Multi-stage information handling resource release latch for use in a modular information handling system chassis

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9258913-B2
Application number	US-201314093673-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 2, 2013
Priority date	Dec 2, 2013
Publication date	Feb 9, 2016
Grant date	Feb 9, 2016

Abstract

In accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure, a multi-stage latch assembly for facilitating removal of a structural element from a chassis may include a lock and a latch. The lock may be configured to toggle between a locked state and an unlocked state. The latch may be configured to translate between a first position and a second position such that the latch is in the first position when the lock is in the locked state and the latch is in the second position when the lock is in the unlocked state.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A multi-stage latch assembly for facilitating removal of a structural element from a chassis, comprising:
a lock configured to toggle between a locked state and an unlocked state;
a latch configured to translate between a first position and a second position such that the latch is in the first position when the lock is in the locked state and the latch is in the second position when the lock is in the unlocked state; and
an indicator other than the lock itself or a portion thereof and other than the latch itself or a portion thereof configured to provide a user-visible indication that the lock is in the unlocked state.

2. The multi-stage latch assembly of claim 1 , wherein the latch is configured to translate from the second position to a third position in response to force applied to the latch by a user and configured to translate from the third position to the second position in response to withdrawal of force by the user to the latch.

3. The multi-stage latch assembly of claim 2 , further comprising an indicator other than the latch itself configured to provide a user-visible indication that the latch has been translated from the second position.

4. The multi-stage latch assembly of claim 3 , wherein the user-visible indication other than the latch itself comprises a user-visible indication other than mechanical components for translating the latch, mechanical components for maintaining the latch in the first position, and mechanical components for maintaining the latch in the second position.

5. The multi-stage latch assembly of claim 1 , wherein the latch is substantially flush with a surface of the structural element in the first position and is substantially non-flush with the surface in the second position such that the latch in the second position is more accessible to a user than the latch in the first position.

6. The multi-stage latch assembly of claim 1 , wherein the structural element is a drawer configured to carry one or more information handling resources.

7. The multi-stage latch assembly of claim 1 , wherein the user-visible indication other than the lock itself comprises a user-visible indication other than mechanical components for translating the lock, mechanical components for maintaining the lock in the locked state, mechanical components for maintaining the lock in the unlocked state, mechanical components for translating the latch, mechanical components for maintaining the latch in the first position, and mechanical components for maintaining the latch in the second position.

8. A chassis drawer configured to carry one or more modular information handling resources, the chassis drawer comprising:
one or more structural elements for carrying the one or more modular information handling systems and configured such that the chassis drawer may translate between an open position and a closed position relative to a chassis while the chassis drawer is disposed in the chassis; and
a multi-stage latch assembly coupled to at least one of the one or more structural elements, the multi-stage latch assembly comprising:
a lock configured to toggle between a locked state and an unlocked state;
a latch configured to translate between a first position and a second position such that the latch is in the first position when the lock is in the locked state and the latch is in the second position when the lock is in the unlocked state; and
an indicator other than the lock itself or a portion thereof and other than the latch itself or a portion thereof configured to provide a user-visible indication that the lock is in the unlocked state.

9. The chassis drawer of claim 8 , wherein the latch is configured to translate from the second position to a third position in response to force applied to the latch by a user and configured to translate from the third position to the second position in response to withdrawal of force by the user to the latch.

10. The chassis drawer of claim 9 , the multi-stage latch assembly further comprising an indicator other than the latch itself configured to provide a user-visible indication that the latch has been translated from the second position.

11. The chassis drawer of claim 10 , wherein the user-visible indication other than the latch itself comprises a user-visible indication other than mechanical components for translating the latch, mechanical components for maintaining the latch in the first position, and mechanical components for maintaining the latch in the second position.

12. The chassis drawer of claim 8 , wherein the latch is substantially flush with a surface of the chassis drawer in the first position and is substantially non-flush with the surface in the second position such that the latch in the second position is more accessible to a user than the latch in the first position.

13. The chassis drawer of claim 8 , wherein the user-visible indication other than the lock itself comprises a user-visible indication other than mechanical components for translating the lock, mechanical components for maintaining the lock in the locked state, mechanical components for maintaining the lock in the unlocked state, mechanical components for translating the latch, mechanical components for maintaining the latch in the first position, and mechanical components for maintaining the latch in the second position.

14. A method comprising:
toggling a lock of a multi-stage latch assembly for facilitating removal of a structural element from a chassis between a locked state and an unlocked state responsive to user interaction with the lock;
translating a latch between a first position and a second position such that the latch is in the first position when the lock is in the locked state and the latch is in the second position when the lock is in the unlocked state; and
displaying a user-visible indication other than the latch itself or a portion thereof and other than the lock itself or a portion thereof that that the latch has been translated from the second position.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising, translating the latch from the second position to a third position in response to force applied to the latch by the a and configured to translate from the third position to the second position in response to withdrawal of force by the user to the latch.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising displaying a user-visible indication other than the latch itself that the latch has been translated from the second position.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein the latch is substantially flush with a surface of the structural element in the first position and is substantially non-flush with the surface in the second position such that the latch in the second position is more accessible to a user than the latch in the first position.

18. The method of claim 14 , further comprising displaying a user-visible indication other than the lock itself that the lock is in the unlocked state responsive to the lock toggling from the locked state to the unlocked state.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the user-visible indication other than the lock itself comprises a user-visible indication other than mechanical components for translating the lock, mechanical components for maintaining the lock in the locked state, mechanical components for maintaining the lock in the unlocked state, mechanical components for translating the latch, mechanical components for maintaining the latch in the first position, and mechanical components for maintaining the latch in the second position.

Assignees

• Dell Products Lp

Inventors

• Terwilliger Kevin D
• Crisp Richard Andrew

Classifications

• H05K7/1487

  Blade assemblies, e.g. blade cases or inner arrangements within a blade · CPC title

• Y10T403/59

  Manually releaseable latch type · CPC title

• H05K5/0221 Primary

  Locks; Latches · CPC title