Removable hard drive module for a computer with improved thermal performance
A removable hard drive magazine for a computer with improved thermal performance has been developed. The invention includes a hot pluggable magazine module for organizing multiple hard drives in a computer that includes multiple of hard drives and a sleeve with a plurality of rail slots in the side of the sleeve. A slide rail is attached to the side of each hard drive, where the slide rail is inserted into a rail slot of the sleeve so that the slide rail is exposed externally to the sleeve and is in contact with a thermally conductive elastomeric coupler. A hard drive receptacle that is mounted in the computer is included. The receptacle includes guide slots that mate with the exposed slide rails of the hard drives. A heat sink is mounted on the receptacle that receives heat transferred from the plurality of hard drives through the thermally conductive elastomeric coupler. Finally, a backplane located in rear of the hard drive receptacle, where the backplane attaches the module to the computer.
1. A hot pluggable module for organizing multiple hard drives in a computer, comprising:
a plurality of hard drives;
a sleeve with a plurality of rail slots in the side of the sleeve;
at least one slide rail that is attached to the side of each hard drive, where the slide rail is inserted into a rail slot of the sleeve so that the slide rail is exposed externally to the sleeve and is in contact with a thermally conductive elastomeric coupler;
a hard drive receptacle that is mounted in the computer, where the receptacle includes guide slots that mate with the exposed slide rails of the hard drives;
a heat sink mounted on the receptacle that receives heat transferred from the plurality of hard drives through the thermally conductive elastomeric coupler; and
a backplane located in rear of the hard drive receptacle, where the backplane attaches the module to the computer.
2. The module of claim 1 , further comprising:
a binder bar that binds each of the hard drives together.
3. The module of claim 2 , further comprising:
a face plate mounted on the front of each hard drive.
4. The module of claim 3 , where the binder bar binds the hard drives together by attaching to the face plates of the hard drives.
5. The module of claim 4 , where the binder bar is attached to the hard drives with a knurled knob.
6. The module of claim 1 , where each hard drive comprises a SATA drive.
7. The module of claim 1 , where each hard drives comprises a SAS drive.
8. The module of claim 1 , where the each hard drive is a 2.5″ hard drive.
9. The module of claim 1 , where the sleeve has a capacity to hold two hard drives.
10. The module of claim 1 , where the sleeve has a capacity to hold four hard drives.
11. The module of claim 1 , where the sleeve has a capacity to hold eight hard drives.
12. The module of claim 1 , where the sleeve has a capacity to hold twelve hard drives.
13. The module of claim 1 , where the sleeve has a capacity to hold sixteen hard drives.
14. The module of claim 1 , where the slide rails fit into the rail slots so that each hard drive may float within the sleeve.
15. The module of claim 14 , where the hard drive may float within the sleeve between 0.03 to 0.06 inches.
16. The module of claim 1 , where each hard drive may be separately removed from the module.
17. The module of claim 1 , further comprising:
a retainer bar that secures the module inside the computer.
18. The module of claim 1 , where the computer comprises a portable workstation computer.
19. The module of claim 18 , where the computer comprises a server.
20. The module of claim 18 , where the backplane connects to a hard drive controller of the computer.
21. The module of claim 20 , where the hard drive controller comprises a RAID controller.
22. The module of claim 21 , where computer has a JBOD configuration.