Electricity: electrical systems and devices – Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical... – For electronic systems and devices
Reexamination Certificate
2001-04-13
2002-11-12
Schuberg, Darren (Department: 2835)
Electricity: electrical systems and devices
Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical...
For electronic systems and devices
C360S097010, C312S223100, C369S137000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06480375
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the invention
The present invention relates to a protection structure for a disk drive housed in an electronic apparatus, as well as an electronic apparatus having such a protection structure.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a computer apparatus are often housed such disk drives as a hard disk drive (HDD), a floppy disk drive (FDD), a CD-ROM drive, a digital video disk drive (DVD drive), etc. And, this computer apparatus is generally provided with a protection structure for a hard disk in each of those disk drives. Hereunder, a description will be made for a conventional technique of such a computer apparatus, which is a lap-top personal computer (hereafter, to be referred to a lap-top PC) with respect to a hard disk drive, which is one of the above described disk drives.
As shown in
FIG. 8
, a hard disk drive
84
is housed in a palm rest (housing)
82
of the conventional lap-top PC
80
. And, as shown in
FIG. 9
, the housing portion of the hard disk drive
84
is decided by a housing member
86
. The housing member
86
has a guide member
90
for guiding the hard disk drive
84
to the housing position.
And, a horseshoe-like supporting member
92
is provided between the hard disk drive
84
and the palm rest
82
. This supporting member
92
supports the palm rest
82
from inside.
As shown in
FIG. 10
, this supporting member
92
is in contact with both of the periphery of the case
85
of the hard disk drive
84
and the inner surface of the palm rest
82
. A predetermined space D (usually, 2.5 mm or so) is formed between a case
85
of the hard disk drive
84
and the inner surface of the palm rest
82
. Consequently, the palm rest
82
is prevented from coming into contact with the hard disk drive
84
even when the palm rest
82
is recessed inside due to a shock, etc. Consequently, a hard disk
94
can be prevented from damages.
In some cases, the palm rest
82
is made of such a material as magnesium or the like having high stiffness properties so as to eliminate the supporting member
92
and reduce the number of parts to be employed for the lap-top PC apparatus. In this case, however, the high price of the magnesium is an obstacle. And, even when such the countermeasure is taken, forming of the predetermined space D is still indispensable.
The lap-top PCs are now getting smaller and thinner in size. Consequently, it is strongly demanded to reduce the space D between the hard disk drive
84
and the palm rest
82
respectively.
If the space D is reduced more, however, the palm rest
82
might come in contact with the hard disk drive
84
, causing the hard disk
94
to be damaged when the palm rest
82
is recessed inside due to a shock, etc.
Under such circumstances, it is an object of the present invention to provide a protection structure for a disk drive, which can prevent a disk from damage even when a space for protecting the disk drive is reduced. It is another object of the present invention to provide such an electronic apparatus as a personal computer provided with such a protection structure, thereby the lap-top PC can be designed smaller and thinner in size.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The protection structure for a disk drive according to the present invention protects a disk drive housed in the housing of the subject electronic apparatus, leaving a space from the inner surface of the housing. And, the protection structure is characterized by a reinforcement member provided for reinforcing the housing between the inner surface of the housing and the disk drive.
The above described disk drive may be a hard disk drive, a floppy disk drive, a CD-ROM drive, a digital video disk drive, or the like.
Because the housing of the electronic apparatus is reinforced from inside by the reinforcement member, the housing is suppressed from deformation even when such a load as an impact force is applied to the housing from outside.
Consequently, the space between the housing and the disk drive can be reduced within a range that can protect the disk inside the disk drive from damages.
The reinforcement member is often made of such a material as metal, etc. having high stiffness properties than those of the housing.
As a preferred embodiment, the reinforcement member has a recess portion to the disk drive and a load applied to the housing from outside is supported at the periphery of the recess portion.
Consequently, the above described space can be easily reduced by using a simple-structured reinforcement member.
The recess portion is, for example, a dome portion formed in a dome shape. This is why the reinforcement member can be simplified in shape significantly. This dome portion is usually provided in an area corresponding to the disk in the disk drive.
In this case, a curve portion may be formed at the inner surface side of the housing so as to be matched with the shape of the dome portion. Consequently, the space between the disk drive and the outer surface of the housing can further be reduced. And, this is very effective to design such an electronic apparatus as a lap-top PC, etc. thinner in shape.
A plurality of ribs may be formed at least at the periphery of the dome portion so as to be extended radially from the center of the dome portion to the periphery. Consequently, the durability load of the dome portion can be improved more. In addition, the shape of the dome portion is protected even from an excessive force applied thereon, thereby the disk is prevented from serious damage.
The outer periphery of the reinforcement member may come in contact with the guide member provided along the side surface of the disk drive. Consequently, the reinforcement member can be supported by the guide member.
Furthermore, the outer periphery of the reinforcement member may come in contact with the guide member via a shock absorber. In this case, the shock absorber can ease an impact force applied to the reinforcement member.
This shock absorber may be a space, for example, formed by folding an end of a metallic plate. In this case, if the outer periphery of the reinforcement member is made of a metallic plate, such a shock absorber can be formed very easily.
If the guide member has an engaging recess portion and the reinforcement member has an engaging projection portion formed at its outer periphery, the reinforcement member can be attached in one step, and the guide member can stand a force applied to the reinforcement member.
Furthermore, if the guide member has an engaging recess portion, a through-hole is formed at the outer periphery of the reinforcement member so as to correspond to the engaging recess portion, and an engaging projection portion is formed inside the housing so as to be engaged with the recess portion via the through-hole, then the reinforcement member can be attach only by pushing it to both of the housing and the guide member.
The personal computer of the present invention has such a protection structure for a disk drive according to the present invention.
Consequently, it is possible to reduce the space formed between the housing of the personal computer and the disk drive, so the personal computer can be designed smaller and thinner in shape.
Furthermore, the electronic apparatus of the present invention is also provided with such a protection structure for a disk drive according to the present invention.
Consequently, the electronic apparatus can be designed smaller and thinner in shape just like the personal computer of the present invention.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5936935 (1999-08-01), Hanakawa et al.
patent: 5956213 (1999-09-01), Dague et al.
patent: 6002658 (1999-12-01), Aso et al.
patent: 6009057 (1999-12-01), Furukawa et al.
Horikoshi Seita
Morino Takayuki
Noguchi Hiroyuki
Duong Hung Van
International Business Machines - Corporation
Millett Douglas R.
Schuberg Darren
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