Hard disk drive (HDD) assembly of small form-factor HDD shock-mounted in frame having dimensions of larger form-factor HDD

• US 7,215,506 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2004
• Issued: 05/08/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Western Digital Technologies Incorporated (Western Digital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Global Storage Technologies Netherlands BV (Western Digital Corporation)
• Inventors: Huang, Fu-Ying, Zeng, Qinghua, Aoyagi, Akihiko, Albrecht, David W., Ishii, Tomokazu
• Primary Examiner(s): Young; Wayne
• Assistant Examiner(s): KAYRISH, MATTHEW
• Application Number:
  US10/882,445
• Publication Number:
  US 20060002004A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,042 Days
• Field of Search: 360/97.01
• US Class Current: 360/97.01
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/08 Insulation or absorption of undesired vibrations or sounds
• 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

Abstract

The invention is a hard-disk-drive (HDD) assembly that includes a flame having the exterior dimensions of a particular form-factor HDD, an HDD with a form-factor smaller than the frame, a pair of mount assemblies that support the HDD entirely within the larger form-factor frame, and an electrical cable located entirely within the frame and having one end connected to the HDD and the other end exposed to the frame exterior at the position determined by the specifications of the larger form-factor. The HDD assembly thus presents a smaller form-factor HDD as a fully plug-compatible alternative to a larger form-factor HDD. The mount assemblies have spring-like cantilever arms in contact with damping material to provide a highly-damped nonlinear spring system that provides mechanical-shock resistance for the HDD in a direction normal to the planes of the disks and high stiffness in a direction parallel to the planes of the disks.

Claims

1. A hard-disk-drive (HDD) assembly comprising:

a frame having exterior dimensions of length L1, width W1 and height H1;

an HDD having an exterior height H2 less than H1;

a pair of mount assemblies paired with and attached to either the sides of the frame or the ends of the frame and supporting the HDD within the frame with the HDD'"'"'s height midplane being substantially coplanar with the frame'"'"'s height midplane, thereby providing a spacing between the HDD'"'"'s exterior height and the frame'"'"'s exterior height, each mount assembly including a cantilever arm with its free end attached to the frame, the mount assemblies permitting movement of the HDD in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the disk and providing relatively high stiffness parallel to the plane of the disk; and

an electrical cable within the interior of the frame and having one end connected to the HDD and the other end exposed to the frame exterior.

4. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the frame has two ends along its width W1 and two sides along its length L1;

wherein the HDD has an exterior width W1, an exterior length L2, two ends along its width W2 and two sides along its length L2; and

wherein the HDD is supported within the interior of the frame with its sides substantially parallel to the sides of the frame.

5. The assembly of claim 4 wherein the cable end connected to the HDD is connected to the HDD at an HDD side and wherein the cable end exposed to the frame exterior is located at one of the frame'"'"'s ends.

6. The assembly of claim 5 wherein the HDD includes a first connector pin header on its HDD side, wherein the cable end connected to the HDD includes a second connector pin header connected to said first connector pin header, and wherein the cable end located at one of the frame'"'"'s ends includes a connector pin header like said first connector pin header.

7. The assembly of claim 6 wherein the connector pin header at the frame end is attached to the frame.

8. The assembly of claim 7 wherein the connector pin header attached to the frame and said first connector pin header on the side of the HDD have the same pin configuration, and wherein the HDD is supported within the frame with said first connector pin header inverted from the connector pin header attached to the frame.

9. The assembly of claim 4 wherein the cable end connected to the HDD is connected to the HDD at an HDD end and wherein the cable end exposed to the frame exterior is located at one of the frame'"'"'s ends.

10. The assembly of claim 9 wherein the cable end connected to the HDD is a flat cable interface, and wherein the cable end located at one of the frame'"'"'s ends includes a male connector pin header.

11. The assembly of claim 1 wherein each mount assembly has a height no greater than H2.

12. The assembly of claim 1 wherein each mount assembly includes damping material.

13. The assembly of claim 1 wherein each mount assembly comprises a cross member attached to the HDD substantially at the HDD height midplane, wherein said cantilever arm is a first cantilever arm extending from one end of the cross member, and further comprising a second cantilever arm extending from the other end of the cross member and having its free end attached to the frame, the free end of each cantilever arm being attached to the frame substantially at the frame height midplane.

14. The assembly of claim 13 wherein each mount assembly further comprises damping material located between each cantilever arm and the frame.

