Disc drive isolation system

Claim 2

A disc drive isolation module for sequestering a disc drive device from vibration and shock applied to the exterior of the module, said disc drive including an information storage disc and means for storing information on said disc and/or means for retrieving information from said disc, comprising: an outer body of generally hexahedron shape having spaced apart top and bottom sides, spaced apart left and right sides, and spaced apart front and rear sides so that said outer body defines an inner space; an inner body of generally hexahedron shape smaller than said outer body and having spaced apart top and bottom sides, spaced apart left and right sides, and spaced apart front and rear sides, the inner body fitting within the inner space defined by the outer body with the sides of the inner body spaced apart from the sides of the inner body; first biasing means connected between the top sides of the inner and outer bodies for suspending the inner body within the outer body; second biasing means connected between the bottom sides of the inner and outer bodies for suspending the inner body within the outer body; damping means between the inner and outer bodies on the top, bottom, left, right, front and rear sides of the inner and outer bodies; and means for rigidly mounting the disc drive within the inner body.

Claim 3

A disc drive isolation system as in claim 1, wherein the first biasing means comprises a pair of conical springs and the second biasing means comprises another pair of conical springs, the springs of the first biasing means being diagonally opposed from the springs of the second biasing means.

Claim 4

A disc drive isolation system as in claim 1, wherein the damping means comprises foam pads secured to the outer body, a pair of said foam pads being secured to each side of the outer body diagonally opposite from the pads secured to the opposite side of the outer body, each of said pads having a varying cross section to impart nonlinear stiffness characteristics to the pad.

Claim 5

A disc drive isolation system as in claim 1, wherein each of the inner and outer bodies comprises six identical plates which are fastened together to form the respective inner and outer bodies, each said plate having a flat rectangular inner portion, two pairs of first ears and two pairs of second ears, said ears being symmetrically disposed along the edges of the rectangular portion with each pair of first ears being opposite from the other pair of first ears and with each pair of second ears being opposite from the other pair of second ears, each ear having an outer and an inner hole, the centers of the holes in each ear lying on a line which extends through the centers of the holes in the opposite ear, the ears of adjacent plates being fastened together to form either the inner or the outer body, depending upon which holes in the ears are used to fasten the plates together.

Claim 6

A disc drive isolation system as in claim 4, wherein the ears of each plate are formed in the same direction at approximately a 45° angle with the rectangular inner portion and define open spaces between them so that air can circulate into and out of the inner body.

Claim 7

A disc drive isolation system as in claim 4, wherein the holes in the first ears are circular in shape and the holes in the second ears are oblong in shape, the plates being assembled together with the second ears always overlapping the first ears.

Claim 8

A disc drive isolation system as in claim 4, wherein the first biasing means comprises a pair of conical springs and the second biasing means comprises another pair of conical springs, the springs of the first biasing means being diagonally opposed from the springs of the second biasing means, the springs being mounted with their larger diameter ends adjacent to the outer body and with their smaller diameter ends adjacent to the inner body, diagonally opposite corners of the rectangular portion of each plate being provided with strapes which are formed inwardly to define a space between each strap and the rectangular portion, the strapes being arranged in a circular pattern having a diameter about equal to the diameter of the larger end coil of the springs, a relatively larger hole formed at the center of said circular pattern and relatively smaller holes formed at each of the other two corners of the rectangular portion so that the larger end coil of a spring can be threaded through the spaces defined by the straps and the smaller end coil of the spring can be fastened to the inner body by inserting a suitable driver tool through the relatively larger hole in the outer body to connect a fastener in the adjacent relatively smaller hole in the inner body.

