Patent ID: 6900984

Claim:
A portable computer, comprising: a base having casing and a chassis, the casing being configured to house various components that provide computing operations for the portable computer, and the chassis being configured to support the casing, the casing and chassis having interior portions that define an enclosed region inside the base; and an enclosureless optical disc drive having drive components and frame components configured to support the drive components, the frame components taking the form of a skeletal system that includes various openings that provide passages to and from the drive components, the enclosureless optical disc drive being disposed inside the enclosed region of the base, the enclosed region formed by the casing and the chassis being the only housing arranged to surround a substantial portion of the enclosureless optical disc drive, the enclosed region covering the enclosureless optical disc drive so as to shield the enclosureless optical disc drive from internal and external hazards capable of passing through the openings in the skeletal system of the frame components.