Storcase Technology, Inc.

Kingston Technology Corporation

Kingston Technology Company

Dieter G Paul

Choon-Tak Tang

James Yuhan

Jim D Yu

A computer drive carrier to be removably received within a receiving frame so that a computer drive transported by the carrier can be interfaced with a host computer. A handle is pivotally connected to the computer drive carrier and adapted to be rotated between a closed position when the carrier is received within the receiving frame and an open position when it is desirable to remove the carrier and its drive from the receiving frame to be replaced by a different carrier. A key controlled lock is mounted on the receiving frame and includes a locking pawl that is rotatable from an unlocked position, at which to permit the handle to be rotated from the closed position to the open position so that the computer drive carrier can be removed from its receiving frame, to a locked position, at which to prevent the handle from being rotated to the open position so that the computer drive carrier is locked in place in the receiving frame. A microcontroller is located on the receiving frame and responsive to when a SAS computer drive has been inserted within a SATA receiving frame so as to initiate a LED warning signal to indicate a potential overheating condition. The microcontroller also prevents a manual shutdown of the computer drive when the drive carrier is locked within its receiving frame.

Receiving frame having removable computer drive carrier and lock

A universal receiving frame to be mounted in a drive bay of a chassis or storage enclosure that is interfaced with a host computer. The universal receiving frame is capable of interchangeably receiving different removable computer drive carriers having respective remote computer drives that are configured for parallel and serial operation. A printed circuit board is mounted on the back wall of the universal receiving frame in which an incoming removable drive carrier is slidably received. A suitable (e.g. a Serial ATA) interface and a serial-to-parallel bridge are located on the printed circuit board of the frame, whereby different removable carriers, regardless of drive configuration, can communicate with the chassis by way of the same receiving frame. In an alternate embodiment, which eliminates the universal receiving frame, the removable carriers are connected to one side of a backplane within the chassis and pull-out peripheral circuit boards are connected to the opposite side. A serial-to-parallel bridge is mounted on each of the removable carriers and a serial-to-serial or serial-to-parallel converter is mounted on each of the peripheral circuit boards.

Universal receptacles for interchangeably receiving different removable computer drive carriers

Apparatus by which a maximum number (e.g. 16) of external high speed computer data storage devices (e.g. computer hard drives) that are housed within portable carriers can be efficiently connected to and concurrently operated from the same low voltage differential (LVD) SCSI bus of a host computer by eliminating the adverse effects (e.g. parasitic capacitance, impedance mismatch and signal distortion) that occur as a consequence of the stub length that is required to couple a data storage device to its SCSI bus. A U-shaped receiving frame is affixed to and enclosed by a chassis, and the portable carrier in which the data storage device is housed is slidably received in and removable from the receiving frame. An isolator board carrying a repeater chip is coupled to the backplane of the receiving frame so that the repeater chip is electrically connected between the SCSI bus and the data storage device within the portable carrier. The repeater chip receives the control and data signals from the host computer over the SCSI bus and repeats them with their original signal format and quality to the data storage device so that the SCSI controller believes that the data storage device is connected directly to the SCSI bus without interference from the cable stub length.

Low voltage differential SCSI bus interconnect system having repeater means

A replaceable SCA drive adapter board detachably connected to the rear of a disc drive carrier that encloses a remote computer disc drive and is adapted to be removably received within a computer storage chassis. The SCA drive adapter board has a SCA drive interface connector mounted on one face thereof to be coupled to a complementary interface connector of the disc drive and an SCA backplane interface connector mounted on the opposite face to be coupled to a host computer via connectors at the backplane of the computer storage chassis to enable the disc drive to communicate with the host computer whenever the disc drive carrier is returned to the computer storage chassis. The SCA drive adapter board is quickly and easily removed from the disc drive carrier and replaced to reduce down time and repair as a consequence of the SCA backplane interface connector wearing out following many repetitive insertion/removal cycles of the disc drive carrier to and from the chassis.

Replaceable SCA drive adapter board for a removable disc drive carrier

A compact PCI connector guide to be attached to a motherboard of a small computer system to surround a male PCI connector that is affixed to the motherboard. The PCI connector guide is adapted to accurately and automatically guide an incoming female PCI connector that is carried on a detachable peripheral printed circuit board into mating engagement with the male PCI connector, whereby the motherboard and the peripheral board are electrically interconnected with one another. The PCI connector guide has a body and flared lips projecting outwardly therefrom to automatically redirect the female PCI connector towards and into receipt by the male PCI connector without subjecting the contact pins of the male PCI connector to damage as a consequence of the male and female PCI connectors being misaligned with one another.

Compact PCI connector guide

An expansion chassis which enables a personal computer to have increased memory capacity. The chassis encloses a removable wiring bracket that carries an external computer memory (e.g. a conventional disk drive, tape drive and the like). When the wiring bracket is removably received through a window at the front of the expansion chassis, a first electrical connector mounted on the wiring bracket is detachably mated to a second electrical connector mounted on the front of the expansion chassis adjacent the window thereof so as to complete an electrical circuit between the external computer memory and the expansion chassis. A position variable switch is also mounted on the expansion chassis adjacent the window so as to quickly and conveniently assign a particular predetermined address to the external computer memory corresponding to the position to which the variable position switch has been set.

Expansion chassis having a removable wiring bracket and external

A portable drive carrier for a memory device for use at a computer or workstation. The carrier has a rotatable handle that is adapted to assist in the detachment and ejection of the carrier from a U-shaped receiving frame that is commonly mounted at an existing drive bay of the computer workstation. The carrier includes a pair of handle cams that are coupled to respective sides of the carrier so as to move therealong in response to a rotation of the handle. The handle cams move into engagement with and apply a pushing force against the receiving frame, whereby the carrier is advanced relative to and detached from the receiving frame to enable the carrier to be pulled out of and removed from the frame. The handle cams are interfaced with force transmitting surfaces formed in the handle so that a rotation of the handle is transferred to the handle cams to cause the handle cams to move along the sides of the carrier in order to apply the pushing force against the receiving frame.

Cam assisted ejection handle for a removable drive carrier

Removable multiple bay computer disk storage subsystem

A mounting bracket is disclosed, a pair of which are affixed at opposite sides of a conventional computer memory device (e.g. a hard disk drive system). The mounting brackets detachably connect the memory device to a removable computer circuit card by way of slots formed through the card. The brackets have legs which are received through the slots to engage the circuit card and thereby prevent the detachment of the memory device. Blocking arms of the mounting brackets are received through respective slots to prevent the disengagement of the legs of the brackets from the circuit card. A blocking arm and a leg are engaged in a single slot. The blocking arms may be rotated out of the slots to then permit the disengagement of the bracket legs from the circuit card so that the memory device may be disconnected from the card.

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Anaheim, CA, United States of America

Dieter G Paul