Although more and more desktop and portable computer systems are offering removable hard-disk drives as an option, removable hard-disk drives are more commonly available on computer network file servers.
Removable hard-disk drives provide a quick and simple way of adding, removing, or replacing a hard-disk drive in a computer system. For example, to increase the amount of hard-disk space available on the file server, one can either add another removable hard-disk drive to an empty hard-disk drive slot, or replace a smaller hard-disk drive with a larger hard-disk drive. This process typically takes only a few seconds.
With a standard hard-disk drive, one has to open up a computer chassis by removing a computer chassis cover, and then attach a new hard-disk drive via cables and screws to an available hard-disk drive slot. If replacing a smaller hard-disk drive, one would have to detach the cables and dismount the smaller hard-disk drive before replacing it with a larger hard-disk drive in a similar manner. While not a very difficult process, it can still take a few minutes to complete depending upon the location and configuration of the computer system.
However, the real benefits of a removable hard-disk drive come with the convenience of adding, removing, or replacing a hard-disk drive on an as-needed basis, rather than the benefit derived from a few minutes of saved time every time the amount of hard-disk space needs to be increased on the computer system.
By allowing for the quick and simple removal and installation of a hard-disk drive, it becomes practical for a company to remove and secure sensitive data to protect it when no one is around. Furthermore, removable hard-disk drives allow a person to transport large amounts of data from one computer system to another in a matter of seconds, rather than the time consuming process of downloading data to the other computer system via cable connection.
When a removable hard-disk drive malfunctions, a properly functioning hard-disk drive can be "hot swapped" with the defective hard-disk drive in a matter of seconds, without having to power down the computer system. With a standard hard-disk drive, it is advisable to power down the computer system before opening up the computer chassis to remove the defective standard hard-disk drive.
A removable hard-disk drive is typically mounted onto a tray assembly, which acts as an interface between a standard configuration third party hard-disk drive and a proprietary or custom designed computer manufacturer's chassis slot, which is a slot designed for receiving a hard-disk drive and hard-disk drive tray assembly.
A typical hard-disk drive tray assembly comprises a tray, an adapter, and may further include either pull handles or inserter/extractor levers which can be attached to the tray or incorporated into a front panel of the tray which is also known as a bezel.
The adapter comprises a pair of cables for connection to the hard-disk drive, and a connector for insertion into the hard-disk drive connector interface in the computer system. The adapter typically screws onto the tray, and a standard third party hard-disk drive is mounted to the tray as well. The cables from the adapter are connected to the hard-disk drive. The hard-disk drive, adapter, and tray can be inserted into, and extracted from, the computer chassis slot through the use of one or more pull handles or inserter/extractor levers attached to the tray, as discussed in greater detail below.
In another prior art embodiment, a pair of inserter/extractor levers are incorporated into a front panel which is pivotally attached to the tray in a vertical plane, like a pivoting car garage door on a house.
In order to properly insert a removable hard-disk drive into the computer chassis slot, the connector of the adapter must be firmly inserted into the corresponding hard-disk drive connector interface in the computer system, and the proper extraction requires the removal of the connector from the hard-disk drive connector interface. To ensure that the connector of the adapter is properly inserted into the hard-disk drive connector interface, the inserter/extractor lever of the prior embodiment provides a latch-and-pull mechanism that latches onto a latch bar, and then pulls the connector, along with the rest of the hard-disk drive tray assembly, into the hard-disk drive connector interface via a pivoting leverage action about the latch bar such that when the lever reaches a closed position, the connector has been properly and firmly inserted into the hard-disk drive connector interface.
Extraction of the hard-disk drive is the same as insertion, but in reverse. The inserter/extractor lever of the prior embodiment is rotated to an open position. In doing so, the lever, which is latched onto the latch bar, will engage in an opposite pivoting leverage action which will push on the latch bar so as to push away from the computer chassis slot thereby extracting the connector from the hard-disk drive connector interface.
The typical prior art embodiment of a hard-disk drive tray assembly, as described above, has some drawbacks in its operation.
First, most removable hard-disk drives with inserter/extractor levers have two levers which usually require two hands to operate the two levers simultaneously in order to insert or extract the hard-disk drive. Each lever is in an open position when the hard-disk drive tray assembly is inserted into the computer chassis slot up to the point where the connector has reached the hard-disk drive connector interface but has not yet been firmly inserted into the hard-disk drive connector interface. Each lever is pivoted into a closed position in order to latch and pull the connector, along with the rest of the hard-disk drive tray assembly, into the computer chassis slot such that the connector is firmly inserted into the hard-disk drive connector interface.
