Device and computing system with ejection mechanism

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to electronic device eject mechanisms with selectively disableable ejection functionality. Specifically disclosed is an electronic device that can include a chassis and an eject mechanism coupled to the chassis. The chassis can house electronic components and can be removably received within a system chassis of an electronic system. The eject mechanism can be reversibly configurable between a first state and a second state. When the chassis is in an installed position in the system chassis and in the first state, actuation of an actuatable portion of the eject mechanism from a first position to a second position causes the chassis to move from the installed position to an ejected position relative to the system chassis. However, when the chassis is in the installed position in the system chassis and in the second state, actuation of the actuatable portion of the eject mechanism from the first position to the second position does not cause the device to move to the ejected position relative to the system chassis.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to an apparatus having a pop-out mechanism and a computing system. Background Technology

[0002] Some electronic systems (such as computer servers, data storage systems, network systems, high-performance computing (HPC) systems, converged systems, hyperconverged systems, composable infrastructure systems, and other types of electronic systems) comprise multiple distinct electronic devices (such as server nodes, network switches, input / output modules, power supply units, and other types of electronic devices) that are communicatively interconnected. In some cases, an electronic system may include a system chassis, and some of the electronic devices constituting the system may be removably housed within the system chassis. In particular, some electronic devices may have their own separate device chassis configured to be removably received within a larger system chassis. While received within the system chassis, the electronic devices may be removably coupled to electrical connectors within the system chassis to establish electrical connections with the rest of the system. Some of these individual electronic devices may also be configured to receive additional pluggable electronic devices, such as host bus adapters, pluggable optical transceiver modules, cable or fiber optic connectors, PCIe cards, solid-state drives, and other pluggable electronic devices.

[0003] To facilitate the removal of individual electronic devices from and / or installation within the system chassis, some electronic devices include a pop-out mechanism. The pop-out mechanism engages with the system chassis and can be manually actuated to move the electronic device relative to the system chassis. Specifically, actuation of the pop-out mechanism in one direction pops the electronic device out, i.e., detaches the electronic device from the system chassis and disconnects it from the system's electrical connection. In some cases, actuation of the pop-out mechanism in a second direction can move the electronic device to a mounting position and / or attach it to the system chassis and electrically connect it to the system. Summary of the Invention

[0004] According to a first aspect of this disclosure, an apparatus having a pop-out mechanism is provided, comprising: a chassis configured to house electronic components and removably received within a system chassis of an electronic system; and a pop-out mechanism coupled to the chassis and including an actuated portion, an engaging portion, and a connector capable of switching between a first state and a second state, wherein the engaging portion is configured to engage with the system chassis when the chassis is received within the system chassis, such that actuation of the engaging portion in a first direction moves the chassis relative to the system chassis from a mounted position to a pop-out position; wherein in the first state of the connector, the connector operatively couples the actuated portion to the engaging portion, such that actuation of the actuated portion in the first direction is converted by the connector into actuation of the engaging portion in the first direction, the actuation of the actuated portion in the first direction causing actuation of the engaging portion in the first direction; and wherein in the second state of the connector, the connector does not operatively couple the actuated portion to the engaging portion, and actuation of the actuated portion in the first direction does not cause actuation of the engaging portion in the first direction.

[0005] According to a second aspect of this disclosure, a computing system is provided, comprising: a system chassis configured to receive a plurality of electronic devices; and a device according to a first aspect of this disclosure, wherein the device is received within the system chassis.

[0006] According to a third aspect of this disclosure, an apparatus having a pop-out mechanism is provided, comprising: a housing configured to be removably received within a system housing of an electronic system; and a pop-out mechanism coupled to the housing and including a lever arm, a cam, and a button reversibly configurable between a first state and a second state, wherein the cam is configured to engage with the system housing when the housing is received in the system housing in a mounted position, such that: in the first state of the button, actuation of the lever arm from a first position to a second position moves the housing relative to the system housing from the mounted position to a pop-out position; and in the second state of the button, actuation of the lever arm from the first position to the second position does not move the apparatus to the pop-out position. Attached Figure Description

[0007] The contents of this disclosure can be understood from the following specific embodiments alone or in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. These drawings and related descriptions are included to provide a further understanding of this disclosure, and these drawings are incorporated in and form a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate one or more non-limiting aspects and embodiments of the teachings herein, and, together with the description, explain certain principles and operations. In the drawings: Figure 1A It is a block diagram illustrating an electronic device including a pop-out mechanism.

[0008] Figure 1BThis is a block diagram illustrating another electronic device including a pop-out mechanism.

[0009] Figure 2 It is a perspective view of another electronic device, including the ejection mechanism.

[0010] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 An enlarged 3D view of a part of an electronic device.

[0011] Figure 4 yes Figure 2 A 3D view of the ejection mechanism of an electronic device.

[0012] Figure 5 yes Figure 4 The exploded view of the pop-up mechanism.

[0013] Figure 6 yes Figure 4 A 3D view of a portion of the pop-out mechanism.

[0014] Figure 7 yes Figure 4 Another perspective view of a part of the pop-out mechanism.

[0015] Figure 8 yes Figure 4 A perspective view of a portion of the pop-up mechanism, wherein the connector of the pop-up mechanism is in the raised state and the pop-up mechanism is in the pop-up enabled state.

[0016] Figure 9 yes Figure 4 A perspective view of the end of the pop-up mechanism, with the connector of the pop-up mechanism in the pressed-down state and the pop-up mechanism in the pop-up disabled state.

[0017] Figure 10 yes Figure 2 A perspective view of the electronic device, illustrating the state when the ejection mechanism is in the second position and the ejection is disabled.

[0018] Figure 11 yes Figure 10 An enlarged 3D view of a part of an electronic device.

[0019] Figure 12 yes Figure 2 A perspective view of the electronic device, illustrating the state when the pop-up mechanism is in the second position and in the pop-up enabled state.

[0020] Figure 13 yes Figure 12 An enlarged 3D view of a part of an electronic device.

[0021] Figure 14 It contains Figure 2A three-dimensional diagram of an electronic device system. Detailed Implementation

[0022] Some electronic devices configured for removable installation in a larger system have components designed to be accessible to a user when the device is installed within the larger system. An example of such externally accessible components is a receptacle for removably receiving a pluggable device or connector. In some cases, these externally accessible components are located in the same part of the electronic device as its ejection mechanism (e.g., on the back). The space within this part of the device for arranging these various externally accessible components may be limited. Therefore, in some cases, the ejection mechanism may end up being positioned in a way that interferes with the user's ability to access certain other components of the device. In particular, the actuable portion of the ejection mechanism that can be grasped and actuated (i.e., subjected to movement) by the user to drive the ejection function may be positioned to interfere with the accessibility of other components. For example, in some cases, the actuable portion may completely or partially overlap with another component (e.g., a receptacle) (and thus block access to that other component), thereby preventing access to that component (e.g., preventing a pluggable device from being installed in or removed from the receptacle). As another example, in some cases, the actuable part may not overlap with another part, but it interferes with access to that part because it is very close to the other part and therefore makes it difficult for the user to grasp, install, remove or otherwise manipulate the other part.

