CASE FOR A DISK STORAGE APPARATUS

• US 20120188705A1
• Filed: 01/24/2012
• Published: 07/26/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Buffalo Incorporated (Melco Holdings Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Buffalo Incorporated (Melco Holdings Incorporated)
• Inventors: Ozeki, Tsuyoshi, Saito, Kentaro
• Granted Patent: US 8,649,168 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/679.35
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/187 Mounting of fixed and removable disk drives

Abstract

A case arranged to contain a disk storage apparatus. The case includes a case wall including a case inner flat face that extends along a outer flat face of the disk storage apparatus when the disk storage apparatus is contained in the case, and a deformable plate disposed between the outer flat face and the case inner flat face and that extends along the case inner flat face when the disk storage apparatus is contained in the case.

Claims

1. A case arranged to contain a disk storage apparatus having a hexahedral shape including a outer flat face, the case comprising:

a case wall including a case inner flat face that extends along the outer flat face of the disk storage apparatus when the disk storage apparatus is contained in the case; and

a deformable plate disposed between the outer flat face and the case inner flat face and that extends along the case inner flat face when the disk storage apparatus is contained in the case,

wherein the deformable plate includes;

a first arched plate portion having a arched shape in a cross-section as viewed in a direction parallel to the case inner flat face, the first arched plate portion including a first top portion, a first foot portion and a second foot portion, the first top portion disposed closer to a first flat face that is one of the outer flat face and the case inner flat face than a second flat face that is the other of the outer flat face and the case inner flat face, the first foot portion and the second foot portion disposed closer to the second flat face than the first flat face, the first arched plate portion configured to be deformed under a pressure applied perpendicularly to the first top portion; and

a first flexible plate portion that is continuous with the first foot portion and extends from the first foot portion in a direction away from the first top portion, the first flexible plate portion configured to bend in response to deformation of the first arched plate portion.

2. The case according to claim 1, wherein

the arched shape of the first arched plate portion is a circular arc shape.

3. The case according to claim 1, wherein

the deformable plate includes a joining portion including an joining portion outer surface and a joining portion inner surface, the joining portion being a portion where the first foot portion and the first flexible plate portion join together,

the joining portion outer surface faces the case inner flat face,

the joining portion inner surface faces the outer flat face, and

the joining portion outer surface and the joining portion inner surface form smooth curved surfaces.

5. The case according to claim 1 or claim 4, wherein

the deformable plate further includes a second flexible plate portion that is continuous with the second foot portion of the first arched plate portion and extend from the second foot portion in a direction away from the first top portion, the second flexible plate portion configured to bend in response to the deformation of the first convex plate portion.

6. The case according to claim 1 or claim 4, wherein

an end of the second foot portion on a side farther away from the first top portion forms a free end.

7. The case according to claim 1 or claim 4, wherein

the disk storage apparatus includes a housing having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, the housing including six surfaces including a first surface and a second surface intersecting with the first surface,

the case includes:

a cover member including a wall portion that extends along the first surface of the housing when the disk storage apparatus is contained in the case; and

a box member including an opening and five wall portions, the opening disposed at a position corresponding to the first surface of the housing, the five wall portions respectively disposed to extend along five of the six surfaces, excluding the first surface, of the housing when the disk storage apparatus is contained in the case, wherein

the case wall is one of the five wall portions of the box member and is disposed to extend along the second surface of the housing,

the outer flat face of the disk storage apparatus is the second surface of the housing, and

the deformable plate is formed integrally with the wall portion of the cover member.

8. The case according to claim 1 or claim 4, wherein

the disk storage apparatus includes a housing having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape including a first surface and four surfaces perpendicular to the first surface, and

the case includes:

a wall member including a plurality of the case walls, each of the plurality of the case walls extending along a corresponding one of the four surfaces of the housing when the disk storage apparatus is contained in the case; and

a shock absorbing member separate from the wall member and including a plurality of the deformable plates, each of the plurality of the deformable plates disposed between a corresponding one of the four surfaces of the housing and a corresponding one of the plurality of the case walls when the disk storage apparatus is contained in the case.

9. The case according to claim 1, wherein the deformable plate is made of a thermoplastic resin.

4. A case arranged to contain a disk storage apparatus having a hexahedral shape including a outer flat face, the case comprising:

a case wall including a case inner flat face that extends along the outer flat face of the disk storage apparatus when the disk storage apparatus is contained in the case; and

a deformable plate disposed between the outer flat face and the case inner flat face and that extends along the case inner flat face when the disk storage apparatus is contained in the case,

wherein the deformable plate includes;

a first arched plate portion having a arched shape in a cross-section as viewed in a specific direction parallel to the case inner flat face, the first arched plate portion including a first top portion, a first foot portion and a second foot portion, the first top portion disposed closer to a first flat face that is one of the outer flat face and the case inner flat face than a second flat face that is the other of the outer flat face and the case inner flat face, the first foot portion and the second foot portion disposed closer to the second flat face than the first flat face, the first arched plate portion configured to be deformed under a pressure applied perpendicularly to the first top portion;

a second arched plate portion having a arched shape in a cross-section as viewed in the specific direction, the second arched plate portion including a second top portion, a third foot portion and a forth foot portion, the second top portion disposed closer to the first flat face than the second flat face, the third foot portion and the forth foot portion disposed closer to the second flat face than the first flat face, the second arched plate portion configured to be deformed under a pressure applied perpendicularly to the second top portion;

a first flexible plate portion having a first end and a second end, the first end being continuous with the first foot portion of the first arched plate portion, the second end being continuous with the third foot portion of the second arched plate portion, the first flexible plate portion extending from the first foot portion to the third foot portion along the second flat face, the first flexible plate portion configured to bend in response to deformation of the first arched plate portion and the second arched plate portion.

