Connector for modular electronic storage unit

• US 7,281,935 B2
• Filed: 01/10/2006
• Issued: 10/16/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Reents, Jeffrey M., Stirret, Prakash R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zarroli; Michael C.
• Application Number:
  US11/328,233
• Publication Number:
  US 20060158834A1
• Time in Patent Office: 644 Days
• Field of Search: 439247-248, 439/911, 439/378, 439/680, 439/559, 439/341, 439/535, 200/50.12, 361/616, 361/641, 361/724, 361/679, 340/693.9
• US Class Current: 439/248
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/181 Enclosures for portable computers G06F1/1613
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/187 Mounting of fixed and removable disk drives
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/20 Cooling means
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/025 Portable cases
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/1426 by cooling plates, e.g. fins

Abstract

An electronic storage unit, which may contain a hard disk drive, is configured to removably mount to a recessed surface of a console. The housing includes a lip and a biased latch arm so that the lip can be inserted into a corresponding feature in the recessed surface and the electronic storage unit can be rotatably mounted to the recessed surface. A cable connector extends from the bottom of the electronic storage unit and is configured to connect to a receptor on the console when the electronic storage unit is installed. The cable connector is configured with asymmetrical guideposts to aid in aligning the electronic storage unit for rotational insertion into the console. The electronic storage unit can be readily removed from the console.

Claims

1. A modular electronic storage unit configured for rotational attachment to a base unit comprising:

a housing having a top and bottom wall;

a connector extending through the bottom of the housing;

a lead guide post positioned at a first longitudinal end of the electrical interconnect;

a follow guide post positioned at a second longitudinal end of the electrical interconnect, the lead and follow guideposts being asymmetrical; and

a recessed area having a plurality of electrical contacts between the lead and follow guideposts.

2. The modular electronic storage unit of claim 1, wherein the lead guidepost has a first angled top portion and the follow guidepost has a second angled top portion and wherein the first angled top portion includes an outer longitudinal side angle of 45°

and the second angled top portion includes an outer longitudinal side angle of 50°

.

3. The modular electronic storage unit of claim 1, wherein the height of the lead guide post is less than the height of the follow guide post.

4. The modular electronic storage unit of claim 3, wherein the lead and follow guideposts include vertical base sides and wherein the vertical base sides of the lead guidepost are shorter than the vertical base sides of the follow guidepost.

5. The modular electronic storage unit of claim 1, wherein the lead guidepost includes a peak that is positioned longitudinally outward of a guidepost centerline.

6. The modular electronic storage unit of claim 1, wherein the follow guide post includes a peak that is positioned longitudinally inward of a guidepost centerline.

7. The modular electronic storage unit of claim 1, further including a tongue, positioned at one longitudinal end of the storage unit and configured to engage with a portion of a base unit to enable rotational insertion of the storage unit into the base unit.

8. A modular electronic storage unit configured for rotational attachment to a base unit comprising:

a housing having a top portion and a bottom portions;

a connector extending through the housing and having

a lead guide post positioned at a first longitudinal end of the connector and having a plurality of angled sides;

a follow guide post positioned at an opposite longitudinal end of the electrical interconnect and having a plurality of angled sides different from the plurality of angled sides of the lead guide post;

the height of the lead guidepost being shorter than the height of the follow guidepost; and

a recessed area having a plurality of electrical contacts.

9. The modular electronic storage unit of claim 8 wherein the width of the lead guide post is the same as the width of the follow guide post.

10. The modular electronic storage unit of claim 8, wherein the inner longitudinal angle of the lead guide post is between 40°

and 50°

.

11. The modular electronic storage unit of claim 8 wherein the outer longitudinal angle of the lead guide post is between 40°

and 50°

.

12. The modular electronic storage unit of claim 8 wherein the inner longitudinal angle of the follow guide post is between 45°

and 55°

.

13. The modular electronic storage unit of claim 8, wherein the outer longitudinal angle of the follow guide post is between 40°

and 50°

.

14. The modular electronic storage unit of claim 8, wherein the displacement of the center of the lead guide post is less than the displacement of the center of the follow guide post.

15. A modular electronic storage unit configured for rotational attachment to a base unit comprising:

a housing having a top portion and a bottom portion;

a connector extending through the housing and having

a lead guidepost positioned at a first longitudinal end of the connector and having a top portion including at least four main angled surfaces and a peak that is offset from a centerline of the lead guidepost; and

a follow guide post positioned at a second longitudinal end of the connector and having a top portion including at least four main angled surfaces and a peak that is offset from a centerline of the follow guidepost.

16. The modular electronic storage unit of claim 15, wherein the offset of the peak of the lead guidepost from the exterior longitudinal edge of the lead guidepost is between 30% and 40% of the width of the lead guidepost, and the offset of the peak of the follow guidepost from the exterior longitudinal edge of the follow guidepost is between 70% and 80% of the width of the follow guidepost.

17. The modular electronic storage unit of claim 16, wherein the offset of the peak of the lead guidepost from the outer edge of the connector is between 0.60 and 0.90 mm.

18. The movable electrical interconnect of claim 16, wherein the offset of the peak of the follow guidepost from the outer edge of the connector is between 1.4 and 1.7 mm.

19. The modular electronic storage unit of claim 15, wherein the width of the lead guide post is equal to the width of the follow guide post.

20. The modular electronic storage unit of claim 15, wherein the lead guidepost and follow guidepost are asymmetrical and wherein the difference in height of the lead guidepost and follow guidepost is between 0.5 and 1.25 mm and wherein the offset of the peak of the lead guidepost is 38% of the width of the guidepost and the offset of the peak of the follow guidepost is 78% of the width of the guidepost.