Disk drive lock assembly

• US 5,377,512 A
• Filed: 01/31/1994
• Issued: 01/03/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Byte Brothers, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualtec Data Products, Inc. (ACCO Brands Incorporated)
• Inventors: Kelley, Donald W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gall, Lloyd A.
• Application Number:
  US08/191,459
• Time in Patent Office: 337 Days
• Field of Search: 70/14, 70/57, 70/58, 70/158, 70/375, 70/380, 248/205.3, 248/553, 360/137
• US Class Current: 70/58
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/005 Means for locking the disc or cassette receiving slot, e.g. dummy cassettes locked in the slot
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/40 Portable
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/5009 For portable articles

Abstract

A disk drive lock assembly is provided having a housing, a slot blocking member movably mounted within the housing for linear movement relative to the housing, a key-actuated lock assembly coupled to a cam member located in the housing for moving the slot blocking member in a linear fashion relative to the housing between a retracted position and an extended position and a pad member which can be provided with an adhesive for permanently affixing the disk drive lock assembly to a disk drive adjacent to a disk receiving slot therein. In operation, the slot blocking member is selectively moved between a retracted position and an extended position for selectively blocking access to a disk receiving slot in a disk drive.

Claims

1. A disk drive lock assembly comprising:

a housing including a U-shaped body member having a first and a second leg;

a slot blocking member movably mounted within the housing between said first and second legs;

means for mounting the housing with the slot blocking member movably mounted therein on a disk drive adjacent to a disk receiving slot in the disk drive; and

means located in the housing for moving the member in a linear fashion relative to said first and second leg between a retracted position and an extended position wherein a portion of the slot blocking member extends outside of the housing and outside of the disk receiving slot while the housing is mounted adjacent to the disk receiving slot so that the slot blocking member blocks the disk receiving slot when the slot blocking member is in its extended position and is removed from blocking the disk receiving slot when the slot blocking member is in its retracted position.

2. An assembly according to claim 1 wherein said slot blocking member moving means comprises:

a rotatable cam member disposed in a bore provided therefore in the housing;

means for rotating the cam member between a first position and a second position; and

means for coupling the cam member and the slot blocking member so that the slot blocking member is moved in a linear fashion between its retracted position and its extended position as the cam member is rotated between its first and its second positions about an axis of rotation which is perpendicular to the direction of movement of the slot blocking member.

3. An assembly according to claim 2 wherein said slot blocking member comprises a slot in a lower end thereof, said cam member comprises a cylindrical body member which is disposed for rotation about an axis of rotation within the bore provided therefor in the housing and said means for coupling the cam member and the slot blocking member comprises a pin member which extends from the cylindrical body member in the cam member for insertion in the slot in the lower end of the slot blocking member.

4. An assembly according to claim 2 wherein said means for rotating the cam member between a first position and a second position comprises:

a rotatable lock assembly disposed in a bore provided therefore in the housing; and

means for attaching said cam member to said rotatable lock assembly.

5. An assembly according to claim 4 wherein said rotatable lock assembly and said means for attaching said cam member to said rotatable lock assembly comprises means for preventing relative movement between the rotatable lock assembly and the cam member.

6. An assembly according to claim 5 wherein said means for preventing relative movement between the lock assembly and the cam member comprises a noncircular bore in the cam member and a corresponding noncircular extension on the interior end of the rotatable lock assembly over which the cam member is fitted.

7. An assembly according to claim 6 wherein said means for preventing relative movement between the lock assembly and the cam member further comprises screw means for holding the cam member on the noncircular extension of the lock assembly.

8. An assembly according to claim 4 wherein said rotatable lock assembly comprises a key-actuated cylindrical rotatable lock assembly.

9. An assembly according to claim 1 wherein said means for mounting the housing with the slot blocking member movably mounted therein on a disk drive adjacent to a disk receiving slot in the disk drive comprises:

a flexible pad member;

means for affixing the pad member to the housing; and

means for affixing the pad member to a surface of a disk drive.

10. An assembly according to claim 9 wherein said means for affixing the pad member to the housing and the surface of a disk drive comprises an adhesive.

11. A disk drive lock assembly comprising:

a housing including a U-shaped body member having a first and a second leg, each of said legs having a pair of spaced flanges which extend inwardly from the interior walls thereof;

a slot blocking member movably mounted within the housing for linear movement relative to the housing, said slot blocking member being located between said first and second legs of said housing and comprising a pair of flanges which extend outwardly from a lower end thereof which are captured between said spaced flanges extending from said first and second legs of said housing;

means located in the housing for moving the slot blocking member in a linear fashion relative to the housing between a retracted position and an extended position; and

means for mounting the housing with the slot blocking member movably mounted therein on a disk drive adjacent to a disk receiving slot in the disk drive so that the slot blocking member blocks the disk receiving slot when the slot blocking member is in its extended position and is removed from blocking the disk receiving slot when the slot blocking member is in its retracted position.

12. An assembly according to claim 11 comprising a plate member for holding the slot blocking member in said housing between said first and said second legs and in engagement with said slot blocking member moving means.

