Server having a latch

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9609778-B1
Application number	US-201514875066-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Oct 5, 2015
Priority date	Oct 5, 2015
Publication date	Mar 28, 2017
Grant date	Mar 28, 2017

Abstract

Example techniques for using a release latch to access a second tray of a server are disclosed. An example method includes operating a server in a rack. A release latch is engaged to initiate movement of a first tray of the server away from a second tray located behind the first tray. The second tray can then be accessed to remove and replace a storage drive from the second tray while the server remains in operation.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
operating a server in a rack, the server comprising a first tray, a second tray, and a processing component, wherein the second tray is behind the first tray on a same level of the server;
engaging a latch to initiate moving the first tray from the second tray to facilitate access to a storage drive in the second tray; and
removing the storage drive from the second tray while the server remains in operation,
wherein a front surface of the latch comprises text related to access of the second tray, and wherein the front surface is tilted upward at an angle about 30° to about 60° with respect to a vertical axis of the front surface to promote visibility of the text when the latch is not engaged.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the processing component comprises a processor, memory, and other circuitry, and wherein the first tray and the second tray each comprise multiple storage drives.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein moving the first tray comprises sliding the first tray to at least partially outside of the server, and further comprising locking the first tray in place when the first tray is moved from the second tray.

4. The method of claim 1 , comprising installing a new storage drive into the second tray to replace the storage drive removed.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the latch comprises a release latch, and wherein engaging the release latch comprises rotating or pulling the release latch, or a combination thereof.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein engaging the latch releases a latch component associated with the first tray from a chassis of the server.

7. A server for a rack, the server comprising:
a processing component at a back portion of the server;
a first tray at a front portion of the server;
a second tray at a middle portion of the server behind the first tray, wherein the first tray and the second tray are on a same level of the server; and
a release latch on the front portion of the server to initiate movement of the first tray with respect to the second tray to facilitate access to the second tray,
wherein a front surface of the release latch comprises text indicating the second tray is accessed by engaging the release latch, and wherein the front surface, when the release latch is not engaged, is tilted upward at an angle about 30° to about 60° with respect to a vertical axis of the front surface to promote visibility of the text.

8. The server of claim 7 , wherein the processing component comprises a processor and volatile memory, and wherein the first tray comprises a first set of storage drives coupled to the processing component, and the second tray comprises a second set of storage drives coupled to the processing component.

9. The server of claim 7 , wherein the release latch comprises a latching component engaged with a chassis of the server.

10. The server of claim 9 , wherein the latching component comprises a hook.

11. The server of claim 7 , comprising rails and a locking component, wherein the movement comprises sliding of the first tray from the second tray via the rails, and locking of the first tray in place via the locking component when the first tray is moved from the second tray.

12. The server of claim 7 , wherein the release latch is at least one of rotated or pulled to initiate movement of the first tray.

13. The server of claim 7 , wherein the server comprises a removable faceplate at a front of the first tray.

14. A server rack comprising:
a frame; and
a server disposed on a level of the server rack, the server comprising:
a processing component at a back portion of the server;
a first tray at a front portion of the server;
a second tray at a middle portion of the server and behind the first tray; and
a release latch on the front portion of the server to initiate movement of the first tray with respect to the second tray to facilitate access to the second tray,
wherein a front surface of the release latch comprises text indicating the second tray is accessed by engaging the release latch, and wherein the front surface is tilted upward at an angle about 30° to about 60° with respect to a vertical axis of the front surface when the release latch is not engaged by a user to promote visibility of the text.

15. The server rack of claim 14 , wherein:
the processing component comprises a processor and volatile memory;
the first tray comprises a first set of storage drives coupled to the processing component; and
the second tray comprises a second set of storage drives coupled to the processing component, wherein the first tray and the second tray are on a same level of the server, and wherein the release latch is to initiate the movement of the first tray with respect to the second tray to facilitate access to a storage drive of the second tray.

16. The server rack of claim 14 , wherein the release latch comprises a hook engaged with a chassis of the server.

17. The server rack of claim 14 , wherein the release latch is at least one of pulled or rotated to initiate movement of the first tray, and wherein the movement comprises sliding the first tray from the second tray via a moving element to at least partially outside the server rack, and locking via a locking component the first tray in place when moved from the second tray.

Assignees

• Hewlett Packard Development Co Lp
• Hewlett Packard Entpr Dev Lp

Inventors

• Spencer Stephen
• Moore Earl W
• Nguyen Vincent

Classifications

• A47B88/04

  Human Necessities · mapped topic

• H05K7/1411 Primary

  for securing or extracting box-type drawers · CPC title

• G06F1/183

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

• H05K7/1489 Primary

  characterized by the mounting of blades therein, e.g. brackets, rails, trays (H05K7/1491 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A47B88/80 Primary

  Concealed drawers · CPC title