Western Digital Technologies, Inc.

Hgst Netherlands, B.v.

Michael Stephen Bell

Jeffrey David Wilke

Toshiki Hirano

Darya Amin-Shahidi

Vipin Ayanoor Vitikkate

Neale Marvin Jones

Lidu Huang

Jin Hui Ou-Yang

David William Niss

Glenn Douglas Albert

A compact back-flow stopper using an elastic flexure mechanism for a cooling fan is shown and described. The backflow stopper assembly comprises a frame configured to structurally support a fin array when coupled to a fan. The fin array comprises a plurality of flexural deformation elements and associated fin elements arrayed in a radial arrangement to establish a pathway for airflow, each of the flexural deformation elements configured to move an attached fin element responsive to airflow impacting the attached fin element. Flex limiter elements are coupled to the frame and configured to limit flexure of the fin elements beyond a predetermined flexure in relation to the frame to stop backflow of air through the fin array. A fan assembly with a backflow stopper is shown and described. Also, a data storage assembly using fan assemblies with backflow stoppers is also shown and described.

Flexure back-flow stopper

A storage canister is provided. The storage canister in one example includes an enclosure, multiple Hard Disk Drives (HDDs) located within the enclosure, a plurality of mounting elements configured to receive the multiple HDDs, wherein each mounting element of the plurality of mounting elements is configured to receive a HDD, a plurality of suspension elements supporting the plurality of mounting elements, with each suspension element of the plurality of suspension elements supporting and providing vibration isolation to a corresponding HDD of the multiple HDDs, and an external connector configured to be externally accessible, with the external connector being electrically coupled to the plurality of mounting elements.

Storage canister with multiple storage device mounting elements

A backplane configured to receive electrical components is provided. The backplane in one example includes a substrate comprising an at least partially flexible material, a plurality of backplane traces formed as part of the substrate, at least one connector island formed in the substrate, with the at least one connector island located in an opening in the substrate and configured to receive at least one mating electrical component, and one or more spring elements bridging between the at least one connector island and the substrate, with traces of the plurality of backplane traces extending over the one or more spring elements to the at least one connector island and with the one or more spring elements allowing the at least one connector island to flex with respect to the substrate and absorb vibrations.

Backplane for receiving electrical components

A sealed storage canister is provided. The sealed storage canister in one example includes a sealed enclosure configured to be substantially hermetically sealed for retaining a predetermined gas or gas mixture, multiple unsealed Hard Disk Drives (HDDs) located within the sealed enclosure, with the multiple unsealed HDDs configured to allow the predetermined gas or gas mixture to move through the multiple unsealed HDDs, at least one mounting element configured to receive the multiple HDDs, and an external connector configured to be externally accessible, with the external connector being directly or indirectly electrically coupled to the multiple unsealed HDDs.

Sealed storage canister

A cooling system for use in a mass storage chassis assembly is provided. The cooling system in one example includes a frame including one or more fan bays for receiving one or more fan units, one or more fan bay connectors located in the one or more fan bays and configured to couple to and provide electrical power to the one or more fan units, a plurality of retainer devices positioned in each fan bay, with the plurality of retainer devices configured to receive and hold a plurality of projections extending from each fan unit, and the one or more fan units configured to be installed to the one or more fan bays, with each fan unit including a fan connector that couples to the corresponding fan bay connector.

Cooling system for use in a mass storage chassis assembly

A vibration isolating hard disk drive carrier for isolating the transfer of vibration from one hard disk drive to another comprising a carrier body and one or more isolation hangers is disclosed. The carrier has a first surface configured to couple to inherent features of a first external surface of a hard disk drive, and a second surface configured to couple to inherent features of a second external surface hard disk drive. One or more isolation hangers configured to support the hard disk drive in a vertical orientation are coupled to the carrier body.

Hanging carrier for HDD

A segmented frame adapted to receive a storage drive is provided. The segmented frame in one example includes a plurality of linked frame segments configured to pivot with respect to each other and wrap around the storage drive, with a first frame segment and a last frame segment of the plurality of linked frame segments latching together to form a joined segmented frame and hold the storage drive, and a plurality of isolator cups trapped within the joined segmented frame and fitting over a corresponding plurality of mounting wings extending from the storage drive, wherein the plurality of isolator cups suspend the storage drive within the joined frame.

Segmented frame for a storage drive

An isolator system for a segmented frame is provided. The isolator system in one example includes a riser block configured to be affixed in a riser aperture of the segmented frame, with the riser block including one or more damper receptacles and one or more corresponding central shafts extending up at least partially through the one or more damper receptacles, one or more elastomeric dampers comprising substantially cylindrical bodies and central bores extending partially through the bodies, with the one or more elastomeric dampers fitting over the one or more shafts and into the damper receptacles, with the one or more elastomeric dampers being formed of an at least partially elastomeric material, and one or more coil springs located over the one or more elastomeric dampers, wherein the one or more elastomeric dampers and the one or more coil springs compress in response to force.

Growing community of inventors

Colorado Springs, CO, United States of America

Michael Stephen Bell