[0023] One way to make access to a component otherwise blocked by an actuating part of the ejection mechanism possible is to manually move the actuating part out of the path of the blocked component when access to the blocked component is desired (e.g., to insert or remove a pluggable device). However, in some cases, this movement of the actuating part of the ejection mechanism causes the electronic device to eject from the system chassis. In some situations, this ejection of the electronic device from the system chassis and the resulting disconnection of the electronic device from the system's electrical connection may not be desirable. For example, in some cases it may be desirable to allow pluggable devices to be "hot-swapped" in and out of electronic devices, which involves installing or removing the pluggable device while the electronic device remains powered and operational. As another example, in some cases it may be desirable to keep a pluggable device already installed in the electronic device powered and operational while installing or removing another pluggable device.

[0024] Therefore, according to several aspects of this disclosure, an ejection mechanism that can be selectively and reversibly reconfigured between two states: an ejection enabled state and an ejection disabled state. When in the ejection enabled state, actuation (i.e., applying movement to) of the actuated portion of the ejection mechanism causes the electronic device to eject. However, when in the ejection disabled state, actuation of the actuated portion of the ejection mechanism can occur without causing the electronic device to eject. This selectively reconfigurable ejection mechanism can improve accessibility within the electronic device, where the actuated portion is positioned within the device and potentially interferes with the accessibility of another component. That is, when access to that other component is required, the ejection mechanism can switch to the ejection disabled state, and the actuated portion can then be moved out of the path of that other component. However, because the ejection mechanism is in the ejection disabled state, movement of the actuated portion does not cause the electronic device to eject. Therefore, access to that other component can be provided relatively easily while maintaining the electronic device in its installed state within the system.

[0025] In some embodiments, the ejection mechanism includes: an engagement portion that engages with a system chassis to drive movement of an electronic device relative to the system chassis; and a connector, depending on the state of the connector, that can operatively couple an actuated portion to or not to the engagement portion. Specifically, the connector can switch between two states. In a first state of the connector (corresponding to the ejection-enabled state of the ejection mechanism), the connector operatively couples the actuated portion to the engagement portion such that actuation of the actuated portion causes actuation of the engagement portion and thus causes the electronic device to eject. In a second state of the connector (corresponding to the ejection-disabled state of the ejection mechanism), the connector does not operatively couple the actuated portion to the ejection mechanism, and actuation of the actuated portion does not cause actuation of the engagement portion, therefore no ejection occurs. In some embodiments, the actuated portion includes a lever arm and the engagement portion includes a cam, wherein the connector operatively couples the lever arm to the cam in the ejection-enabled state such that pivoting of the lever arm drives pivoting of the cam.

[0026] In some embodiments, the connector includes a button, and the state of the ejection mechanism is changed by moving the button (e.g., by pressing or releasing the button). Specifically, in some embodiments, when the button is in the raised position, the button is in a first state (corresponding to the ejection enabled state of the ejection mechanism), and when the button is in the depressed position, the button is in a second state (corresponding to the ejection disabled state of the ejection mechanism). When the button is in the raised position (the first state of the connector and the ejection enabled state of the ejection mechanism), the button interferes with the actuated portion such that as the actuated portion is actuated, the actuated portion contacts the button, and this contact causes the button to move together with the actuated portion. Because the button is also coupled to the engagement portion, the movement of the button also causes the movement of the engagement portion and thus causes the electronic device to eject. In other words, in the first state, the button converts the movement of the actuated portion into the movement of the engagement portion. On the other hand, when the button is in the depressed position (the second state of the connector and the ejection disabled state of the ejection mechanism), the actuated portion can move freely past (e.g., across) the button without colliding with it, so the actuation of the actuated portion does not cause the movement of the engagement portion. In addition, the button may have one or more features that engage with the electronic device when the button is pressed to prevent the button and thus prevent the engagement portion from moving relative to the electronic device.

[0027] Turning now to the accompanying drawings, various apparatuses, systems, and methods according to non-limiting aspects of this disclosure will be described.

[0028] Figure 1A This is a conceptual block diagram illustrating electronic device 1. It should be understood that... Figure 1A It is not intended to accurately or to scale illustrate specific shapes, sizes or other structural details, and embodiments of electronic device 1 may have different numbers and arrangements of the shown components, and may also include other components not shown.

[0029] like Figure 1A As shown, electronic device 1 includes a chassis 10 and an ejection mechanism 20. Electronic device 1 can be a computing device (e.g., an input / output module (IOM) of a data storage system, a server node, a blade of a blade server, or any other type of computing device), a network device (e.g., a switch, a router, or any other type of network device), a power supply device, or any other type of electronic device. Electronic device 1 is configured to be installed (e.g., received in) a system chassis of a larger system.

[0030] The chassis 10 includes one or more support structures, such as walls, platforms, and other similar structures, that support and / or house various components of the electronic device 1. For example, the chassis 10 may include sheet metal walls that define a partially or completely enclosed housing. The chassis 10 may house electronic components, such as, but not limited to, processors, accelerators, controllers, memory devices, or other electronic circuits. An eject mechanism 20 is coupled to the chassis 10.

[0031] The ejection mechanism 20 can be selectively and reversibly reconfigured between two states: ejection enabled state 5 (also known as the "first state") and ejection disabled state 6 (also known as the "second state"). When the electronic device 1 is in the installed position within the system chassis and the ejection mechanism 20 is in the ejection enabled state 5, actuation of the ejection mechanism 20 causes the electronic device 1 to eject from the system chassis, i.e., moves the electronic device 1 from the installed position to the ejected position. Conversely, when the electronic device 1 is in the installed position within the system chassis but the ejection mechanism 20 is in the ejection disabled state 6, the ejection mechanism 20 can be actuated without causing such ejection of the electronic device 20, i.e., without causing movement of the electronic device 1 relative to the system chassis. Actuation of the ejection mechanism 20 means moving at least a portion of the ejection mechanism 20 (e.g., a handle, lever, button, knob, crank, or other actuable element).

[0032] The mounting position refers to the location where electronic device 1 (e.g., engaged with a connector in the system chassis) is electrically coupled to the system. Furthermore, in the mounting position, electronic device 1 can be attached to the system, meaning that device 1 is physically engaged with the system in a manner that prevents or hinders its removal from the system chassis. For example, a portion of electronic device 1 (e.g., a portion of ejection mechanism 20) can engage with the system chassis (or vice versa), thereby physically interfering with it and thus preventing relative movement between them. As another example, frictional engagement (e.g., between the electrical connectors of electronic device 1 and the system) can generate frictional forces that resist the removal of electronic device 1.

[0033] Conversely, the eject position refers to the position where electronic device 1 is disconnected from the system. Furthermore, in the eject position, electronic device 1 can also be physically separated from the system, meaning that electronic device 1 is no longer physically engaged with the system in a manner that prevents or resists removal. However, the eject position is not necessarily the position where electronic device 1 is completely removed from the system chassis; in other words, in the eject position, a portion of electronic device 1 may still remain inside the system chassis 1 and can be engaged with the system chassis.

[0034] Moving electronic device 1 from its mounting position to its ejected position may include separating electronic device 1 from the system and physically moving electronic device 1 (e.g., in the direction of removing electronic device 1 from the system chassis) relative to the system chassis. Ejection mechanism 20 may be configured to convert the force applied to it by the user as part of actuating the ejection mechanism 20 into a force applied to electronic device 1 and / or the system chassis, causing relative movement between them. Furthermore, actuation of ejection mechanism 20 may cause movement of portions of electronic device 1 that prevent its removal (e.g., portions of ejection mechanism 20 that engage with the system chassis), so that they no longer obstruct the removal of electronic device 1.

