Hewlett-packard Company

Hewlett-packard Development Company, L.p.

David Dickey

James J deBlanc

Andrew Michael Cherniski

David Johannes Pommerenke

Victoria Tsang Tam

James Lawrence White

Carl R Haynie

Victoria Tsang

Herbert J Tanzer

Darrel W Poulter

Seiya Ohta

James L Dowdy

Kenneth K Tang

Richard B Nelson

Alicia G Mercer

George G Giannini

A method for fabricating a filament-affixed trace within an electronic device, such as a circuit board or microelectronic device. Conductive traces are affixed to the surface of a composite substrate containing filaments in a matrix bonded to an underlying solid material. The matrix is then removed, leaving the conductive traces suspended or supported by filaments. The signal intensity attenuation for filament-suspended or filament-supported signal lines is much lower than signal lines embedded in solid dielectric materials, allowing for transmission of significantly higher frequency signals within filament-suspended and filament-supported signal lines.

Method for fabricating a filament affixed trace within an electronic device

A method and apparatus is provided for reducing electromagnetic radiation emissions. The method and apparatus of the present invention also reduce or prevent electromagnetic radiation generated by sources outside of a system assembly from interfering with and adversely affecting electrical circuits in the assembly. An electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) solution uses a lossy element, and/or an element comprised of a combination of lossy and conductive material.

Method and apparatus for controlling electromagnetic radiation emissions from electronic device enclosures

Apparatus for connecting a plurality of electronic devices with corresponding backplanes to improve reliability of accessing the devices are described. In one embodiment, the apparatus includes first and second backplanes having connectors for at least one device. A device having a plurality of data paths has a first data path coupled to a data path connector of the first backplane. A second data path of the device is coupled to a data path connector of the second backplane. Alternatively, a Y-adapter is used to connect a single data path device to data path connectors of distinct backplanes. In various embodiments, the backplanes lie in a common plane. Alternatively, the backplanes lie in distinct parallel planes.

Electronic device backplane interconnect method and apparatus

A circuit board or microelectronic device in which conductive signal lines are suspended or supported by filaments in air, rather than surrounded by a solid dielectric material. Dry air has a low relative permittivity and extremely low loss tangent compared with common dielectric substrates in which signal lines are currently embedded within circuit boards and microelectronic devices. The signal intensity attenuation for filament-suspended or filament-supported signal lines is much lower than signal lines embedded in solid dielectric materials, allowing for transmission of significantly higher frequency signals within filament-suspended and filament-supported signal lines.

Low dielectric loss signal line having a conductive trace supported by filaments

Method and apparatus for controlling electromagnetic radiation emissions from electronic enclosures

A method of finishing an enclosure formed from sheet metal includes the step of providing a tube formed from a film of a heat shrink polymer. The enclosure is inserted into the tube. Heat is applied to shrink the tube about the enclosure. Another method of finishing the enclosure includes the step of providing a sheet of a heat shrink polymer. The sheet is wrapped about the enclosure. The wrapped sheet may be affixed to the enclosure mechanically, chemically, or some combination thereof. Heat is applied to shrink wrap the sheet about the enclosure. In various embodiments the heat shrink polymer comprises at least one of the following polymers: irradiated low density polyethylene (LDPE), polyolefin, poly-ethylene terephthalate (PET), poly-vinyl chloride (PVC), and fluoropolymers such as poly-tetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), poly-vinylidene di-fluoride (PVDF), fluoroethylenepropylene (FEP), and perfluoroalkoxy (PFA).

Method of finishing sheet metal goods

Blower designs for vented enclosures include an impeller having a plurality of blades. The impeller includes a plurality of blades pivotably coupled to an impeller body. The blades pivot to enable operation in one of a closed and an open state. Air flow between blades is substantially restricted when the blades are in the closed state. Air flow between the blades is permitted when the blades are in an open state. In one embodiment, the pivotable couplings are spring loaded to maintain the blades in the closed state when the impeller rotational speed is below a threshold range. The blades pivot to the open state when the rotational speed exceeds the threshold range.

Blower impeller apparatus with pivotable blades

Method and system for enhancing the reliability of an available storage subsystem. Data storage units are equipped with a number of I/O controller-card adaptors that mate with complementary adaptors affixed to a number of redundant I/O controller cards. The data storage devices plug directly into I/O controller cards and receive all data, control signals, and power equally from the I/O controller cards, eliminating the need for a midplane circuit card.

