 Constructional parts, details or accessories not provided for in the other groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/128 of the plurality of recording/reproducing devices, e.g. disk drives, onto a chassis

Abstract

The disclosed technology provides an enclosure system for computing equipment and a method for manufacturing an enclosure system, which includes a front enclosure base configured to secure a plurality of tray modules, each of the plurality of tray modules comprising a printed circuit board to connect a plurality of electronic components and being connected at a rear end to a connectivity midplane. The front enclosure base has a front end taller than the rear end such that the front end is configured to structurally support the plurality of tray modules and the rear end allows connecting rear faces of each of the plurality of tray modules to the connectivity midplane.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a configurable front enclosure base configured to secure enclosure variants, the enclosure variants including a plurality of tray modules, each of the plurality of tray modules comprising a printed circuit board to connect a plurality of electronic components and being connected at a rear end to a connectivity midplane,

the configurable front enclosure base having a front end taller than the rear end such that the front end is configured to structurally support the plurality of tray modules and the rear end allows connecting rear faces of each of the plurality of tray modules to the connectivity midplane.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a rear sub-chassis assembly configured to connect to one end of the configurable front enclosure base.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising a cover that interfaces with the configurable front enclosure base about a perimeter of the cover.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the tray modules are 2.5 or 3.5-inch data storage drive trays.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the tray modules are slideably connected to the configurable front enclosure base on rail runners located on an interior side of the configurable front enclosure base.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising a rear extension cover.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising a chassis about 900 mm or 1100 mm long.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the tray modules hold about 16 data storage drives in a largest-side down orientation and the configurable front enclosure base secures about 8 tray modules.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein a rear sub-chassis is configured for an open compute application.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising a chassis 6U high.

11. A method comprising:

forming a configurable front enclosure base configured to secure enclosure variants, the enclosure variants including a plurality of tray modules, each of the plurality of tray modules comprising a printed circuit board to connect a plurality of electronic components and being connected at a rear end to a connectivity midplane,

the configurable front enclosure base having a front end configured to structurally support the plurality of tray modules and the rear end allows connecting rear faces of each of the plurality of tray modules to the connectivity midplane.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising forming a rear sub-chassis configured to connect to one end of the configurable front enclosure base.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising forming a cover that interfaces with the configurable front enclosure base about a perimeter of the cover.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein forming the configurable front enclosure base further includes forming an airflow vent in the side of the configurable front enclosure base.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising forming a rear extension cover.

16. A storage system, comprising:

a plurality of data storage drives;

a configurable front enclosure base configured to secure enclosure variants, the enclosure variants including one or more printed circuit boards configured to connect one or more of the data storage drives to a plurality of electronic components and connected at their rear ends to a connectivity midplane,

the configurable front enclosure base having a front end taller than the rear end such that the front end is configured to structurally support the plurality of printed circuit boards and the rear end allows connecting rear faces of each of the plurality of printed circuit boards to the connectivity midplane.

17. The storage system of claim 16, further comprising a rear sub-chassis assembly configured to connect to one end of the configurable front enclosure base.

18. The storage system of claim 16, further comprising a cover that interfaces with the configurable front enclosure base about a perimeter of the configurable front enclosure base, the cover having a rear end taller than the front end.

19. The storage system of claim 17, further comprising a rear extension cover configured to connect to the rear sub-chassis assembly.

20. The storage system of claim 16, further comprising an airflow vent in at least one side of the configurable front enclosure base.