Abstract:
The present invention provides an electronic device to facilitate the attachment to and removal from a main apparatus.  
     The removable electronic device is comprised of an enclosure and connector device, wherein the connector device has a connector device guide formed on each of two sides of the connector device, and the enclosure has an enclosure guide, which is in a shape generally continuous with the connector device guide, formed on each of two sides thereof.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0002]    The present invention relates to a connector, electronic device and information processing apparatus, and particularly to a connector mounted to an electronic device, and to an electronic device and information apparatus that incorporate an electronic component, e.g. storage media such as a hard disk and semiconductor memory and are detachably attachable to a main apparatus such as a personal computer.  
           [0003]    2. Related Background Art  
           [0004]    A conventional electronic device of this type is now described with reference to FIG. 9 to FIG. 12.  
           [0005]    Referring to FIG. 9, which shows a perspective view of a conventional electronic device, an electronic device  100  is comprised of an enclosure  102  including an electronic component (not shown), and a connector  101  electrically connected to the electronic component and disposed on a side of the enclosure.  
           [0006]    An enclosure  102  has a right guide  102   a and left guide  102   b  on either side, and the connector  101  has a connection terminal  101   a  electrically connected to a corresponding connector, as well as a right boss  101   b  and left boss  101   c  for aligning with the corresponding connector.  
           [0007]    As shown in FIG. 9, the connector  101  of the conventional electronic device  100  is smaller in vertical and horizontal outer dimensions than the electronic device enclosure  102 , and four sides forming a terminal plane for connecting the connector  101  are not exposed outside the electronic device  100 . That is, the connector  101  is constructed so that four sides thereof are covered by the enclosure  102 .  
           [0008]    In an example shown in FIG. 9, the right guide  102   a  and left guide  102   b  are presented in the shape of a groove.  
           [0009]    [0009]FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the electronic device  100  that is inserted through a slot of an electronic device connecting apparatus located on the main apparatus.  
           [0010]    In FIG. 10, reference numerals  200 ,  200   a ,  200   b , and  300  denote an electronic device connecting apparatus, an external enclosure of the electronic device connecting apparatus, a slot for the electronic device  100 , and an electronic device support component within the electronic device connecting apparatus  200 , respectively.  
           [0011]    As shown in FIG. 10, the electronic device  100  is oriented toward the electronic device connecting apparatus  200  in a side of the connector  101 , inserted through the slot  200   a , and then inwardly moved while it is supported by the electronic device support component  300 .  
           [0012]    [0012]FIG. 11 shows how the electronic device  100  is supported by the electronic device support component  300 .  
           [0013]    It shows in perspective the external enclosure  200   a  in FIG. 10, and shows a perspective representation of the electronic device support component  300 .  
           [0014]    [0014]FIG. 11 shows a right support guide and left support guide,  300   a  and  300   b  respectively, of the electronic device support component  300 , a connector  400  on the electronic device connecting apparatus, a main electrical circuit board  401  of the electronic device connecting apparatus, and an electrical component  402  mounted on the main electrical circuit board.  
           [0015]    Once the electronic device  100  is inserted into the electronic device support component  300 , the right support guide  300   a  is engaged with the groove of the right guide  102   a  and the left support guide  300   b  with the groove of the left guide  102   b , the electronic device  100  is then supported in vertical and horizontal directions in relation to the electronic device support component  300  to be inwardly moved.  
           [0016]    [0016]FIG. 12 shows a perspective view of a connector  400  located on the electronic device connecting apparatus  200  and connected to the connector  101  of the electronic device  100 , and reference numerals  400   b  and  400   c  denote right and left recesses respectively, and  400   a  denotes a connection terminal of the connector  400 .  
           [0017]    The connector  100  is shown aligned in vertical and horizontal directions in relation to the connector  400  by engaging the right boss  101   b  with the right recess  400   b  and the left boss  101   c  with the left recess  400   c  before or once the connector  100  is connected to the connector  400 , so that the connectors are connected to each other.  
           [0018]    Because the connector  101  is constructed so that four sides thereof are covered by the enclosure  102  as describe above, supporting the enclosure  102  of the electronic device  100  by the electronic device support component  300  with the respective guide before connectors are connected to each other after the electronic device  100  is inserted, and supporting the connector  101  and connector  400  with each other before making connection, may not allow the connector  101  to be aligned with the connector  400  in the vertical and horizontal directions even when the enclosure  102  is properly supported to align in place by the electronic device support component  300  before making connection, due to the difficulty of centering the connector  101  on the enclosure  102  with a clearance caused by tolerances between each other.  