[0035] In some embodiments, the ejector mechanism 20 may have multiple actuation modes that cause it to perform different functions. For example, an actuation mode may include moving at least a portion of the ejector mechanism 20 in different directions, each direction of movement causing a different function. For example, in some embodiments, movement of the ejector mechanism 20 in one direction (e.g., from a first position to a second position) causes the electronic device 1 to eject as described above, while movement of the ejector mechanism 20 in the opposite direction (e.g., from a second position to a first position) causes the electronic device 1 to move from an ejected position (partially inserted into the system chassis but not yet fully installed in the system chassis) to an installed position. The ejector mechanism 20 may cause this movement by engaging with the system chassis in a manner similar to that described above regarding the ejection function, except that in the case of installation, the movement of each element is in opposite directions.

[0036] Figure 1B This is a conceptual block diagram illustrating electronic device 100. It should be understood that... Figure 1B It is not intended to illustrate a specific shape, size or other structural detail accurately or to scale, and embodiments of electronic device 100 may have different numbers and arrangements of the shown components, and may also include other components not shown. Electronic device 100 is one configuration of the electronic device 1 described above, but electronic device 1 is not limited to electronic device 100.

[0037] like Figure 1B As shown, electronic device 100 includes a chassis 110 and an eject mechanism 120. Electronic device 100 can be a computing device (e.g., an input / output module (IOM) of a data storage system, a server node, a blade of a blade server, or any other type of computing device), a network device (e.g., a switch, a router, or any other type of network device), a power supply device, or any other type of electronic device. Electronic device 100 is configured to be installed in a larger system, which includes, for example, Figure 1B The dashed arrow indicates that it is received within the system chassis 182 of the larger system and electrically coupled to the system. Figure 1B The system chassis 182 is mentioned to aid understanding, but those skilled in the art will understand that the electronic device 100 itself may be provided separately from the system chassis 182.

[0038] The chassis 110 may include one or more support structures, such as walls, platforms, and other similar structures, that support and / or house various components of the electronic device 100. For example, the chassis 110 may include a sheet metal wall defining a partially or fully enclosed housing. The chassis 110 may optionally include a socket 115 for removably receiving pluggable electronic devices, such as network adapters (e.g., host bus adapters (HBAs), network interface cards (NICs)), optical connectors, solid-state drives, PCIe cards, or other pluggable electronic devices. The chassis 110 (in addition to pluggable devices) may also house additional electronic components, such as, but not limited to, processors, accelerators, controllers, memory devices, and / or other electronic circuitry.

[0039] The ejector mechanism 120 is coupled to the chassis 110. For example, in some cases, the ejector mechanism 120 may be coupled to the same side of the chassis 120 as the side with the access opening to the receptacle 115. The ejector mechanism 120 and / or the receptacle 115 may be located on a portion of the chassis 110 that is accessible when the electronic device 100 is installed in the system chassis 182. In some cases, the ejector mechanism 120 may be positioned to interfere with the accessibility of the receptacle 115, such as by partially overlapping (blocking) the opening of the receptacle 115 or by being positioned relatively close to the opening, so that the ejector mechanism 120 otherwise interferes with the user's ability to install components into and remove them from the receptacle 115.

[0040] The ejection mechanism 120 is a configuration of the ejection mechanism 20 described above, and as stated above, the ejection mechanism 120 can be selectively and reversibly reconfigured between two states: an ejection enabled state (also referred to as the "first state") and an ejection disabled state (also referred to as the "second state"). When in the ejection enabled state, actuation of the ejection mechanism 120 causes the electronic device 100 to eject from the system chassis 182, that is, to move the electronic device 100 from its mounting position within the system chassis 182 to its ejected position. Conversely, when in the ejection disabled state, the ejection mechanism 120 can be actuated without causing such ejection of the electronic device 120, that is, without causing movement of the electronic device 100 relative to the system chassis 182.

[0041] like Figure 1BAs shown, in some embodiments, the ejection mechanism 120 includes an actuable portion 130, an engagement portion 150, and a connector 140. The actuable portion 130 may be manually actuated to apply force and movement. For example, the actuable portion 130 may include a lever arm, a crank arm, a push / pull element, or any other actuable structure. The engagement portion 150 is configured to engage with the system housing 182 such that actuation of the engagement portion 150 causes movement of the electronics 100 relative to the system housing 182 (e.g., between an installed position and an ejected position). The engagement portion 150 may be a cam, a gear, a worm gear drive, or any other structure that can engage with the system housing 182 to cause relative movement between them. The actuable portion 130 is operatively coupled to the engagement portion 150 via the connector 140 depending on the state of the ejection mechanism 120, such that actuation of the actuable portion 130 causes actuation of the engagement portion 150.

[0042] As described above, the connector 140 is configured to operatively couple the actuated portion 130 to the engaging portion 150 depending on the state of the ejection mechanism 120. Specifically, in the ejection enabled state, the connector 140 operatively couples the actuated portion 130 to the engaging portion 150, but in the ejection disabled state, the connector 140 does not operatively couple the actuated portion 130 to the engaging portion 150. Therefore, in the ejection enabled state, actuation of the actuated portion 130 causes actuation of the engaging portion 150 as described above, and thus causes the electronic device 100 to eject. Conversely, in the ejection disabled state, actuation of the actuated portion 130 does not cause actuation of the engaging portion 150, and therefore the ejection of the electronic device does not occur.

[0043] In some embodiments, the connector 140 includes a button, and the state of the ejection mechanism 120 is changed by moving the button. Specifically, in some embodiments, the button can be moved to a depressed position to discouple the actuated portion 130 from the engaging portion 150, thereby switching to an ejection disabled state, or it can be moved to an elevated position to couple the actuated portion 130 to the engaging portion 150, thereby switching to an ejection enabled state.

[0044] Since the eject mechanism 120 can be switched to an eject disabled state, in which state the eject mechanism 120 can be moved out of the path of the socket 115 (or some other part that the eject mechanism 120 may interfere with) without ejecting the electronic device.

[0045] In the above description, electronic device 110 is described as potentially including various electrical components, whether in the form of a pluggable device removably mounted in socket 115 or other electronic components more statically mounted within chassis 110. However, some electronic devices 100 may have a state in which no electronic components are installed. For example, some electronic devices 100 may have a state after chassis 110 and ejector mechanism 120 have been manufactured but before any electronic equipment is installed therein. This disclosure applies to electronic devices 100 in such a state where electronic components are not yet installed therein, and these electronic devices 100 may still be considered “electronic” devices in this state because they are configured to receive electronic components installed therein.

[0046] Turn now Figures 2 to 13 The following describes an electronic device 200 according to various aspects of this disclosure. Electronic device 200 is a configuration of electronic devices 1 and 100, and therefore some components of electronic device 200 are similar to those of electronic devices 1 and 100 described above (e.g., specific configurations of components). Similar components are referred to using the same last two digits, such as 220 and 120. The description of components of electronic devices 1 and 100 applies to similar components of electronic device 200, and therefore repeated descriptions of aspects already described above may be omitted below. Although electronic device 200 is a configuration of electronic devices 1 and 100, electronic devices 1 and 100 and their components are not limited to electronic device 200 and its components.

[0047] Various elements or components of the electronic device 200 are illustrated in several figures. When describing elements below, attention should be paid to one or more figures considered particularly relevant to the element being described, and therefore the following description need not be presented separately or in a strict order. Figures 2 to 14 Instead, they move back and forth between different figures. Furthermore, it should be understood that when certain figures are mentioned with respect to a particular element, other figures besides the one indicated may also depict the same part from other perspectives.

