Memory card placement within a solid state drive

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9583153-B1
Application number	US-201314090297-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Nov 26, 2013
Priority date	Jun 28, 2013
Publication date	Feb 28, 2017
Grant date	Feb 28, 2017

Abstract

A data storage device (DSD) with improved manufacturing method. The DSD includes a main printed circuit board (PCB) that includes a first PCB connector and a second PCB connector. The DSD also includes a first flash card mounted over the main PCB and including a flash memory and a flash card connector configured to connect to the first PCB connector, and a second flash card mounted over the main PCB and including a flash memory and a flash card connector configured to connect to the second PCB connector. The first flash card and the second flash card are mounted over the main PCB in a plane substantially parallel with the main PCB. The main PCB can be mounted to a base before connecting the first and second flash cards, or the first and second flash cards can be mounted to the main PCB before mounting to the base.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A data storage device (DSD) comprising:
a main printed circuit board (PCB) including a first PCB connector and a second PCB connector;
a first flash card mounted over the main PCB and including a first flash memory and a first flash card connector configured to connect to the first PCB connector;
a second flash card mounted over the main PCB and including a second flash memory and a second flash card connector configured to connect to the second PCB connector; and
a first clip attached to both a first edge portion of the first flash card and to a first edge portion of the second flash card,
wherein the first flash card and the second flash card are mounted over the main PCB in a plane substantially parallel with the main PCB.

2. The DSD of claim 1 , wherein each respective flash card of the first flash card and the second flash card mirror each other about a length of the respective flash card such that each flash card of the first flash card and the second flash card can connect to either the first PCB connector or the second PCB connector.

3. The DSD of claim 1 , further comprising a second clip attached to both a second edge portion of the first flash card and to a second edge portion of the second flash card, wherein the first edge portions of the first flash card and the second flash card are opposite the second edge portions of the first flash card and the second flash card.

4. The DSD of claim 1 , wherein each respective flash card of the first flash card and the second flash card includes a recess in an edge of the respective flash card configured to secure the first clip.

5. The DSD of claim 1 , wherein the first PCB connector is located on a first edge portion of the main PCB and the second PCB connector is located on a second edge portion of the main PCB with the first edge portion of the main PCB opposite the second edge portion of the main PCB.

6. The DSD of claim 1 , further comprising a base, wherein each flash card of the first flash card and the second flash card is directly secured to the main PCB and indirectly secured to the base through the main PCB which is directly secured to the base.

7. The DSD of claim 1 , further comprising a base, wherein each flash card of the first flash card and the second flash card is directly secured to the base.

8. The DSD of claim 7 , wherein the base comprises a first standoff configured to extend beyond the main PCB for connection to the first flash card and a second standoff configured to extend beyond the main PCB for connection to the second flash card.

9. The DSD of claim 1 , further comprising a cover including a first hard stop configured to brace the first flash card and a second hard stop configured to brace the second flash card.

10. A method for assembling a data storage device (DSD), the method comprising:
securing a main printed circuit board (PCB) to a base, wherein the main PCB includes a first PCB connector and a second PCB connector;
securing a first flash card to the base such that the first flash card is mounted over the main PCB in a plane substantially parallel to the main PCB and a flash card connector of the first flash card is connected to the first PCB connector;
securing a second flash card to the base such that the second flash card is mounted over the main PCB in the plane substantially parallel to the main PCB and a flash card connector of the second flash card is connected to the second PCB connector; and
attaching a first clip to both a first edge portion of the first flash card and to a first edge portion of the second flash card.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the first clip is attached to the first edge portions of the first flash card and the second flash card by securing the first clip into a recess in an edge of each flash card of the first flash card and the second flash card.

12. The method of claim 10 , further comprising attaching a second clip to both a second edge portion of the first flash card and to a second edge portion of the second flash card, wherein the first edge portions of the first flash card and the second flash card are opposite the second edge portions of the first flash card and the second flash card.

13. The method of claim 10 , further comprising securing a cover to the base so as to define an interior cavity of the DSD, the base including a first protrusion protruding toward the first flash card and a second protrusion protruding toward the second flash card.

14. A method for assembling a data storage device (DSD), the method comprising:
securing a first flash card to a main printed circuit board (PCB) including a first PCB connector and a second PCB connector such that the first flash card is mounted over the main PCB in a plane substantially parallel to the main PCB and a flash card connector of the first flash card is connected to the first PCB connector;
securing a second flash card to the main PCB such that the second flash card is mounted over the main PCB in the plane substantially parallel to the main PCB and a flash card connector of the second flash card is connected to the second PCB connector;
securing the main PCB with the first flash card and the second flash card to a base; and
securing a cover to the base so as to define an interior cavity of the DSD, the base including a first protrusion protruding toward the first flash card and a second protrusion protruding toward the second flash card.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising attaching a first clip to both a first edge portion of the first flash card and to a first edge portion of the second flash card.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the first clip is attached to the first edge portions of the first flash card and the second flash card by securing the first clip into a recess in an edge of each flash card of the first flash card and the second flash card.

17. The method of claim 15 , further comprising attaching a second clip to both a second edge portion of the first flash card and to a second edge portion of the second flash card, wherein the first edge portions of the first flash card and the second flash card are opposite the second edge portions of the first flash card and the second flash card.

18. A data storage device (DSD) comprising:
a main printed circuit board (PCB) including a first PCB connector and a second PCB connector;
a first flash card mounted over the main PCB and including a first flash memory and a first flash card connector configured to connect to the first PCB connector;
a second flash card mounted over the main PCB and including a second flash memory and a second flash card connector configured to connect to the second PCB connector;
a base secured to the main PCB and to each flash card of the first flash card and second flash card; and
a cover secured to the base so as to define an interior cavity of the DSD, the base including a first protrusion protruding toward the first flash card and a second protrusion protruding toward the second flash card,
wherein the first flash card and the second flash card are mounted over the main PCB in a plane substantially parallel with the main PCB.

19. The DSD of claim 18 , wherein each flash card of the first flash card and the second flash card mirror each other about a length of a respective first flash card or the second flash card such that each flash card of the first flash card and the second flash card can connect to either the first PCB connector or the second PCB connector.

20. The DSD of claim 18 , further

Assignees

• Western Digital Tech Inc

Inventors

• Sarraf Mohammad
• Hoang Cuong
• Myers John P

Classifications

• G06F1/187

  Mounting of fixed or removable disk drives · CPC title

• G11C5/12

  Apparatus or processes for interconnecting storage elements, e.g. for threading magnetic cores · CPC title

• G11C5/04 Primary

  Supports for storage elements {, e.g. memory modules}; Mounting or fixing of storage elements on such supports · CPC title

• G06F1/183 Primary

  Internal mounting support structures, e.g. for supporting printed circuit boards · CPC title

• G11B33/025 Primary

  Portable cases · CPC title