Information handling system device slot adapter with multiple device types and device slots supported

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025044840-A1
Application number	US-202318228620-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 31, 2023
Priority date	Jul 31, 2023
Publication date	Feb 6, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

An information handling system housing includes an interior frame that integrates removeable slot adapters and a garage to hold the slot adapters once separate from the frame. In one example embodiment, a slot adapter has plural support structures and screw openings with an offset bottom surface alignment pin so that insertion into openings in different device slots will support different types of devices, such as solid state drives (SSDs) and wireless network interface controllers.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An information handling system comprising:
a housing; a motherboard; a processor coupled to the motherboard and operable to execute instructions that process information; a memory coupled to the motherboard and interfaced with the processor, the memory operable to store the instructions and information; plural device slots defined on the motherboard and configured to accept plural types of devices having a plural footprints; and a slot adapter configured to couple at a first of the plural device slots in a first configuration to adapt the first device slot to a first of the plural footprints and to a second of the plural device slots in a second configuration to adapt the second device slot to a second of the plural footprints.

2 . The information handling system of claim 1 wherein:
a first of the plural device types comprises a 2280 solid state drive (SSD) having a signal interface at a first end and a screw opening at a second end opposite the first end; and
a second of the plural device types comprises a 2230 SSD having the signal interface at a first end and the screw opening at a second end, the slot adapter having an opening to accept a screw and a structure to elevate the second device over the device slot.

3 . The information handling system of claim 2 wherein the slot adapter couples in an upright orientation to adapt the first of the plural device slots to accept the 2230 SSD.

4 . The information handling system of claim 3 wherein the 2280 SSD has a standoff height in the device slot and the slot adapter in the upright orientation provides a standoff height with the structure for the 2230 SSD.

5 . The information handling system of claim 2 wherein:
a third of the plural devices comprises a first WNIC having a first footprint with a signal interface at a first end and coupled to a second of the plural device slots with a screw at a second end; and
a fourth of the plural devices comprises a second WNIC having a second footprint with a signal interface at a first end and coupled to the second device slot with a screw at a second end, the slot adapter having an opening to accept a screw and a structure to elevate the fourth device over the device slot.

6 . The information handling system of claim 5 wherein the slot adapter couples in an inverted orientation to adapt the second of the plural device slots to accept the fourth of the plural devices

7 . The information handling system of claim 6 further comprising a frame contained in the housing interior and having plural slot adapters removably integrated to separate from the frame and couple into a device slot.

8 . The information handling system of claim 7 further comprising a garage formed in the frame and sized to couple with the slot adapter once separate from the frame.

9 . The information handling system of claim 1 wherein the slot adapter further comprises an offset post extending down from a bottom surface to align a selected of plural screw openings with a device slot opening based upon the position of a post opening in the device slot.

10 . A method for coupling a selected of plural device types in a selected of plural device slot types of an information handling system, the method comprising:
placing the slot adapter in a first type of device slot with a first orientation to couple a first type of device; and placing the slot adapter in a second type of device slot with a second orientation to couple a second type of device.

11 . The method of claim 10 wherein:
the first orientation comprises an upright orientation; and
second orientation comprises an inverted orientation.

12 . The method of claim 11 wherein:
the first type of device comprises an SSD device; and
the second type of device comprises a WNIC device.

13 . The method of claim 10 wherein the first and second orientations comprise rotational orientations of the slot adapter.

14 . The method of claim 13 further comprising:
placing an offset alignment pin extending from a bottom of the slot adapter in a first alignment opening of a first device slot to adapt to a first device; and
placing the alignment pin in a second alignment opening of a second device slot to adapt to a second device.

15 . The method of claim 14 wherein the first device comprises an SSD device and the second device comprises a WNIC device.

16 . The method of claim 10 further comprising:
removably integrating the slot adapter into a frame of the interior of the information handling system;
separating the slot adapter from the frame to adapt a device slot to a device type; and
coupling the slot adapter into a garage of the frame after the slot adapter separates from the frame.

17 . A device slot adapter comprising:
a first support structure at a first screw opening to support a first device in a first device slot with a first slot adapter orientation; and a second support structure at a second screw opening to support a second device in a second device slot with a second slot adapter orientation.

18 . The device slot adapter of claim 17 wherein the first orientation comprises an upright orientation and the second orientation comprises an inverted orientation.

19 . The device slot adapter of claim 17 wherein the slot adapter has four screw openings in a circular configuration and the first and second orientations comprise rotational orientations.

20 . The device slot adapter of claim 19 having an alignment post extending from a bottom side of the slot adapter, the alignment post fitting into a device slot alignment opening to determine a rotational orientation of the slot adapter in a device slot.

Assignees

• Dell Products Lp

Inventors

• Wu Jing-Tang
• Chu Bo-Wei
• Chien Hui-Huan

Classifications

• G06F1/185

  Mounting of expansion boards · CPC title

• G06F1/1658 Primary

  related to the mounting of internal components, e.g. disc drive or any other functional module · CPC title

• H05K7/1407

  by turn-bolt or screw member · CPC title