Patent ID: 7394617

Claim:
A hub/clamp assembly for holding a disk hub in position when the hub is spin in a high speed, comprising of: a removable disk hub having a shaft for stacking a plurality of storage disks, a flange portion integrally attached to one end of the shaft, and an extension shaft integrally attached to the flange portion opposite to the shaft; wherein the axes of the shaft, the flange portion, and the extension shaft are in alignment; and a hub clamp housing having a housing with side walls and top and bottom surfaces, and a clamp means disposed within the cavity formed within the housing; wherein the top surface of the housing has a central opening through which the extension shaft of the removable disk hub can pass through; wherein the extension shaft of the removable disk hub is so configured that it has a smooth protrusion with a largest diameter snugly fitting the central opening on the top surface of the hub clamp housing, thereby ensuring the removable disk hub being centered on the hub clamp housing; and a ball-shaped end allowing the clamping means to engage thereon and hold the removable disk hub tightly on the top surface of the hub clamp housing; and wherein the clamp means comprises a catch plate with a plurality of circumferentially spaced slabs extending from the side walls of the housing towards the center of the hub clamp housing, and a plurality of specially shaped inserts integrally disposed onto the smaller end of each of the plurality of circumferentially spaced slabs; thereby, when the inserts engage the ball-shaped end of the extension shaft, the slabs press the ball-shaped end downwards and towards the center of the shaft axis; and when the slabs are bended, the inserts will disengage the ball-shaped end, releasing the removable disk hub from the clamping means so that the removable disk hub can be removed from the hub clamp housing.