Apparatus to protect shock-sensitive devices and methods of assembly

• US 20080158808A1
• Filed: 12/29/2006
• Published: 07/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Toshiba America Information Systems Incorporated (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toshiba America Information Systems Incorporated (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: McGoldrick, Tom O., Orlowski, Jan, Lin, Chi-Chi, Camarena, Manuel B.
• Application Number:
  US11/648,201
• Publication Number:
  US 20080158808A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/685
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/187 Mounting of fixed and removable disk drives
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/08 Insulation or absorption of undesired vibrations or sounds
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/121 the apparatus comprising a single recording/reproducing device

Abstract

At least one shock-sensitive device is mounted within an enclosure using a shock-absorbing element as an exclusive point of contact between the shock-sensitive device and the enclosure. The shock-sensitive device may comprise a disk drive and/or a printed circuit board. The enclosure may comprise an end cap having at least one mounting bracket or flange to receive the shock-absorbing element. The shock-sensitive device may comprise a mounting tab to receive a fastener, wherein one end of the fastener is received in the mounting tab, and wherein the other end of the fastener is received in the shock-absorbing element. The shock-absorbing element may comprise a resilient material such as rubber, silicone, urethane, or foam. In an embodiment, the end cap may include ventilation holes.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

mounting one or more shock-sensitive devices within an enclosure using at least one shock-absorbing element as an exclusive point of contact between the one or more shock-sensitive devices and the enclosure.

2. The method recited in claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more shock-sensitive devices comprises a disk drive.

3. The method recited in claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more shock-sensitive devices comprises a printed circuit board.

4. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the enclosure comprises at least one end cap, and wherein the at least one shock-absorbing element exclusively suspends the one or more shock-sensitive devices from the at least one end cap.

5. The method recited in claim 4, wherein the at least one end cap comprises one or more mounting flanges to receive the at least one shock-absorbing element.

6. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the one or more shock-sensitive devices comprises one or more mounting tabs to receive a fastener, wherein a first end of the fastener is received in the one or more mounting tabs, and wherein a second end of the fastener is received in the at least one shock-absorbing element.

7. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the at least one shock-absorbing element comprises a resilient material from the group consisting of rubber, silicone, urethane, foam, and a custom shock-absorbing material.

8. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the at least one shock-absorbing element comprises a grommet having one or more flanges.

9. An apparatus comprising:

an enclosure;

a shock-sensitive device to be mounted within the enclosure; and

one or more shock-absorbing elements exclusively suspending the device within the enclosure.

10. The apparatus recited in claim 9, wherein the device comprises a hard disk drive.

11. The apparatus recited in claim 9, wherein the device comprises a printed circuit board.

12. The apparatus recited in claim 9, wherein the one or more shock-absorbing elements comprises a resilient material.

13. The apparatus recited in claim 12, wherein the material comprises silicone.

14. The apparatus recited in claim 9, wherein the one or more shock-absorbing elements comprises a grommet.

15. The apparatus recited in claim 9, wherein the enclosure comprises a sleeve and at least one end cap, and wherein the one or more shock-absorbing elements exclusively suspends the device from the at least one end cap.

16. The apparatus recited in claim 15, wherein the one or more shock-absorbing elements comprises a silicone tube having a uniform inner diameter and two or more regions of unequal outer diameter.

17. The apparatus recited in claim 16, wherein the one or more shock-absorbing elements extend through one or more mounting tabs on the at least one end cap.

18. The apparatus recited in claim 15, wherein the at least one end cap comprises a plurality of ventilation holes.

19. The apparatus recited in claim 9, and further comprising:

one or more fasteners to secure the one or more shock-absorbing elements to the device.

20. The apparatus recited in claim 19, wherein the one or more fasteners make contact exclusively with the shock-sensitive device and the one or more shock-absorbing elements, respectively.

21. An apparatus comprising:

a shock-sensitive electronic device comprising two or more mounting tabs to receive a fastener;

an enclosure for the device comprising;

a sleeve;

two or more shock-absorbing elements;

a first end cap comprising one or more mounting brackets to receive at least one shock-absorbing element;

a second end cap comprising one or more mounting flanges to receive at least one shock-absorbing element; and

a fastener to exclusively suspend the device within the enclosure, wherein a first end of the fastener is secured in one of the mounting tabs, and wherein a second end of the fastener is secured in one of the shock-absorbing elements.

22. An apparatus comprising:

one or more shock-sensitive devices; and

means for mounting the one or more shock-sensitive devices within an enclosure using at least one shock-absorbing means as an exclusive point of contact between the one or more shock-sensitive devices and the enclosure.