Retractable Component Tray Holder With Slim Side Rails
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional server chassis designs face space limitations, restricting the number of accessible hard drives due to cumbersome and expensive support structures, which hinder efficient storage and maintenance.
Innovation Solution
A retractable component tray holder with slim support brackets and nested slideable components that reduce the overall width, allowing for increased storage capacity while maintaining accessibility, featuring a nested side support assembly and slideable bottom supports for efficient tray extension and retraction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If traditional support structures are used to hold the tray, then the tray can support hard drives, but the width increases and manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The support brackets are nested within the tray structure itself, with the bracket body forming part of the tray's side walls. The support arm nests within the tray depth, creating a compact configuration that provides structural support without increasing the overall tray width. This nesting approach allows the support function to be integrated into the existing tray geometry rather than adding external structural elements.
Solution Approach 2:
The support structure is divided into separate functional components: a bracket body that forms part of the tray sidewall, a support arm that extends inward, and a mounting interface for the hard drive. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently - the bracket body provides structural integrity while the support arm provides the necessary reach without requiring a wider tray overall.
2Strength
If traditional support structures are used to hold the tray, then the tray can support hard drives, but the manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The support bracket is merged with the tray structure itself, where the bracket body forms an integral part of the tray's side walls. This integration eliminates the need for separate support components and reduces assembly steps. The support arm and mounting interface are also integrated into the bracket structure, creating a unified component that can be manufactured as a single piece or pre-assembled unit, thereby reducing manufacturing complexity and cost.
Solution Approach 2:
The bracket structure serves multiple functions simultaneously: it forms the tray sidewall, provides structural support, extends the support arm to hold the hard drive, and provides the mounting interface. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate components for each function, reducing part count and manufacturing cost while maintaining the required support strength.
3Quantity of substance
If more hard drives are housed in the server, then storage capacity increases, but accessibility for maintenance decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The support arm is designed to be movable rather than fixed, allowing it to dynamically adjust its position. The arm can be extended to reach the hard drive for maintenance operations and retracted when not in use. This dynamic capability enables technicians to access hard drives even when they are positioned deep within the tray, improving accessibility without requiring the tray to be widened or the hard drives to be repositioned permanently.
Solution Approach 2:
The support structure utilizes the vertical dimension by extending the support arm upward from the tray bottom rather than requiring horizontal expansion. This vertical extension allows the tray to maintain its compact width while providing adequate access space for maintenance operations, effectively solving the accessibility problem through dimensional optimization.
Data Source
AI summary
A retractable component tray holder includes: an outer tray having first and second outer tray sidewalls, and a bottom; an inner tray configured to retract into and extend from the outer tray, the inner tray having a first inner tray sidewall and a bottom; a fan chassis configured to receive at least one fan, the fan chassis being adjacent a rear of the inner tray; a bottom support assembly comprising a first bottom support slideably mounted on the bottom of the outer tray, a second bottom support slideably mounted on the first bottom support, and the inner tray being slideably mounted on the second bottom support; and a second side support assembly comprising a side support slideably mounted on the second sidewall, a bracket slideably mounted on the side support, and the fan chassis mounted on the bracket.