Computer component connector

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9709618-B2
Application number	US-201514950305-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 24, 2015
Priority date	Sep 14, 2012
Publication date	Jul 18, 2017
Grant date	Jul 18, 2017

Abstract

A computer component mounting assembly includes a carrier to support a hard drive and a data connector. The carrier is configured to slidably receive the hard drive along a first axis. The data connector includes a first connector configured to mate to pins of the hard drive, a second connector configured to mate to a SATA data connector, and a flexible cable connecting the two. The first connector includes an alignment feature to engage a corresponding alignment feature on the hard drive. The first connector is coupled to the carrier and slidable in a plane perpendicular to the first axis, and the first connector is configured such that when carrier receives the hard drive and the alignment feature engages the corresponding alignment feature the first connector moves in the plane perpendicular to the first axis to provide alignment of the first connector to the pins of the hard drive.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for detecting that a hard disk drive is inserted into a carrier, comprising: supporting a first connector of a data connector on the carrier, the first connector configured to mate to a plurality of pins of the hard disk drive; applying power to a first pin of the first connector; and sensing that a signal on a second pin of the first connector shifts from low to high when power is applied to the first pin; and further sensing that the signal on the second pin stays at low when power is applied to the first pin of the first connector; and determining, based on the sensed low signal, that a successful connection has not been made between the first connector and the hard disk drive.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising designating the first and second pins, out of the plurality of pins, to apply and sense power, respectively.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the first and second pins are connected through respective conducting lines of a flexible cable.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising not applying power to the second pin when applying power to the first pin.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining, based on the sensed high signal on the second pin, that a successful connection has been made between the first connector and the hard disk drive.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising providing visual indication of the successful connection through a controller board coupled with the hard disk drive.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
shorting the first and second pins; and
based on the shorted first and second pins, shifting the signal from low to high.

8. A hard disk drive detection apparatus, comprising: a computer component assembly comprising a hard disk drive; a carrier that couples the hard disk drive to a board controller, the carrier comprising a data connector that comprises a first connector configured to mate to a plurality of pins of the hard disk drive, the board controller comprising a processor that is operable to execute instructions stored on the board controller to perform operations comprising: applying power to a first pin of the first connector; and sensing that a signal on a second pin of the first connector shifts from low to high when power is applied to the first pin; and wherein the operations further include sensing that the signal on the second pin stays at low when power is applied to the first pin of the first connector; and determining, based on the sensed low signal, that a successful connection has not been made between the first connector and the hard disk drive.

9. The hard disk drive detection apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the operations further comprise:
designating the first and second pins, out of the plurality of pins, to apply and sense power, respectively.

10. The hard disk drive detection apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the first and second pins are connected through respective conducting lines of a flexible cable.

11. The hard disk drive detection apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the operations further comprise:
not applying power to the second pin when applying power to the first pin.

12. The hard disk drive detection apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the operations further comprise:
determining, based on the sensed high signal on the second pin, that a successful connection has been made between the first connector and the hard disk drive.

13. The hard disk drive detection apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the operations further comprise:
providing visual indication of the successful connection through a controller board coupled with the hard disk drive.

14. The hard disk drive detection apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the operations further comprise:
shorting the first and second pins; and
based on the shorted first and second pins, shifting the signal from low to high.

Assignees

• Google Inc

Inventors

• Lau Michael Chi Kin
• Spaulding Jeffrey S
• Dalal Jinal

Classifications

• G06F1/187

  Mounting of fixed or removable disk drives · CPC title

• G11B33/08

  Insulation or absorption of undesired vibrations or sounds · CPC title

• H01R12/771

  Details · CPC title

• H01R12/91

  allowing relative movement between coupling parts, e.g. floating or self aligning (for coupling devices not specially adapted for printed circuits, flat or ribbon cables, or like generally planar structures, H01R13/6315 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01R12/716 Primary

  Coupling device provided on the PCB · CPC title