Hard disk enclosure blade

Abstract

A hard disk enclosure blade includes an enclosure insertable into a rack, a number of slots, a lever, and a flap. Each slot can receive a tray holding hard disk drives. The lever allows the enclosure to be pushed into and pulled from the rack. The lever has an open position in which the enclosure is removable from the rack, and a closed position in which the enclosure is not removable. The flap has a first flap position in which the flap is disposed across the slots and in which the lever is movable from its closed to its open position, and a second flap position in which the lever is not movable from the closed to the open position. Where the slots are all empty, the flap reverts to the first flap position. Insertion of a tray into a slot forces the flap to the second flap position.

1 . A hard disk enclosure blade comprising:
 an enclosure insertable into a rack;   a plurality of slots, each slot receptive to a tray capable of holding one or more hard disk drives;   a lever by which the enclosure is pushed into the rack and pulled out of the rack, the lever having an open position in which the enclosure is removable from the rack and a closed position in which the enclosure is not removable from the rack; and,   a flap having a first flap position in which the flap is disposed across the slots and the lever is movable from the closed position to the open position, and a second flap position in which the lever is not movable from the closed position to the open position,   wherein where the slots are all empty, the flap reverts to the first flap position, and where insertion of a tray into one of the slots forces the flap to the second flap position.   
   
   
       2 . The hard disk enclosure blade of  claim 1 , further comprising one or more pins, the pins having a first pins position in which the lever is movable from the closed position to the open position, and a second pins position in which the lever is prevented from moving from the closed position to the open position,
 wherein, in the first flap position, the flap indirectly allows the lever to move from the closed position to the open position, in that, in the first flap position, the flap moves the pins from the second pins position to the first pins position,   and wherein, in the second flap position, the flap indirectly prevents the lever to move from the closed position to the open position, in that, in the second flap position, the flap moves the pins from the first pins position to the second pins position.   
   
   
       3 . The hard disk enclosure blade of  claim 2 , wherein the pins are attached to the flap. 
   
   
       4 . The hard disk enclosure blade of  claim 3 , wherein, in the flap moving from the first flap position to the second flap position, the pins are correspondingly moved from the first pins position to the second pins position due to their attachment to the flap, and in the flap moving from the second flap position to the first flap position, the pins are correspondingly moved from the second pins position to the first pins position due to their attachment to the flap. 
   
   
       5 . The hard disk enclosure blade of  claim 2 , wherein, in the first pins position, the pins do not block the lever so that the lever is able to move from the closed position to the open position, and in the second pins position, the pins block the lever so that the lever is unable to move from the closed position to the open position. 
   
   
       6 . The hard disk enclosure blade of  claim 1 , further comprising a spring to default the flap to the first flap position and to revert the flap to the first flap position upon complete emptying of the slots. 
   
   
       7 . The hard disk enclosure blade of  claim 1 , wherein insertion of a tray into one of the slots, where the slots are previously empty, pushes the flap so that the flap enters the second flap position. 
   
   
       8 . A hard disk enclosure blade comprising:
 an enclosure insertable into a rack;   a plurality of slots, each slot receptive to a tray capable of holding one or more hard disk drives;   a lever by which the enclosure is pushed into the rack and pulled out of the rack, the lever having an open position in which the enclosure is removable from the rack and a closed position in which the enclosure is not removable from the rack; and,   means for preventing the lever from moving from the closed position to the open position when any of the slots is occupied by a tray capable of holding one or more hard disk drives.   
   
   
       9 . The hard disk enclosure blade of  claim 8 , wherein the means comprises a flap, the flap having a first flap position in which the flap is disposed across the slots and the lever is movable from the closed position to the open position, and a second flap position in which the lever is not movable from the closed position to the open position. 
   
   
       10 . The hard disk enclosure blade of  claim 9 , wherein, where the slots are all empty, the flap reverts to the first flap position, and where insertion of a tray into one of the slots forces the flap to the second flap position. 
   
   
       11 . The hard disk enclosure blade of  claim 8 , wherein the means comprises one or more pins, the pins having a first pins position in which the lever is movable from the closed position to the open position, and a second pins position in which the lever is prevented from moving from the closed position to the open position. 
   
   
       12 . The hard disk enclosure blade of  claim 11 , wherein the means further comprises a flap, the flap having a first flap position and a second flap position, in the first flap position the flap moves the pins from the second pins position to the first pins position, and in the second flap position the flap moves the pins from the first pins position to the second pins position. 
   
   
       13 . The hard disk enclosure blade of  claim 12 , wherein the pins are attached to the flap. 
   
   
       14 . A hard disk enclosure blade comprising:
 an enclosure insertable into a rack;   a plurality of slots, each slot receptive to a tray capable of holding one or more hard disk drives;   a lever by which the enclosure is pushed into the rack and pulled out of the rack, the lever having an open position in which the enclosure is removable from the rack and a closed position in which the enclosure is not removable from the rack; and,   a mechanism to prevent the lever from moving from the closed position to the open position when any of the slots is occupied by a tray capable of holding one or more hard disk drives.   
   
   
       15 . The hard disk enclosure blade of  claim 14 , wherein the mechanism comprises a flap, the flap having a first flap position in which the flap is disposed across the slots and the lever is movable from the closed position to the open position, and a second flap position in which the lever is not movable from the closed position to the open position. 
   
   
       16 . The hard disk enclosure blade of  claim 15 , wherein, where the slots are all empty, the flap reverts to the first flap position, and where insertion of a tray into one of the slots forces the flap to the second flap position. 
   
   
       17 . The hard disk enclosure blade of  claim 15 , wherein insertion of a tray into one of the slots, where the slots are previously empty, pushes the flap so that the flap enters the second flap position. 
   
   
       18 . The hard disk enclosure blade of  claim 14 , wherein the mechanism comprises one or more pins, the pins having a first pins position in which the lever is movable from the closed position to the open position, and a second pins position in which the lever is prevented from moving from the closed position to the open position. 
   
   
       19 . The hard disk enclosure blade of  claim 18 , wherein the mechanism further comprises a flap, the flap having a first flap position and a second flap position, in the first flap position the flap moves the pins from the second pins position to the first pins position, and in the second flap position the flap moves the pins from the first pins position to the second pins position. 
   
   
       20 . The hard disk enclosure blade of  claim 19 , wherein the pins are attached to the flap.