REMOVABLE MODULE FOR A CONSOLE

• US 20100328875A1
• Filed: 09/03/2010
• Published: 12/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Hayes, Jonathan A., Reents, Jeffrey M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,264,834 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/679.33
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/181 Enclosures for portable computers G06F1/1613
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/187 Mounting of fixed and removable disk drives
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/20 Cooling means
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/025 Portable cases
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/1426 by cooling plates, e.g. fins

Abstract

A housing, which may contain a hard disk drive, is configured to removably mount to a recessed surface of a console. The housing includes a lip and a biased latch arm so that the lip can be inserted into a corresponding feature in the recessed surface and the housing can be rotatably mounted to the recessed surface. The biased latch arm is retained by a latch arm retainer so that the housing is held in place. A cable connector extends from the bottom of the housing and is configured to connect to a receptor on the console when the housing is installed. When desired, a latch on the housing can be translated where the translation cause the biased latch arm to translate so as to clear the latch arm retainer. Thus the housing can be readily removed from the console. Preferably a portion of the housing extends beyond a wall of the recessed surface so that when installed, the housing alters the profile of the console.

Claims

1-17. -17. (canceled)

18. A hard disk drive module configured to mount to a console having a cable receptor in a recessed surface, the recessed surface having a plurality of air holes, the hard disk drive module comprising:

a housing, the housing having a bottom surface;

the bottom surface having a connector hole;

a cable assembly adapted to be connected to a hard disk drive within the housing, the cable assembly including a cable connector, the cable connector projecting through the connector hole and extending beyond the bottom surface, the cable connector configured to mate with the cable receptor; and

a plurality of air holes in the bottom surface, the plurality of air holes in the bottom surface configured to substantially align with at least a portion of at least one of the plurality of air holes in the recessed surface.

19. The hard disk drive module of claim 18, wherein the housing further comprises a first end and second end and a top surface.

20. The hard disk drive module of claim 19, further comprising a tongue extending from the first end.

21. The hard disk drive module of claim 19, further comprising a biased latch arm extending from the second end.

22. The hard disk drive module of claim 21, further comprising a frame mounted within the housing, wherein the hard disk drive is mounted to and support by the frame.

23. The hard disk drive module of claim 22, further comprising a latch slidably mounted to the housing, the latch configured to slidably engage a ramp on the biased latch arm;

whereby displacement of the latch causes the biased latch arm to translate into the housing.

24. The hard disk drive module of claim 23, further comprising a midframe mounted to the frame, the midframe configured to support the hard disk drive and the cable assembly.

25. The hard disk drive module of claim 24, wherein the top surface includes at least one vent configured to allow air to enter the housing.

26. The hard disk drive module of claim 18, wherein the cable connector is configured for angular mating with the receptor.