           [0019]    The connectors, therefore, collide with each other, in particular, the right and left bosses,  101   b  and  101   c , of the connector  101  may not be inserted into the right and left recesses,  400   b  and  400   c , of the connector  400 .  
           [0020]    By tapering or radiusing each edge of the right and left bosses,  101   b  and  101   c , and each inlet of the right and left recesses,  400   b  and  400   c , positions of misaligned connectors may be forced to match. In that case, however, loads and/or stresses on each connector or associated components with the connectors have caused problems such as fatigue failure.  
           [0021]    To address these problems, conventional types of the electronic device and electronic device connecting apparatus typically have a predetermined clearance between the electronic device and the electronic device support component  300 , and thus the alignment of the connector  101  and the connector  400  has been difficult in terms of dimensions.  
           [0022]    The mechanism of conventional products has, however, been based on the assumption that the electronic device is manually inserted and advanced. After the position is corrected, therefore, by stopping the insertion of the electronic device and moving manually the electronic device slightly in vertical and horizontal directions for a fine adjustment once the connectors collide with each other as described above, it is still possible to restart the insertion and allow the alignment bosses of the connector  101  to fit into the recesses of the connector  400 .  
           [0023]    This means that the prior art requires interrupting the insertion of the electronic device to manually fine adjust the position.  
           [0024]    It is expected that many mechanisms will in future be employed to automatically feed the electronic device by the electronic device connecting apparatus. Automatic feeder mechanisms assuming the adoption of the prior art electronic devices would be hampered by the difficulty of providing a mechanism and controlling it to perform a fine adjustment as manually done as described above, or, if possible, would require complex mechanisms and control.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0025]    It is an object of the present invention to provide an electronic device and the corresponding electronic device connecting apparatus that do not require interrupting the insertion and a fine adjustment of the position, for example, by manual operation when the electronic device is inserted into the electronic device connecting apparatus, and that eliminate needs of complex mechanisms and control for mechanisms automatically feeding the electronic device by the electronic device connecting apparatus. It is another object of the present invention to provide an electronic device and information processing apparatus that can provide protection for an electronic device against shock and vibration after it is inserted.  
           [0026]    To achieve the above objectives, an electronic device according to the invention comprises an enclosure including an electronic component, and a connector device electrically connected to the electronic component and disposed on a side of the enclosure, wherein the connector device has a connector device guide formed on each of two outer sides thereof, and the enclosure has an enclosure guide, which is generally continuous with the connector device guide, formed on each of two outer sides thereof.  
           [0027]    An information processing apparatus according to the invention comprises an electronic device, and electronic device connecting apparatus to which the electronic device is connected, wherein the electronic device comprises an enclosure including an electronic component, a first connector device electrically connected to the electronic component and disposed on a side of the enclosure wherein the first connector device has a connector device guide formed on each of two outer sides thereof, and an enclosure guide, which is generally continuous with the connector device guide, on each of two outer sides of the enclosure, and wherein the electronic device connecting apparatus comprises a second connector device to which the first connector device is connected, and an electronic device guide matching the connector device guide with the enclosure guide.  
           [0028]    The information processing apparatus according to the invention further comprises an opening to which an electronic device is mounted, wherein the apparatus further comprises a second connector to which a first connector of the electronic device is connected, and a guide support supporting both the connector device guide formed on each of two outer sides of the first connector device and the enclosure guide generally continuous with the connector device guide.  
