Abstract:
A hard disk drive bracket latch and release mechanism includes a lever arm attached to a hard disk drive bracket bezel rotatably between a closed position against the bezel and an open position apart from the bezel, and a locking mechanism including a wireform disposed in a release button. The lever arm includes a slotted end and spring. The wireform translates between a forced releasing position when the release button is depressed and a natural latching position otherwise. The wireform is shaped to bias the release button outward. The wireform fits into the slotted end of the lever arm in the latching position.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
   This application is a continuation-in-part application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/789,611 filed Apr. 25, 2007, entitled “Auto-Depress Disk Drive Bracket Mechanism” with the same inventors and having common ownership. 

   BACKGROUND OF INVENTION  
   Hard disk drive brackets come in many shapes and forms. Most of today&#39;s brackets are designed to accommodate standard 3.5″ drives. Examples of hard disk drives brackets abound. Some examples of the hard disk drive brackets utilized in past products developed by Sun Microsystems, Inc. are shown in  FIGS. 1-3  and described below. 
     FIGS. 1(   a ) and  1 ( b ) show a 3.5″ Hard Disk Drive (HDD)  911  bracket referred to as “SPUD” in closed and open positions, respectively. In the “SPUD,” a spring  913  is utilized to bias the door  915  outward, and has a side actuated latch release  917 . 
     FIGS. 2(   a ) and  2 ( b ) show a 3.5″ HDD bracket  921  referred to as “SPUD  3 ” in closed and open positions, respectively. In the “SPUD  3 ,” a side-sliding latch release  927  and lever-arm spring  923  are included in order to swing the door  925  outward. 
     FIGS. 3(   a ) and  3 ( b ) show a 3.5″ HDD bracket  931  used in, for example, a “Sun Fire V20z” server. In this bracket  931 , the release latch  937  is still a side action, but has been integrated into the lever arm  935 . 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   In one or more embodiments of the present invention, a hard disk drive bracket comprises a bezel, a lever arm attached to the bezel rotatably between a closed position against the bezel and an open position apart from the bezel, a release mechanism attached to the bezel comprising a locking member that latches the lever arm in the closed position and a release button arranged to unlatch the lever arm from the locking member when the release button is depressed, and a horn attached to the bezel translatably between a natural position apart from the release mechanism and a forced position that allows the horn and release mechanism to interact to free the locking member from the path of the lever arm. 
   Other aspects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the appended claims. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
       FIGS. 1(   a ) and  1 ( b ) show a “SPUD” 3.5″ HDD bracket. 
       FIGS. 2(   a ) and  2 ( b ) show a “SPUD  3 ” 3.5″ HDD bracket. 
       FIGS. 3(   a ) and  3 ( b ) show a 3.5″ HDD bracket used in, for example, a “Sun Fire V20z” server. 
       FIGS. 4(   a ) and  4 ( b ) show front views of a HDD bracket in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
       FIGS. 5(   a ),  5 ( b ), and  5 ( c ) show top views from inside of a HDD bracket in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
       FIG. 6  shows a unitarily formed release button, horn, and pivot in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
       FIGS. 7(   a ),  7 ( b ), and  7 ( c ) show top views from inside of a HDD bracket in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
       FIG. 8  shows a top view from inside of a HDD bracket in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
   New generations of server platforms incorporate small form factor (SFF) 2.5″ hard disk drives. Therefore, in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present invention, a new 2.5″ hard disk drive (HDD) bracket was developed to serve as a common drive bracket for future product platforms incorporating swappable, 2.5″ hard disk drives. Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. 
   In order to support a multitude of HDD mounting applications across different products, the mechanical packaging requirements of the bracket are very constrained. In particular, because of the requirements for width and depth dimensions (e.g., for standard 78 mm×115 mm dimensions), little room is left for the bezel, mounting rails, and latch/release mechanism. In an application with such dimensions, only 8 mm of packaging depth is allowed at the front of the bracket for the front bezel, lever/locking arm, push button release, and latch. Accordingly, one or more embodiments of the present invention provide a bracket with a unique, low profile, low cost, and robust mechanism with parts that are resilient to manufacturing variations. 
   Referring to  FIGS. 4(   a ) and  4 ( b ), a front facing view of a HDD bracket  100  according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. The HDD bracket  100  has a front bezel  101 , on which lever arm  200 , release mechanism  300 , and horn  400  are disposed.  FIG. 4(   b ) shows the lever arm  200  in the latched (“closed”) position. To operate the HDD bracket  100 , the user presses the release mechanism  300  and the lever arm  200  releases and automatically springs outward into the unlatched (“open”) position as in  4 ( a ). The user then inserts or removes a hard disk drive from the bracket and then closes the lever arm  200  to lock the hard disk drive in place. 
