IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
|
국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
|
출원번호 |
US-0442896
(2012-04-10)
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등록번호 |
US-8953332
(2015-02-10)
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발명자
/ 주소 |
- Canfield, Shawn
- Peets, Michael T.
- White, Wade H.
|
출원인 / 주소 |
- International Business Machines Corporation
|
대리인 / 주소 |
McNamara, Esq., Margaret A.
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인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
6 인용 특허 :
17 |
초록
▼
A latch mechanism is provided for latching a field-replaceable unit within an enclosure. The latch mechanism includes a rotatable latch coupled to the field-replaceable unit, via a pivot, at a first side of the field-replaceable unit, and a compliant spring member disposed to act on the pivot. The c
A latch mechanism is provided for latching a field-replaceable unit within an enclosure. The latch mechanism includes a rotatable latch coupled to the field-replaceable unit, via a pivot, at a first side of the field-replaceable unit, and a compliant spring member disposed to act on the pivot. The compliant spring member acts on the pivot and compresses with rotating of the latch from an open position to a latched position during latching of the field-replaceable unit within the enclosure. The compressing facilitates provision of a positive pressure on or across the field-replaceable unit directed towards a second side of the field-replaceable unit opposite to the first side. This positive pressure facilitates, for example, fixed coupling of a first connector at the second side of the field-replaceable unit to a second connector associated with the enclosure when the field-replaceable unit is latched within the enclosure.
대표청구항
▼
1. An apparatus comprising: a unit to be latched within an enclosure; anda latch mechanism for latching the unit within the enclosure, the latch mechanism comprising:a rotatable latch coupled to the unit via a pivot extending through and movable within an elongate slot in the unit, the pivot being d
1. An apparatus comprising: a unit to be latched within an enclosure; anda latch mechanism for latching the unit within the enclosure, the latch mechanism comprising:a rotatable latch coupled to the unit via a pivot extending through and movable within an elongate slot in the unit, the pivot being disposed at a first side of the unit;a compliant spring member associated with the unit and, at least in part, covering, in an uncompressed state, the elongate slot in the unit through which the pivot extends, the compliant spring member acting on the pivot and compressing with rotating of the latch from an open position to a latched position during latching of the unit within the enclosure, the compressing facilitating provision of a positive pressure on the unit directed towards a second side of the unit opposite to the first side thereof with latching of the unit within the enclosure, the compliant spring member residing within a recess within the unit overlying, at least in part, the elongate slot in the unit through which the pivot extends, and comprising a flat, compliant elastomeric material physically contacting and partially surrounding the pivot; andwherein the latch is configured with a latch surface that physically contacts a hard stop associated with the enclosure with latching of the unit within the enclosure, and wherein subsequent to physically contacting of the latch surface to the hard stop, continued rotating of the latch towards the latched position results, in part, in the pivot compressing the compliant spring member, the physical contacting of the hard stop and the subsequent compressing of the compliant spring member providing the positive pressure on the unit at the first side thereof with the latching of the unit within the enclosure. 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the pivot couples a first end of the latch to the unit, and the latch further comprises an extension disposed at the first end thereof, the latch surface that physically contacts the hard stop with rotating of the latch towards the latched position comprising a surface of the extension. 3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein in the latched position, a latch catch-release trigger engages the latch at a second end of the latch opposite to the first end thereof and holds the latch in the latched position. 4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the pivot couples to the latch via an interference fit, and is loose-fit to the unit, passing through the elongate slot in the unit. 5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one first connector is disposed at the second side of the unit, and the positive pressure applied across the unit with latching of the unit within the enclosure facilitates secure coupling of the at least one first connector to at least one second connector associated with the enclosure. 6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the unit is a field-replaceable unit, and the enclosure is an electronics enclosure. 7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the unit is a field-replaceable unit, the field-replaceable unit comprising a solid state drive (SSD) assembly. 