10. A case arranged to contain a disk storage apparatus having a hexahedral shape including a outer flat face, the case comprising:

a case wall including a case inner flat face that extends along the outer flat face of the disk storage apparatus when the disk storage apparatus is contained in the case; and

a deformable plate disposed between the outer flat face and the case inner flat face and that extends along the case inner flat face when the disk storage apparatus is contained in the case,

wherein the deformable plate includes;

a first arched plate portion having a arched shape in a cross-section as viewed in a direction parallel to the case inner flat face, the first arched plate portion including a first top portion, a first foot portion and a second foot portion, the first top portion disposed closer to a first flat face that is one of the outer flat face and the case inner flat face than a second flat face that is the other of the outer flat face and the case inner flat face, the first foot portion and the second foot portion disposed closer to the second flat face than the first flat face; and

a first extending plate portion that is continuous with the first foot portion and extends from the first foot portion in a direction away from the first top portion.

11. The case according to claim 10, wherein

the arched shape of the first arched plate portion is a circular arc shape.

12. The case according to claim 10, wherein

the deformable plate includes a joining portion including an joining portion outer surface and a joining portion inner surface, the joining portion being a portion where the first foot portion and the first flexible plate portion join together,

the joining portion outer surface faces the case inner flat face,

the joining portion inner surface faces the outer flat face, and

the joining portion outer surface and the joining portion inner surface form smooth curved surfaces.

14. The case according to claim 10 or claim 13, wherein

the deformable plate further includes a second extending plate portion that is continuous with the second foot portion and extends from the second foot portion in a direction away from the first top portion to reach a fixed end.

15. The case according to claim 10 or claim 13, wherein

an end of the second foot portion on a side further away from the first top portion forms a free end.

16. The case according to claim 10 or claim 13, wherein

the disk storage apparatus includes a housing in a shape of a substantially rectangular parallelepiped, the housing including six surfaces including a first surface and a second surface intersecting with the first surface,

the case includes:

a cover member including a wall portion extending along the first surface of the housing when the disk storage apparatus is contained in the case; and

a box member including an opening and five wall portions, the opening disposed at a position corresponding to the first surface, the five wall portions respectively extending along five of the six surfaces, excluding the first surface, of the housing when the disk storage apparatus is contained in the case, wherein

the case wall is one of the five wall portions of the box member and extends along the second surface of the housing,

the outer flat face of the disk storage apparatus is the second surface of the housing, and

the deformable plate is formed integrally with the cover member.

17. The case according to claim 10 or claim 13, wherein

the disk storage apparatus includes a housing in a shape of a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape including a first surface and four surfaces perpendicular to the first surface, and

the case includes:

a wall member including a plurality of the case walls, each of the plurality of the case walls extending along a corresponding one of the four surfaces of the housing when the disk storage apparatus is contained in the case; and

a shock absorbing member separate from the wall member and including a plurality of the deformable plates, each of the plurality of the deformable plates disposed between a corresponding one of the four surfaces of the housing and a corresponding one of the plurality of the case walls when the disk storage apparatus is contained in the case.

18. The case according to claim 10, wherein the deformable plate is made of a thermoplastic resin.

13. A case arranged to contain a disk storage apparatus having a hexahedral shape including a outer flat face, the case comprising:

a case wall including a case inner flat face that extends along the outer flat face of the disk storage apparatus when the disk storage apparatus is contained in the case; and

a deformable plate disposed between the outer flat face and the case inner flat face and that extends along the case inner flat face when the disk storage apparatus is contained in the case,

wherein the deformable plate includes;

a first arched plate portion having a arched shape in a cross-section as viewed in a specific direction parallel to the case inner flat face, the first arched plate portion including a first top portion, a first foot portion and a second foot portion, the first top portion disposed closer to a first flat face that is one of the outer flat face and the case inner flat face than a second flat face that is the other of the outer flat face and the case inner flat face, the first foot portion and the second foot portion disposed closer to the second flat face than the first flat face;

a second arched plate portion having a arched shape in a cross-section as viewed in the specific direction, the second arched plate portion including a second top portion, a third foot portion and a forth foot portion, the second top portion disposed closer to the first flat face than the second flat face, the third foot portion and the forth foot portion disposed closer to the second flat face than the first flat face;

a first flexible plate portion having a first end and a second end, the first end is continuous with the first foot portion of the first arched plate portion, the second end is continuous with the third foot portion of the second arched plate portion, the first flexible plate portion extending from the first foot portion to the third foot portion along the second flat face.