[0048] like Figure 2 As shown, electronic device 200 includes a chassis 210 and a plurality of ejection mechanisms 220 coupled to the chassis 210. Chassis 210 is configured to be removably received within a system chassis of a larger system to which electronic device 200 may be coupled, such as in… Figure 14 The system chassis 382, ​​shown and described in more detail below, is located within this chassis. Figure 2For simplicity, two ejection mechanisms 220 are illustrated, but any number, equal to or greater than one, can be used. The ejection mechanisms 220 can be positioned on the chassis 210 such that they engage with the system chassis (e.g., system chassis 382) when the electronic device 200 is received in the system chassis. For example, in Figure 2 In this configuration, the ejection mechanisms 220 are positioned on opposite sides of the sidewall 213 of the chassis 210, near the chassis 210. This allows the ejection mechanisms 220 to engage with portions of the chassis adjacent to the sidewall 213 when the chassis 210 is received within the system chassis. Furthermore, when installed in the system chassis, the surface 212 on which the ejection mechanisms 220 are located is exposed (rather than being obscured by the chassis wall), allowing the user to access the ejection mechanisms 220 and other components on the surface 212.

[0049] The chassis 210 also includes multiple sockets 215 configured to removably receive pluggable devices 216 respectively mounted therein. Figure 2 In the illustrated embodiment, there are four sockets 215, but in other embodiments, any number of sockets 215 may be present. Figure 2 In the diagram, one receptacle 215 is shown empty to allow its visibility, while three other receptacles 215 (not labeled) are shown receiving pluggable devices 216 within them. Receptacles 215 may also include electrical connectors (not shown), such as printed circuit board (PCB) edge finger connectors (also referred to in some cases as gold finger connectors) or other connectors, for electrical connection to the pluggable devices 216 in their mounting position within the receptacle 215. Receptacles 215 may also include rails, recesses, or other support / guiding structures to guide the pluggable devices 216 into the receptacle and / or support the pluggable devices 216 when they are received in the receptacle 215.

[0050] like Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, chassis 210 also includes a bracket 211 that protrudes from surface 212 to couple the pop-out mechanism 220 to chassis 210. Figure 2 and Figure 3 In this embodiment, there are two pop-out mechanisms 220, and therefore two supports 211 are provided at the two corners of the surface 212 (e.g., the lower left and lower right corners). The supports 211 are coupled to and support the pop-out mechanisms 220, as will be described in more detail below.

[0051] like Figure 2 , Figure 3 , Figure 4 and Figure 5As shown, each pop-out mechanism 220 includes a lever arm 230, a cam 250, and a connector 240 coupled to the cam 250. The lever arm 230 is one configuration of the actuable portion 130 described above, the connector 240 is one configuration of the connector 140 described above, and the cam 250 is one configuration of the engagement portion 150 described above. Figure 3 As shown, the lever arm 230 includes an attached end 232 (via a bracket 211) pivotally attached to the housing 210 and a free end 231 opposite to the attached end 232. More specifically, as Figure 5 As shown, the attached end 232 includes a hole 234, and as Figure 3 , Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, pivot pin 221 extends through hole 234. Pivot pin 221 also extends through holes in the top and bottom portions of bracket 211, thereby pivotally coupling lever arm 230 to housing 210, as... Figure 3 As shown. Therefore, by moving the free end 231 along an arc away from or toward the surface 212 (which causes the lever arm 230 to pivot about the pivot pin 221), the lever arm 230 can be actuated between at least two positions. In the first position of the lever arm 230, the free end 231 of the lever arm 230 is adjacent to the surface 212, as shown. Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown. The free end 231 can be latched by the latching mechanism 235 (see...). Figure 3 For example, a hand-tightening screw or other latching mechanism can be releasably secured to face 212, engaging with face 212 to prevent accidental actuation of lever arm 230, but when latching mechanism 235 is unlocked, free end 231 can move freely relative to face 212, allowing lever arm 230 to pivot about pivot pin 221 throughout its range of motion. In a second position of lever arm 230, free end 231 is spaced apart from face 212. Figure 10 and Figure 12 The illustration shows a lever arm 230 in one example of a second position. The precise location of the second position can vary from one embodiment to another and is not limited to that shown in the figure. The movement of the lever arm 230 from the first position to the second position is referred to herein as the actuation of the lever arm 230 in the first direction, which is indicated in the various figures by the arrow labeled 291 (see Figure 291). Figure 4 and Figure 10 The movement of lever arm 230 from the second position to the first position is referred to herein as the actuation of lever arm 230 in the second direction, which is indicated by arrow 292 in the various figures (see Figure 292). Figure 4 ).

[0052] Please note that due to the pivoting nature of lever arm 230 and other components, the first and second directions mentioned herein are rotational directions (e.g., clockwise and counterclockwise) rather than linear directions. Therefore, for example, Figure 6 The movements indicated by the middle arrows 291 and 293 are in the same direction (i.e., in...). Figure 6 The movement is in a counter-clockwise direction (as seen in the view). Furthermore, since different pop-up mechanisms 220 can have different orientations, the "first direction" of one pop-up mechanism 220 may differ from the "first direction" of another. Therefore, the direction of movement of the components of the pop-up mechanism mentioned herein should be understood relative to the pop-up mechanism 220 in which these components are disposed. For example, in... Figure 2 In the electronic device 200, when considering the pop-up mechanism 220 on the right side of the electronic device 200, the "first direction" can be counterclockwise, but when considering the pop-up mechanism 220 on the left side of the electronic device 200, the "first direction" can be clockwise.

[0053] like Figure 3 , Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, the attached end 232 of the lever arm 230 engages with the cam 250. Specifically, as... Figure 5 As shown, the cam 250 includes a ridge 253 and a first shelf 258 recessed from the ridge 253, wherein the ridge 253 partially surrounds the first shelf 258 to define an area for receiving the attached end 232 of the lever arm 230, as shown. Figures 4 to 6 As shown. More specifically, as Figures 4 to 6 As shown, the attached end 232 of the lever arm 230 rests on the first shelf 258, with a ridge 253 adjacent to and partially surrounding the attached end 232. The ridge 253 can engage with the lever arm 230 to transmit movement of the lever arm 230 to the cam 250, as explained in more detail below, and the ridge can therefore be an example of the lever arm engagement feature referred to herein.

[0054] like Figure 5 As shown, the first shelf 258 of the cam 250 also has a hole 257 through which a pivot pin 221 extends. Therefore, the pivot pin 221 pivotally couples not only the lever arm 230 but also the cam 250 to the bracket 211. Figures 3 to 9 As shown, cam 250 also includes teeth 251 and 252 extending radially from cam 250. As illustrated, when lever arm 230 is in the first latching position, teeth 251 and 252 extend in a direction generally away from the free end 231 of lever arm 230. When electronic device 200 is mounted in system chassis, teeth 251 and 252 are arranged with respect to the side wall 213 of system chassis 210, which is positioned adjacent to the side wall 213 of chassis 210 (see Figure 251). Figure 2The lateral wall engagement of the cam 250. Teeth 251 and 252 convert the pivoting motion of the cam 250 into a translational motion of the electronic device 200 relative to the system chassis, wherein the translational direction of the electronic device 200 depends on the pivoting direction of the cam 250. If the cam 250 is along the first direction (i.e., Figure 4 , Figure 6 and Figure 13 Pivoting in the direction indicated by the middle arrow 293, teeth 251 and 252 convert this motion into the electronic device 200 moving in the direction toward the pop-out position (i.e., Figure 13 Translation in the direction indicated by the middle arrow 294. Conversely, if the cam 250 is in the second direction (i.e., Figure 4 Pivoting in the direction indicated by the middle arrow 289 will orient the electronic device 200 toward its mounting position in the system chassis (i.e., with respect to...). Figure 13 The cam 250 translates in the opposite direction (indicated by the middle arrow 294). Therefore, the actuation of cam 250 controls whether the electronic device 200 is ejected (i.e., moved to the ejected position) or mounted (i.e., moved to the mounted position) within the system housing, depending on the direction in which cam 250 is actuated. The actuation of cam 250 is controlled by the actuation of lever arm 230, and in some cases also by the state of connector 240, as described in more detail below.

