Abstract:
An exemplary embodiment provides for a cable connection apparatus wherein a connector is mounted on a disk drive chassis, or a sub-assembly attachable to a chassis, such that a cable that connects to the connector will do so along an axis parallel to the chassis or subassembly that the connector is coupled to as opposed to a more typical perpendicular coupling. As a result, the cable will not stick straight out from the back of the drive and the drive footprint is also reduced.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    The present application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 11/413,756, filed Apr. 28, 2006, which is incorporated by reference herein for all purposes. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    In the rather competitive disk drive industry, smaller drive housings/form-factors are typically a requirement with each passing product development cycle. Due to the continually shrinking drive footprint, the size of the data connector, which plugs into the back of the drive, is increasingly becoming a design issue that requires addressing. 
         [0003]    The connector size issue is further compounded when the drive uses a fibre channel-type data interface. Fibre channel cables typically connect to a somewhat bulky and typically rectangular-shaped transceiver that processes light-based signals sent and received along the fibre channel cable. Space issues within a computer or similar enclosure are further compounded in that fibre channel cables can only be bent a certain amount before increased attenuation or breakage of the cable may occur. As a result, increased clearance behind the drive and beyond the transceiver is typically required to ensure ample room for preventing a fibre channel from bending too much. 
         [0004]    In light of the foregoing, a need in the art exists for apparatuses and systems that allow for, or facilitate, implementation of a reduced footprint cable connection apparatus. 
         [0005]    The foregoing examples of the related art and limitations related therewith are intended to be illustrative and not exclusive. Other limitations of the related art will become apparent to those of skill in the art upon a reading of the specification and a study of the drawings. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0006]    The following embodiments and aspects thereof are described and illustrated in conjunction with systems and apparatuses which are meant to be exemplary and illustrative, not limiting in scope. In various embodiments, one or more of the above-described problems have been reduced or eliminated. 
         [0007]    One embodiment by way of non-limiting example provides for a cable connection apparatus such that a connection between a cable and a drive is oriented in a manner perpendicular to the axis or direction along which the drive enclosure or chassis is typically inserted or installed into a host device, such as a computing or data storage system. As a result, the orientation of the connecting components that operably interface the cable to the drive allow for reduction of the drive footprint along at least one axis. Additional embodiments provide for a bend radius limiting tab that is operative to bend the cable outwardly away from the drive, yet maintain a preferred limit on bending to prevent damage to the cable. Additional embodiments further include a stress relief tab that is proximate to the bend radius limiting tab. The stress relief tab abuts against a side of the cable opposite that of the bend radius tab and is operative to provide a stress relief to the cable. 
         [0008]    In addition to the exemplary aspects and embodiments described above, further aspects and embodiments will become apparent by reference to the drawings and by study of the following descriptions. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0009]    Exemplary embodiments are illustrated in referenced figures of the drawings. It is intended that the embodiments and figures disclosed herein are to be considered illustrative rather than limiting. 
           [0010]      FIGS. 1-2  illustrate isometric views of a typical linear tape-open (“LTO”) drive chassis which can be used to implement the claimed embodiments; 
           [0011]      FIGS. 3-5  illustrates various partial views of a sub-assembly attachable to the chassis of  FIGS. 1-2 , in accordance with an exemplary embodiment; 
           [0012]      FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view of  FIG. 5  taken along line A-A, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment; and 
           [0013]      FIGS. 7-9  illustrate an alternate embodiment/various partial views of a sub-assembly attachable to the chassis of  FIGS. 1-2 , in accordance with an exemplary embodiment. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0014]    The following embodiments and aspects thereof are described and illustrated in conjunction with systems, apparatuses and methods which are meant to be exemplary and illustrative, not limiting in scope. 
         [0015]      FIGS. 1-2  provide isometric views ( 100 ,  200 ) of a typical linear tape-open (“LTO”) drive chassis  102  which can be used to implement the claimed embodiments. Chassis  102  includes a front  104 , a back  106  and a base  108 . Front  104  further includes a door  108  (through which a tape cartridge (not shown) can be inserted), an eject button  110  to eject the cartridge and various indicator lights  112 . The back  106  includes a fan  114  and a sub-assembly  118 . Sub-assembly  118  further includes a power plug  116 , a drive select ID  121 , a transceiver  124  (shown in  FIGS. 3-4  and  7 - 8 ) and an ID select connector  121 . A fibre channel network can have up to 128 drives in a loop and the ID select connector  121  is operative to provide the drive identifier (ID) to a host. The drive ID is set by configuring the pins of connector  121 . Fibre channel cable  122  includes two cables  122 A and  122 B—one for incoming data and another for outgoing data. As can be seen via  FIGS. 7-8 , the end of fibre channel cable  122  includes a connector  134  adapted to be coupled with transceiver  124 , and is attached in a manner parallel to sub-assembly  118 , and perpendicular to the axis along which the drive housing is typically inserted into a computing hardware system. As  FIG. 2  and other Figs. illustrate, fibre channel cable  122  bends away from sub-assembly  118 . How these aspects are accomplished will be detailed via the ensuing figures and description. 