8. An electronic system comprising: at least one field-replaceable unit (FRU);an enclosure comprising at least one FRU-receiving slot, the at least one field-replaceable unit being configured to operationally dock within the at least one FRU-receiving slot of the enclosure;at least one latching mechanism, one latching mechanism of the at least one latching mechanism being disposed at a first side of one field-replaceable unit of the at least one field-replaceable unit, the latching mechanism comprising a rotatable latch coupled to the field-replaceable unit via a pivot extending through and moveable within an elongate slot in the unit, and a compliant spring member associated with the unit and, at least in part, covering, in an uncompressed state, the elongate slot in the unit through which the pivot extends, wherein rotating of the latch from an open position to a latched position during latching of the one field-replaceable unit within the enclosure facilitates provision of a positive pressure on the one field-replaceable unit directed towards a second side of the one field-replaceable unit opposite to the first side thereof, the positive pressure resulting, at least in part, from the compliant spring member acting on the pivot and compressing with rotating of the latch towards the latched position during latching of the one field-replaceable unit within the enclosure, the compliant spring member residing within a recess within the unit overlying, at least in part, the elongate slot in the unit through which the pivot extends and comprising a flat, compliant elastomeric material physically contacting and partially surrounding the pivot; andwherein the latch is configured with a latch surface that physically contacts a hard stop associated with the enclosure with latching of the one field-replaceable unit within the enclosure, and wherein subsequent to physical contacting of the latch surface to the hard stop, continued rotation of the latch towards the latched position results, in part, in the pivot compressing the compliant spring member, the physical contacting of the hard stop and the subsequent compressing of the compliant spring member providing the positive pressure on the one field-replaceable unit with the latching thereof in the enclosure. 9. The electronic system of claim 8, further comprising at least one connector assembly, one connector assembly of the at least one connector assembly comprising at least one first connector associated with the one field-replaceable unit and at least one second connector disposed within the enclosure, wherein docking of the one field-replaceable unit within one FRU-receiving slot of the enclosure results in coupling of the at least one first connector to the at least one second connector, and latching of the one field-replaceable unit within the enclosure via the one latching mechanism results in the positive pressure being applied, at least in part, to the coupling of the at least one first connector to the at least one second connector of the one connector assembly to ensure electrical connection between the at least one first connector and the at least one second connector. 10. The electronic system of claim 8, wherein the pivot couples a first end of the latch to the one field-replaceable unit, and the latch further comprises an extension disposed at the first end thereof, the latch surface that physically contacts the hard stop with rotating of the latch towards the latched position comprising a surface of the extension. 11. The electronic system of claim 10, wherein in the latched position, a latch catch-release trigger engages the latch at a second end of the latch opposite to the first end thereof, and holds the latch in the latched position. 12. The electronic system of claim 8, wherein the pivot couples to the latch via an interference fit, and is loose-fit to the one field-replaceable unit, passing through the elongate slot in the one field-replaceable unit. 13. The electronic system of claim 8, wherein the at least one field-replaceable unit comprises at least one sold state drive (SSD) assembly. 14. A method of facilitating secure latching of a field-replaceable unit within an enclosure, the method comprising: providing a latch mechanism coupled to the field-replaceable unit and configured to facilitate secure latching of the field-replaceable unit within the enclosure, the latch mechanism comprising:a rotatable latch coupled to the unit via a pivot extending through and movable within an elongate slot in the unit, the pivot being disposed at a first side of the unit; anda compliant spring member associated with the unit and at least in part, covering, in an uncompressed state, the elongate slot in the unit through which the pivot extends, the compliant spring member acting on the pivot and compressing with rotating of the latch from an open position to a latched position during latching of the unit within the enclosure, the compressing facilitating provision of a positive pressure on the unit directed towards a second side of the unit opposite to the first side thereof with latching of the unit within the enclosure, the compliant spring, member residing within a recess within the unit overlying, at least in part, the elongate slot in the unit through which the pivot extends, and comprising a flat compliant elastomeric material physically contacting and partially surrounding the pivot; andwherein the latch is configured with a latch surface that physically contacts a hard stop associated with the enclosure with latching of the field-replaceable unit within the enclosure, and wherein subsequent to physical contacting of the latch surface to the hard stop, continued rotating of the latch towards the latched position results, in part, in the pivot compressing the compliant spring member, the physical contacting of the hard stop and the subsequent compressing of the compliant spring member providing the positive pressure on the field-replaceable unit with the latching thereof within the enclosure. 15. The method of claim 14, wherein the pivot couples a first end of the latch to the field-replaceable unit, and the latch further comprises an extension disposed at the first end thereof, the latch surface that physically contacts the hard stop with rotating of the latch towards the latched position comprising a surface of the extension, and wherein in the latched position, a latch catch-release trigger engages the latch at a second end of the latch opposite to the first end thereof and holds the latch in the latched position.
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