Compaq Computer Corporation, Inc.

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.p.

William D Lobato

David F Bolognia

Robert J Hastings

Paily T Varghese

A hot-pluggable disk drive is supported on a carrier structure that is slidably and removably insertable rearwardly into a sheet metal cage portion of a computer system to releasably couple an SCA connector on the rear end of the drive to a corresponding electrical connector on a backplane structure within a rear interior portion of the cage. The carrier structure includes a base wall upon which the disk drive rests, and a pair of transverse side walls disposed on opposite side edge portions of the base wall. To substantially reduce self-induced, performance degrading operational vibration of the inserted drive about the rotational axis of its platter section, outward projections are formed on the opposite side wall portions of the carrier in a forwardly offset relationship with the rotational axis of the drive. As the drive is inserted into the cage, these projections slidingly engage and form an interference fit with inwardly bent opposing side wall portions of the cage. This interference fit between the carrier and the cage substantially reduces the performance degrading vibration about its rotational axis that the disk drive is capable of generating during its operation.

Hot-pluggable disk drive carrier having enhanced rotational drive vibration control capability

Hot-pluggable disk carrier having enhanced rotational drive vibration control capability

A series of hard disk drives are anchored to the top sides of perforated metal plates disposed above the top sides of molded plastic support trays in parallel relationships therewith. Sets of spaced apart elastomeric cushioning members have upper portions captively retained between each metal plate and its associated plastic tray, and lower portions projecting downwardly beyond the tray. Small connector circuit boards are anchored to rear end portions of the metal plates, and opposite side edge portions of the plates are slidably insertable into guide channel members within a cage structures to create a hot plug connection between the circuit boards and corresponding hot plug connectors on a rear wall of the cage. Ramped alignment projections formed on the opposite plate side wall portions automatically compensate for vertical and horizontal dimensional variations in the tray supporting portions of the cage; the elastomeric members function to reduce handling shock transmitted to the mounted disk drives; and the metal plates form underside EMI shielding structures for the mounted disk drives.

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Spring, TX, United States of America

William D Lobato