Adaptor sleeve for portable hard drive

• US 5,886,869 A
• Filed: 07/02/1997
• Issued: 03/23/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Summatec Computer Corporation
• Original Assignee: Summatec Computer Corporation
• Inventors: Truesdell, Charles, Ford, Edson E., Fussell, Derrill J.
• Primary Examiner(s): FEILD, LYNN DIANA
• Application Number:
  US08/887,072
• Time in Patent Office: 629 Days
• Field of Search: 361/680, 361/681, 361/683, 361/684, 361/685, 361/728, 361/730, 361/737, 360/97.01, 360/137, 360/900, 364/708.1
• US Class Current: 361/679.31
• 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 33/025 Portable cases
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/122 Arrangements for providing electrical connections, e.g. connectors, cables, switches
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/124 of the single recording/reproducing device, e.g. disk drive, onto a chassis
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 360/90 Disk drive packaging

Abstract

A sleeve for holding a hard disk drive in portable removable engagement with a PC or laptop computer includes a base and a cover attachable to the base by means of threaded fasteners. The base includes plural holder arms, and when the cover is removed from the base and the hard disk drive advanced into the base, the holder arms move outwardly as the hard drive rides on the arms. When the hard disk drive clears the arms, the arms, which are biased to a hold configuration, move back inwardly to hold the hard disk drive in the base, with the cover then attached to the base. The edge of the cover cooperates with the base to hold the holder arms in the hold configuration and thereby securely hold the hard disk drive in the sleeve.

Claims

1. A sleeve for holding, in operable engagement with a computer, a hard computer disk drive having a top surface, the sleeve comprising:

a hollow top cover defining a flat planar top surface and an edge flange bounding at least part of the planar surface and oriented perpendicular thereto;

a hollow bottom base removably connectable to the top cover, the base defining a flat planar base surface, the base also including plural holder arms perpendicular to the base surface, the holder arms being biased to a hold configuration, wherein the holder arms overlap the top surface of the hard disk drive when the hard disk drive is positioned in the bottom base to hold the hard disk drive in the bottom base, the holder arms being movable to a receive configuration when the hard disk drive is advanced into the bottom base, wherein

the edge of the top cover prevents the holder arms from moving to the receive configuration when the top cover is engaged with the bottom base.

2. The sleeve of claim 1, further comprising an electrical connector positionable on the bottom base for establishing electrical contact with the hard disk drive when the hard disk drive is positioned in the sleeve.

3. The sleeve of claim 2, in combination with the hard disk drive.

4. The sleeve of claim 1, wherein each holder arm is formed with a respective shank perpendicular to the flat planar base surface of the base, each shank terminating in a respective curved top portion, each holder arm also including a respective flat abutment contiguous to the curved top portion and the shank, each abutment surface being perpendicular to its respective shank,

whereby the hard disk drive can be advanced into the base while riding on the curved top portions of the holder arms to move the holder arms toward the receive configuration, the holder arms returning to the hold configuration when the hard disk drive clears the curved top portions with the flat abutments flush against the hard disk drive.

5. The sleeve of claim 4, further comprising plural threaded fasteners extending through the top cover and engageable with receptacles on the hard disk drive, the holder arms being arranged on the base such that when the hard disk drive is positioned in the base, a respective receptacle of the hard disk drive is juxtaposed with a respective holder arm.

6. The sleeve of claim 5, further comprising at least one base receptacle on the base for engaging a respective fastener to thereby hold the cover on the base.

7. The combination of claim 3, in further combination with the computer.

8. A sleeve configured for securely holding a computer hard disk drive, comprising:

a hollow top cover defining a flat planar top surface and an edge flange bounding at least part of the planar surface and oriented perpendicular thereto;

a hollow bottom base removably connectable to the top cover, the base defining a flat planar base surface, the base including plural holder arms extending upwardly toward the cover, wherein the holder arms are biased to a hold configuration, wherein the holder arms overlap a top surface of the hard disk drive when the hard disk drive is positioned in the bottom base to hold the hard disk drive in the bottom base, the holder arms being movable to a receive configuration when the hard disk drive is advanced into the bottom base, wherein the edge of the top cover prevents the holder arms from moving to the receive configuration when the top cover is engaged with the bottom base.

9. The sleeve of claim 8, further comprising an electrical connector positionable on the bottom base for establishing electrical contact with the hard disk drive when the hard disk drive is positioned in the sleeve.

10. The sleeve of claim 9, in combination with the hard disk drive.

11. The sleeve of claim 8, wherein each holder arm is formed with a respective shank perpendicular to the flat planar base surface of the base, each shank terminating in a respective curved top portion, each holder arm also including a respective flat abutment contiguous to the curved top portion and the shank, each abutment surface being perpendicular to its respective shank,

whereby the hard disk drive can be advanced into the base while riding on the curved top portions of the holder arms to move the holder arms toward the receive configuration, the holder arms returning to the hold configuration when the hard disk drive clears the curved top portions with the flat abutments flush against the hard disk drive.

12. The sleeve of claim 11, further comprising plural threaded fasteners extending through the top cover and engageable with receptacles on the hard disk drive, the holder arms being arranged on the base such that when the hard disk drive is positioned in the base, a respective receptacle of the hard disk drive is juxtaposed with a respective holder arm.

13. The sleeve of claim 12, further comprising at least one base receptacle on the base for engaging a respective fastener to thereby hold the cover on the base.

14. The combination of claim 10, in further combination with the computer.

15. A computing apparatus, comprising:

a laptop computer formed with an opening;

a hard disk drive;

a sleeve holding the hard disk drive and configured for slidably engaging the opening, the sleeve including a cover, a base, and plural holder arms, the holder arms overlapping the hard disk drive and cooperating with at least one of the base and cover to hold the hard disk drive securely in the sleeve; and

a sleeve connector connected to the hard disk drive and configured to mate with a corresponding connector in the laptop computer to establish electrical communication between the hard disk drive and the laptop computer, wherein the cover is a hollow top cover defining a flat planar top surface and an edge flange bounding at least part of the planar surface and oriented perpendicular thereto, and the base is a hollow bottom base removably connectable to the top cover, the base defining a flat planar base surface, the holder arms being biased to a hold configuration, wherein the holder arms overlap a top surface of the hard disk drive when the hard disk drive is positioned in the bottom base to hold the hard disk drive in the bottom base, the holder arms being movable to a receive configuration when the hard disk drive is advanced into the bottom base, wherein the edge of the top cover prevents the holder arms from moving to the receive configuration when the top cover is engaged with the bottom base.

16. The computing apparatus of claim 15, wherein each holder arm is formed with a respective shank perpendicular to the flat planar base surface of the base, each shank terminating in a respective curved top portion, each holder arm also including a respective flat abutment contiguous to the curved top portion and the shank, each abutment surface being perpendicular to its respective shank,

whereby the hard disk drive can be advanced into the base while riding on the curved top portions of the holder arms to move the holder arms toward the receive configuration, the holder arms returning to the hold configuration when the hard disk drive clears the curved top portions with the flat abutments flush against the hard disk drive.

17. The computing apparatus of claim 16, further comprising:

plural threaded fasteners extending through the top cover and engageable with receptacles on the hard disk drive, the holder arms being arranged on the base such that when the hard disk drive is positioned in the base, a respective receptacle of the hard disk drive is juxtaposed with a respective holder arm; and

at least one base receptacle on the base for engaging a respective fastener to thereby hold the cover on the base.