Blade Enclosure with Segmented Bays and High-Speed Midplane

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Typical blade device enclosures lack flexibility in configuration and size, and their data interconnections are often inefficient and slower than desired, failing to meet the needs of evolving data processing systems.

Innovation Solution

A blade device enclosure that can accommodate multiple configurations of full and half-high blade devices, featuring a passive high-speed midplane for efficient data interconnections and redundant power supplies, along with an administrator module for management and hot-swappable components, allowing for adaptable and efficient power and data distribution.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Quantity of substance

If typical blade device enclosures are used, then density is increased and cable count is reduced, but flexibility in configuration and size is lost

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovedensityVSAvoidflexibility in configuration

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The enclosure is divided into multiple bays that can be independently configured. Each bay can accommodate different blade device sizes (full-height or half-height), and the intermediate partition walls can be selectively removed or retained to create different bay configurations, allowing flexible adaptation while maintaining high density.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The enclosure design allows dynamic reconfiguration through removable intermediate partition walls. Users can add or remove partition walls between bays to adapt the enclosure for different blade device configurations and sizes, making the system dynamically adaptable rather than static.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Loss of substance

If typical blade device enclosures are used, then cable count is reduced, but data interconnection speed becomes slower than optimal

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecable countVSAvoiddata interconnection speed

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of substanceVSSpeed

Solution Approach 1:

A high-speed midplane is introduced as an intermediary component between blade devices and I/O switches. This midplane provides direct, high-speed data interconnections without relying on external cables, thereby reducing cable count while simultaneously achieving optimal data transmission speeds.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Ease of manufacture

If fixed configuration enclosures are used, then manufacturing is simplified, but adaptability to different blade device sizes is lost

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemanufacturing simplicityVSAvoidadaptability to different blade device sizes

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The enclosure is designed with universal bays that can accommodate both full-height and half-height blade devices. By incorporating removable intermediate partition walls, a single enclosure design can serve multiple configuration needs, achieving multi-functionality without requiring completely different enclosure designs for different blade sizes.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS8670241B2Blade device enclosure

Publication Date: 2014.03.11 HEWLETT PACKARD ENTERPRISE DEV LP

AI summary

A blade device enclosure has a chassis configured to selectively house a plurality of configurations of full-high and half-high blade devices, an administrator module, and at least one input/output device. The blade device enclosure also has a printed circuit board including a passive high-speed midplane configured to electronically couple the blade devices to the administrator module and the at least one input/output device.