Patent ID: 7583201

Claim:
An external hard drive enclosure (EHDE 10 ) that operates in combination with an a-c to d-c converter ( 80 ) having a power input ( 11 ) and a power output ( 13 ), wherein the power input ( 11 ) is supplied from a utility a-c power source ( 82 ); a computer ( 84 ) having a power input ( 15 ) and a USB output ( 17 ), wherein the power input ( 15 ) is connected to the power output ( 13 ) on the a-c to d-c converter ( 80 ) via a T-connector ( 72 ); an external hard drive ( 86 ) having a hard drive input/output ( 21 ); and a computer/hard drive interface card ( 88 ) having a USB input ( 23 ) connected to the USB output ( 17 ) on the computer ( 84 ) via a USB cable ( 76 ), a hard drive input/output ( 25 ) connected to the hard drive input/output ( 21 ) on the external hard drive ( 86 ), a first power output ( 01 ) connected to the power output ( 13 ) on the a-c to d-c converter via a power cable ( 74 ) and the T-connector ( 72 ), and second power output ( 02 ) that is controlled by the operation of the external hard drive ( 86 ), said EHDE ( 10 ) comprising: a) an electrical circuit ( 12 ) comprising: (1) a forward light circuit comprising a pair of LEDs (DS 1 , DS 2 ) that are connected in parallel across the output ( 01 ), (2) a rearward light circuit comprising a pair of LEDs (DS 4 , DS 5 ) that are connected in parallel across the output ( 02 ), b) a decorative enclosure ( 20 ) having: (1) a lower panel having a means for receiving and attaching the external hard drive and the computer/hard dive interface card, (2) a right side panel and a left side panel that extend upward from the lower panel, (3) a front panel and a rear panel that extend upward from the lower panel, wherein the front panel has a right and a left bore into which are inserted and attached the LEDs (DS 1 ) and (DS 2 ), and wherein the rear panel also has a right and a left bore into which are inserted and attached the LEDs (DS 4 ) and (DS 5 ), and (4) an upper panel that integrally interfaces with the upper edges of the right and left side panels, the front panel and the rear panel.