If only one hand were used to insert such a hard-disk drive tray assembly, one lever would remain opened while the other lever was being closed, or vice versa, and this would cause one end of the tray assembly to be further inserted or extracted than the other end. This uneven insertion causes the hard-disk drive tray assembly to twist slightly within the computer chassis slot such that the other lever will lock-up and be more difficult to move. In an embodiment with two levers, the hard-disk drive tray assembly should be inserted or extracted in an even manner to avoid such problem.
In other words, the two levers should both be pivoted into the open or closed position at the same time. That way, both ends of the hard-disk drive tray assembly will move into or out of the computer chassis slot at the same time, thereby avoiding any twisting motion which could cause one end to lock up. However, pivoting both levers on such an embodiment at the same time is difficult for a person to do with just one hand. Thus, such an embodiment typically requires a two-handed insertion or extraction.
Furthermore, some prior art implementations of the inserter/extractor levers have a locking feature so that a lever cannot be pivoted to the open position unless the lever is unlocked first. This method makes it even more difficult to insert or remove a hard-disk drive tray assembly using just one hand. In addition, such a design is not intuitive to a new user, and it is possible that a new or unfamiliar user of the computer system will attempt to pull the levers out into the open position without unlocking the levers. If the person thinks that the levers are stuck and pulls hard enough, the levers could break before actually releasing.
Second, once the adapter connector of the hard-disk drive tray assembly is extracted from the hard-disk drive connector interface, there is no structure for a person to securely grasp onto when transporting the hard-disk drive tray assembly. For example, the levers that are used to extract the hard-disk drive tray assembly are too small to grasp onto, and the hard-disk drive mounted to the tray is too bulky to grasp securely. This lack of a structure to provide secure handling of the hard-disk drive tray assembly increases the possibility of accidentally dropping the hard-disk drive tray assembly during transportation from one location to another.
Third, the prior art uses a front panel or bezel that operates on a vertical hinge in a pivoting manner similar to a car garage door on a house. The problem with this vertically pivoting design is that it is difficult to insert and extract the hard-disk drive tray assembly with just one hand, since grasping onto the vertically pivoting bezel will cause the hard-disk drive mounted onto the tray to swing down. To insert this embodiment also requires two hands. One hand is required to hold onto the bezel. The other hand must pivot the hard-disk drive and tray upward so that the hard-disk drive tray assembly can be inserted into the computer chassis slot.
Furthermore, with both inserter/extractor levers incorporated into the bezel on the upper pivoting edge, a twisting problem could occur in that uneven forces would be applied to the upper and lower portions of the hard-disk drive tray assembly, thereby causing the improper insertion of the connector into the hard-disk drive slot.
Fourth, in certain prior art implementations, additional wires are used to connect the hard-disk drive to LED status indicator lights which are mounted on the exterior of the computer chassis such that an LED status indication light would be visible to a computer user. However, this additional wiring adds manufacturing time and cost to the hard-disk drive tray assembly.
Furthermore, the custom integration of the additional wiring with externally mounted LED lights makes such an implementation of the hard-disk drive tray assembly proprietary to the computer manufacturer. This limits the options available to the end-user in that the end-user cannot go out and purchase a standard hard-disk drive at the best market price and install it onto the hard-disk drive tray assembly. Instead, the end-user will have to order the hard-disk drive mounted onto the hard-disk drive tray assembly from the particular manufacturer.
Other embodiments which do not provide the additional wiring provide the computer user no visual indication as to the status of the hard-disk drive. The user has to remove the front cover or the main cover of the computer chassis in order to see the hard-disk drive LED lights which are integral to the hard-disk drive unit itself.
Finally, in the prior art, the adapter is attached to the tray by inserting screws into holes on the adapter and tray, and then tightening these screws to secure the adapter to the tray. This small step adds time and cost to the manufacturing process due to the necessary use of a tool and the necessary use of screws and/or nuts.
Therefore, a better solution is needed to provide an improved hard-disk drive tray assembly that provides solutions to the above mentioned drawbacks which exist in the hard-disk drive tray assemblies of the prior art.