[0055] Teeth 251 and 252 can engage the system housing at different stages or positions of the cam 250's movement. For example, when the cam 250 is in... Figure 3 In the position shown, tooth 251 can protrude laterally beyond sidewall 213 and engage with the system chassis. This position corresponds to the first position of lever arm 230, but in this position, tooth 252 may not engage with the system chassis. However, when cam 250 moves from... Figure 3 When the position shown is rotated in the first direction, the tooth 252 eventually engages with the system chassis 252. For example, when the cam 250 is in... Figure 14 In the position shown in the diagram, tooth 252 can engage with the system chassis. For example, teeth 251 and 252 can engage with openings or recesses in the system chassis.

[0056] Cam 250 in the second direction (by Figure 4 and Figure 6 The movement on the lever arm 230 (indicated by arrow 289) is in the second direction (by...) Figure 4 and Figure 6 The movement is caused by the arrow 292 in the diagram. Figures 4 to 6 As shown, ridge 253 abuts against one side of the attached end 232. As a result, when lever arm 230 pivots along a second direction toward surface 212 (the second direction is from...), Figure 4 and Figure 6(As indicated by arrow 292 in the diagram), lever arm 230 (finally) contacts ridge 253, and therefore, the subsequent continued movement of lever arm 230 causes cam 250 to pivot in the same direction as lever arm 230. In other words, when lever arm moves in the second direction toward surface 212 ( Figure 4 and Figure 6 When arrow 292 is actuated, cam 250 also moves in the same direction (by arrow 292). Figure 4 and Figure 6 (As indicated by arrow 289 in the diagram) is actuated. As described above, cam 250 is activated in conjunction with the system chassis (e.g., Figure 14 (382) This movement during engagement can cause the electronic device 200 to translate toward its mounting position in the system chassis.

[0057] Conversely, cam 250 in the first direction (by Figure 4 and Figure 6 The movement on the lever arm 230 (indicated by arrow 293) depends on the movement of the lever arm 230 in the first direction (by...). Figure 4 and Figure 6 The states of both the actuation on the lever arm 230 (indicated by arrow 291) and the state of the connector 240 are described below. In the first state (pop-out enabled state) of the connector 240, actuation of the lever arm 230 in the first direction (arrow 291) causes actuation of the cam 250 in the first direction (arrow 293), and thus causes the electronic device 200 to pop out. In the second state (pop-out disabled state), actuation of the lever arm 230 in the first direction does not cause any actuation of the cam 250, and therefore, although the lever arm 230 is actuated in the first direction (arrow 291), the electronic device 200 does not pop out. Note that the pop-out enabled state and pop-out disabled state of the connector 240 correspond to the pop-out enabled state and pop-out disabled state of the pop-out mechanism 220, respectively. The connector 240 and its interaction with the cam 250 and the lever arm 230 will be described in more detail below.

[0058] like Figure 5 , Figure 6 and Figure 8 As shown, connector 240 includes a button 241 and two engagement features 242 and 243, which are positioned in a direction substantially parallel to the direction in which the button 241 is pressed (e.g., with). Figure 5 It extends in the direction parallel to the dashed line in the diagram. In some embodiments, this direction is also approximately parallel to... Figure 2 The height dimension h1 of the electronic device 200 shown is as follows. Figure 5 and Figure 6As shown, cam 250 includes a second shelf 259 recessed from first shelf 258, and second shelf 259 includes orifices 254 and 255 for receiving engagement features 242 and 243, respectively. The engagement between engagement features 242 and 243 and orifices 254 and 255 allows engagement features 242 and 243 to translate within a limited range of motion (i.e., translation along the longitudinal axes of engagement features 242 and 243) through orifices 254 and 255, while also substantially preventing movement of connector 240 relative to cam 250 in other directions. Therefore, connector 240 and cam 250 are restricted to moving together in most directions, with the exception that connector 240 can translate within a limited range relative to cam 250 in a direction generally parallel to pivot pin 221.

[0059] like Figure 7 As shown, orifices 254 and 255 can extend through the thickness of cam 250, thereby allowing engagement features 242 and 243 to move downwards beyond the bottom surface of cam 250 in certain states, such as... Figure 9 As shown. Button 241 can prevent connector 240 from moving downwards beyond a specific position (e.g., the position where button 241 contacts the second shelf 259, such as...). Figure 9 (As illustrated). Furthermore, engagement features 242 and 243 may also include retention features 248 and 249, respectively, such as flanges (see illustration). Figure 9 These retaining features prevent engagement features 242 and 243 from moving upward beyond a specific position (e.g., the position where retaining features 248 and 249 engage with the second shelf 259). Therefore, button 241 and retaining features 248 and 249 set the lower and upper limits of the range of motion of connector 240 relative to cam 250. Button 241 and retaining features 248, 249 also serve to hold engagement features 242 and 243 within orifices 254 and 255, and thus secure connector 240 to cam 250. Although two engagement features 242 and 243 are illustrated, any number of engagement features, equal to or greater than one, may be provided. Similarly, any number of retaining features may be provided, and not every engagement feature necessarily needs to have a retaining feature.

[0060] like Figure 5 As shown, spring 245 is disposed within recess 256 in second shelf 259, wherein spring 245 engages the bottom surface of button 241 and raises connector 240 toward button 241. Figure 8 The position above the second shelf 259 shown (i.e., in the direction indicated by arrow 297) is offset. Therefore, the neutral or idle position of the connector 240 can be the raised position where the button 241 is raised above the second shelf 259 (e.g., at the first travel limit of the connector 240), as... Figure 3 , Figure 4 , Figure 6 , Figure 8 The position shown. Furthermore, button 241 can be pressed away from the raised position toward the shelf 259 toward the pressed position (along...). Figure 8 The movement (in the direction indicated by the middle arrow 297) causes the button 241 to be adjacent to (in some cases, in contact with) the second shelf 259 (e.g., the second travel limit of the connector 240) when in the depressed position, as... Figure 9 As shown. By the user along Figure 8 Arrow 297 indicates that the top surface of button 241 is manually pressed to apply a force sufficient to overcome the biasing force of spring 245, which moves button 241 to the depressed position. When the user stops pressing button 241, spring 245 can return the button to the raised position unless prevented by something else (such as lever arm 230, as described below). Button 241 can be arranged such that it can be pressed by the user when lever arm 230 is in the first position.

[0061] As described above, connector 240 has two states, which correspond to the raised and depressed positions of button 241 described above. Specifically, the pop-up enabled state corresponds to the raised position of button 241, and the pop-up disabled state corresponds to the depressed position of button 241.

