Contained environmental control system for mobile event data recorder

• US 7,703,291 B2
• Filed: 04/15/2005
• Issued: 04/27/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: March Networks Corporation (Infinova (Canada) Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: March Networks Corporation (Infinova (Canada) Ltd.)
• Inventors: Bisson, Terry A, Bushnik, Ted G
• Primary Examiner(s): Jones; Melvin
• Application Number:
  US11/106,515
• Publication Number:
  US 20060232891A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,838 Days
• Field of Search: 62/32, 622/592, 62/33, 62/37
• US Class Current: 62/3.2
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 3/08 with provision for safeguarding the apparatus, e.g. against abnormal operation, against breakdown
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/20 Cooling means
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/085 using electronic data carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/08 Insulation or absorption of undesired vibrations or sounds
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/124 of the single recording/reproducing device, e.g. disk drive, onto a chassis
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/1406 Reducing the influence of the temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/1446 Reducing contamination, e.g. by dust, debris

Abstract

An environmental control system, or data pack, is provided in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. The system allows for audio and video recording on hard drive media in situations where temperature, vibration and humidity would otherwise have prevented the use of such technology. The system can be used in conjunction with an event recorder for use in motor vehicles, trains and the like. The environmental control system includes a thermoelectric module connected to the hard drive and to a housing. The thermoelectric module is for transferring heat between the hard drive and the housing in response to an applied voltage in order to maintain a hard drive temperature within a hard drive operable temperature range. The vehicle operating temperature range includes temperatures outside the hard drive operable temperature range.

Claims

1. A mobile event recorder data pack system for use in a vehicle, the vehicle operating within a vehicle operating temperature range, the system comprising:

a chassis within which a hard drive module housing is sealed, the hard drive module housing comprising;

a standard hard drive;

an insulating container containing the standard hard drive;

a thermoelectric module, coupled to and provided within the housing and for coupling to the hard drive, to transfer heat between the hard drive and the housing in response to an applied voltage in order to maintain a hard drive temperature within a hard drive operable temperature range, the vehicle operating temperature range including temperatures outside the hard drive operable temperature range, and the hard drive operable temperature range being within the vehicle operating temperature range;

a heat sink coupled to the thermoelectric module and to the housing to dissipate heat from the thermoelectric module to the housing;

an active cooling system for actively drawing heat away from the hard drive, out of the housing and to the interior of the chassis; and

a mechanical vibration isolator coupled to the hard drive and to the housing to reduce vibrational effects on the hard drive in order to maintain operation within a hard drive vibration limit.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the active cooling system comprises a fan.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the mechanical vibration isolator comprises a wire rope isolator.

4. The system of claim 1 further comprising a desiccant pack provided within the insulating container.

5. The system of claim 1 further comprising a thermal spreader provided in contact with the hard drive and the thermoelectric module to facilitate thermal conduction between the hard drive and the thermoelectric module.

6. The system of claim 5 further comprising a thermal transfer material provided between the thermal spreader and the thermoelectric module.

7. The system of claim 1 further comprising a thermal transfer material provided between the thermoelectric module and the heat sink.

8. The system of claim 1 further comprising an air gap sealing means provided on the periphery of an upper surface of the heat sink to seal an interface between the insulating container and the heat sink.

9. The system of claim 1 further comprising temperature control logic including a means for applying a voltage to the thermoelectric module.

10. The system of claim 9 further comprising means for activating the temperature control logic in response to a detection of a housing temperature in excess of an upper device operating temperature.

11. The system of claim 10 further comprising a temperature sensor located on the thermal spreader for detection of the temperature of the thermal spreader.

12. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a main processing module; and

a backplane system to interface the main processing module with the hard drive module housing and components contained therein.

13. The system of claim 12 further comprising an event recorder interface to couple the mobile event recorder data pack with an event recorder.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the event recorder interface comprises:

a time synchronizer to synchronize communication between the event recorder and the mobile event recorder data pack.

15. The system of claim 1 wherein the chassis is an aluminum chassis.