Abstract:
This disclosure includes an elastic shock mount for a mass data storage device cartridge comprising a shock mount body forming a void configured to receive a mass data storage device; and a set of elastic shock mount protrusions extending outward from the shock mount body. The elastic shock mount protrusions are configured to transfer shock forces experienced by the cartridge housing to durable portions of the mass data storage device.

Description:
[0001]    This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/055,877, filed May 23, 2008, the entire content of which is incorporated by reference herein. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    The need for portable data storage devices including large data storage capacities continues to increase. For example, portable data storage devices store movies, audio, personal information, still pictures, maps or other navigation information, or the like. These uses make large storage capacities and high data transfer rates desirable. 
         [0003]    One common high-capacity data storage device with a relatively fast data transfer rate is a disc drive. A disc drive may include a housing encasing a magnetic disc, on which data is stored, a magnetic read and write head that reads data from and writes data to the magnetic disc, and control electronics that control the operation of the disc drive. Disc drives are commonly used in computers, personal media players and other devices. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0004]    The disclosure includes an elastic shock mount for a mass data storage device cartridge comprising a shock mount body forming a void configured to receive a mass data storage device; and a set of elastic shock mount protrusions extending outward from the shock mount body. The elastic shock mount protrusions are configured to transfer shock forces experienced by the cartridge housing to durable portions of the mass data storage device. 
         [0005]    These and various other features and advantages will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         [0006]      FIGS. 1A-1C  illustrate an assembly including example cartridge enclosing a disc drive. 
           [0007]      FIGS. 2A-2C  illustrate the cartridge of  FIGS. 1A-1C  with the top cover removed to show an elastic shock mount surrounding the disc drive within the cartridge housing. 
           [0008]      FIGS. 3A-3B  illustrate an example flexible interconnect. 
           [0009]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view illustrating an example cradle for a cartridge. 
           [0010]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view illustrating an example cartridge inserted in an example cradle. 
           [0011]      FIGS. 6A-6B  are cut-away views of the cradle and cartridge of  FIG. 5  showing the cartridge secured within the cradle by a flexible detent. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0012]    Because of the advantages of disc drives, e.g., high data storage capacities and relatively high data transfer rates, disc drives have features that are desirable in portable data storage devices. However, standard disc drives are not modular or durable. The techniques disclosed herein may be used to increase the suitability of a disc drive as a portable data storage device, e.g., by improving durability. For example, a disc drive can be encased within a cartridge including a housing and shock protection to protect the disc drive from the external environment, such as, for example, dust, moisture, mechanical forces, and the like. A cartridge housing also provides a form factor that may be transported by a user and connectors that are robust to allow repeated insertion and removal of the disc drive from electronic devices. 
         [0013]    A cartridge may include features that protect a disc drive enclosed by the cartridge housing. In some examples, the cartridge includes a flexible interconnect that electrically couples a data port of the disc drive to an external connector physically coupled to the cartridge. In some examples, the data port of the disc drive is a different physical specification than the external connector of the cartridge. For example, the data port of the disc drive may comprise a Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (SATA) port, and the external connector of the cartridge may comprise an Information Versatile Disk for Removable usage (iVDR) connector. The first end of the flexible interconnect may comprise an external electrical connector, such as, for example, an iVDR connector, and the second end of the flexible interconnect may comprise an internal electrical connector, such as, for example, a SATA connector. The flexible interconnect may comprise at least one flexible conductor between the first and second ends, such as, for example, one or more flexible wires, a flexible ribbon cable, or the like. In some examples, the flexible conductors may couple to the external electrical connector substantially perpendicular to a data port of the external electrical connector and may couple to the internal electrical connector substantially perpendicular to a data port of the internal electrical connector. The flexible interconnect may lessen the extent to which an abrupt mechanical force applied to the cartridge is transmitted to the disc drive. 
         [0014]    The cartridge may also comprise an elastic shock mount within the cartridge housing, which surrounds the disc drive and mechanically decouples the disc drive from the cartridge housing. The elastic shock mount limits shock forces applied to the cartridge housing from transferring to the disc drive. The elastic shock mount may also include protrusions extending between an external surface of the disc drive and an interior surface of the cartridge housing. In this manner, the disc drive “floats” within the cartridge housing. Further, the elastic shock mount protrusions may be located adjacent to relatively durable portions of the disc drive and non-adjacent to more fragile portions of the disc drive such that forces transferred from a shock to the cartridge housing are distributed to the disc drive in a favorable manner. For example, the protrusions may be located adjacent to corners and edges of the disc drive and non-adjacent to moving parts of the disc drive such as the spindle motor, media discs and actuator assembly. 
