Electricity: electrical systems and devices – Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical... – For electronic systems and devices
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-09
2001-12-25
Picard, Leo P. (Department: 2835)
Electricity: electrical systems and devices
Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical...
For electronic systems and devices
C361S689000, C361S689000, C361S689000, C188S267000, C188S378000, C335S285000, C335S306000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06333848
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a storage device applied to equipment such as a computer, for example. That is, the present invention relates to a storage device which can reduce and suppress vibrations generated by operating a storage media in the storage device.
DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART
Generally, an external storage device for an information memory is used in equipment such as a computer that has a structure to drive a disk storage media, such as a magnetic disk storage device, or a magneto-optical disc storage. In the above-mentioned storage device, a replacement of a whole storage device is necessary when the storage device is too old for reliable use or based on a storage-capacity shortage, or when it does not work correctly.
It is desirable that this replacement process be done in a quick and easy manner. Referring to
FIG. 7
to
FIG. 9
, an outline of a conventional storage device will be explained.
FIG. 7
is a top view showing a structure of a storage device. As shown in
FIG. 7
, for the storage device
1
, a disk storage media
3
is contained in a fixed frame
2
that has a rectangular form. The fixed frame
2
can also have a square form.
The storage media
3
is mounted for rotational movement in the fixed frame
2
. A storage device connector portion
4
that provides an electrical connection is formed on one side of the fixed frame
2
. A guide portion
5
is formed on opposite sides of the fixed frame
2
which adjoin the side which adjoins the storage device connector portion
4
, and is used to guide the fixed frame
2
in place. Also, insertion and removal of the storage device
1
with respect to the electric equipment (such as a computer, not shown) is performed by the guide portion
5
.
FIG. 8
is a top view showing an attachment state to electric equipment of the storage device
1
. As shown in
FIG. 8
, the electric equipment or a rectangular-shaped storage device mounting portion
6
prepared in a cabinet only for the storage device
1
(not shown) is arranged along a perimeter of the storage device
1
. The electric equipment connector portion
7
is installed inside of the storage device mounting portion
6
. A side of the storage device mounting portion
6
adjoins the electric equipment connector portion
7
. A guide rail
8
is installed on the sides which adjoin the electric equipment connector portion
7
, with those sides being opposite positioned with respect to each other. The guide portion
5
in the storage device
1
is guided and inserted along the guide rail
8
.
Moreover, the storage device connector portion
4
of the storage device
1
and the electric equipment connector portion
7
of the storage device mounting portion
6
are connected together. Thus, the storage device
1
is installed in the storage device mounting portion
6
. Furthermore, the fixed frame
2
and the storage device mounting portion
6
are connected through supporting plates
9
. Screws
10
are used to affix the storage device mounting portion
6
to the storage device
1
.
FIG. 9
is a top view showing an attachment state to an electric equipment of a storage device
1
.
FIG. 9
has almost the same structure as
FIG. 8
, with a difference being the attaching of rubber isolator
11
between a fixed frame
2
and a storage device mounting portion
6
. That is, the difference between FIG.
8
and
FIG. 9
is the fixing of the storage device
1
in the storage device mounting portion
6
through the rubber isolator
11
as opposed to the use of screws
10
.
A storage media
3
rotates in the storage device
1
at a fixed revolution. Moreover, a “read-out and write-in” head of the storage device
1
(not shown) moves on the storage media
3
, and, by performing this action, “informational read-out and write” in any position on the storage media
3
can be performed.
In recent years, in the storage device
1
, to increase rotational speed related to “read-out and write”, there has been a tendency to form a storage media
3
which can operate at a higher rotational speed. However, as the storage media
3
is formed into a high rotation speed operation, vibration generated in the storage device
1
will also increase. Therefore, there exists problem a in that there is a possibility of lowering the reliability of the “read-out and write-in” function of information on the storage device
1
.
One conventional approach shown in
FIG. 8
as a vibration control of the storage device
1
, in which the fixed frame
2
and the storage device mounting portion
6
are connected together with supporting plates
9
and fixed screws
10
. Another conventional approach to mitigate vibrations is by attaching the rubber isolators
11
between the fixed frame
2
and the storage device mounting portion
6
, as shown in FIG.
9
.
However, for example, when the storage device
1
needs to perform “exchange and maintenance” during operation, there occurs some problems described below, in particular, the storage device for a computer in continuous-running plants. That is, when an exchange (or replacement) process is performed, removal of the fixed screws
10
or the rubber isolators
11
are needed, and the exchange process becomes complicated and time-consuming.
On the one hand, “a design and a manufacture” of parts for vibration reduction are needed when a high-speed rotation type storage device is applied to an existing electric device which has not taken into consideration a vibration reduction of the storage device
1
. Moreover, in the cabinet of an electric device which uses a majority of the storage device
1
, a problem exists in the vibration control will become large-scale, and will become difficult to resolve.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the invention to provide a storage device which overcomes the disadvantages of the conventional approaches described above.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a storage device which can reduce and suppress vibrations accompanied by high-speed revolution of a storage media, and enhance reliability, and enable the storage device to be easily detachable from and attachable to equipment.
There has been provided according to one aspect of the present invention, a storage device which comprises a connector unit for transferring information between a storage media mounted in the storage device and an electric equipment which is operated based on said information, a frame for holding said storage media and a vibration reduction unit for absorbing a vibration energy or inertia force which occurs when the storage media is operated, the vibration reduction unit provided inside of the frame.
There has been provided according to another aspect of the present invention, a storage device which comprises a connector unit for transferring information between a storage media mounted in the storage device and an electric equipment which is operated based on the information, a frame for holding the storage media and a vibration reduction unit for absorbing a vibration energy or inertia force which occurs when the storage media is operated, and the vibration reduction unit comprises: a mass object which is adapted to be relatively movable transfer to the frame on a plane which intersects perpendicularly with a rotating spindle of the storage media; and a vibration control unit adapted to absorb a vibration energy or inertia force occurring in the frame when the storage media is operated by a vibration energy or inertia force given between the mass object and the frame.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5445249 (1995-08-01), Aida et al.
patent: 5463527 (1995-10-01), Hager et al.
patent: 5896961 (1999-04-01), Aida et al.
patent: 06-150619 (1994-05-01), None
patent: 10-339354 (1998-12-01), None
Aida Yasuhiko
Maeda Yuuji
Niwa Hiroshi
Omori Akimitsu
Chang Yean-Hsi
Foley & Lardner
Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
Picard Leo P.
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