           [0029]    A connector according to the invention is mounted to the electronic device, and comprises a connector device guide that is formed on each of two sides thereof and that is generally continuous with the enclosure guide formed on each of two outer sides of the enclosure of the electronic device, and a connecting section connected to an external connector. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0030]    [0030]FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of an electronic device according to a first embodiment of the invention;  
         [0031]    [0031]FIG. 2 is a perspective view partially illustrating in perspective an electronic device according to the first embodiment of the invention;  
         [0032]    [0032]FIG. 3 is a perspective view partially illustrating in perspective an electronic device support that is provided on an electronic device connecting apparatus according to the first embodiment of the invention into which an electronic device is inserted, and illustrating when the electronic device is to be mounted;  
         [0033]    [0033]FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of a second connector device located on an electronic device connecting apparatus, to which a first connector device of an electronic device is connected;  
         [0034]    [0034]FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of an electronic device according to a second embodiment of the invention;  
         [0035]    [0035]FIG. 6 shows a perspective view of an electronic device according to a third embodiment of the invention;  
         [0036]    [0036]FIG. 7 is a perspective view partially illustrating in perspective an electronic device support to which the electronic device shown in FIG. 5 is mounted;  
         [0037]    [0037]FIG. 8 shows a perspective view of an electronic device according to a fourth embodiment of the invention;  
         [0038]    [0038]FIG. 9 shows a perspective view of a conventional electronic device;  
         [0039]    [0039]FIG. 10 is a perspective view illustrating an electronic device  100  inserted through a slot of an electronic device connecting apparatus located on a main apparatus;  
         [0040]    [0040]FIG. 11 shows how the electronic device  100  is supported by an electronic device support component  300 ; and  
         [0041]    [0041]FIG. 12 shows a perspective view of a connector  400  located on an electronic device connecting apparatus  200  and connected to a connector  101  of the electronic device  100 . 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0042]    (First Embodiment)  
         [0043]    An embodiment of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings.  
         [0044]    [0044]FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of an electronic device according to a first embodiment of the invention, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view partially illustrating in perspective the same device shown in a different direction.  
         [0045]    [0045]FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 show an electronic device  1 , an enclosure  11  of the electronic device  1 , a first connector device  12 , an enclosure guide  11   a  in the form of a groove and formed on each of two outer sides of the enclosure  11 , a right enclosure guide  11   b  representing the enclosure guide  11   a  on the right side of the enclosure  11 , a left enclosure guide  11   c  similarly representing the enclosure guide  11   a  on the left side of the enclosure  11 , a connector device guide  12   a  in the form of a groove and formed on each of two outer sides of a first connector device  12 , a right connector device guide  12   b  representing the connector device guide  12   a  on the right side of the first connector device  12 , a left connector device guide  12   c  similarly representing the connector device guide  12   a  on the opposing left side, a connection terminal  12   d  of the first connector device  12 , and an electronic component  13  included inside the enclosure  11 .  
         [0046]    In the above arrangement, the electronic component  13  is included inside the enclosure  11  and its electrical signals are coupled to the connection terminal  12   d  of the connector device  12  by a component (not shown) such as the heat seal. The electronic component  13  may be a hard disk device or semiconductor memory device etc., and because any known types of them may be used, detailed constructions will not be described herein.  
         [0047]    The connector device  12  is disposed on a side of the enclosure  11  and provides for connection to an external connector device. The connector device  12  is provided with a connector device guide  12   a  on each of two outer sides thereof, specifically, the right connector device guide  12   b  on the right side and the left connector device guide  12   c  on the opposite side.  
         [0048]    The enclosure guide  11   a  on each of two sides of the enclosure  11  is in a shape generally continuous with the connector device guide  12   a , specifically, the right connector device guide  12   b  is generally continuous with the right enclosure guide  11   b  and the left connector device guide  12   c  is generally continuous with the left enclosure guide  11   c.    
         [0049]    In a conventional electronic device  100  illustrated in FIG. 9, a connector  101  is smaller in vertical and horizontal outer dimensions than an electronic device enclosure  102 , and is constructed so that four sides forming a terminal plane of the connector  101  are not exposed outside the electronic device  100  and four sides thereof are covered by the enclosure  102 . As shown in FIG. 10 and FIG. 11, therefore, the connector  101  may not be supported before the connector  101  is connected to the connector  400  after the electronic device  100  is inserted into a slot  200   b  of an electronic device connecting apparatus  200 , and thus a right guide  102   a  and left guide  102   b  on either side of an enclosure  102  are supported.  
         [0050]    In the electronic device  1  according to the present embodiment, however, the connector device  12  is provided with a connector device guide  12   a  on each of two outer sides thereof, and the enclosure guide  11   a  in a shape generally continuous with the connector device guide  12   a  is formed on each of two sides of the enclosure  11 . This enables to support the connector device guide  12   b  of the connector device  12  before the electronic device  1  is connected to a second connector device after it is inserted into a slot of an electronic device connecting apparatus so that the position of the first connector device  12  can more accurately be aligned with that of a corresponding connector device in vertical and horizontal directions.  