     FIG. 5(   a ) shows a HDD bracket from the top view inside the bezel  101  with the lever arm  200  in the unlatched position. In the unlatched position the lever arm  200  is rotated apart from the bezel  101 , the release mechanism  300 , and the horn  400 . The spring  201  biases the lever arm  200  to the unlatched position. The release button  302  is biased outward by the locking member  301  when the lever arm  200  is in the unlatched position. The horn  400  is in the horn&#39;s natural position and does not interact with any other elements when the lever arm  200  is in the unlatched position. 
     FIG. 5(   b ) shows a HDD bracket from the top view inside the bezel  101  as the lever arm  200  is rotating between the open and closed positions. Specifically,  FIG. 5(   b ) shows a HDD bracket as a protrusion  202  from the lever arm  200  makes contact with the horn  400 . In one or more embodiments, the distance from the slotted end  203  to the protrusion  202  is around 27 mm. The horn  400  is a mechanism attached to the bezel  101  translatably between the horn&#39;s natural position as shown in  FIG. 5(   a ) and the horn&#39;s forced position shown in  FIG. 5(   b ). The contact between the lever arm  200  and the horn  400  shown in  FIG. 5(   b ) forces the horn to move from the horn&#39;s natural position to the horn&#39;s forced position. The horn comprises a cavity  401  and a pivot  402 . The cavity  401  serves the purpose of allowing contact between the horn  400  and the protrusion  202  from the lever arm  200 , thereby converting the force of closing the lever arm  200  into movement of the horn  400  from the horn&#39;s natural position to the horn&#39;s forced position. Thus, the combination of the lever arm  200 , protrusion  202 , cavity  401 , and horn  400  serve as a cam to translate motion of the lever arm  200  into motion of the horn  400 . The pivot  402  is adapted to attach the horn  400  to the bezel  101  so as to allow motion of the horn  400  between the horn&#39;s forced and natural positions. 
     FIG. 5(   b ) shows the interaction between the horn  400  and the release mechanism  300  in addition to the contact between the horn  400  and the lever arm  200 . As the horn  400  is forced from the horn&#39;s natural position to the horn&#39;s forced position as the lever arm  200  is closing, the horn  400  interacts with the release mechanism  300  to automatically depress the release button  302 .  FIG. 5(   b ) shows horn  400  in the horn&#39;s forced position, thereby making contact with the release mechanism  300  and depressing the release button  302 . The purpose of depressing the release button  302  during the closing of the lever arm  200  is to clear the locking member  301  from the path of the lever arm  200 . Clearing the locking member  301  from the path of the lever arm  200  allows for smooth and consistent operation of a HDD  100 . 
     FIG. 5(   c ) shows a HDD bracket from the top view inside the bezel  101  when the lever arm  200  is in the latched position. When the lever arm  200  is in the latched position, the shapes of the cavity  401  (as shown in  FIG. 5(   b )) and protrusion  202  allow the horn  400  to return to the horn&#39;s natural position in which the horn  400  does not interact with the release mechanism  300 . Thus, the release button  302  is again biased outward, and the locking member  301  impedes the path of the lever arm  200 . In the latched position, the locking member  301  is captured by the slotted end  203  of the lever arm  200 , thereby securing the lever arm  200  closed. In addition to allowing the horn  400  to return to the horn&#39;s natural position, the shapes of the cavity  401  (as shown in  FIG. 5(   b )) and protrusion  202  also help to secure the lever arm  200  in the closed position. In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, the interaction between the horn&#39;s cavity  401  (as shown in  FIG. 5(   b )) and the lever arm&#39;s protrusion may serve as the locking member  301 , thus eliminating the need for a separate embodiment of the locking member. 
   In one or more embodiments of the present invention, the release mechanism may be a unitarily formed body comprising the release button, horn, and pivot.  FIG. 6  shows one such embodiment of the release mechanism  300 .  FIGS. 7(   a ),  7 ( b ), and  7 ( c ) show the unitarily formed body in relation to the other features of the invention. Advantages of this embodiment include further reduction of part count in the invention as a whole and more reliable operation of the invention. 
   In an embodiment according to  FIGS. 7(   a ),  7 ( b ), and  7 ( c ), a unitarily formed body  500  has a natural and forced position based on the interaction with the locking member  301 . The natural position is upward and the button end of the unitarily formed body is biased outwards, while the locking member is biased to impede the path of the lever arm. The locking member comprises a wireform shaped such that in its natural position the unitarily formed body is biased upward by the wireform. When the lever arm is in the unlatched position, the locking member and unitarily formed body are in the natural position, and the locking member supplies a biasing force that resists movement in the unitarily formed body. The biasing force supplied by the locking member also supplies the force necessary to keep the lever arm from opening past its maximal position. 
