Adaptable carrier for enterprise datacenter solid-state drives

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022342463-A1
Application number	US-202117236560-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 21, 2021
Priority date	Apr 21, 2021
Publication date	Oct 27, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

A solid-state drive (SSD) carrier comprises a front structure, a first side structure extending perpendicularly from a first end of the front structure, and a second side structure extending perpendicularly from a second end of the front structure. The front structure and the first and second side structures defining an internal volume sufficient to contain an SSD conforming to any one of a plurality of different SSD form factors. At least one light pipe extends through in the front structure, and is configured to direct light from an indicator LED on a front face of the SSD to a location on a front face of the front structure.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A solid-state drive (SSD) carrier, comprising:
a front structure having a first end, a second end, and a front face, a first side structure extending perpendicularly from the first end of the front structure, a second side structure extending perpendicularly from the second end of the front structure, the front structure, the first side structure, and the second side structure in conjunction configured to carry an SSD conforming to any one of a plurality of different SSD form factors; and a light pipe extending through the front structure, the light pipe configured to direct light from an indicator light emitting diode (LED) on a front face of the SSD to a location on the front face of the front structure.

2 . The SSD carrier of claim 1 , further comprising:
an adaptor for insertion between the first side structure and the second side structure to conform the SSD carrier to at least one of the plurality of different SSD form factors.

3 . The SSD carrier of claim 1 , wherein the light pipe comprises:
a first elongate light conductor extending between a first light receiving end and a first light transmitting end; and a second elongate light conductor extending between a second light receiving end and the first light transmitting end.

4 . The SSD carrier of claim 3 , further comprising:
a second light pipe extending through the front structure and having an elongate light conductor extending between a third light receiving end and a second light transmitting end.

5 . The SSD carrier of claim 4 , further comprising a light pipe carrier structure disposed in the front structure of the SSD carrier, the light pipe carrier structure supporting the first light pipe and the second light pipe such that the first light receiving end of the first light pipe and the third light receiving end of the second light pipe are aligned with an indicator LED arrangement of a first of the plurality of SSD form factors, and the second light receiving end of the first light pipe and the third light receiving end of the second light pipe are aligned with an indicator LED arrangement of a second one of the plurality of SSD form factors.

6 . The SSD carrier of claim 2 , wherein:
the SSD includes a card edge connector at the rear thereof; and the adaptor includes a rear wall having an aperture therein for permitting passage of the card edge connector of the SSD therethrough.

7 . The SSD carrier of claim 2 , wherein the SSD carrier is configured for insertion in a bay of a compute system rack.

8 . The SSD carrier of claim 2 , wherein the SSD carrier is configured to occupy two bays of a compute system rack.

9 . A light pipe assembly, comprising:
a first light pipe comprising a first elongate light conductor adapted to extend through a front structure of a compute device carrier having a compute device disposed therein between a first light receiving end situated proximal to a first indicator light of the compute device and a first light transmitting end, wherein light from the first indicator light is conducted through the front structure of the compute device carrier to the first transmitting end.

10 . The light pipe assembly of claim 9 , further comprising:
a second light pipe comprising a second elongate light conductor extending through the front structure of the compute device carrier between a second light receiving end situated proximal to a second indicator light of the compute device and a second transmitting end, wherein light from the second indicator light is conducted to the second transmitting end of the second light pipe.

11 . The light pipe assembly of claim 10 , wherein the second light pipe further comprises a third elongate light conductor extending through the front structure of the compute device carrier between a third light receiving end spaced apart from the second light receiving end of the second light pipe and the second transmitting end of the second light pipe.

12 . The light pipe assembly of claim 11 , further comprising:
a housing, comprising a first housing component and a second housing component engaged with the first housing component, the housing being disposed within the front structure of the compute device carrier and supporting the first light pipe and the second light pipe such that the first light receiving end of the first light pipe and the second light receiving end of the second light pipe are aligned with a first compute device indicator LED arrangement, and the first light receiving end of the first light pipe and the second light receiving end of the second light pipe are aligned with a second compute device indicator LED arrangement.

13 . The light pipe assembly of claim 10 , wherein the compute device comprises a solid-state drive (SSD) having at least two indicator LEDs on a front face thereof. 14 The light pipe assembly of claim 13 , wherein first light transmitting end and the second light transmitting end are spaced further apart than the at least two indicator LEDs on the front face of the SSD.

15 . A method of installing a solid state drive (SSD) in a compute system rack, comprising:
providing an adaptable SSD carrier, the SSD carrier comprising:
a front structure,
a first side structure extending perpendicularly from a first end of the front structure, and
a second side structure extending perpendicularly from a second end of the front structure, the front structure and the first and second side structures defining an internal volume sufficient to contain the SSD;
providing at least one light pipe extending through in the front structure, the at least one light pipe configured to direct light from at least one indicator LED on a front face of the SSD to a location on a front face of the front structure; and inserting the adaptable SSD carrier and the SSD into a bay of the compute system rack such that the front face of the front structure is exposed at a front of the compute system rack.

16 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
inserting an adaptor between the first side structure and the second side structure to conform the adaptable carrier to at least one of the plurality of SSD form factors.

17 . The method of claim 15 , wherein providing the at least one light pipe comprises:
providing a first elongate light conductor extending between a first light receiving end and a first light transmitting end; and providing a second elongate light conductor extending between a second light receiving end and the first light transmitting end.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein providing the at least one light pipe further comprises:
providing second light pipe having an elongate light conductor extending between a third a light receiving end and a second light transmitting end.

19 . The method of claim 18 , further comprising:
disposing a light pipe carrier structure in the front structure of the adaptable SSD carrier, the light pipe carrier structure supporting the first light pipe and the second light pipe such that the first light receiving end of the first light pipe and the light receiving end of the second light pipe are aligned with an indicator LED arrangement of a first of the plurality of SSD form factors, and the second light receiving end of the first light pipe and the light receiving end of the second light pipe are aligned with an indicator LED arrangement of a second of the plurality of SSD form factors.

20 . The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
providing an aperture in a rear wall of t

Assignees

• Hewlett Packard Entpr Dev Lp

Inventors

• Norton John
• Kaler Paul
• Tower Daniel W

Classifications

• G06F1/187 Primary

  Mounting of fixed or removable disk drives · CPC title

• H05K7/14

  Mounting supporting structure in casing or on frame or rack · CPC title

• G02B6/0006

  Coupling light into the fibre (in general G02B6/4298) · CPC title