Silicon Graphics, Incorporated

Charles Fiorella

David J Willheim

Richard W Singer

Bryan D Bolich

Albert Napier

Stephen Hobson, Deceased

A device for installing and removing a removable computer component, such as a data storage drive or computer card, into or out of a computer housing. The device features a drive sled to which the data storage drive is mounted. A stationary carrier tray is secured to the computer housing. Interlocking angled tracks on the drive sled and the carrier tray secure the two structures together. To promote easy coupling of the drive's electrical interface connectors, the front end of the drive sled has a floating guide plate with forward-projecting locating pins, which pins are used to align the electrical connectors held by the floating guide plate. A rack and pinion mechanism is provided. The rack is disposed on the top of the carrier tray while the pinion is located on the underside of the drive sled. As the drive sled slides onto the carrier tray, the lever-actuated pinion gear engages the rack and consequently displaces the drive sled relative to the stationary carrier tray. A torsion spring may be used to bias the pinion. The carrier tray also features a raised wedge that latches the lever at one extreme position when the drive sled is in its forward-most position to lock the data storage drive inside the computer housing.

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Sunnyvale, CA, United States of America

Charles Fiorella