[0062] Figure 12 and Figure 13 The illustration shows the lever arm 230 actuated from a first position to a second position in a first direction, with the connector 240 in a pop-up enabled state (i.e., the raised position of button 241). Figure 6 , Figure 8 and Figure 13 As shown, when the connector 240 is in the pop-up enabled state, the button 241 is positioned adjacent to the surface 233 of the attached end 232 of the lever arm 230, such that when the lever arm 230 is in the first direction away from the surface 212 (by... Figure 4 , Figure 6 , Figures 8 to 13 As the lever arm 230 moves along the first direction (indicated by arrow 291), surface 233 collides with button 241. In other words, when lever arm 230 is actuated in the first direction, button 241 interferes with surface 233. Due to the contact between surface 233 and button 241, the movement of lever arm 230 along the first direction (arrow 291) causes button 241 to also move along the same direction as lever arm 230 (indicated by arrow 291). Figure 6 (Indicated by arrow 290 in the diagram) movement. Furthermore, one or more surfaces or features of the connector 240 interfere with one or more surfaces or features of the cam 250, such that movement of the connector 240 along the first direction (arrow 290) causes movement of the cam 250 also along the first direction (indicated by arrow 290). Figure 6 and Figure 13(Arrow 293 in the diagram indicates movement). For example, as described above, connector 240 is coupled to cam 250 via engagement features 242 and 243, and therefore in some embodiments, interference between these engagement features 242 and 243 and cam 250 causes (or facilitates) the transmission of movement of button 241 to cam 250. As another example, in some embodiments, surface 244 of button 241 interferes with surface 260 of cam 250, such as... Figure 6 As shown, the contact between these surfaces 244 and 260 can thus cause (or facilitate) the transmission of motion of button 241 to cam 250. It should be understood that other surfaces or features of connector 240 can interfere with other surfaces or features of cam 250 (attached to or replacing those mentioned above) to drive the motion of cam 250, and multiple features of connector 240 may also simultaneously contribute to the motion of cam 250. Therefore, in the pop-up enabled state of connector 240, connector 240 converts the actuation of lever arm 230 in a first direction (arrow 291) into actuation of cam 250 in a first direction (arrow 293). For example, as... Figure 13 As can be seen, because connector 240 is in the pop-out enabled state, actuation of lever arm 230 in the first direction 291 causes cam 250 to rotate together with lever arm 230 in the first direction (indicated by arrow 293). This rotation of cam 250 in the first direction when engaged with the system chassis causes electronics 200 to appear at arrow 294 (…). Figure 12 and Figure 13 Movement in the direction indicated by the electronic device 200, thereby ejecting the electronic device 200 from the system chassis as described above.

[0063] on the contrary, Figure 10 and Figure 11 The illustration shows the lever arm 230 actuated from a first position to a second position in a first direction (indicated by arrow 291), but the connector 240 is in a pop-out disabled state (i.e., the pressed position of button 241). Figure 9 and Figure 11 As shown, when button 241 is in the depressed position, button 241 is located below the attached end 232 of lever arm 230. Therefore, as Figure 11As shown, when the lever arm 230 moves in the first direction (indicated by arrow 291), the attached end 232 of the lever arm 230 can freely pass over the button 241. Correspondingly, there is no contact between the surface 233 and the button 241, and the movement of the lever arm 230 does not directly cause movement of the button 241 or the cam 250 coupled to the button. Furthermore, in some embodiments, to ensure that the cam 250 does not move in the pop-off disabled state (e.g., due to friction from the moving lever arm 230, accidental contact from the user, or other possible sources of movement), when the button 241 is in the depressed state, one or more features of the connector 240 can engage with the bracket 211, and this engagement locks the connector 240, and thus also the cam 250, in place relative to the bracket 211. For example, in some embodiments, when the button 241 is in the depressed state, as... Figure 9 As shown, engagement features 242 and 243 of connector 240 extend downwards below the bottom surface of cam 250. As... Figure 11 As shown, a portion of the bracket 211 is located below and adjacent to the bottom surface of the cam 250, so that when the engaging features 242 and 243 extend below the bottom surface of the cam 250 in the pressed state of the button 241, they engage with the bracket 211, for example, by being received in corresponding recesses or orifices (not shown) in the bracket 211. (Conversely, in the released state of the button 241, i.e., the pop-up enabled state, the engaging features 242 and 243 retract, as...) Figure 7 and Figure 8 As shown, and therefore not engaged with bracket 211. The engagement of engagement features 242 and 243 with bracket 211 allows cam 250 to remain substantially stationary relative to housing 210. For example, as Figure 11 As can be seen, since button 241 is in the depressed position, cam 250 remains stationary in its idle position, even though lever arm 230 is actuated in the first direction 291. Because cam 250 remains stationary, the electronic device 200 will not pop up, even though lever arm 230 is actuated in the first direction 291.

[0064] Once the lever arm 230 has moved at least partially past the button 241 in the depressed position, as Figure 11 As shown, even if the user stops pressing down on button 241, lever arm 230 can hold button 241 in the pressed position. When lever arm 230 returns to the first position, lever arm 230 can release the button 241, and button 241 can freely return to the raised position due to the push of spring 245. In other embodiments, button 241 can be pressed once to move to the pressed position, and pressed again to release the button from the pressed position.

[0065] Although connector 240 is illustrated to include button 241, in some embodiments, instead of button 241, connector 240 may include other types of components movable between two states to operatively couple lever arm 230 to cam 250 or not to operatively couple lever arm 230 to cam 250. For example, connector 240 may include any mechanism movable between one position in which the mechanism interferes with lever arm 230 and couples to cam 250, thus coupling lever arm 215 to cam 250, and in the other position in which the mechanism is outside the path of lever arm 230 (i.e., no longer interferes with lever arm), thus discoupling lever arm 230 from cam 250.

[0066] In some implementations, the size of the electronic device 200 allows it to be mounted within a standard rack unit (1U), as defined by the Electronic Industries Alliance in specification EIA-310. In other words, in implementations where the electronic device 200 is mounted within a 1U, the height h1 of the electronic device 200 (see...) Figure 2 The width w1 of the electronic device 200 is less than or equal to 1.75 inches (44.45 mm). In some embodiments where the electronic device 200 is mounted within a 1U, the width w1 of the electronic device 200 (see...) Figure 2 The width w1 is less than or equal to 19 inches (482.6 mm), while in some implementations, the width w1 is less than or equal to 23 inches (584.2 mm).

[0067] For example, in some embodiments, electronic device 200 includes a 1U input / output module (IOM) for a data storage system, and pluggable device 216 includes a network adapter (e.g., HBA, NIC) for the data storage system. The network adapter may include, for example, a Fibre Channel adapter, an Ethernet-based adapter, a fiber-optic-based Non-Volatile Memory Express Over Fabric adapter, and similar HBA / NICs. In some embodiments, pluggable device 216 conforms to the Open Compute Project (OCP) NIC 3.0 specification. The OCP NIC 3.0 standard includes various form factors, including a Small Form Factor (SFF), and in some embodiments, pluggable device 216 conforms to the OCP NIC 3.0 SFF. This OCP NIC 3.0 SFF-compliant pluggable device 216 has a width dimension w2 equal to 76 mm and a height dimension h2 equal to 11.5 mm (see [link to OCP NIC 3.0 SFF specification]). Figure 2In other embodiments, the pluggable device 216 may conform to other form factors of the OCP NIC 3.0 specification; in still other embodiments, the pluggable device 216 may conform to other industry standards; and in still other embodiments, the pluggable device 216 may not need to conform to any formal standards.

