Adapter and a removable slide-in cartridge for an information storage system

• US 4,941,841 A
• Filed: 09/11/1989
• Issued: 07/17/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Julius C. Darden, Miguel M. Praca, Tomasi, Philip J.
• Original Assignee: Julius C. Darden, Miguel M. Praca, Tomasi, Philip J.
• Inventors: Praca, Miguel M., Tomasi, Philip J., Darden, Julius C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Paumen, Gary F.
• Application Number:
  US07/406,197
• Time in Patent Office: 309 Days
• Field of Search: 439/296-298, 439/374, 439/377, 369/75.1, 364/707, 364/708
• US Class Current: 361/679.39
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/184 Mounting of motherboards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/187 Mounting of fixed and removable disk drives
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/124 of the single recording/reproducing device, e.g. disk drive, onto a chassis
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/629 Additional means for facilitating engagement or disengagement of coupling parts, e.g. aligning or guiding means, levers, gas pressure electrical locking indicators, manufacturing tolerances separate tools or apparatus H01R43/26
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 31/06 Intermediate parts for linking two coupling parts, e.g. adapter with a holder adapted for supporting apparatus to which its counterpart is attached H01R33/94
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0265 of PCMCIA type
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0286 Receptacles therefor, e.g. card slots, module sockets, card groundings
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/1411 for securing or extracting box-type drawers

Abstract

An adapter is provided for a removable information storage device in an information storage and retrieval system or control system. There is a mounting bracket permanently installed in a half-height space and hooked up to the wires already provided for in the system. A separate box-like cartridge component permanently houses the information storage device. The cartridge has electrical connections for connecting the information storage device to a mateable connector mounted on the back face of the cartridge. The mounting bracket likewise has a complementary mateable connector mounted on it so that both connectors will plug together whenever the cartridge is fully inserted into the bracket. This completes the electrical connections and power supply between the information storage device and the system allowing the information storage device to be used as if it were permanently installed in the system. The walls of the cartridge and the bracket engage through a pair of tracks and guideways to align the cartridge as it is inserted in the bracket and to match up the mateable connectors.

Claims

1. An adapter having a removable slide-in cartridge means for an information storage device for mounting at most locations where a standard size 51/4 inch half-height Winchester drive could be mounted, said adapter comprising:

a generally U-shaped support bracket having a cross brace means and having overall dimensions no larger than a standard 51/4 inch half-height Winchester drive;

a generally rectangular shaped cartridge for holding an information storage device, said cartridge slideably engageable with and disengageable from said support bracket;

first electrical circuit means for interconnecting the information storage device with said cartridge;

second electrical circuit means for interconnecting said support bracket to an exterior circuit;

mateable electrical connector means mounted on said support bracket and said cartridge for making an electrical connection between said bracket and said cartridge when said bracket and said cartridge are fully interengaged; and

an on-line switch interconnecting said second electrical circuit means and the information storage device for manually controlling the power to the information storage device without affecting the power of a computer system within which said adapter is to be mounted.

2. The adapter as defined within claim 1 wherein:

said mateable electrical connector means includes a multiple circuit mateable connector.

3. In combination with a computer housing, said computer housing having a port for receiving a disk drive apparatus, said disk drive apparatus comprising:

a support bracket separably mounted within said port and electrically connected to said computer housing, said support bracket being bifurcated defining a pair of spaced apart legs, each said leg having an inner surface with said inner surfaces located in a facing relationship to each other, a first electrical connector mounted on said support bracket;

a cartridge, said cartridge defining a box-like frame enclosing an open space, said open space having an open top and an open bottom, a second electrical connector mounted to said box-like frame and located within said open space, a third electrical connector mounted on said box-like frame, said cartridge having side walls, each said side wall having an exterior surface, said cartridge to be located between said legs of said support bracket in a closely conforming manner, said cartridge to be readily removable from said support bracket and be separated therefrom, and when said cartridge is fully inserted in position between said legs said third electrical connector is electrically connected with said first electrical connector;

a disk drive being fixedly mounted by mounting means to said cartridge, said disk drive being wholly contained within said open space, said disk drive being electrically connected to said second electrical connector, said second electrical connector being electrically connected to said third electrical connector; and

a cooperating guide rail arrangement and track arrangement mounted on said exterior surface of each said side wall of said cartridge and said inner surface of each said leg of said supporting bracket, said guide rail arrangement and said track arrangement permitting only longitudinal movement between said cartridge and said support bracket and insures that positive electrical connection is always produced between said third electrical connector and said first electrical connector when said cartridge is fully inserted within said support bracket.

4. The combination as defined in claim 3 wherein:

said mounting means comprises a plurality of pairs of mounting holes formed within said side walls, each said pair of said mounting holes being in transverse alignment and perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of movement between said cartridge and said support bracket, said mounting holes facilitating connection to a wide variety of disk drives of different manufacturers.