Tool-Less Drive Backplane Tray Assembly for Single-Person Servicing
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Solution Overview
Problem
The increasing component densities in information handling systems make servicing drive backplane carriers cumbersome, often requiring a two-person operation to connect cables and install components due to architectures where additional components reside between the driver backplane tray and the motherboard.
Innovation Solution
A modular design for a drive backplane assembly that includes a drive backplane tray and a module mechanically coupled in a tool-less manner, housing a backplane with a fixed cable connection to a connector on the motherboard, allowing easy installation and removal of storage drives without tools.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If additional components are placed between the drive backplane tray and the motherboard, then component density is improved, but the complexity of cable connection and installation operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the cable connection function with the drive backplane tray assembly by integrating the cable through the tray structure. The cable passes through openings in the tray and connects to the motherboard before the tray is installed, merging the cable management function into the tray assembly itself. This eliminates the need for separate cable connection steps that would otherwise be required when additional components are present.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs cable connection as a preliminary action before installing the drive backplane tray. The cable is routed through openings in the tray and connected to the motherboard in advance, so that when the tray is subsequently installed, the connection is already established. This preliminary cable preparation simplifies the overall installation process despite the presence of additional components between the tray and motherboard.
2Quantity of substance
If additional components are placed between the drive backplane tray and the motherboard, then component density is improved, but the labor requirement for servicing increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cable is merged into the drive backplane tray assembly structure, passing through openings in the tray and connecting to the motherboard. This integration means the cable connection is inherently part of the tray assembly, eliminating separate cable management steps during servicing operations and reducing labor requirements.
3Ease of operation
If cables are connected before installing the drive backplane tray, then single-person operation is enabled, but the risk of cable damage or misalignment increases
Solution Approach 1:
The drive backplane tray acts as an intermediary structure that guides and protects the cable during connection. The cable passes through openings in the tray, which provides alignment guidance and physical protection. This intermediary role of the tray reduces the risk of cable damage or misalignment while enabling single-person operation, as the tray structure itself ensures proper cable positioning during the connection process.
Data Source
AI summary
An information handling system may include a processor coupled to a motherboard, a connector mounted to the motherboard, and a drive backplane assembly comprising a drive backplane tray and a module configured to be mechanically coupled to the drive backplane tray in a tool-less manner, the module housing a backplane configured to receive and couple to a plurality of storage drives, and the backplane comprising a cable having a fixed connection to the backplane wherein the cable is configured to couple to the connector.