Externally Latching Drive Tray for Hot Swappable Drives
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing drive removal technologies are inadequate for high-availability systems with smaller form factor hard drives, such as 1.8″ drives, which lack sufficient space for traditional drive trays and hot swapping mechanisms, making it difficult to remove drives without disrupting the system or reducing drive density.
Innovation Solution
A drive-removal mechanism integrated within the drive enclosure, featuring a rotatable member and a drive-engaging member that allows for the partial removal of hot swappable drives from a drive-receiving channel, enabling drives to be removed while the system is running without affecting adjacent drives, and maximizing drive density.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If traditional drive trays and hot swapping mechanisms are used, then drives can be removed while system is running, but the drive form factor must be large enough to accommodate these mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The drive removal function is extracted from the drive assembly itself and placed into a separate mechanism on the drive enclosure. The drive tray is eliminated, and only the essential drive component remains, which is engaged and removed by the external mechanism using drive-engaging members that grip the drive edges.
Solution Approach 2:
An external drive removal mechanism acts as an intermediary between the user and the drive. This mechanism includes drive-engaging members that temporarily grip the drive during removal, allowing the drive to be extracted without requiring built-in trays or complex hot-swapping mechanisms within the drive itself.
2Quantity of substance
If drive density is maximized, then more drives can be installed in the system, but traditional removal mechanisms require space that reduces overall density
Solution Approach 1:
The removal mechanism is extracted from individual drive bays and consolidated into a shared external mechanism that serves multiple drives. This eliminates the need for each drive to have its own tray and removal mechanism, significantly reducing the space required per drive and maximizing overall drive density.
Solution Approach 2:
A single external drive removal mechanism provides universal service to multiple drives through the drive enclosure. The mechanism can engage and remove different drives sequentially, eliminating the need for duplicate removal mechanisms for each drive bay and maximizing space utilization.
3Reliability
If drives are removed without affecting adjacent drives, then system continuity is maintained, but the removal mechanism must precisely isolate individual drives
Solution Approach 1:
The drive-engaging members apply force locally to specific engagement features on the drive edges, such as tabs or protrusions. This localized engagement allows the drive to be gripped and removed without transmitting significant forces to adjacent drives, simplifying the isolation mechanism while maintaining system continuity.
Solution Approach 2:
The drive enclosure organizes drives into discrete, independently accessible positions within drive-receiving channels. Each drive is physically separated and can be engaged individually by the removal mechanism, allowing precise isolation and removal of single drives without affecting neighbors, while maintaining modular simplicity.
Data Source
AI summary
A drive-removal mechanism may include, but is not limited to: at least one rotatable member; and at least one drive-engaging member operably coupled to the at least one rotatable member, wherein the drive-removal mechanism is detached from at least one drive to be removed. A drive enclosure may include, but is not limited to: at least one drive-receiving member including at least one drive-receiving channel; and at least one drive-removal mechanism including: at least one rotatable member; and at least one drive-engaging member operably coupled to the at least one rotatable member, wherein the drive-removal mechanism is configured to at least partially remove at least one hot swappable drive from the at least one drive-receiving channel.