     FIG. 7(   a ) shows a HDD bracket  100  with a unitarily formed body  500  comprising the release button  502 , horn  503 , and pivot  504  from the top view inside the bezel  101  when the lever arm  200  is in the unlatched position. In the unlatched position the lever arm is rotated apart from the bezel and the unitarily formed body. A spring  201  disposed in the lever arm and attached to the bezel biases the lever arm to the unlatched position. The lever arm further comprises a positive stop arm  204  extending from the pivot end of the lever arm. The positive stop arm prevents the lever arm from opening past a maximal position by making contact with the pivot end of the unitarily formed body at the maximal position. Advantageously, if the lever arm is rotated past said maximal position, the contact between the positive stop arm and unitarily formed body will force the body to rotate downward, thereby depressing the release button end of the body. Thus, if the lever arm is forced past its maximal position, there is visual and tactile feedback to warn the user that the lever arm has traveled too far. 
     FIG. 7(   b ) shows a HDD bracket  100  from the top view inside the bezel  101  as the lever arm  200  is rotating between the open and closed positions. Specifically,  FIG. 7(   b ) shows the bracket as a protrusion  202  from the lever arm makes contact with an edge of a cavity  501  formed in the unitarily formed body. 
   As the lever arm  200  is closing, the protrusion  202  that extends from the lever arm makes contact with an edge of a cavity  501  in the unitarily formed body  500 . The contact between the protrusion and the edge of the cavity forces the unitarily formed body to pivot downward, which depresses the button end of the body and forces the locking mechanism  301  to clear from the path of the lever arm. Clearing the locking member from the path of the lever arm allows for smooth and consistent operation of a HDD bracket  100 . 
   When opening the lever arm  200 , the user depresses the button end of the unitarily formed body  500 , thereby clearing the locking mechanism  301  from the path of the lever arm. Additionally, depressing the unitarily formed body clears the protrusion  202  from the edge of the cavity  501 , allowing the lever arm to open freely. Generally, the spring  201  disposed at the pivot of the lever arm forces the arm to open automatically once its path is free from obstruction. Occasionally, the spring may not provide enough force to swing the lever arm open. In situations where the spring does not supply enough force to open the lever arm, and the user can not fit a finger between the lever arm and bezel  101 , the button end of the unitarily formed body may be forcefully pressed in order to free the lever arm. In this case, force is transferred from the button end to the pivot end of the unitarily formed body, where the body makes contact with the lever arm near the pivot point of the lever arm. 
     FIG. 7(   c ) shows a HDD bracket with a unitarily formed body  500  comprising a release button  502 , horn  503 , and pivot  504  from the top view inside the bezel  101  when the lever arm  200  is in the latched position. When the lever arm is in the latched position, the shapes of the cavity  501  (as shown in  FIG. 7(   b )) and protrusion  202  allow the unitarily formed body to return to the body&#39;s natural upward position. In this position, the release button end of the body is again biased outward, and the locking member  301  impedes the path of the lever arm. In the latched position, the locking member is captured by the slotted end  203  of the lever arm  200 , thereby securing the lever arm closed. In addition to allowing the unitarily formed body to return to the body&#39;s outward position, the shapes of the cavity and protrusion also help to secure the lever arm in the closed position. 
     FIG. 8  shows a ledge  205  that may be disposed as an extension from the pivot end of the lever arm  200  to give an additional mechanical advantage for ejection of the HDD bracket  100 . Upon opening, the ledge aids ejection by gaining leverage from a side wall adjacent to the HDD bracket. The end of the ledge  205  catches on the top or side of the side wall  600 , thereby forcing the entire bracket outward to the user as the lever arm opens. This allows the user to use less force when removing the bracket, which may prevent damage from the user pulling on the lever arm to remove the bracket. 
   One or more embodiments of the present invention may include one or more of the following advantages: more secure retention of the lever arm  200 ; the mechanism is entirely internal, low profile, and does not impede airflow; the mechanism has a low part count and therefore low cost; the user-interface is intuitive and equivalent to what users are used to; the mechanism allows for smooth and consistent operation of the bracket; and the design of the mechanism is robust to manufacturing variation and inconsistencies despite the small size of HDD brackets. 
   While the invention has been described with respect to a limited number of embodiments, those skilled in the art, having benefit of this disclosure, will appreciate that other embodiments can be devised which do not depart from the scope of this invention as disclosed herein. Accordingly, the scope of the invention should be limited only by the attached claims.