Patent EP0555913A2 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0555913A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Removable disk drive
Assignee: International Business Machines Corp
•
Filing: 1993-02-04
•
Granted: —
•
Expires: 2013-02-04
Abstract
Abstract A computer system having a removable hard disk drive is disclosed. The interposer card (24) is modified to receive a docking bay (40) which receives a cartridge (50) which contains a hard disk drive. The docking bay includes the male portion (54) of a zero insertion force connector and a first circuit board (50) to which connects to the interposer card of the computer. The first circuit board also includes circuit paths between the male portion of the zero insertion force connector and the end which connects to the interposer card of the computer. The first circuit card also includes circuitry which allows "hot plugging" of the hard disk drive to the bus of the computer and which also acts as a lockout to prevent writing to the removable hard disk drive until after the computer system has been rebooted. The docking bay also includes a spring mechanism for ejecting the cartridge. A finger lever holds the cartridge in place and can be lifted to eject the cartridge. A hard disk drive is placed within a cartridge which includes a second printed circuit board. Attached to the second printed circuit board is the female portion of a zero insertion force connector.
Inventors
- 👤 Jonathan Lee Fasig
- 👤 Thomas Robert Fournier
- 👤 Kevin Patrick O'marro
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-04 22:55
CPC Classifications
G; G11; G11B; G11B33/00; G11B33/12; G11B33/121; G11B33/122; G11B25/00; G11B25/04; G11B25/043; G11B33/02; G11B33/123; G11B33/124
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 18
Claim 1
Independent Claim
81 words
A removable hard disk drive system comprising: a docking bay which fits within a disk drive bay of a computer, said disk drive bay accommodating a drive having dimensions associated with a first form factor; and a cartridge which fits within the docking bay which includes a hard disk drive having the dimensions of a second form factor, said second form factor having dimensions which are less in length, height and width than the corresponding dimensions of the first form factor.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
41 words
The removable hard disk drive system of Claim 1 wherein the volume of the hard disk drive within the cartridge is approximately equal to one fourth of the volume of a disk drive having dimensions corresponding to the first form factor.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
74 words
The removable hard disk drive system of Claim 1 or 2 further including a connector capable of a successfully making electrical contact for a multiplicity of cycles between electrical contacts associated with the docking bay and electrical contacts associated with the cartridge, which connector may have a female portion attached to one of the docking bay or the cartridge and a male portion attached to the other of the docking bay or the cartridge.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
79 words
The removable hard disk drive system of any of the preceding claims wherein the docking bay includes a first circuit card having the male or female portion of the connector attached thereto and further including: a system connector for electrically connecting the docking bay to a connector in the computer; and circuit paths from said system connector on the first circuit card card to the male or female portion of the connector electrically connected to the first circuit card.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
94 words
The removable hard disk drive system of any of the preceding claims wherein the cartridge includes a second circuit card having the male or female portion of the connector electrically connected thereto and further including: a hard file connector for electrically connecting the cartridge to a connector on the hard disk drive; and circuit paths from said hard file connector on the first circuit card card to the male or female portion of the connector electrically connected to said second circuit card, said hard file connector positioned away from the male or female portion.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
64 words
The removable hard disk drive system of any of the preceding claims further comprising means for preventing a write to the hard disk drive in a second cartridge after a first cartridge has been replaced by the second cartridge in the docking bay, said means for preventing a write may be provided by electrical devices on one of said first or second circuit cards.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
88 words
The removable hard disk drive system of any of the preceding claims further comprising means for allowing a first cartridge to be removed from the docking bay while power is maintained to the computer and for allowing a second cartridge to be inserted and electrically connected to said docking bay while power is maintained to the computer, wherein said means for allowing removal of a first cartridge and insertion of a second cartridge may be provided by electrical devices on one of said first or second circuit cards.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
25 words
The removable hard disk drive system of any of the preceding claims wherein said connector also serves to guide the cartridge into said docking bay.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
100 words
The removable hard disk drive system of any of the preceding claims further comprising means for allowing a second cartridge to be inserted and electrically connected to said docking bay after a first cartridge has been removed while power is maintained to the personal computer, said means for allowing a second cartridge to be inserted accomplishing the task in the time between when the first electrical contact is made between said female portion and said male portion, and the last electrical contact is made between said female portion and said male portion as the male and female portions are engaged.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
119 words
A removable hard disk drive system for a computer comprising: a docking bay, which preferably fits within the computer; a cartridge containing a hard disk drive having a hard file connector, said cartridge fitting within said docking bay; and a two part connector capable of electrically connecting and disconnecting over a multiplicity of cycles wherein one of said parts is electrically connected and carried by the docking bay, and the other or said parts is electrically connected and carried by the cartridge, said cartridge also including means for electrically connecting one of the parts of the two part connector and the hard disk connector and physically separating the part of the two part connector from the hard disk connector.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
35 words
The removable hard disk drive system for a computer of any of the preceding claims wherein the two part connecter is used to guide the cartridge into the docking bay before electrical connection is made.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
43 words
The removable hard disk drive system for a computer of any of the preceding claims wherein electrical contact between the two parts of the electrical connector is achieved by moving a lever on the cartridge between a first position and a second position.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
124 words
The removable hard disk drive system for a computer of any of the preceding claims further including means for allowing the removal of a first cartridge and the insertion of a second cartridge while power is maintained to the computer, said means operating over a time between when a first contact is broken and the last contact is broken on the two part connector as the lever is moved between a first position and a second position to break the electrical contact and said means operating over a time between when a first contact is made and the last contact is made on the two part connector as the lever is moved between a second position and a first position to make electrical contact.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
41 words
The removable hard disk drive system for a computer of any of the preceding claims further including means to prevent writing to a hard disk drive in a second cartridge after a first cartridge has been removed from the docking bay.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
49 words
The removable hard disk drive system for a computer of any of the preceding claims further including means for positioning and holding the cartridge within the docking bay independent of the connector, said means may include a lever having an end which hooks into an opening in the cartridge.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
22 words
The removable hard disk drive system for a computer of any of the preceding claims further including means for ejecting the cartridge.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
17 words
A computer provided with a removable hard disk drive system according to any of the preceding claims.
Claim 18
Independent Claim
82 words
A method for removing a first disk drive from a computer and replacing said first disk drive with a second disk drive comprising the steps of: removing the first disk drive from the computer while power is maintained to the computer; placing the second disk drive in the computer while power is maintained to the computer; and preventing the writing to the second disk drive until after the computer system has determined the position of the data on the second disk drive.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
Maintenance schedule is calculated for granted US utility patents.