Storage medium protection system

• US 20060064709A1
• Filed: 08/22/2005
• Published: 03/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Digital SITE Management LLC
• Original Assignee: Digital SITE Management LLC
• Inventors: Baily, Timothy A., Throckmorton, John A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,245,491 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 720/649
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/022 Cases
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/12 Disposition of constructional parts in the apparatus, e.g. of power supply, of modules
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/1413 by fluid cooling
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/142 by air cooling
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/1446 Reducing contamination, e.g. by dust, debris
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/1466 sealing gaskets, gasket in general F16J

Abstract

Disclosed is a storage medium protection system for protecting one or more storage media from the effects of one or more undesirable conditions. The system includes an enclosure formed from a material resistant to the one or more undesirable conditions, and the storage medium is positioned within the interior of the enclosure. Further, the system provides a sealing mechanism for sealing a circulation passageway of the enclosure in the event of an occurrence of the one or more undesirable conditions.

Claims

1. A storage medium protection system for protecting at least one storage medium from the effects of at least one undesirable condition, the system comprising:

an enclosure formed from a specified material resistant to the undesirable condition, the storage medium positioned within an interior area of the enclosure;

at least one circulation passageway extending through a wall of the enclosure and configured to permit fluid communication of a cooling medium between the interior area of the enclosure and ambient air;

at least one cooling mechanism in operational communication with the interior area of the enclosure and configured to cool the storage medium; and

at least one sealing mechanism configured to seal the circulation passageway in the event of the undesirable condition, wherein the sealing mechanism is at least partially formed from the specified material resistant to the undesirable condition.

2. The protection system of claim 1, wherein the undesirable condition is tampering, fire, flood, heat, humidity, water, lightening, pressure, impact or any combination thereof.

3. The protection system of claim 1, wherein the specified material is a tamper-proof material, a fire-proof material, a heat-resistant material, a water-proof material, a water-resistant material, a lightening-proof material, an impact-resistant material, a pressure-resistant material or any combination thereof.

4. The protection system of claim 1, wherein the sealing mechanism is a rotating door positioned substantially adjacent the circulation passageway and configured to rotate over and seal the circulation passageway in the event of the undesirable condition.

5. The protection system of claim 1, further comprising a power supply device positioned in the interior area of the enclosure and configured to provide power to the storage medium, the cooling mechanism, the sealing mechanism or any combination thereof.

6. The protection system of claim 1, further comprising an entry circulation passageway configured to allow the cooling medium to be circulated therethrough and to the interior area of the enclosure, and an exit circulation passageway configured to allow the circulated cooling medium to exit the interior area of the enclosure, wherein each passageway can be sealed by the sealing mechanism.

7. The protection system of claim 6, wherein the cooling medium is air, and wherein the cooling mechanism is a fan positioned in operational communication with the interior area of the enclosure and configured to move ambient air through the entry circulation passageway, circulate the air through the interior area of the enclosure and force the circulated air out of the exit circulation passageway.

8. The protection system of claim 1, wherein the sealing mechanism is a retractable and extendable door configured to extend towards and seal the circulation passageway in the event of the undesirable condition.

9. The protection system of claim 1, wherein the cooling medium is air, and wherein the system further comprises an air direction element positioned in the interior area of the enclosure and configured to direct circulation air, which is moved through the circulation passageway, through an area adjacent the storage medium.

10. The protection system of claim 1, wherein the enclosure comprises a first enclosure portion and a second enclosure portion, wherein the first and second enclosure portions are spaced in an open position, thereby forming the circulation passageway, wherein the first and second enclosure portions are abutting in a closed position, thereby acting as the sealing mechanism for sealing the circulation passageway in the event of the undesirable condition.

11. The protection system of claim 10, wherein the first and second enclosure portions are halves of a sphere, such that in the closed position, the first and second enclosure portions form a sealed sphere.

12. The protection system of claim 1, further comprising a locking mechanism configured to lock the sealing mechanism, the enclosure or any combination thereof, in a sealed or closed position, such that unauthorized access to the interior area of the enclosure, and thus the storage medium, is prevented.

13. The protection system of claim 1, further comprising:

a wire/cord passageway extending through a wall of the enclosure and configured to provide a passageway through which at least one cord and/or at least one wire can extend; and

a wire/cord passageway sealing mechanism configured to seal the wire/cord passageway in the event of the undesirable condition.

14. The protection system of claim 13, wherein the wire/cord passageway sealing mechanism is:

(i) a clamping device configured to clamp a gasket around the cord and/or wire;

(ii) a cutting device configured to cut the cord and/or wire and act as a sealing door;

(iii) a liquid metal material configured to melt over and seal the wire/cord passageway, or any combination thereof.

15. The protection system of claim 1, wherein the sealing mechanism is:

(i) a rotating door configured to rotate over and seal the circulation passageway;

(ii) a retractable and extendable door configured to extend towards and seal the circulation passageway;

(iii) a hinged door configured to swing over and seal the circulation passageway;

(iv) a valve arrangement configured to shut and seal the circulation passageway;

(v) a first enclosure portion and a second enclosure portion, which abut in a closed position, thereby sealing the circulation passageway;

(vi) a liquid metal material configured to melt over and seal circulation passageway;

(vii) a clamping device configured to clamp a tube through which the cooling medium flows;

(viii) a cutting device configured to cut a tube through which the cooling medium flows and act as a sealing door, or any combination thereof.

16. The protection system of claim 1, wherein the cooling mechanism is:

(i) a fan to move air through the interior area of the enclosure;

(ii) a liquid cooling device;

(iii) a heat sink;

(iv) a refrigeration system, or any combination thereof.

17. The protection system of claim 1, wherein the enclosure is in the form of a standard computer case, a safe, a cube, a sphere, a cylinder or any combination thereof.

18. The protection system of claim 1, further comprising a sensor device positioned in operational communication with the sealing mechanism, the sensor device configured to sense the presence of the undesirable condition outside of the enclosure and cause the sealing mechanism to seal the circulation passageway.

19. The protection system of claim 1, wherein the storage mechanism is a hard drive.

20. A protection system for protecting at least one storage medium from the effects of at least one undesirable condition, the system comprising:

an enclosure formed from a specified material resistant to the undesirable condition, the storage medium positioned within an interior area of the enclosure;

an entry circulation passageway extending through a wall of the enclosure and configured to allow air to be moved therethrough and circulated in the interior area of the enclosure;

an exit circulation passageway extending through a wall of the enclosure and configured to allow the circulated air to exit the interior area of the enclosure.

a fan positioned in the interior area of the enclosure and configured to draw ambient air through the entry circulation passageway, circulate the air through the interior area of the enclosure and force the circulated air out of the exit circulation passageway; and

at least one sealing mechanism configured to seal the entry circulation passageway and the exit circulation passageway in the event of the undesirable condition, wherein the sealing mechanism is at least partially formed from the specified material resistant to the undesirable condition.

21. A method of protecting a storage medium from the effects of at least one undesirable condition, the method comprising the steps of:

positioning a storage medium in an interior area of an enclosure formed from a material resistant to the undesirable condition;

circulating a cooling medium through the interior area of the enclosure via at least one circulation passageway extending through a wall of the enclosure;

cooling the storage medium; and

in the event of the undesirable condition, sealing the circulation passageway.