[0068] In some implementations, four such OCP NIC 3.0 SFF compliant pluggable devices 216 are housed within a 1U-sized electronic device 200, such as Figure 2 On the surface shown, and considering the aforementioned dimensions of this pluggable device 216, it may be difficult to arrange the pluggable device 216 within the area of ​​this 1U surface while still leaving space for other components that may be needed. Therefore, as Figure 2 As shown, in some embodiments, two sets of sockets 215 are provided, each set having two sockets 215 stacked vertically on top of each other. This arrangement allows all four sockets 215 to be mounted on the surface 212 while still leaving space on the surface for other components. However, a difficulty with this stacked configuration of the sockets 215 is that it leaves very little free space in the height dimension above, below, or between the stacked sockets 215 for the pop-out mechanism 220 to be positioned. As a result, the pop-out mechanism 220 may end up being positioned where it would interfere with access to one of the sockets 215, such as partially obscuring the position of the socket 215 or being relatively close to the socket 215. For example, as Figure 2 As shown, in some embodiments, the pop-out mechanism 220 is positioned immediately adjacent to the bottom edge of the lowest socket 215. In this position, the pop-out mechanism 220 does not directly cover the bottom socket 215, but it is close enough to the bottom edge of the socket 215 that it interferes with (e.g., makes more difficult) the insertion or removal of the pluggable device 216 into or from the socket 215. For example, the pop-out mechanism 220 may be so close to the bottom edge of the socket 215 that the pluggable device 216 may scrape against the pop-out mechanism 220 during insertion and removal, potentially damaging the pluggable device 216. As another example, the pop-out mechanism 220 may obstruct a user's hand from grasping the pluggable device 216, thus hindering and potentially preventing its removal. As yet another example, the pluggable device 216 itself may comprise a socket 217 (see [link to relevant documentation]). Figure 2The socket can receive additional pluggable devices or connectors, and the ejection mechanism 220 may prevent or make it more difficult to grab these other pluggable devices / connectors inserted into the pluggable device 216. However, by placing the ejection mechanism 220 in the ejection disabled state as described above (by pressing down the connector 240), the lever arm 230 can be easily moved out of the path of the socket 215 by actuating the lever arm 230 in the first direction, thereby allowing access to the socket 215 and / or the pluggable device 216 received therein without ejecting the electronic device 200.

[0069] In some examples (not shown), the lever arm 230 at least partially overlaps with one of the sockets 215. In some examples, the lever arm 230 does not overlap with the socket 215 but is positioned relatively close to the socket, potentially interfering with access to the socket 215 or any device mounted therein. For example, the lever arm is positioned in some examples 2.0 mm or less from the nearest socket 215, in some other examples 1.5 mm or less, and in still other examples 1.2 mm or less. In other words, the gap or vertical distance between the lever arm 230 and the nearest socket 215's horizontal edge is 2.0 mm or less in some examples, 1.5 mm or less in some other examples, and 1.2 mm or less in still other examples.

[0070] Although an embodiment of electronic device 200 has been described above, wherein the electronic device is an IOM comprising four sockets 215 for receiving pluggable devices 216 in the form of devices conforming to OCP NIC 3.0 SFF, it should be understood that this example is not limiting. Electronic device 200 can be configured as any electronic device having any number of sockets 215 configured to receive any type of pluggable device 216. In other words, eject mechanism 220 can be used with a variety of configurations of chassis 210, including but not limited to... Figure 2 The configuration shown.

[0071] Turn now Figure 14 The text describes system 380. System 380 includes a system chassis 382 configured to removably receive one or more electronic devices, such as electronic device 200 described above. Figure 14 In this illustration, system chassis 382 is shown as receiving two electronic devices in the form of electronic device 200; however, in other embodiments, system chassis 382 may receive more or fewer electronic devices. Furthermore, system chassis 382 may include or be configured to receive other electronic devices besides electronic device 200. System chassis 382 may also include electrical connectors arranged to be in the mounting position within system chassis 382 (e.g., ...). Figure 14 When the position of the electronic device 200 shown is indicated, it is electrically connected to the electronic device 200.

[0072] like Figure 14 As shown, the system chassis 382 also includes a coupling mechanism 383. The coupling mechanism 383 is disposed in the side wall 384 of the system chassis 382, ​​and the side wall 384 is positioned adjacent to the side wall of the electronic device 200 when the electronic device 200 is in the mounting position. When the electronic device 200 is in the mounting position, the coupling mechanism 383 is positioned adjacent to the ejection mechanism 220 of the electronic device. Figure 14 Only two engagement mechanisms 383 are visible on the left side of the system chassis 382, ​​but two additional engagement mechanisms 383 may be similarly provided on the right side of the system chassis 382. Engagement mechanisms 383 may include one or more structures or features configured to engage with the teeth 251 and 252 of the ejection mechanism 220. For example, engagement mechanisms 383 may include flanges, ridges, recesses, or other surfaces arranged to engage with the teeth 251 and 252. Therefore, when the ejection mechanism 220 is actuated, the ejection mechanism 220 can interact with the engagement mechanisms 383 to drive movement of the electronic device 200 relative to the system chassis 382. Specifically, the ejection mechanism 220 can be actuated in a first direction when in an ejection-enabled state to cause movement of the electronic device 200 relative to the system chassis 382. Figure 14 The electronic device 200, in the mounting position shown, is moved to the pop-out position (not shown), in which the electronic device 200 is disconnected from the system 380. (When the pop-out mechanism 220 is in the pop-out disabled state, actuation of the pop-out mechanism 220 in the first direction does not cause pop-out, as described above.) Instead, the pop-out mechanism 220 can be actuated in a second direction opposite to the first direction to move the electronic device 200, which is in a position at least partially received within the system chassis but not yet in the mounting position (e.g., the pop-out position), to the mounting position, thereby making the electronic device 200 electrically connected to the system 300.

[0073] In some embodiments, the height h3 and width w3 of the system chassis 382 allow it to be mounted within two standard rack units (2U). In other words, in embodiments where the system chassis 382 is mounted within a 2U, the height h3 of the system chassis 382 is less than or equal to 3.50 inches (88.90 mm). In some embodiments where the system chassis 382 is mounted within a 2U, the width w3 of the system chassis 382 is less than or equal to 19 inches (482.6 mm), while in other embodiments, the width w3 is less than or equal to 23 inches (584.2 mm).

[0074] For example, in some embodiments, system 380 includes a 2U data storage system. In such an embodiment, electronic devices 200 received in system chassis 382 may include IOMs configured to receive pluggable devices 216 in the form of OCP-compliant HBAs. Furthermore, in such an embodiment, system 380 further includes one or more data storage devices, such as solid-state drives or hard disk drives. For example, electronic devices 200 may be located on the rear of system chassis 382, ​​while data storage devices may be housed near the front of system chassis 382 opposite to the rear. System 380 may also further include one or more computing nodes, which may include one or more processors.

[0075] The above description describes various types of electronic circuits or devices. As used herein, "electronic" is intended to be understood broadly to include all types of circuits / devices that utilize electricity, including digital and analog circuits, direct current (DC) and alternating current (AC) circuits, and circuits / devices for converting electricity into another form of energy, as well as circuits / devices that use electricity to perform other functions. In other words, as used herein, there is no distinction between "electronic" circuits / devices and "electrical" circuits / devices. In some cases, certain electronic circuits / devices may include processing circuitry. Processing circuitry includes circuitry configured with logic for performing various operations. The logic of the processing circuitry may include dedicated hardware for performing various operations, software (machine-readable and / or processor-executable instructions) for performing various operations, or any combination thereof. In embodiments where the logic includes software, the processing circuitry may include a processor for executing the software instructions and a memory device for storing the software. The processor may include one or more processing devices capable of executing machine-readable instructions, such as a processor, processor core, central processing unit (CPU), controller, microcontroller, system-on-a-chip (SoC), digital signal processor (DSP), graphics processing unit (GPU), etc. In cases where processing circuitry is attached to or replaces processor and includes dedicated hardware, the dedicated hardware may include any electronic device configured to perform a specific operation, such as an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), a complex programmable logic device (CPLD), discrete logic circuitry, a hardware accelerator, a hardware encoder, etc. The processing circuitry may also include any combination of dedicated hardware and a processor plus software.