         [0015]      FIGS. 1A-1C  illustrate a durable disc drive cartridge protecting a disc drive. More specifically,  FIG. 1A  shows perspective views of an example cartridge  100  that encloses disc drive  50 ,  FIG. 1B  shows an exploded view of cartridge  100  and disc drive  50 , and  FIG. 1C  shows a cut-away view of cartridge  100  with disc drive  50 . 
         [0016]    Cartridge  100  provides a dust and moisture resistant seal around disc drive  50 , and includes a cartridge housing including top cover  101 , bottom portion  102 , and connector adapter  105 . Top cover  101  is secured to bottom portion  102  via screws  119  ( FIG. 1B ), whereas connector adapter  105  is simply secured between top cover  101  and bottom portion  102 . Cartridge  100  also includes flexible interconnect  400 , which electrically couples to disc drive  50  to provide an electrical connection from disc drive  50  to cradle  200  ( FIG. 5 ) and elastic shock mount  103 . As shown in  FIG. 1A , external connector  414  is exposed to the external environment outside cartridge  100  to permit an electronic connection to disc drive  50 . 
         [0017]    Disc drive  50  may comprise, for example, a 2.5-inch form factor disc drive, a 1.8-inch form factor disc drive, a 1.0-inch form factor disc drive or the like. Alternatively, disc drive  50  may be substituted with a solid-state data storage memory, such as a flash memory based storage device or other mass data storage device. Disc drive  50  is at least partially surrounded by elastic shock mount  103 , which provides shock absorption and at least partially mechanically decouples disc drive  50  from top cover  101  and bottom portion  102  of cartridge  100 . 
         [0018]    Elastic shock mount  103  forms void  105 , which sized to receive disc drive  50 . In the illustrated example, elastic shock mount  103  is a unitary component and may be molded as a single part from a homogenous elastomer. For example, elastic shock mount  103  may be molded from any suitable elastomer including volcanic and aromatic elastomers. In some examples, elastic shock mount  103  may be molded from Vestenamer®  8012 , available from Struktol Corporation of America, Stow, Ohio (Vestenamer® is a registered trademark of Chem,sche Werke Huels Aktiengesellschaft, Germany). While elastic shock mount  103  is a unitary component, in alternative examples, an elastic shock mount may be formed from multiple, disjointed components. 
         [0019]    In some examples, cartridge  100  may provide electromagnetic interference (EMI) protection for disc drive  50  with an EMI shielding layer surrounding disc drive  50 . For example, cartridge  100  may include conductive paint on the inner or outer surface of the cartridge housing. As another example, an EMI shielding bag surrounding disc drive  50  may be included within cartridge  100 . In such examples, the EMI shielding bag may either be located within void  105  or encompassing elastic shock mount  103 . 
         [0020]    Cartridge  100  includes gripping surface  104  in top cover  101 . Gripping surface  104  includes a plurality of indentations to improve a grip of a user on cartridge  100  when inserting or removing cartridge  100  from a cradle, such as cradle  200  ( FIG. 4 ). In other examples, surface  104  may include a rough texture, one or more projections, or more or fewer indentations than illustrated in  FIG. 1A . In some examples, cartridge  100  may not include a gripping surface. 
         [0021]    As shown in  FIG. 1A , cartridge  100  includes a variety of features for mounting cartridge  100  within a cradle, such as cradle  200  ( FIG. 4 ). Cartridge  100  includes a slot  106  on each long side  112 ,  114  (the slot  106  on side  112  is not shown in  FIG. 1A ) which aligns with a corresponding projection  202  on cradle  200  ( FIG. 4 ) to assist a user in aligning external connector  414  with a corresponding connector  204  on cradle  200 . Slot  106  may be vertically off-center to prevent a user from inserting cartridge  100  in cradle  200  in the wrong orientation, which may damage external connector  414  or connector  204  of cradle  200  or disc drive  50 . 
         [0022]    Cartridge  100  also includes detent  108 , which engages with corresponding tab  206  on cradle  200  to releasably secure cartridge  100  in the cradle  200 . Cartridge  100  may include a similar detent  108  on side  112 . In other examples, cartridge  100  may include more than two detents. Further, in some examples, tabs  206  may lock cartridge  100  in cradle  200  when cartridge  100  is in use to prevent cartridge  100  from being withdrawn and damaging electrical components in a host device, cradle  200  or disc drive  50 . 