         [0051]    [0051]FIG. 3 is a perspective view partially illustrating in perspective an electronic device support  301  that is provided on an electronic device connecting apparatus  200 , such as a personal computer or workstation etc. schematically shown in FIG. 10, into which the electronic device  1  is inserted, and illustrating when the electronic device  1  is to be mounted.  
         [0052]    Guides  300   b  and  300   c  are provided on each of two sides toward an entry of the electronic device support  300 , providing a structure that allows the electronic device  1  to be mounted by matching support guides  12   b  and  11   b  of the electronic device  1  with support guides  12   c  and  11   c  respectively.  
         [0053]    [0053]FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of a second connector device located on the electronic device connecting apparatus  200 , to which the first connector device  12  of the electronic device  1  is connected.  
         [0054]    A second connector device has recesses formed on either side of the connector so that it can be connected to the first connector device  12 .  
         [0055]    The enclosure guide  11   a  and connector device guide  12   a  are vertically (perpendicular in the drawing) offset from the center (downwardly in this embodiment). This avoids the upside-down insertion.  
         [0056]    (Second embodiment)  
         [0057]    [0057]FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of an electronic device according to a second embodiment of the invention.  
         [0058]    While in FIG. 1 the enclosure guide  11   a  on each of two sides of the enclosure  11  extends to the opposite, connector side of the enclosure  11 , it is here terminated in part of the way (beyond the center toward the opposite side in this embodiment).  
         [0059]    [0059]FIG. 7 is a perspective view partially illustrating in perspective the electronic device support  300  to which the electronic device shown in FIG. 5 is mounted (similarly to the case shown in FIG. 10, it is provided on the electronic device connecting apparatus  200 ).  
         [0060]    As can be seen, the guides  300   b  and  300   c  that may be matched with the enclosure guide  11   a  are not provided on the entry side.  
         [0061]    This avoids the accidental insertion from the opposite side of the connector.  
         [0062]    (Third embodiment)  
         [0063]    [0063]FIG. 6 shows a perspective view of an electronic device according to a third embodiment of the invention.  
         [0064]    While in FIG. 1 the enclosure guide  11   a  on each of two sides of the enclosure  11  and the connector device guide  12   a  are in a shape of a recess, they are formed as a ridge in this embodiment.  
         [0065]    It is apparent that guides of the electronic device support  300  of the electronic device connecting apparatus  200  are formed as a recess corresponding to the ridge modified from a recess.  
         [0066]    The length may be shortened as shown in FIG. 5.  
         [0067]    (Fourth embodiment)  
         [0068]    [0068]FIG. 8 shows a perspective view of an electronic device according to a fourth embodiment of the invention.  
         [0069]    While in FIG. 1, 5 and  6  the enclosure guide  11   a  on each of two sides of the enclosure  11  and the connector device guide  12   a  are constant in width, they have grater width on the connector side and narrower width on the opposite side (a&gt;b).  
         [0070]    This facilitates the insertion of the electronic device  1 .  
         [0071]    In this case, the electronic device support  300  of the electronic device connecting apparatus  200  is constant in width. Narrower width on the opposite side of the connector of the enclosure guide  11   a  on each of two sides of the enclosure  11  and the connector device guide  12   a  therefore assures the retention of the electronic device  1 .  
         [0072]    It is apparent that the connector devices described from the first to fourth embodiments are a separate unit from an enclosure of an electronic device. Furthermore, the each connector apparatus is mounted on the enclosure of the electronic device and secured by screws, fasteners and soldering in each embodiment.  
         [0073]    It is further apparent that information is sent and received between the electronic device and the electronic device connecting apparatus.  
         [0074]    As described above, connection is assured between a connector of an electronic device and a connector of an electronic device support according to the invention so that loads and/or stresses on associated components with the connectors may be reduced.  
         [0075]    In addition, the invention facilitates the insertion of the electronic device into an opening in the electronic device support, and may also avoid the accidental insertion of the electronic device.  
         [0076]    As described above, connectors may properly be connected to each other according to the present invention.