Electrical connectors – With supporting means for coupling part – Supporting means comprising face plate or closure member for...
Reexamination Certificate
2001-11-05
2003-11-25
Duverne, Jean F. (Department: 2839)
Electrical connectors
With supporting means for coupling part
Supporting means comprising face plate or closure member for...
Reexamination Certificate
active
06652314
ABSTRACT:
DESCRIPTION OF AND BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a support member for a computer sub-assembly, to a contact element for use with a computer sub-assembly support member and to a combination of a computer sub-assembly and a support member therefor.
In particular, although by no means exclusively, the invention relates to the field of computer drive units such as hard disk drives (HDD's), and the various components and assemblies that are used to secure such drive units in position within a computer chassis.
Typically, drive units such as HDD's are secured within a housing such as a drive cage, which itself is connected to—and in electrical contact with—the primary chassis of the computer. The cage is attached somewhat rigidly to the computer chassis, although the drive unit itself is often moveable within the cage so as to facilitate removal such as may be required for maintenance and repair purposes, for example. To facilitate removal and insertion of drive units in this way, support members such as drive unit trays or rails are employed, which are fixed to the drive unit but which are slideable within channels or tracks provided as part of the drive unit cage. An important characteristic of such support members is that they should provide a degree of protection for the drive unit concerned, but it is also important that an electrical path is established between the drive unit itself and the computer chassis, to allow the electrical and electronic components of the drive unit to be connected to earth via the computer's earthing facility.
As will be well understood by those skilled in the relevant art, such earthing is required not only from an electrical safety point of view, but also to reduce the effects of electromagnetic interference (EMI) which can be caused by—and have an impact on—the various internal components of a computer drive unit.
Hitherto, this electrical contact has been made by the use of threaded fasteners passing through a wall of the support member, and entering into suitably configured threaded recesses provided in external faces of the drive unit concerned. To ensure that good electrical contact is made, electrically conducting washers are often disposed between the head of the threaded fastener and the body of the support member, but these components are small, difficult to manufacture and highly susceptible to loss or damage.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a support member for a computer sub-assembly that reduces or overcomes this and other disadvantages and to provide an improved contact element for use with such a support member. It is also an object of the present invention to provide, in combination, an improved computer sub-assembly and a support member therefor.
In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a support member for a computer sub-assembly having a contact element, the contact element having all operative position in which electrical contact is made between the sub-assembly and the support member, characterised in that the contact element, in use, is biasec resiliently towards the operative position.
The contact element may comprise a protrusion acapted to co-operate with a recess associated with the sub-assembly.
Preferably, the protrusion comprises a protuberance such as a bump.
The contact element preferably is spring-biased towards the operative position.
Conveniently, the contact element is biased towards the operative position by a leaf spring, with the contact element conveniently comprising a protuberance formed from the material of the leaf spring.
The protuberance may be formed by way of a deformation operation such as pressing.
The contact element may be positioned in relation to the support member so as to aid and/or maintain correct location of the sub-assembly with the support member. The contact element may be positioned so as to aid tactile location of the sub-assembly with the support member.
Preferably, the support member comprises a HDD tray, the contact element conveniently being adapted to co-operate with a recess provided in a surface of a HDD.
The support member may be provided with a shock absorber operative to reduce the effect of any shock or vibration to which the support member is subjected, prior to it being transmitted to a computer sub-assembly supported thereby.
The shock absorber may have a bearing part biased resiliently towards the sub-assembly so as to maintain the sub-assembly in position in relation to the support member.
Preferably, the support member is provided by a leaf spring.
It will be appreciated from the foregoing that the invention, in its first aspect, provides a support member that, on the one hand, enables a good electrical connection to be effected between the support member and the subassembly in a particularly convenient and user-friendly manner, and which, on the other hand, provides resilient support for the sub-assembly which is effective, in use, to protect the sub-assembly against damage.
In accordance with a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a contact element for use with a computer sub-assembly support member, the contact element having an operative position in which electrical contact is made between the sub-assembly and the support member, characterised in that the contact element, in use, is biased resiliently towards the operative position.
The contact element may form part of a contact assembly having an attachment element whereby the contact assembly may be secured to the support member.
The contact assembly preferably is generally resilient, securement of the contact assembly to the support member involving resilient deformation thereof.
The contact assembly may be formed from sheet material, the contact element conveniently being integral therewith.
The attachment element may comprise a projection extending away from the sheet material, the projection being co-operable with a recess or aperture provided in the support member.
The contact assembly may be provided with a shock absorber operative to reduce the effect of any shock or vibration to which the support member is subjected, prior to it being transmitted to a computer sub-assembly supported thereby.
The shock absorber may be provided by a leaf spring
From the foregoing, it will also thus be appreciated that the invention, in its second aspect, provides a device which, in use, may be attached to an existing drive unit tray or rail, to provide the tray or rail with the advantages of the more unitary construction described in relation to the first aspect of the present invention. By manufacturing the contact element from sheet (e.g. sheet metal) material, an inherent degree of resilience is imparted thereto, which not only facilitates attachment of the contact assembly to the support member, but also provides the shock absorber and contact element with their resilient characteristics.
In accordance with a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided, in combination, a computer sub-assembly and a support member therefor, the support member having a contact element which, in an operative position, allows electrical contact to be made between the sub-assembly and the support member whereby the sub-assembly may be earthed, the contact element, in use, being biased resiliently towards the operative position and being configured so as to be co-operable with a receiving formation provided in or on the computer sub-assembly.
The sub-assembly may be a drive unit and the support member may comprise a drive unit tray or rail.
In accordance with a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a support member for a computer drive unit having a contact element, the contact element having an operative position in which electrical contact is made between the drive unit and the support member, characterised in that the contact element, in use, is biased resiliently towards the operative position, and in that the contact element comprises a protrusion such as a bump which is co-operable with an
Duverne Jean F.
Hewlett--Packard Development Company, L.P.
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