         [0023]    Cartridge  100  also may include one or more locking indents  110 . In the example illustrated in  FIGS. 1A-1C , cartridge  100  includes two locking indents located proximate slot  106  on side  114 . While not shown in  FIG. 1A , cartridge  100  may also include locking indents  110  on side  112 . In other examples, locking indents  110  may releasably lock cartridge  100  in engagement with cradle  200  to prevent removal of cartridge  100  from cradle  200  while in use, similar to a locking tab  206 . 
         [0024]    External connector  414  may be either a male or a female connector, and connector  204  of cradle  204  may be a complimentary female or male connector. In some examples, external connector  414  may comprise connectors as defined by the Information Versatile Disk for Removable usage (iVDR) specification. Each of external connectors  414  and  204  may include a plurality of electrical pins that mate with each other and form and electrical connection between external connector  414  and connector  204 . For example, each of external connectors  414  and connector  204  may include 26 electrical pins or other discrete connectors. 
         [0025]    As shown in  FIG. 1C , protrusions  150  provide gaps  155  between an interior surface of the cartridge housing and an external surface of disc drive  50 . As examples, gaps  155  may be at least one millimeter, at least two millimeters, at least three millimeters or even at least five millimeters. 
         [0026]    In addition, routing flexible conductors  420  of flexible interconnect  400  as shown in  FIG. 1C  may effectively increase the buffer space between external electrical connector  404  and internal electrical connector  406 . In some examples, cartridge  100  (including an elastic shock mount surrounding the disc drive  50 ) provides at least three millimeters of travel in any direction between disc drive  50  and an adjacent hard surface, such as top cover  101 , bottom portion  102 , or external electrical connector  404 . In contrast, routing flexible conductors  420  within the volume between external electrical connector  404  and internal electrical connector  406  may effectively decrease the amount of travel between external electrical connector  404  and internal electrical connector  406  by the thickness of the flexible conductors  420 . Thus, routing flexible conductors  420  such that they do not extend into the volume between external electrical connector  404  and internal electrical connector  406  increases the travel distance provided between external electrical connector  404  and internal electrical connector  406 . 
         [0027]    As also shown in  FIG. 1C , external electrical connector  404  is offset a distance  461  relative to the internal electrical connector  406  in a direction perpendicular to insertion direction  411  ( FIG. 3B ) of the internal electrical connector  406 . This configuration allows external electrical connector  404  to be adjacent to the bottom surface of the cartridge housing. The bottom surface of the cartridge housing is parallel to insertion direction  415  ( FIG. 3B ) of external electrical connector  404 . In cartridges without shock protection such as that provided by elastic shock mount  103 , an external electrical connector is naturally in-line with the internal electrical connector and adjacent to the bottom surface of the cartridge housing. In contrast, in cartridge  100 , elastic shock mount  103  separates internal electrical connector  406  from the cartridge housing to provide gap  155 . By locating external electrical connector  404  adjacent to the bottom surface of the cartridge housing, external electrical connector  404  is in the same place relative to the bottom surface of the cartridge housing as in cartridges without shock protection. This allows the same cradle to be used to receive cartridges without shock protection as well as to receive cartridge  100 . 
         [0028]      FIGS. 2A-2C  illustrate cartridge  100  with top cover  101  removed. Elastic shock mount  103  surrounds disc drive within cartridge  100  to mechanically decouple disc drive  50  from cartridge  100 . Elastic shock mount  103  includes protrusions  150  extending between an external surface of disc drive  50  and an interior surface of the cartridge housing. In this manner, disc drive  50  “floats” within cartridge  100 . This limits shock forces applied to cartridge  100  from transferring to disc drive  50 . Protrusions  150  provide gaps  155  between an interior surface of the cartridge housing and an external surface of disc drive  50 . As examples, gaps  155  may be at least one millimeter, at least two millimeters, at least three millimeters or even at least five millimeters. 
         [0029]    Further, elastic shock mount protrusions  150  are located adjacent to relatively durable portions of disc drive  50  and non-adjacent to more fragile portions of disc drive  50  such that forces transferred from a shock to the cartridge housing are distributed to the disc drive in a favorable manner. For example, the protrusions may be located adjacent to corners and edges of disc drive  50  and non-adjacent to moving parts of disc drive  50  such as the spindle motor, media discs and actuator assembly. More specifically, protrusions  150  may each be positioned to intersect a plane coplanar to wall of the disc drive housing of disc drive  50 . In this manner, shock forces transferred from cartridge  100  to disc drive  50  via protrusions  150  will act upon the substantially stiff portions of the disc drive housing and not deflect the relatively fragile walls of the disc drive housing. 