[0076] It should be understood that both the general description and the detailed description provide illustrative examples of implementations that are inherently explanatory and are intended to provide an understanding of this disclosure without limiting its scope. Other examples consistent with this disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art based on consideration of the disclosure herein. For example, various mechanical, compositional, structural, electronic, and operational changes may be made to the disclosed examples without departing from the scope of this disclosure, including, for example, the addition, removal, alteration, substitution, or rearrangement of elements of the disclosed examples, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art in considering this disclosure. Furthermore, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that certain features or aspects of this teaching may be used independently (even if they are disclosed together in some examples) or together (even if disclosed in separate examples), as long as practicable. In some instances, well-known circuits, structures, and techniques have not been shown or described in detail to avoid obscuring these examples. Therefore, the following claims are intended to be given the fullest scope under applicable law, including equivalents, but not limited to the examples disclosed herein.

[0077] Unless otherwise expressly stated, references to examples, implementations, or other similar references herein should be understood as predictive or hypothetical examples, not as devices that have actually been manufactured (e.g., prototypes). Similarly, unless otherwise expressly stated, references to the quality or characteristics of examples should be understood as estimates or expectations based on an understanding of the relevant physical principles involved, the application of theories or modeling, and / or the inventors' past experience, and should not be understood as the results of tests conducted on a physical device.

[0078] Furthermore, the spatial, positional, and relational terms used herein are chosen to aid the reader's understanding of the examples of the invention, but are not intended to limit the invention to a particular frame of reference, orientation, or positional relationship. For example, spatial, positional, and relational terms such as "upper," "lower," "lateral," "below," "below," "below," "lower part," "above," "upper part," "near," and "far" are used herein to describe direction or the spatial relationship of one element or feature relative to another element or feature as shown in the figures. These spatial terms are used relative to the frame of reference in the figures and are not limited to a specific frame of reference in the real world. Moreover, if a different frame of reference is considered, the spatial terms used herein may require different interpretations in that different frame of reference. Furthermore, the orientations of the items shown in the figures are chosen for ease of illustration and description, but in actual implementations, the orientations of the items may differ.

[0079] Furthermore, unless the context otherwise indicates, the singular forms “an,” “a,” and “the” are intended to also include the plural forms. Additionally, the terms “comprising,” “including,” “including,” etc., specify the presence of the described features, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups. Unless expressly stated otherwise, components described as coupled may be directly electrically or mechanically coupled, or may be indirectly coupled via one or more intermediate components.

[0080] And / or: Occasionally, the phrase “and / or” is used in conjunction with a list of enumerated items in this text. This phrase means that any combination of items in the list can be included—from a single item to all items, and any permutation in between. Thus, for example, “A, B and / or C” means “one of {A}, {B}, {C}, {A, B}, {A, C}, {C, B}, and {A, C, B}.”

[0081] Unless the context otherwise indicates, mathematical and geometric terms need not necessarily be used according to their strict definitions, as those skilled in the art will understand that, for example, substantially similar elements that function in substantially similar ways can easily fall within the scope of descriptive terms, even if those terms have strict definitions. Furthermore, unless otherwise stated herein or implied by the context, the use of approximate terms such as “substantially,” “approximately,” “about,” “around,” “probably,” etc., should be understood to mean that mathematical precision is not required, but rather refers to a range of variations that includes, but is not strictly limited to, the stated values, characteristics, or relationships. In particular, in addition to any ranges explicitly stated herein (if any), the range of variations implied by the use of such approximate terms includes at least any insignificant variations and those that are typical for items of the type discussed due to manufacturing tolerances or other tolerances in the relevant field. In any case, unless otherwise indicated, the range of variations may include values ​​within ±1% of the stated values, characteristics, or relationships.

Claims

1. A device having a pop-out mechanism, comprising: A chassis configured to house electronic components and removably received within a system chassis of an electronic system; as well as An ejection mechanism, coupled to the chassis, includes an actuable portion, a engaging portion, and a connector capable of switching between a first state and a second state. The actuable portion includes a lever arm, the engaging portion includes a cam, and the connecting member interferes with the cam. The cam includes one or more teeth extending radially from the cam, the one or more teeth being configured to engage with the system chassis when the chassis is received within the system chassis, such that the one or more teeth convert the actuation of the cam in a first direction into translational motion of the chassis relative to the system chassis, thereby causing the chassis to move from a mounting position to a pop-out position; In the first state of the connector, the connector interferes with the lever arm, causing the actuation of the lever arm in the first direction to cause the connector to actuate in the first direction, further causing the cam to actuate in the first direction. Thus, the actuation of the lever arm in the first direction moves the chassis relative to the system chassis from the mounting position to the pop-out position. In the second state of the connector, the connector does not interfere with the lever arm, and the actuation of the lever arm in the first direction does not cause the connector or the cam to actuate in the first direction, thereby the actuation of the lever arm in the first direction does not cause the chassis to move to the pop-out position.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: The electronic components housed within the chassis. Wherein, at the mounting position of the chassis relative to the system chassis, the electronic components are electrically connected to the electronic system, and When the chassis is in the pop-out position relative to the system chassis, the electronic components are disconnected from the electronic system.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, The connector includes a button, and The connector is capable of switching to the second state by pressing the button, and the connector is capable of switching to the first state by releasing the button.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, The connector further includes at least one cam engagement feature extending from the button in a direction generally parallel to the direction in which the button is pressed, and engaging with the cam through one or more orifices on the cam to constrain the cam to move together with the button.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, The button is configured to pass under the lever arm as the lever arm is actuated in the first direction in the second state of the connector; and The at least one cam engagement feature is configured to engage with the chassis in the second state of the connector to keep the cam stationary relative to the chassis.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, The lever arm and the cam are pivotally coupled to a pivot pin. Actuation of the lever arm includes pivoting the lever arm about the pivot pin, and Actuation of the cam includes pivoting the cam about the pivot pin.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, The actuation of the lever arm in the first direction includes moving the free end of the lever arm away from the chassis; and The actuation of the lever arm in the second direction includes moving the free end of the lever arm toward the chassis.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7, The cam includes a lever arm engagement feature configured to transmit movement of the lever arm in the second direction to the cam and not transmit movement of the lever arm in the first direction to the cam, unless the connector is in the first state. The lever arm engagement feature includes a ridge; and In a state where the chassis is at least partially received within the system chassis but not in the mounting position, actuation of the cam in the second direction causes the chassis to move relative to the system chassis to the mounting position.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1, The device includes an input / output module, and the electronic system includes a data storage system.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, The chassis includes at least four sockets configured to removably receive at least four Open Compute Project-compliant host bus adapters; and The chassis described therein has a height of 1.75 inches or less.

11. A computing system, comprising: A system chassis configured to receive multiple electronic devices; as well as The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is received within the system chassis.

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