15. The assembly of claim 14 wherein the damping material is a layer of viscoelastic material.

16. The assembly of claim 14 wherein the damping material is a layer of soft foam material.

17. The assembly of claim 13 wherein each mount assembly further comprises damping material and a clamping plate, the damping material being located between the clamping plate and the cantilever arms.

18. The assembly of claim 13 wherein each mount assembly further comprises:

first and second clamping plates, the cantilever arms being located between the clamping plates;

a first layer of damping material between the first clamping plate and the cantilever arms; and

a second layer of damping material between the second clamping plate and the cantilever arms.

19. The assembly of claim 18 wherein each mount assembly further comprises a fastener for attaching the mount assembly to the frame, the fastener compressing the damping material between the clamping plates and cantilever arms.

2. The assembly of claim i wherein the frame'"'"'s exterior dimensions substantially correspond to the exterior dimensions of a first HDD form-factor, and wherein the HDD has exterior dimensions substantially corresponding to a second HDD form-factor smaller than the first HDD form-factor.

3. The assembly of claim 2 wherein the frame'"'"'s exterior dimensions substantially correspond to the exterior dimensions of a 2.5 in. HDD form-factor, and wherein the HDD has exterior dimensions substantially corresponding to a 1.8 in. form-factor.

20. A hard-disk-drive (HDD) assembly comprising:

a frame having exterior dimensions of length L1, width W1 and height H1;

an HDD having an exterior height H2 less than H1;

a pair of mount assemblies supporting the HDD within the frame with the HDD'"'"'s height midplane being substantially coplanar with the frame'"'"'s height midplane, the mount assemblies being paired with and attached to either the sides of the frame or the ends of the frame;

each mount assembly having a height no greater than H2 and comprising a cantilever arm extending substantially coplanar with the HDD'"'"'s height midplane and having its fixed end attached to the HDD and its free end attached to the frame, and damping material between the cantilever arm and the frame; and

an electrical cable within the interior of the frame and having one end connected to the HDD and the other end exposed to the frame exterior.

21. The assembly of claim 20 wherein each mount assembly further comprises two cantilever arms and a cross member attached to the HDD substantially at the HDD'"'"'s height midplane, the fixed end of each cantilever free end being attached to an end of the cross member and the free end of each cantilever arm being attached to the frame substantially at the frame'"'"'s height midplane.

22. The assembly of claim 21 wherein each mount assembly further comprises a clamping plate, the damping material being located between the clamping plate and the cantilever arms.

23. The assembly of claim 21 wherein each mount assembly further comprises first and second clamping plates, the cantilever arms being located between the clamping plates;

and wherein the damping material includes a first layer of damping material between the first clamping plate and the cantilever arms and a second layer of damping material between the second clamping plate and the cantilever arms.

24. The assembly of claim 23 wherein each mount assembly further comprises a fastener for attaching the mount assembly to the frame, the fastener compressing the damping material between the clamping plates and cantilever arms.

25. The assembly of claim 20 wherein the damping material is a layer of viscoelastic material.

26. The assembly of claim 20 wherein the damping material is a layer of soft foam material.

27. The assembly of claim 20 wherein the frame'"'"'s exterior dimensions substantially correspond to the exterior dimensions of a first HDD form-factor, and wherein the HDD has exterior dimensions substantially corresponding to a second HDD form-factor smaller than the first HDD form-factor.

28. The assembly of claim 27 wherein the frame'"'"'s exterior dimensions substantially correspond to the exterior dimensions of a 2.5 in. HDD form-factor, and wherein the HDD has exterior dimensions substantially corresponding to a 1.8 in. form-factor.

29. The assembly of claim 20 wherein the frame has two ends along its width W1 and two sides along its length L1;

wherein the HDD has an exterior width W1, an exterior length L2, two ends along its width W2 and two sides along its length L2;

wherein the HDD is supported within the interior of the frame with its sides substantially parallel to the sides of the frame; and

wherein the cable end connected to the HDD is connected to the HDD at an HDD side; and

wherein the cable end exposed to the frame exterior is located at one of the frame'"'"'s ends.

30. The assembly of claim 29 wherein the HDD includes a first connector pin header on its HDD side, wherein the cable end connected to the HDD includes a second connector pin header connected to the HDD'"'"'s first connector pin header, and wherein the cable end located at one of the frame'"'"'s ends includes a connector pin header like said first connector pin header.

31. The assembly of claim 30 wherein the connector pin header at the frame end is attached to the frame.

32. The assembly of claim 31 wherein the connector pin header attached to the frame and said first connector pin header on the side of the HDD have the same pin configuration, and wherein the HDD is supported within the frame with said first connector pin header inverted from the connector pin header attached to the frame.