Ergonomic safety assist mechanism for handling micro-sized computer hard disk drives

• US 6,437,939 B1
• Filed: 01/19/2000
• Issued: 08/20/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Global Storage Technologies Netherlands BV (Western Digital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Smith, Gordon James
• Primary Examiner(s): Miller, Brian E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chen, Tianjie
• Application Number:
  US09/487,909
• Time in Patent Office: 944 Days
• Field of Search: 360/97.01, 360/97.02, 360/98.01, 360/137, 361/683, 361/685
• US Class Current: 360/97.01
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 25/043 using rotating discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/025 Portable cases

Abstract

A hard disk microdrive is equipped with an ergonomic assist mechanism for safe handling of the microdrive while removing it from a system. The mechanism is located on one end of the microdrive, opposite the system connector. In one version, the mechanism is a flat, two-piece design having a slide extending through a slot in a strap. One end of each of the slide and strap is mounted to the microdrive and their other ends are unattached and free to move relative to each other and the microdrive. When the microdrive is to be removed from the system, the user grasps the free end of the slide and lifts it away from the microdrive. As the user continues to pull on the slide, the slot in the strap allows the slide to move to the middle of the microdrive, thereby lifting the strap in the process. The force provided by the user is centralized on the microdrive for a smooth, safe extraction from the system while the connectors disengage. Since the user maintains a grip on the mechanism at all times, the risk of mishandling and dropping the microdrive is minimized. After the microdrive is removed from the system, the mechanism collapses to a flat, stowed position against the microdrive.

Claims

1. A hard disk microdrive, comprising in combination:

a base that is adapted to be removably installed in a receptacle in a host system, the base having a disk mounted and selectively rotatable relative thereto, an actuator with an arm including a head for reading data from and writing data to the disk, the actuator being pivotally mounted to the base for positioning the arm and the head at selected radial positions relative to the disk;

a drive connector on one end of the base that is adapted to be interconnected to a system connector in the receptacle of the host system;

a flexible mechanism mounted to the base opposite the drive connector, the mechanism having a stowed position wherein the mechanism is substantially flush with the base, and an extended position wherein the mechanism is adapted to be grasped and manually extended by a user for extracting the base from the receptacle in the host system;

wherein

the mechanism comprises an elastic band having two opposite ends mounted to the base and a protrusion extending therefrom between the two opposite ends.