         [0030]    At the top and bottom, disc drive  50  is supported by four of protrusions  150 . Comparatively, disc drive  50  is supported by only two protrusions  150  from the sides and ends. For this reason, protrusions  150  on the sides and ends of disc drive  50  may be stiffer than the protrusions on the top and bottom of disc drive  50  such that the net stiffness provided by protrusions  150  is about the same in each direction. 
         [0031]    The top cover  101  and the bottom portion  102  of cartridge  100  include slots to hold protrusions  150  as well as elastic shock mount  103  in place. Because disc drive  50  is secured within elastic shock mount  103 , disc drive  50  is also held in place via elastic shock mount  103 . A detail view of protrusions  150 A and  150 B as well as slots  140 A and  140 B is shown in  FIG. 2C . Protrusions  150 A and  150 B mate with slots  140 A and  140 B respectively. 
         [0032]      FIGS. 3A-3B  illustrate an example flexible interconnect  400 . Flexible interconnect  400  includes external electrical connector  404  and internal electrical connector  406  coupled by flexible conductors  420 . External electrical connector  404  couples to a host device, such as, for example, cradle  200 . Internal electrical connector  406  couples to data port  53  of disc drive  50 . In the illustrated example, external electrical connector  404  comprises a iVDR connector and internal electrical connector  406  comprises a SATA connector. In other examples, external electrical connector  404  or internal electrical connector  406  may comprise other connectors, such as, for example, an parallel advanced technology attachment (PATA) connector, a universal serial bus (USB) connector, an IEEE 1394 connector, or the like. 
         [0033]    As best seen in  FIG. 3B , in some examples, the flexible conductors  420  may be coupled to external electrical connector  404  and internal electrical connector  406  in a substantially perpendicular orientation. That is, flexible conductors  420  may exit external electrical connector  404  approximately perpendicular to insertion direction  411  of plug portion  410  of external electrical connector  404 . Plug portion  410  is the portion of external electrical connector  404  which comprises the electrical pins  412  which engage with electrical connections in the host device and establish electrical communication between the host device, such as cradle  200 , and the cartridge. Similarly, flexible conductors  420  may exit internal electrical connector  406  approximately perpendicular to insertion direction  415  of plug portion  414  of internal electrical connector  406 . Again, plug portion  414  of internal electrical connector  406  is the portion which comprises the electrical pins  416  which engage with electrical connections of a data port of the disc drive (e.g., data port  53  of disc drive  50 ). The perpendicular orientation of the flexible conductors  420  relative to external electrical connector  404  and internal electrical connector  406  allows flexible conductors  420  to be routed within a cartridge such that no portion of flexible conductors  420  lies in a volume defined by the space between the external electrical connector  404  and the internal electrical connector  406 . 
         [0034]    Flexible conductors  420  assist elastic shock mount  103  in mechanically decoupling disc drive  50  from top cover  101  and bottom portion  102  of cartridge  100 . For example, external electrical connector  404  may be rigidly attached to bottom portion  102  and/or top cover  101  of cartridge  100 . If internal electrical connector  406  were rigidly connected to external electrical connector  404 , this would mechanically couple disc drive  50  to cartridge  100 , and would transmit at least some mechanical forces experienced by cartridge  100  to disc drive  50 , risking damage of disc drive  50  and possible corruption or loss of data stored by disc drive  50 . However, flexible conductors  420  reduce or substantially eliminates the mechanical coupling between disc drive  50  and cartridge  100 , which, along with elastic shock mount  103 , protects disc drive  50  from mechanical forces, which in turn protects data stored by disc drive  50 . 
         [0035]    Flexible conductors  420  may comprise, for example, a ribbon wire, a plurality of individual or twisted pair wires, a flexible circuit, or the like. In examples in which flexible conductors  420  comprises a ribbon connector or a flexible circuit, flexible conductors  420  may comprise a plurality of longitudinal slits extending for at least a portion of flexible conductors  420  in a longitudinal direction between external electrical connector  404  to internal electrical connector  406 . The longitudinal slits may improve flexibility of the flexible conductors  420  in a lateral direction. 
