Insertion/ejection assist mechanism for removable storage cartridge system
View Patent ↗A removable storage cartridge system includes a rack and pinion gear reduction mechanism that assists in extending an eject spring and may assist in engaging a pair of data interface connectors as a cartridge is inserted into the system, and that may further function as a gear multiplication mechanism that assists in disengaging the pair of data interface connectors as the cartridge is ejected from the system.
1. A removable storage cartridge system comprising:
an enclosure comprising a bay configured to house a removable storage device;
a removable storage device carriage configured to removably couple with a removable storage device;
a rack gear;
a mounting bracket movably coupled with said enclosure within said bay; and
a pinion gear;
wherein said rack gear is configured to interact with said pinion gear to form a gear reduction mechanism that, in direct response to a first pushing force applied directly or indirectly to said carriage, assists in extending an eject spring.
2. The removable storage cartridge system of claim 1 ,
wherein said rack gear is configured to interact with said pinion gear to further assist in engaging a removable storage device data interface connector with a system circuit board data interface connector.
3. The removable storage cartridge system of claim 2 , wherein said rack gear is configured to interact with said pinion gear to form a gear multiplication mechanism that, in direct response to a second pushing force applied directly or indirectly to said carriage, assists in disengaging said removable storage device data interface connector from said system circuit board data interface connector.
4. The removable storage cartridge system of claim 3 , wherein said rack gear functions as a driven gear and said pinion gear functions as a drive gear in said gear multiplication mechanism.
5. The removable storage cartridge system of claim 1 ,
wherein said carriage comprises said rack gear; and
wherein said mounting bracket comprises said pinion gear.
6. The removable storage cartridge system of claim 1 , wherein said rack gear functions as a drive gear and said pinion gear functions as a driven gear in said gear reduction mechanism.
7. The removable storage cartridge system of claim 1 , wherein said eject spring is fixed at one end to said enclosure and connected at another end to said mounting bracket and extends in response to translation of said mounting bracket within said enclosure.
8. The removable storage cartridge system of claim 1 , wherein said enclosure comprises a plurality of bays each configured to house a respective removable storage device, wherein said removable storage cartridge system further comprises:
a plurality of removable storage device carriages each configured to removably couple with a respective removable storage device; and
a plurality of mounting brackets each movably coupled with said enclosure within a respective bay of said plurality of bays.
9. The removable storage cartridge system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a removable storage device removably coupled with said carriage.
10. A method of configuring a removable storage cartridge system, the method comprising:
inserting a removable storage device cartridge, comprising a removable storage device housed in a carriage, into an enclosure bay mounting bracket;
wherein said inserting includes engaging a rack gear with a pinion gear to form a gear reduction mechanism that operates to assist in extending an eject spring.
11. The method of claim 10 , wherein said inserting further includes engaging a removable storage device data interface connector with a system circuit board data interface connector.
12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
ejecting said removable storage device cartridge from within said enclosure bay mounting bracket;
wherein said ejecting includes operating said rack gear with said pinion gear to form a gear multiplication mechanism that operates to assist in disengaging said removable storage device data interface connector from said system circuit board data interface connector.
13. The method of claim 12 , wherein said rack gear functions as a driven gear and said pinion gear functions as a drive gear in said gear multiplication mechanism.
14. The method of claim 10 , wherein said rack gear functions as a drive gear and said pinion gear functions as a driven gear in said gear reduction mechanism.
15. The method of claim 10 ,
wherein said carriage comprises said rack gear;
wherein said mounting bracket comprises said pinion gear; and
wherein said eject spring is fixed at one end to said enclosure and connected at another end to said mounting bracket and extends in response to translation of said mounting bracket within said enclosure.
16. A removable storage system enclosure comprising:
a bay configured to house a removable storage device;
a mounting bracket within said bay, wherein said mounting bracket comprises a pinion gear; and
an eject spring fixed at one end to said enclosure and connected at another end to said mounting bracket;
wherein said pinion gear is configured to interact with a removable storage device carriage rack gear to form a gear reduction mechanism that, in direct response to a first pushing force applied directly or indirectly to said carriage, assists in extending said eject spring.
17. The removable storage system enclosure of claim 16 , wherein said gear reduction mechanism further assists in engaging a removable storage device data interface connector with a system circuit board data interface connector;
wherein said pinion gear is configured to interact with said rack gear to form a gear multiplication mechanism that, in direct response to a second pushing force applied directly or indirectly to said carriage, assists in disengaging said removable storage device data interface connector from said system circuit board data interface connector.
18. The removable storage system enclosure of claim 16 , said enclosure further comprising:
a plurality of bays each configured to house a respective removable storage device; and
a plurality of mounting brackets each within a respective bay of said plurality of bays.
19. A removable storage device carriage configured to removably couple with a removable storage device, the carriage comprising:
a rack gear;
wherein said rack gear is configured to interact with a removable storage system mounting bracket pinion gear to form a gear reduction mechanism that, in direct response to a first pushing force applied directly or indirectly to said carriage, assists in extending an eject spring.
20. The removable storage device carriage of claim 19 , wherein said gear reduction mechanism further assists in engaging a removable storage device data interface connector with a system circuit board data interface connector;
wherein said rack gear is configured to interact with said pinion gear to form a gear multiplication mechanism that, in direct response to a second pushing force applied directly or indirectly to said carriage, assists in disengaging said removable storage device data interface connector from said system circuit board data interface connector.