Computer disk drive mounting apparatus

Abstract

A pair of disk drives are mounted in a compact side-by-side relationship in two adjacent bays of an internal sheet metal computer housing chassis using a snap-in mounting system including two opposing pairs of parallel sheet metal guide channel members snapped into place within specially configured openings in parallel bay walls of the chassis, and pairs of elongated plastic retainer members secured to and longitudinally extending along opposite sides of the disk drives. To quickly mount the disk drives within their chassis bays, each retainer member pair is simply pushed rearwardly into and longitudinally through an associated opposing pair of the guide channel members until the disk drive reaches its operating position within its chassis bay. As the disk drive rearwardly approaches its operating position, leading edge portions of its associated guide channel members inwardly cam opposed front end latch portions on each of the retainer members until bosses thereon snap into notches in the guide channels, thereby releasably locking the disk drive in place. Each disk drive may be quickly removed from the chassis simply by squeezing the opposed latch portions together to remove the bosses from the guide channel member notches, and then pulling the disk drive forwardly out of its drive bay.