Electricity: electrical systems and devices – Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical... – For electronic systems and devices
Reexamination Certificate
2000-09-14
2001-06-19
Picard, Leo P. (Department: 2835)
Electricity: electrical systems and devices
Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical...
For electronic systems and devices
C248S618000, C248S638000, C360S137000, C369S075110, C361S727000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06249432
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates in general to removable hard disk drives and in particular to a vibration dampening system for removable hard disk drive carriers.
BACKGROUND ART
“Hot-pluggable” hard disk drives (HDD) are removable during operation in a computer or peripheral systems environment An HDD is typically mounted in a hard disk drive carrier prior to installation in a system An HDD carrier is a frame-like structure which attaches to the HDD to assist in its insertion into or removal from the system. HDD carriers also protect the HDD when it is outside of the systems environment HDD carriers are typically constructed out of metal and/or polymeric materials.
The system usually contains several HDD's, each of which may be readily interchangeable in the system. The HDD's are mounted in an HDD bay or chassis located within a system enclosure. During operation, the HDD's create vibration as they rotate. The vibration can become excessive, particularly when adjacent HDD's are operated simultaneously. Moreover, as HDD technology progresses to faster rotational speeds and cost-reduction architectures, the vibration problems are exacerbated.
Excessive vibration may lead to decreased HDD performance such as recoverable and non-recoverable write inhibits, increased seek times, and increased read and write access times. Excessive vibration may also cause premature HDD failures that are not repairable. Examples include mechanically-damaged platters and read/write heads, mechanical wear on moving HDD components, and data error defects that cannot be corrected through the use of software tools. Thus, a need exists to reduce systems vibration caused by removable HDD's.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
A “hot-pluggable” hard disk drive is mounted in a removable hard disk drive tray. The hard disk drive tray has a vibration dampening system for reducing vibration between the hard disk drive, the hard disk drive tray, and a hard disk drive docking bay located within a computer system The vibration dampening system has three primary components. The first component is a strip of polymeric material located between an end of the hard disk drive tray and the docking bay. The second component of the vibration dampening system is a set of polymeric strips located between an inner surface of the tray and the hard disk drive. The third component of the vibration dampening system is a set of spring assemblies. Each spring assembly is located between the sides of the tray and the docking bay.
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Drake James R.
Gamble Eric T.
Pacheco Joaquin F.
Bracewell & Patterson LLP
International Business Machines - Corporation
Lea-Edmonds Lisa
Picard Leo P.
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