Electricity: electrical systems and devices – Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical... – For electronic systems and devices
Reexamination Certificate
1996-11-18
2003-05-20
Schuberg, Darren (Department: 2835)
Electricity: electrical systems and devices
Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical...
For electronic systems and devices
C248S638000, C206S523000, C206S591000, C206S588000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06567265
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus having a flexible mounting mechanism for enhancing vibration resistance and impact resistance. More particularly, the present invention relates to an apparatus such as a portable device for recording and reproducing signals and a removable storage unit pack compatible with the device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, devices for recording and/or reproducing digitized data such as digitized audiovisual signals (i.e., digital signals) are used for various applications. The digital signals are easy to process by computers and are not degraded even when duplicated. Thus, audiovisual devices (hereinafter, simply referred to as “AV devices”) for manipulating and editing digitized signals are widely used, particularly for industrial applications (e.g., television broadcasting, films, and the like).
Hard disk drives (hereinafter, simply referred to as “HDDs”) are used as storage units for recording digital signals because of their high storage capacity and recording and reproducing speeds. At present, a 3.5 inch HDD having a capacity of 4×10
9
bytes is known, and storage capacity of HDDs is expected to increase at an annual rate of 60%.
AV devices which use removable HDDs have been popularized. An HDD records data in a storage medium and reproduce data stored in the storage medium via a magnetic head which follows information tracks several micrometers wide, from several tens of nanometers above the storage medium. Due to the close ranges between the magnetic head and the storage medium required to properly record or reproduce the data, the HDD is susceptible to damage or malfunction due to vibration and impact.
Vibration or impact may cause such problems that data may not be stored in the storage medium or data stored in the storage medium may not be reproduced. Specifically, vibration or impact may cause the magnetic head to damage the storage medium. In such a case, data stored in the damaged portion of the storage medium may not be reproduced. Vibration or impact may also break the magnetic head.
Maintaining the reliability of the HDD is one of the most important design and manufacturing properties for the AV device incorporating the HDD. Flexible mounting mechanisms are preferably used to improve the vibration and impact resistance of the HDD and thus maintain reliability.
Hereinafter, a conventional HDD pack
63
having a flexible mounting mechanism will be described with reference to
FIGS. 13 and 14
.
FIG. 13
is an isometric exploded view showing the conventional HDD pack
63
.
FIG. 14
is a cross-sectional view showing the same HDD pack
63
.
The HDD pack
63
includes a head disk assembly (hereinafter, simply referred to as an “HDA”)
50
and a protective housing
52
. As shown in
FIG. 14
, the HDA
50
includes disks
57
(as magnetic storage media); a spindle motor
58
for supporting and rotating the disks
57
; magnetic heads
59
for recording data in the storage media and reproducing data stored in the storage media; arms
60
for supporting the magnetic heads
59
; an driving section
61
for positioning the magnetic heads
59
; and a casing
62
accommodating all the above-mentioned elements. As shown in
FIG. 13
, receiving members
51
are fixed on the upper, bottom and side surfaces of the casing
62
of the HDA
50
. The protective housing
52
includes an upper plate
53
, a frame
54
and a bottom plate
55
and is provided for protection of the HDA
50
. The supporting members
56
are provided between the receiving members
51
and the protective housing
52
, thereby supporting the HDA
50
in the protective housing
52
.
An apparatus which utilizes an apparatus having a removable HDD pack is proposed, for example, in the U.S. Pat. No. 5,253,129.
Since the supporting members
56
can reduce damage to the HDD pack
63
caused by an external force, the HDD pack
63
can be removed from the apparatus and carried by itself. However, conventional removable HDD pack
63
is intended to be incorporated in a stable apparatus.
An HDD pack used in apparatuses carried by users, for example portable AV devices, needs to withstand impact which may be caused when the apparatus is hit by an obstacle or vibrated as the apparatus is transported.
Generally, a conventional HDD can withstand an impact acceleration of approximately 300 G when the HDD is not operated. However, when the HDD pack is dropped on a tile floor from a height of 76 cm, the impact acceleration on the HDD pack is about 1500 G or more.
When an HDD pack is operated in a portable AV device while being moved, the maximum acceptable impact acceleration on the HDD may be as much as about 10 G. The HDD pack built in AV device is required to record and reproduce data with a high reliability even under such circumstances.
Carrying an HDD pack separately from an AV device may induce a vibration acceleration of up to approximately 4 G and at a frequencies of up to approximately several hundred hertz on the HDD pack. When an HDD pack is operated in the AV device while being carried, a vibration acceleration of up to approximately 2 G and at frequency of up to several hundred hertz may be applied to the HDD pack.
Thus, the conventional HDD pack is subject to damage and malfunction caused by impact and vibration of the AV device. The problems caused by vibration include, for example, defective recording and/or defective reproduction of data; damage to the storage medium by the magnetic head which results in defective reproduction of data written in the damaged portions of the storage medium; and breakage of the magnetic head. The problem caused by impact includes, for example, defective recording and/or defective reproduction of data; damage to the storage medium given by the magnetic heads which results in defective reproduction of data written in the damaged portions of the storage medium; and breakage of the magnetic head.
In order to use an HDD as a removable storage unit, the HDD needs to have satisfactory impact resistance to avoid defective recording or reproduction of data, elimination of data, or structural damage, even if the apparatus or the HDD is dropped while being carried or when the HDD is inserted into or ejected from the apparatus. Additionally, satisfactory vibration resistance of the HDD is required to similarly avoid defective recording and/or reproduction of data, elimination of data, or structural damage even while being accommodated in a portable AV device for recording or reproduction.
The force against an HDD varies in type, magnitude and frequency, depending on whether the HDD is carried separately or operated in the portable AV device. The flexible mounting mechanism for the HDD must absorb or counteract the force under any conditions. Conventionally, a small flexible mounting mechanism cannot effectively control both impact and vibration. Since the conventional flexible mounting mechanism is required to be quite larger to reduce both impact and vibration, it is not suitable for portable AV devices.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An apparatus having a flexible mounting mechanism according to the present invention includes a storage section, a casing accommodating and holding the storage section, a protective housing accommodating and protecting the casing, a supporting member provided between the casing and the protective housing for supporting the casing, and a maintaining member supporting the protective housing. The supporting member and the maintaining member have different vibration damping characteristics.
In one embodiment of the present invention, a spring constant of the supporting member is larger than a spring constant of the maintaining member.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the maintaining member supports the protective housing such that the protective housing is removable from the apparatus.
In still another embodiment of the present invention, the protective housing is made of a material that satisfies a relationship,
Gh<Gf
where Gh is an imp
Kuwamoto Makoto
Wada Toshiyuki
Yamamura Toshiki
Lea-Edmonds Lisa
Renner Otto Boisselle & Sklar
Schuberg Darren
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