Method and apparatus for protecting a hard disk drive from shock

• US 6,496,362 B2
• Filed: 05/14/2001
• Issued: 12/17/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Emc IP Holding Company LLC (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Iomega Corporation (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Osterhout, Ryan D., Thomas, Scott P., Kunz, Paul C., Bracken, Allen T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vortman, Anatoly
• Application Number:
  US09/858,073
• Publication Number:
  US 20020167792A1
• Time in Patent Office: 582 Days
• Field of Search: 361/679-686, 361/727-728, 345/905, 248/638, 248/917, 312/223.1, 312/223.2, D14/478, 206/433, 206/521, 206/586, 206/521.6, 206/521.7
• US Class Current: 361/679.34
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/08 Insulation or absorption of undesired vibrations or sounds
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/121 the apparatus comprising a single recording/reproducing device
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 5/54 with provision for moving the head into or out of its operative position or across tracks
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 5/5582 system adaptation for working during or after external perturbation, e.g. in the presence of a mechanical oscillation caused by a shock
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 5/59694 System adaptation for working during or after external perturbation, e.g. in the presence of a mechanical oscillation caused by a shock

Abstract

An information storage device (10) includes a cartridge (14) which can be removably inserted into a cradle (13) coupled by a cable (12) to a host computer. The cartridge includes an outer housing (54) containing a chamber (122), and having an electrical connector (63) on the exterior. An inner housing (128) contains a hard disk mechanism, and is resiliently supported within the chamber by four resilient elements (131-134). A flex circuit (146) extends from the inner housing to the connector, and permits relative movement of the inner and outer housings. The resilient elements are formed by cutting a cross-shaped part (402) from a foam sheet, cutting two square parts (406-407) from a different foam sheet, adhesively laminating the outer parts to opposite sides of the center part, and then cutting the resulting assembly along two planes to form the four resilient elements.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising a removable data storage cartridge which includes:

an outer housing having a chamber therein;

an inner housing which is smaller than and disposed within said chamber, said inner housing having first and second surface portions on opposite sides of the exterior thereof, and having on the exterior thereof a side surface portion which extends between peripheral edges of said first and second surface portions;

a plurality of resilient elements disposed within said chamber between said inner and outer housings so as to resiliently support said inner housing with respect to said outer housing, said resilient elements being disposed at spaced locations along a periphery of said inner housing, and each including first and second outer portions coupled to opposite sides of a center portion, said center portion engaging said side surface portion of said inner housing and said first and second outer portions respectively engaging said first and second surface portions of said inner housing, said center portion being made from a material having a first compression characteristic, said first outer portion being made from a material having a second compression characteristic different from said first compression characteristic, and said second outer portion being made from a material having a third compression characteristic different from said first compression characteristic;

a data storage portion disposed within said inner housing; and

a section which transports signals that include data between said data storage section and a location external to said outer housing.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said section includes a flexible portion which is disposed between said inner housing and said outer housing, and which flexes to facilitate movement of said inner housing relative to said outer housing.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each said resilient element has each of said outer portions thereof coupled to said center portion thereof by an adhesive.

4. An apparatus according to claim 3, including a connector supported on said outer housing and accessible from externally of said outer housing, said flexible portion of said section including a flex circuit which is electrically coupled to said connector.

5. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said center and outer portions of each said resilient element are each made from a foam material.

6. An apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein said center portion of each said resilient element is compressible in a first direction and said outer portions thereof are compressible in a second direction approximately perpendicular to said first direction; and

wherein said first, second and third compression characteristics include said center portion being more easily compressible in said first direction than said outer portions in said second direction.

7. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said first, second and third compression characteristics include said center portion of each said resilient element being more easily compressible than each of said outer portions thereof.

8. An apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said first compression characteristic includes said center portion of each said resilient element having a Durometer hardness in the range of approximately 13 to 23 Shore “

O”

, and said second and third compression characteristics include each of said outer portions of each said resilient element having a Durometer hardness in the range of approximately 19 to 29 Shore “

O”

.

9. An apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said center portion of each said resilient element has a Durometer hardness of approximately 18 Shore “

O”

, and each of said outer portions of each said resilient element has a Durometer hardness of approximately 24 Shore “

O”

.

10. An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein for each of said resilient elements a minimum thickness between said inner and outer housings of said center portion thereof is approximately twice a minimum thickness between said inner and outer housings of each of said outer portions thereof.

11. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of said outer portions of each said resilient element has a part thereof which projects outwardly beyond said center portion of the resilient element in a direction toward a central region of said inner housing.

12. An apparatus according to claim 11,

wherein said first and second surface portions and said side surface portion of said inner housing each have a plurality of corners, and

wherein each said resilient element cooperates with said inner housing in the region of a respective said corner of each of said first surface portion, said second surface portion, and said side surface portion.

13. An apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said center portion of each said resilient element has approximately an L-shape, and each of said outer portions of each said resilient element has approximately a rectangular shape.

14. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said data storage portion disposed within said inner housing includes a rotatably supported hard disk having a magnetic surface on one side thereof, and includes a head supported for movement adjacent a surface of said disk for facilitating a transfer of data through said section between said disk and a circuit external to said outer housing.

15. A method comprising the steps of:

providing a data storage portion within an inner housing, said inner housing having first and second surface portions on opposite sides of the exterior thereof, and further having on the exterior thereof a side surface portion which extends between peripheral edges of said first and second surface portions;

locating said inner housing in a chamber within an outer housing, said inner housing being smaller than said chamber;

transporting signals that include data between said data storage portion and a location external to said outer housing; and

resiliently supporting said inner housing within said chamber in said outer housing using a plurality of resilient elements disposed within said chamber, said resiliently supporting step including the steps of;

positioning said resilient elements at spaced locations along a periphery of said inner housing;

configuring each of said resilient elements to include first and second outer portions which are coupled to opposite sides of a center portion;

causing said center portion to engage said side surface portion of said inner housing and said first and second outer portions to respectively engage said first and second surface portions of said inner housing;

selecting for said center portion a material having a first compression characteristic;

selecting for said first outer portion a material having a second compression characteristic different from said first compression characteristic; and

selecting for said second outer portion a material having a third compression characteristic different from said first compression characteristic.

16. A method according to claim 15,

including the step of configuring each said resilient element so that said center portion thereof is compressible in a first direction and said outer portions thereof are compressible in a second direction approximately perpendicular to said first direction; and

wherein said selecting steps are carried out so that said first, second and third compression characteristics include said center portion being more easily compressible in said first direction than said outer portions in said second direction.

17. A method according to claim 15, wherein said selecting steps are carried out so that said first, second and third compression characteristics include said center portion of each said resilient element being more easily compressible than each of said outer portions thereof.

18. A method according to claim 15, including the step of configuring each said resilient element so that each of said outer portions thereof has a part which projects outwardly beyond said center portion thereof in a direction toward a central region of said inner housing.

19. A method according to claim 18,

including the step of configuring said inner housing so that said first and second surface portions thereof and said side surface portion thereof each have a plurality of corners;

and

wherein said positioning step includes the step of causing each said resilient element to cooperate with said inner housing in the region of a respective said corner of each of said first surface portion, said second surface portion, and said side surface portion.

20. A method according to claim 15, including the step of selecting as said data storage portion a mechanism which includes a rotatably supported hard disk having a magnetic surface on one side thereof, and a head supported for movement adjacent a surface of said disk.