Abstract:
A hard disk assembly includes a first and a second hard disk, and a hard disk connecting mechanism for holding the first and the second hard disks. The first and second hard disks both each have a composite receptacle. The hard disk connecting mechanism includes a frame for mounting the first and the second hard disks and a composite connector detachably positioned in the frame. The composite connector includes a base, a first composite plug engaged with the composite receptacle of the first hard disk and a second composite plug engaged with the composite receptacle of the second hard disk.

Description:
This application is related to a co-pending U.S. patent application which is: application Ser. No. 12/855,899, entitled “HARD DISK CONNECTING MECHANISM AND HARD DISK ASSEMBLY USING THE SAME”. In the co-pending application, the inventor is ZHENG-HENG SUN et al. The co-pending application has the same assignee as the present application. The disclosure of the above identified application is incorporated herein by reference. 
     BACKGROUND 
     1. Technical Field 
     The present disclosure relates to a composite connector and, particularly, to a composite connector for connecting a plurality of hard disks and a hard disk assembly using the same. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     A commonly used hard disk connecting mechanism is generally used for one hard disk only. However, if a plurality of hard disks are needed, the same number of hard disk connecting mechanisms are also needed, and each hard disk employs an electrical connector, a data connector and a plurality of cables for connecting with a motherboard of a computer, resulting in having a complex wire distribution, and is inconvenient for mounting or detachment. 
     Therefore, there is room for improvement within the art. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present disclosure. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the views, and both the views are schematic. 
         FIG. 1  is an isometric view of an embodiment of a hard disk assembly. 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded, isometric view of the hard disk assembly shown in  FIG. 1 , in which the hard disk assembly includes a composite connector. 
         FIG. 3  is an isometric view of the composite connector shown in  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 4  is similar to  FIG. 3 , but viewed from another aspect. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , an exemplary embodiment of a hard disk assembly includes a hard disk connecting mechanism  100 , a first hard disk  22  and a second hard disk  23 . The hard disk connecting mechanism  100  includes a frame  20  and a cable connecting assembly  24 . The first hard disk  22  and the second hard disk  23  may be a Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (SATA) hard disk or an Integrated Device Electronics (IDE) hard disk. 
     The frame  20  includes two fixing members  201  and a connecting member  203 . Each fixing member  201  includes a longitudinal support portion  2011  and a fixing portion  2013  extending substantially perpendicularly from an end of the longitudinal support portion  2011 . The connecting member  203  defines two fixing holes  2031  at each end thereof. Each support portion  2011  defines a plurality of guide holes  2014 , which are spaced from each other, for fixing the first hard disk  22  and the second hard disk  23 . Each fixing portion  2013  defines a threaded hole  2015  corresponding to the fixing hole  2031  of the connecting member  203 . A screw (not labeled) threads through the threaded hole  2015  of each fixing member  201 , and then engages in one of the fixing holes  2031 , thereby fixing each fixing member  201  at each end of the connecting member  203 . 
     The first hard disk  22  includes a main body  221  and a composite receptacle  223 . The main body  221  defines a receiving slot  224  for receiving the composite receptacle  223 . The composite receptacle  223  includes a power receptacle  2231  and a data receptacle  2233 . The power receptacle  2231  and the data receptacle  2233  cooperatively define a slot  2235  therebetween. The main body  221  defines a plurality of threaded holes (not labeled) at each side for fixing the main body  221 . Alternatively, the power receptacle  2231  may be integrally formed with the data receptacle  2233 , and some of the pins of the composite receptacle  223  are capable of transmitting electrical power, and the other pins of the composite receptacle  223  are capable of transmitting data. The second hard disk  23  is similar to the first hard disk  21 , and includes a main body  231  and a composite receptacle  233  received in the main body  231 . The composite receptacle  233  includes a power receptacle  2331  and a data receptacle  2333 . The power receptacle  2331  and the data receptacle  2333  define a slot  2335  therebetween. 
