Patent ID: 9468126
Filing Date: 2016-10-11
CPC Classification: H05K

Claim Text:
1. An apparatus comprising: an enclosed housing having opposing front and rear ends; a plurality of sleds disposed within the enclosed housing, each sled having a front end and a rear end, each sled individually moveable between a retracted position within the enclosed housing in which the front end of the sled is nominally aligned with the front end of the enclosed housing and the rear end disposed at a medial portion within the enclosed housing and an extended position in which the sled projects from the front end of the enclosed housing and the rear end of the sled is nominally aligned with the front end of the enclosed housing; a plurality of data storage devices disposed within the enclosed housing and arranged into multiple groups with each group mechanically supported on a different sled; a plurality of device flex circuits, each device flex circuit mechanically supported on a different sled to interconnect the associated group of data storage devices supported by said different sled; a control board disposed within the enclosed housing adjacent the rear end of the enclosed housing; and a plurality of sled flex circuits disposed within the enclosed housing between the control board and the sleds, each sled flex circuit electrically and mechanically interconnecting the control board to a different one of the device flex circuits; and a plurality of hinge arm carriers disposed within the enclosed housing between the control board and the sleds, each hinge arm carrier mechanically connected to the rear end of a different one of the sleds to mechanically support the associated sled flex circuit for said different one of the sleds, each hinge arm carrier comprising at least one rigid arm which supports a portion of the associated sled flex circuit along an overall length of the rigid arm and at least one joint member that facilitates articulation of the rigid arm as the selected one of the sleds is advanced from the retracted position to the extended position to maintain the data storage devices supported by the selected one of the sleds in an operational state.