Controlled compression of hard drive carrier CAM

• US 8,035,961 B2
• Filed: 10/06/2009
• Issued: 10/11/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Bailey, Edmond, Figuerado, Stephen N.
• Primary Examiner(s): LEA EDMONDS, LISA S
• Application Number:
  US12/574,224
• Publication Number:
  US 20110080705A1
• Time in Patent Office: 735 Days
• Field of Search: 361/679.33, 361/679.37, 361/679.39
• US Class Current: 361/679.37
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/187 Mounting of fixed and removable disk drives
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/124 of the single recording/reproducing device, e.g. disk drive, onto a chassis
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49025 Making disc drive

Abstract

A cam lock apparatus includes a carrier having a bezel with a locking cam handle. The locking cam handle is pivotally attached to the bezel by a pivot pin. A resilient member is compressed between the pivot pin and the locking cam handle, whereby the first end of the locking cam handle is biased to move relative to the bezel and the carrier.

Claims

1. A cam lock apparatus comprising:

a carrier;

a cam handle including a first end that is pivotally coupled to the carrier by a pivotal connector, wherein the pivotal connector is moveably coupled to the carrier such that the pivotal connector includes a linear range of motion relative to the carrier;

and

a resilient member coupled to the carrier and the pivotal connector, to resiliently the pivotal connector along the linear range of motion relative to the carrier.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a bezel coupled to the carrier, wherein the bezel includes a pivotal coupling that engages the pivotal connector to moveably couple the pivotal connector to the carrier.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the pivotal coupling includes a plurality of slots defined by the bezel, and wherein the pivotal connector is located in the slots and moveable along the linear range of motion through the slots.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a second end of the cam handle that is located opposite the first end, wherein the second end is operable to engage a catch that is coupled to the carrier in response to pivotal motion of the cam handle relative to the carrier.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the pivotal connector is operable to move along the linear range of motion in response to the pivotal motion of the cam handle relative to the carrier to engage the second end of the cam handle and the catch.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the pivotal connector includes a pivot pin, and wherein the resilient member includes a spring.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the pivotal connector includes a pin shroud in which the pivot pin is located and which the spring engages, and wherein a torsion spring is coupled to the pin shroud in order to bias the cam handle into an unlock position.

8. An information handling system (IHS) comprising:

a chassis;

a processor coupled to the chassis;

a component carrier located in the chassis and including a component that is coupled to the processor;

a bezel connected to the carrier;

a cam handle including a first end that is pivotally coupled to the bezel by the pivotal connector, wherein the pivotal connector is moveably coupled to the bezel such that the pivotal connector includes a linear range of motion relative to the bezel;

and

a resilient member coupled to the carrier and the pivotal connector to resiliently biased the pivotal connector along the linear range of motion relative to the bezel.

9. The IHS of claim 8 wherein the bezel includes a plurality of slots defined by the bezel, and wherein the pivotal connector is located in the slots and moveable along the linear range of motion through the slots.

10. The IHS of claim 8, further comprising:

a second end of the cam handle that is located opposite the first end, wherein the second end is operable to engage a catch that is located on the bezel in response to pivotal motion of the cam handle relative to the bezel.

11. The IHS of claim 10, wherein the pivotal connector is operable to move along the linear range of motion in response to the pivotal motion of the cam handle relative to the bezel to engage the second end of the cam handle and the catch.

12. The IHS of claim 10, wherein the pivotal connector includes a pivot pin, and wherein the resilient member includes a spring.

13. The IHS of claim 12, wherein the pivotal connector includes a pin shroud in which the pivot pin is located and which the spring engages, and wherein a torsion spring is coupled to the pin shroud in order to bias the cam handle into an unlock position.

14. The IHS of claim 8, further comprising:

at least one hook located on the first end of the cam handle, wherein the at least one hook is operable to engage the chassis to secure the carrier to the chassis when the cam handle is moved into a lock position.

15. A method of locking a component in a chassis, comprising:

providing a carrier having a cam handle with a first end that is pivotally coupled to the carrier by a pivotal connector, wherein the pivotal connector is moveably coupled to the carrier such that the pivotal connector includes a linear range of motion relative to the carrier, and wherein the carrier also includes a resilient member that resiliently biases the pivotal connector along the linear range of motion;

coupling a component to the carrier;

inserting the carrier with the coupled component into a bay defined by a chassis;

pivoting the cam handle about the pivotal connector to secure the carrier to the chassis, wherein in response to the pivoting, the pivotal connector moves along the linear range of motion relative to the carrier such that the first end of the cam handle moves relative to the carrier in order to absorb tolerance stack variations.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the pivoting results in a second end of the cam handle, which is located opposite the cam handle from the first end, engaging a catch on the carrier to secure the carrier to the chassis.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the pivoting results in at least one hook located on the first end of the cam handle engaging the chassis to secure the carrier to the chassis.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

a bezel including a plurality of slots defined by the bezel, wherein the pivotal connector is located in the slots and moveable along the linear range of motion through the slots.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the pivotal connector includes a pivot pin, and wherein the resilient member includes a spring.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the pivotal connector includes a pin shroud in which the pivot pin is located and which the spring engages, and wherein a torsion spring is coupled to the pin shroud in order to bias the cam handle into an unlock position.