Method and system for directly interconnecting storage devices to controller cards within a highly available storage system

A cost effective and easily manufactured filler for a removable system component. A hard disk drive filler embodiment is disclosed having five exterior sides and internal baffles to simulate the airflow modifying characteristics of a hard disk drive. The hard disk drive filler is stackable, flame-resistant, and is manufactured by an injection-molding process.

Removable component filter

Blower designs for vented enclosures include an impeller having a plurality of blades. A plurality of one way valves are interleaved between the blades to permit substantial airflow only in one direction. One valve design incorporates flaps coupled to either the blades or the impeller body with spring loaded hinges. Another valve design incorporates a flexible flaps coupled to either the blades or the impeller body. In one embodiment, the one-way valves reside on an insertable hub disposed within an inner periphery of the impeller such that the valves and blades are interleaved. The valves close to restrict air flow when the impeller rotational speed is below a threshold range. The valves open to permit air flow when the rotational speed exceeds the threshold range.

Blower impeller apparatus with one way valves

A circuit board including differential bus traces on or buried within both sides of the board, interconnecting electronic devices such as disk drives, processors, and connectors for external cables. Via fields, which mimic the size and configuration of the device and cable connector fields, are located between each connector on the board. The via fields link bus traces on or within one side of the board with respective bus traces on or within the other side of the board. The via fields may include subtle, unequal undulations in the trace patterns to provide equalization in the lengths of all trace pairs. The via fields and the connector fields both include repetitive conductor order reversals in the trace connections on opposing sides of the board, to reduce crosstalk between channels. The via fields may be oriented parallel with respect to collinearly arranged devices, or orthogonal with respect to devices or connectors which are parallel. Where a connector has laterally offset groups of pin connections, a via field may also include offset groups of vias to provide trace length equalization.

Circuit board construction for differential bus distribution

Fan brakes for decelerating blower impellers particularly for modular equipment enclosures are described. A module includes a blower having an impeller with a plurality of blades. The brake engages the impeller body or blades when the module is at least partially removed from the enclosure and disengages the impeller when the module is inserted into the enclosure. One brake includes an arm coupled to a braking surface. The arm applies the braking surface to the impeller when disengaged by a cam and retracts the braking surface from the impeller when engaged by the cam. A solenoid may be used in lieu of a cam for directly or indirectly applying the braking surface.

Fan brake for removable module

An EMI device that provides a low impedance mechanism for conducting noise currents in all orientations back to the source of the noise currents in order to more effectively reduce EMI emissions is herein described. The EMI device is constructed from an elastomer core that is wrapped with a metallized electrically conductive material. The gasket is die cut and as such includes one or more open edges that are non-conductive. The non-conductive edges are stitched with a conductive material thereby enabling multiple conduction paths between any surface or edge of the gasket with a electrically conductive enclosure. In this manner, the gasket is able to provide a return path back to the source of the noise currents for all orientations of the noise currents and hence, more effectively reduce EMI emissions.

Electromagnetic interference gasket

A data storage module alignment system and method for use in a data storage module and enclosure system including a module enclosure having a plurality of bay slots and at least one data storage module. The data storage module alignment system comprises at least one alignment guide that is adapted to be mounted at the module enclosure entrance and at least one guide rail that is adapted to be mounted to the data storage module. The alignment guide includes a plurality of guide channels having rounded edges. The guide rail is sized and shaped for receipt within the guide channels. Typically, the alignment guide further includes a plurality of guide flanges that are arranged asymmetrically along the alignment guide. The inner side of each guide flange defines an edge of one of the guide channels and includes chamfers which facilitate initial alignment of the data storage module within one of the bay slots of the module enclosure.

Data storage module alignment system and method

A method and apparatus is provided for reducing or eliminating the amount of electromagnetic radiation being emitted from a system assembly comprising one or more subassemblies which comprise electrical circuits which generate electromagnetic radiation. The method and apparatus of the present invention also reduce or prevent electromagnetic radiation generated by sources outside of the system assembly from interfering with and adversely affecting the electrical circuits comprised in the subassemblies. To achieve these goals, the present invention provides an electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) solution which comprises a plurality of lossy elements, and/or elements comprised of a combination of lossy and conductive material, to reduce electromagnetic radiation. Thus, the conventional EMC solution, which utilizes conductive gaskets on system assemblies and subassemblies, and which requires adequate contact between parts in order to be effective, is replaced by the EMC solution of the present invention, which is more effective at higher frequencies and does not have stringent contact requirements.

Growing community of inventors

Roseville, CA, United States of America

David Dickey