13. A disk drive lock comprising:

a housing having a first and a second bore and first and second leg members;

means for attaching the housing to an exterior surface of a disk drive adjacent to a disk receiving slot in the disk drive;

a key-actuated cylindrical lock assembly disposed in said first bore, said lock assembly having an exterior end for receiving a key and an interior end having a noncircular extension extending therefrom;

a cylindrical cam member disposed in said second bore for rotational movement therein, said cam member having a cam pin extending outwardly therefrom parallel to the axis of rotation of the lock assembly and a noncircular bore therein which corresponds to the shape of the noncircular extension on the interior end of the lock assembly for preventing rotational movement of the cam member relative to the lock assembly;

means for attaching the cam member to the lock assembly;

a slot blocking member disposed between the first and second leg members in the housing and having a slot in a lower end thereof for receiving the cam pin, said slot blocking member being movable linearly along a first axis between a retracted position wherein the slot blocking member is removed from being in front of the disk receiving slot and an extended position wherein the slot blocking member is located in front of the disk receiving slot by the cam pin as the cam member is rotated about an axis perpendicular to the first axis while the housing is attached to the exterior surface of the disk drive;

an end plate for holding the slot blocking member in the housing in engagement with the cam pin in the cam member; and

means for attaching the end plate to the housing.

14. A disk drive lock assembly comprising:

a housing;

a slot blocking member movably mounted within the housing for linear movement relative to the housing, said slot blocking member including a U-shaped body member for receiving between legs thereof a disk ejected from a disk drive when the slot blocking member is in its extended position;

means located in the housing for moving the slot blocking member in a linear fashion relative to the housing between a retracted position and an extended position; and

means for mounting the housing with the slot blocking member movably mounted therein on a disk drive adjacent to a disk receiving slot in the disk drive so that the slot blocking member blocks the disk receiving slot when the slot blocking member is in its extended position and is removed from blocking the disk receiving slot when the slot blocking member is in its retracted position.

15. A disk drive lock comprising:

a housing having a first and a second bore and a first and a second leg members;

a key-actuated cylindrical lock assembly disposed in said first bore, said lock assembly having an exterior end for receiving a key and an interior end having a noncircular extension extending therefrom;

a cylindrical cam member disposed in said second bore for rotational movement therein, said cam member having a cam pin extending outwardly therefrom and a noncircular bore therein which corresponds to the shape of the noncircular extension on the interior end of the lock assembly for preventing rotational movement of the cam member relative to the lock assembly;

means for attaching the cam member to the lock assembly;

a slot blocking member disposed between the first and second leg members in the housing and having a slot in a lower end thereof for receiving the cam pin, said slot blocking member being movable linearly along a first axis between a retracted position and an extended position by the cam pin as the cam member is rotated about an axis perpendicular to the first axis and having a U-shaped body member for receiving between legs thereof a disk ejected from a disk drive when the slot blocking member is in its extended position;

an end plate for holding the slot blocking member in the housing in engagement with the cam pin in the cam member;

means for attaching the end plate to the housing; and

means for attaching the housing to a disk drive adjacent to a disk receiving slot in the disk drive.

16. A disk drive lock assembly comprising:

a U-shaped body member having a first and a second leg, each of said legs having a pair of spaced flanges which extend inwardly from interior walls thereof;

a slot blocking member movably mounted within the housing for linear movement relative to the housing, said slot blocking member being located between said first and second legs of said housing and comprising a pair of flanges which extend outwardly from a lower end thereof and which are captured between said spaced flanges extending from said first and second legs of said U-shaped body member;

means for attaching the housing with the slot blocking member movably mounted therein to an exterior surface of a disk drive adjacent to a disk receiving slot in the disk drive; and

means located in the housing for moving the slot blocking member in a linear fashion relative to the housing between a retracted position wherein the slot blocking member is removed from being in front of the disk receiving slot and an extended position wherein the slot blocking member is located in front of the disk receiving slot while the housing is attached to the exterior surface of the disk drive.

17. A disk drive lock assembly comprising:

a housing;

a slot blocking member movably mounted within the housing for linear movement relative to the housing, said slot blocking member comprising a U-shaped body member for receiving between legs thereof a disk ejected from a disk drive when the slot blocking member is in its extended position;

means for attaching the housing with the slot blocking member movably mounted therein to an exterior surface of a disk drive adjacent to a disk receiving slot in the disk drive; and

means located in the housing for moving the slot blocking member in a linear fashion relative to the housing between a retracted position wherein the slot blocking member is removed from being in front of the disk receiving slot and an extended position wherein the slot blocking member is located in front of the disk receiving slot while the housing is attached to the exterior surface of the disk drive.

18. A disk drive lock comprising:

a housing having a first and a second bore and first and second leg members;

means for attaching the housing to an exterior surface of a disk drive adjacent to a disk receiving slot in the disk drive;

a key-actuated cylindrical lock assembly disposed in said first bore, said lock assembly having an exterior end for receiving a key and an interior end having a noncircular extension extending therefrom;

a cylindrical cam member disposed in said second bore for rotational movement therein, said cam member having a cam pin extending outwardly therefrom parallel to the axis of rotation of the lock assembly and a noncircular bore therein which corresponds to the shape of the noncircular extension on the interior end of the lock assembly for preventing rotational movement of the cam member relative to the lock assembly;

means for attaching the cam member to the lock assembly;

a slot blocking member disposed between the first and second leg members in the housing and having a slot in a lower end thereof for receiving the cam pin, said slot blocking member being movable linearly along a first axis between a retracted position wherein the slot blocking member is removed from being in front of the disk receiving slot and an extended position wherein the slot blocking member is located in front of the disk receiving slot by the cam pin as the cam member is rotated about an axis perpendicular to the first axis while the housing is attached to the exterior surface of the disk drive, said slot blocking member comprising a U-shaped body member for receiving between legs thereof a disk ejected from a disk drive when the slot blocking member is in its extended position;

an end plate for holding the slot blocking member in the housing in engagement with the cam pin in the cam member; and

means for attaching the end plate to the housing.