International Business Machines Corporation

Susan Pohl Wise

William Fred Otto

Dean Frederick Herring

Brian Alan Trumbo

Richard M Barina

Michael Sven Miller

Steven E Howell

Rodrigo Samper

Andrew S Heinzmann

Cynthia Michelle Grosser

Timothy Scott Bass

Michael J Huck

Richard P Southers

Gerald Cecil Proctor

Chen Hsuan-Tsung

Courtney Long

A computing system includes a frame and a drive mounting structure for mounting one or more drive units within the computing system, with the drive mounting structure being pivotally and removably mounted on the frame to move between an operating position, in which an internal end of a drive unit mounted within the drive mounting structure is held within the computing system, and a service position, in which the internal end of the drive unit extends outward from the computing system. In the service position, access is provided to an open end of the drive mounting structure, into which the drive unit can be installed, to the internal end of the drive unit, for attachment of a cable, and to a side of the drive mounting structure, through which fasteners are driven to mount the drive unit within the drive mounting structure.

Removable structures for mounting computer drive devices, pivotable between operating and service positions

A bracket for installing a drive device within a computer housing includes first and second end panels extending along opposite sides of a lower panel. A pair of pins extending inward from the first side panel engages a pair of mounting holes in the drive device. The drive device is held with the mounting holes in engagement with the pins by means of a spring extending inward from the second end panel. The end of the drive device adjacent the second end panel is also held against an upper locating surface by a second biasing spring extending upward from the lower panel.

Bracket for mounting a computer drive device

A computer has at least one adapter card slot for receiving an optional adapter card. A cover plate is rotatable hinged and has open and closed positions. In the closed position, the cover plate covers the adapter card slot and inhibits the insertion or removal of an adapter card. When the cover plate is raised into the open position, a tab on the back of the cover plate is rotated out of the slot of an optical switch, and the optical switch then signals circuitry to remove power and bus signals from the adapter card slot; thereby permitting the adapter card to be removed from or inserted into the slot without removing power to the entire computer. When the cover plate is returned to the closed position, the tab is reinserted into the slot of the optical switch, which in turn signals the circuitry to return power and bus signals to the adapter card slot. A locking tab firmly clamps the adapter card bracket to the housing bracket; thereby providing a good ground connection from the adapter card to the computer housing.

Hot plug adapters using optical switches

Growing community of inventors

Leasburg, NC, United States of America

Susan Pohl Wise