     Referring also to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the cable connecting assembly  24  includes a composite connector  241 , an electrical connector  243 , two data connectors  244 , four data cables  245  and five electrical cables  246 . The composite connector  241  includes a longitudinal base  247 , a first composite plug  248  corresponding to the composite receptacle  223  of the first hard disk  22  and a second composite plug  249  corresponding to the composite receptacle  233  of the second hard disk  23 . The first composite plug  248  is formed at a side surface of the base  247 ; the second composite plug  249  is formed at the other side surface opposite to the first composite plug  248 . The first composite plug  248  includes an electrical plug  2481  and a data plug  2483  adjacent to the electrical plug  2481 . The electrical plug  2481  includes five conductive pins (not labeled) for being connected to the electrical cable  246 ; the data plug  2483  includes a plurality of data pins (not labeled) for being connected to the data cable  245 . In the illustrated embodiment, the electrical plug  2481  is integrally formed with the data plug  2483 , and is divided by a partition portion  2485 . When the first composite plug  248  engages with the composite receptacle  223 , the partition portion  2485  is latched in the slot  2235 , to prevent the relative movement of the first composite plug  248  and the composite receptacle  223 . The second composite plug  249  is similar to the first composite plug  248 , and includes an electrical plug  2491 , a data plug  2493  and a partition portion  2495  between the electrical plug  2491  and the data plug  2493 . The base  247  defines five wire holes  2471  for the electrical cables  246  to pass through the middle and two through holes  2473  at each side of the wire holes  2471  for the data cables  245  to pass through. One end of each electrical cable  246  is passed through the wire hole  2471 , and is connected to the conductive pin of the electrical plug  2481  of the first composite plug  248  or the second composite plug  249 ; the other end of the electrical cable  246  is connected to the electrical connector  243 . One end of the data cable  245  is passed through the through hole  2473 , and is connected to the data pin of the data plug  2483  of the first composite plug  248  or the data plug  2493  of the second composite plug  249 ; the other end of the data cable  245  is connected to the data connector  244 . 
     In assembly, the first hard disk  22  is positioned between the two fixing members  201 , and adjoined to the connecting member  203 . A screw passes through the guide hole  2014  of the fixing member  201 , and engages in the threaded hole of the main body  221 , to fix the first hard disk  22  in the frame  20 . The first composite plug  248  is inserted into the receiving slot  224 , the electrical plug  2481  engages with the power receptacle  2231  of the first hard disk  22 , and the data plug  2483  engages with the data receptacle  2233  of the first hard disk  22 . The partition portion  2485  of the first composite plug  248  is latched in the slot  2235 , to prevent the relative movement of the first composite plug  248  and the composite receptacle  223 . The second hard disk  23  is inserted between the two fixing members  201 , and the second composite plug  249  engages with the composite receptacle  233  of the second hard disk  23  in the same manner as the first composite plug  248 . Then the second hard disk  23  is also fixed on the frame  20  by the screws. The electrical connector  243  and the data connector  244  may be connected to a motherboard of a computer, and data may be transmitted between the motherboard and the first and second hard disks  22  and  23  via the data cables. 
     The composite connector  241  includes the first composite plug  248  for connecting with the first hard disk  22  and the second composite plug  249  for connecting with the second hard disk  23 , respectively; thus the first hard disk  22  and the second hard disk  23  can be mounted together on the frame  20 . The cables connected to the first hard disk  22  and the second hard disk  23  may be simplified, for the sake of more convenient mountability or detachment. 
     It is understood that the number of composite plugs  248  and  249  may be changed according to the number of hard disks  22  and  23 . That is, if a third hard disk is needed, the composite connector  241  may further include a third composite plug (not shown) for engaging with the third hard disk; if more hard disks are needed, more composite plugs would be added accordingly. 
     Finally, while particular embodiments have been described, the description is illustrative and is not to be construed as limiting. For example, various modifications can be made to the embodiments by those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.