Patent ID: 8199481

Claim:
A system for removably mounting one or more hard disk drives within a computer, comprising: (a) a disk drive carrier cage configured to removably mount a disk drive backplane and a plurality of pairs of disk drive carrier rails wherein the disk drive carrier rails are constructed entirely from a light transmissive material; (b) a plurality of disk drive carriers, wherein each disk drive carrier is: (i) formed with a top, bottom, and side, wherein the top is constructed entirely from a light transmissive material; (ii) configured to removably receive a hard disk drive; and (iii) configured to be mounted within the disk drive carrier cage along a corresponding pair of disk drive carrier rails mounted therein; and (c) a disk drive backplane mounted within the disk drive carrier cage, comprising: (i) a plurality of disk drive connectors, each configured to interface with a hard disk drive when a corresponding disk drive carrier is mounted within the disk drive carrier cage; and (ii) a plurality of first status indicator lights, wherein each disk drive connector has at least one corresponding first status indicator light located adjacent thereto such that, in operation, when a disk drive carrier is inserted into the disk drive carrier cage, light emitted from the at least one corresponding first status indicator light is transmitted from the disk drive backplane to the front of the disk drive carrier through the top of the disk drive carrier and through the disk drive carrier rails.