         [0016]      FIGS. 3-5  illustrates various partial views ( 300 ,  400  and  500 ) of the sub-assembly  118  that can be attached to the chassis  102  of  FIGS. 1-2 , in accordance with an exemplary embodiment. As the Figures illustrate, sub-assembly  118 , in one implementation, is generally planar in overall configuration and attaches to chassis  102  along a first axis. In the implementations shown, the first axis is substantially perpendicular to a second axis along which the drive is typically inserted or installed into a computing or data storage system. Referring to  FIG. 3 ,  FIG. 3  shows a partial view of sub-assembly  118  that includes a transceiver  124 . Transceiver  124  is operative to accept the fibre channel cable  122  at area  126  of transceiver  124 , such as shown in view  700  of  FIG. 7 . Transceiver  124  is further operable to process light signals sent over and received from cable  122 . Since transceiver  124  is mounted parallel to sub-assembly  118 , the fibre channel cable  122  connects to transceiver  124  along an axis parallel to sub-assembly  118  (and perpendicular to the axis along which the drive is typically installed in a host computing system). Typically, transceiver  124  is mounted on a printed circuit board (PCB) that includes one or more integrated circuits directed to providing a physical and logical interface between the optical signals transmitted across fibre channel cable  122  and the remaining drive controller hardware. It should be noted that views  300 ,  400  and  500  depict a particular embodiment while views  700 ,  800  and  900  of  FIGS. 7-9  depict an alternative embodiment. Furthermore,  FIG. 2  corresponds to the alternative embodiment of views  700 ,  800  and  900 . As there are two embodiments, certain minor structural differences may be noticed. 
         [0017]    Referring to view  400  of  FIG. 4 , view  400  further includes fan  114  and a bend radius limiting tab  128  that is operable to cause cable  122  to bend away from sub-assembly  118  and to further define how much cable  122  will bend away from sub-assembly  118 . Typically, a maximum bend radius for a fibre channel cable is defined as 10 to 20 times a diameter of the cable. For the claimed embodiments, a maximum bend radius of 10 times the cable diameter is preferred as it provides for less stress on a given cable while still providing for an acceptable amount of bend. One skilled in the art will recognize that the present invention can be configured to achieve other bend radius values or proportional values relative to cable dimensions. A cable contacting portion of the bend radius limiting tab  128  is typically concavely-shaped. 
         [0018]    View  500  of  FIG. 5  additionally includes the backplate  120  which covers the cable  122  and further includes an opening  130  through which cable  122  exits. Backplate  120  also includes a strain relief tab  132  that abuts cable  122  to provide strain relief to cable  122 . Tab  132  can be seen via FIG.  6 /view  600  which is a partial cross section of view  500  taken along line A-A. As can be seen via view  600 , cable  122  runs partly parallel to sub-assembly  118  and is then guided away from sub-assembly  118  by bend radius limiting tab  128  while tab  132  provides strain relief and also tends to hold cable  122  in place. As  FIG. 6  illustrates, tab  132  can also be configured to promote uniform bending of cable along the bending radius defined by tab  128 . A cable-contacting portion of the strain relief tab  132  is typically convexly-shaped. 
         [0019]    As previously mentioned,  FIGS. 7-9  illustrate an alternative embodiment depicted via views  700 ,  800  and  900 . Some of the differences between the two embodiments include placement of power plug  116  and drive ID select  121  elsewhere on chassis  102  relative to the embodiment of  FIGS. 3-5 . Another difference is that backplate  120  is longer than and not as wide as backplate  120  of  FIGS. 3-5 . Backplate  120  of  FIG. 6  covers part of cable  122  and additionally covers transceiver  124 . Backplate  120  as shown in  FIG. 6  and does not cover transceiver  124 . It should also be noted that, and this is not a difference between the two embodiments, backplate  120  of  FIG. 6  also includes a strain relief tab  132 . However, tab  132  is not visible in  FIG. 6 . 
         [0020]    While the claimed embodiments have been described in terms of a sub-assembly that can be attached to a chassis, those claimed embodiments are not limited to such a configuration. For example, the sub-assembly could be integral with the chassis. Additionally, the backplate could also be made integral with the chassis or sub-assembly depending on the configuration. Furthermore, a transceiver or other cable connector could be mounted on other parts of a drive. For example, the transceiver could be mounted in a parallel fashion on the top, bottom or perhaps even the sides of a drive enclosure. Furthermore, although the embodiments discussed above are illustrated in connection with a tape drive, the present invention can be incorporated into a variety of drive types, such as disk drives, transfer stations operable with removable disk drives, CD and DVD drives, and the like. 
         [0021]    Advantageously, the claimed embodiments provide for a reduced drive footprint via a simple and elegant solution of turning a connector such that it mounts in a parallel fashion to a side of a disk drive enclosure, and in a manner perpendicular to the axis or direction along which the drive is typically inserted or installed into a housing. Additionally, radius limiting and strain relief tabs operate to control and protect a fibre channel type cable that can only be bent a certain amount as the cable egresses from a drive enclosure. 
         [0022]    While a number of exemplary aspects and embodiments have been discussed above, those of skill in the art will recognize certain modifications, permutations, additions and sub-combinations thereof. It is therefore intended that the following appended claims and claims hereafter introduced are interpreted to include all such modifications, permutations, additions and sub-combinations as are within their true spirit and scope.