         [0036]    Flexible conductors  420  include a set of conductors which each connect a respective one of electrical pins  412  to a respective one of electrical pins  416 . The set of conductors may be individually encapsulated in electrical insulation, or may be encapsulated in common insulation, such as a ribbon wire. Alternatively, flexible conductors  420  may be printed as a flexible circuit. 
         [0037]    The conductors of flexible conductors  420  may be divided into one or more groups, each of which conducts specific electrical signals. For example, when external electrical connector  404  comprises an iVDR connector and internal electrical connector  406  comprises a SATA connector, external electrical connector  404  may comprise electrical pins  416  numbered 1-7 and 12-26. Pins 1-7 may be used for communication port A of the disc drive (e.g., disc drive  50 ) according to the SATA specification, pins 15-20 are used for power and ground, pins 21-25 are used for identification, and pin  26  is reserved for testing. Internal electrical connector  406  may comprise, for example, 22 pins, and pins 1-7 may be used for communication port A, pins 8-16 for power and ground, and pins 17-22 for identification. 
         [0038]    Constructing flexible interconnect  400  to include flexible conductors  420  that exit external electrical connector  404  and internal electrical connector  406  substantially perpendicular to plugs  414  and  410 , respectively may provide advantages. As a result of the mechanical coupling between external electrical connector  404  and the housing of cartridge  100 , if external electrical connector  404  and internal electrical connector  406  are too rigidly mechanically coupled, a mechanical force applied to cartridge  100  will be transferred to disc drive  50 , which may cause a read/wire head of disc drive  50  to crash and damage a magnetic disc in disc drive  50 , potentially rendering at least some of the data stored by the magnetic disc corrupt or unreadable. If the mechanical force is sufficient, disc drive  50  may be damaged to an extent such that the entire disc drive  50  is non-functional. 
         [0039]    However, by mechanically decoupling external electrical connector  404  and internal electrical connector  406 , the transfer of force between the two connectors  506  and  507  is limited, thus providing further mechanical protection for disc drive  50 . 
         [0040]    As previously mentioned,  FIG. 4  illustrates cradle  200 . In addition,  FIG. 5  illustrates cartridge  100  inserted into cradle  200 , and  FIGS. 6A-6B  are cut-away views of cartridge  100  inserted into cradle  200 . 
         [0041]    Cradle  200  forms bay  201 , which is sized to receive cartridge  100 . Cradle  200  provides connector  204 , which mates with external connector  414  to electrically connect disc drive  50  within cartridge  100  to cradle  200  via flexible interconnect  400 . Cradle  200  also includes connector  256  to connect cradle  200  to a host device and/or a power supply (not shown). In addition, cradle  200  includes features for securing cartridge  100  within bay  201 . 
         [0042]    As an example, cradle  200  includes projections  202 , which engage slots  106  of cartridge  100  to align cartridge  100  within cradle  200 . As another example, cradle  200  includes tabs  206 , which engage detents  108  of cartridge  100  to releasably secure cartridge  100  in cradle  200 . Tabs  206  may lock cartridge  100  in cradle  200  when cartridge  100  is in use to prevent cartridge  100  from being withdrawn and damaging electrical components in a host device, cradle  200  or disc drive  50 . Tabs  206  may simply be a protrusion, or may also include a slit in the wall of cradle  200  to increase the flexibility of tabs  206 . Other techniques for positively securing cartridge  100  in cradle  200  are also possible. 
       Shock Testing 
       [0043]    Cartridge  100  provides a protective enclosure for disc drive  50 . An example built according to the above description has passed a shock test including dropping a cartridge and disc drive assembly from a height of 1.5-2.0 meters on to a 50-millimeter thick lauan plywood on concrete (equivalent to MIL-STD-810C). The cartridge and disc drive assembly was dropped in a variety of orientations including: bottom, top, right side, left side, rear (upper connector), front (lower connector), rear right edge, rear left edge, front left edge, front right edge, for a total of drops per tested assembly. 
         [0044]    The testing techniques apply more than 900 G (8,820 m/s 2 ) to the case of a cartridge. The shock measured when cartridge and disc drive assembly was dropped on the lauan plywood from 20 centimeters (cm) high is equivalent to the shock caused when the cartridge and disc drive assembly is dropped on a carpeted floor from 70 cm high. 
         [0045]    Following the testing, the cartridge showed no visible or structural damage, but may have required reassembly following the testing and/or between drops. In addition, the disc drive experienced no errors from the shocks as confirmed by a surface scan of the media surface. 
         [0046]    The implementations described above and other implementations are within the scope of the following claims.