Electricity: electrical systems and devices – Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical... – For electronic systems and devices
Reexamination Certificate
1998-07-29
2001-05-22
Picard, Leo P. (Department: 2835)
Electricity: electrical systems and devices
Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical...
For electronic systems and devices
C361S726000, 36, C439S928000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06236570
ABSTRACT:
The present invention is directed to a slide-in module for hard disk drives which enables a “hot-replace” function.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
High-grade modern data processing systems currently assume, and modern software requires, that disk drives can be exchanged and replaced during operation of the system. This means that screw-fastening assemblies are foregone and simpler [sic ] disk replacement systems implemented. The sensitive mechanism of high-capacity drives does not allow jerky movements even when replacing a disk, such movements would damage the hard disks. Imprecise guidances destroy the components of plug-type connections as well. Further, all around shielding deteriorates the functionability of the hard disk drives.
The publication U.S. Pat. No. 5,277,615 discloses a slide-in module for hard disk drives which enables a “hot-replace” function that fundamentally allows continuous motions upon insertion or removal of the slide-in module.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to specify a slide-in module for hard disk drives which enables a “hot-replace” function which allows for, continuous movements, which assures precise guidance when replacing hard disk drives, and which provides all around shielding in the built-in condition.
The slide-in module can be precisely guided in a shaft. Ejectors allow a continuous movement when pulling or plugging the slide-in module. Lateral angle pieces connectable to ground and shielding plates that shield the front of the module enable the hermetic sealing of the hard disk drives in the built-in condition.
Entry bevels for axle projections of the ejectors enable the simple, snappable insertion of the ejectors into the front of the housing of the slide-in module. Hooks implemented at leg ends of the ejectors assure a dependable hooking at allocated parts. Guide pins at a flat module fixed to the stern wall increase the precision of the guidance of the slide-in module.
More specifically, in an embodiment of the present invention, a slide-in module for hard disk drives is provided which includes: a housing having a floor, two side walls, a stem wall and a substantially open front end; a pair of substantially U-shaped ejectors attached to the front end of the housing, each ejector formed with a pair of legs and a web part disposed therebetween wherein the web parts are adjacently positioned near a center of the front end and their respective leg pairs extend outwardly therefrom, each leg respectively having an axle projection attached thereto wherein a pair of axle projections on an ejector engage appertaining front end recesses of the housing to form a rotational axis for the ejector such that the ejectors may be outwardly opened in window-like fashion with respect to the housing; a pair of spring fingers, each spring finger attached to one web part of an ejector for engagement with a closure recess on the housing when the ejector is closed with respect to the housing, each spring finger including an outwardly projecting catch nose for operational engagement with a human appendage wherein the respective spring finger may be disengaged with the closure recess and the ejector opened; a front shielding plate positioned behind the front end of the housing, the front shielding plate including lateral arm parts extending over the side walls of the housing and being fixedly engaged within side recesses in the side walls, the front shielding plate having an upper edge with upwardly projecting contact humps and having a lower edge with downwardly projecting contact humps which extend through lower recesses in the floor of the housing; at least one stern wall supporting edge member extending from a rear recess in the stern wall; at least one floor supporting edge member extending from a rear edge of the floor; a flat module positioned over the rear recess of the stern wall and between the at least one stern wall supporting edge member and the at least one floor supporting edge member; and a pair of contact rails, each contact rail attached adjacent a side wall of the housing for lateral outside contact, each contact rail further including an angle piece projecting into the housing proximate to the floor for electrical connection to a grounding surface of a hard disk drive arranged inside the housing.
In an embodiment, the slide-in module further includes entry bevels formed adjacent the front end recesses of the housing, the legs of the ejectors being compressed so as to guide the axle projections along the entry bevels prior to engagement with the front end recesses.
In an embodiment, the slide-in module further includes a hook member formed at an end of each leg of the ejectors wherein the hook member projects outwardly beyond the side wall when the ejector is in a closed position and projects into an interior of the housing when the ejector is in an open position, and wherein the hook member engages a cooperating holder of a drive shaft when the housing is inserted into the shaft and the ejector moved into the closed position.
In an embodiment, the slide-in module further includes attachment members for securing the flat module to the stem wall.
Additional features and advantages of the present invention are described in, and will be apparent from, the Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments and the Drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4754397 (1988-06-01), Varaiya et al.
patent: 5277615 (1994-01-01), Hastings et al.
patent: 5349483 (1994-09-01), Tsai
patent: 5694290 (1997-12-01), Chang
patent: 5715146 (1998-02-01), Hoppal
patent: 5767445 (1998-06-01), Wu
patent: 6058016 (2000-05-01), Anderson et al.
patent: 94 09 541 (1994-09-01), None
patent: 0 425 170 A2 (1991-05-01), None
patent: WO 96/00938 (1996-01-01), None
IBM Technical Disclosure Bulletin vol. 38, No. 08, Aug. 1995.
Götzfried Manfred
Käsmayr Anton
Lanz Michael
Duong Hung Van
Picard Leo P.
Schiff & Hardin & Waite
Siemens Nixdorf Informationssysteme Aktiengesellschaft
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