Claim 9

A disc drive isolation system for sequestering a disc drive device from vibration and shock, said disc drive including an information storage disc and means for storing information on said disc and/or means for retrieving information from said disc, comprising: a structurally rigid outer body defining a first set of two spaced apart and parallel planes and a first inner space an inner body within said first inner space for supporting said disc drive out of direct contact with said outer body, said inner body defining a second set of two spaced apart and parallel planes within said first inner space, said second set of planes being parallel to said first set of planes and defining between them a second inner space which is contained by said first inner space; means for rigidly mounting a disc drive to the inner body within the second inner space; and first and second biasing means for supporting said disc drive and inner body within said second inner space with three translational degrees of freedom in orthogonal directions and three rotational degrees of freedom about orthogonal axes, said first and second biasing means being located between the outer body and the inner body with said first biasing means extending between one plane of the first set of planes and an adjacent plane of the second set of planes and with the second biasing means extending between the other plane of the first set of planes and the other plane of the second set of planes.

Claim 10

A disc drive isolation system for sequestering a disc drive device from vibration and shock, said disc drive including an information storage disc and means for storing information on said disc and/or means for retrieving information from said disc, comprising: a structurally rigid outer body defining a first set of two spaced apart and parallel planes and a first inner space an inner body within said first inner space for supporting said disc drive out of direct contact with said outer body, said inner body defining a second set of two spaced apart and parallel planes within said first inner space, said second set of planes being parallel to said first set of planes and defining between them a second inner space which is contained by said first inner space; means for rigidly mounting a disc drive to the inner body within the second inner space; and first and second biasing means for supporting said disc drive and inner body within said second inner space with three translational degrees of freedom in orthogonal directions and three rotational degrees of freedom about orthogonal axes, said first and second biasing means being located between the outer body and the inner body with said first biasing means extending between one plane of the first set of planes and an adjacent plane of the second set of planes and with the second biasing means extending between the other plane of the first set of planes and the other plane of the second set of planes.

Claim 11

A disc drive isolation system as in claim 8, wherein the first and second sets of planes are horizontal and the first biasing means includes a pair of extension springs depending from a top plane of the first set of planes and a second biasing means including a pair of compression spring extending from a bottom plane of the first set of planes, the springs of the first biasing means being diagonally opposed from top to bottom from the springs of the second biasing means.

Claim 12

A disc drive isolation system as in claim 8, further comprising damping means including foam pads between the outer and inner bodies, a pair of said pads being adjacent to each plane of the first set of planes, each said pair of pads being diagonally opposite from side to side from the pair of pads which are adjacent to the other plane of the first set of planes.

Claim 13

A disc drive isolation system as in claim 8, wherein each of the outer and inner bodies are of generally hexahedron shape and each comprises six identical plates which are fastened together to form the respective inner and outer bodies, each said plate having a flat rectangular inner portion, two pairs of first ears and two pairs of second ears, said ears being symmetrically disposed along the edges of the rectangular portion with each pair of first ears being opposite from the other pair of first ears and with each pair of second ears being opposite from the other pair of second ears, each ear having an outer and an inner hole, the centers of the holes in each ear lying on a line which extends through the centers of the holes in the opposite ear, the ears of adjacent plates being fastened together to form either the inner or the outer body, depending upon which holes in the ears are used to fasten the plates together.

Claim 14

A disc drive isolation system as in claim 11, wherein the ears of each plate are formed in the same direction at approximately a 45° angle with the rectangular inner portion and define open spaces between them so that air can circulate into and out of the inner body.

Claim 15

A disc drive isolation system as in claim 11, wherein the holes in the first ears are circular in shape and the holes in the second ears are oblong in shape, the plates being assembled together with the second ears always overlapping the first ears.

Claim 16

A disc drive isolation system as in claim 11, wherein the first biasing means comprises a pair of conical springs and the second biasing means comprises another pair of conical springs, the springs of the first biasing means being diagonally opposed from the springs of the second biasing means, the spring being mounted with their larger diameter ends adjacent to the outer body and with their smaller diameter ends adjacent to the inner body, diagonally opposite corners of the rectangular portion of each plate being provided with straps which are formed inwardly to define a space between each strap and the rectangular portion, the straps being arranged in a circular pattern having a diameter about equal to the diameter of the larger end coil of the springs, a relatively larger hole formed at the center of said circular pattern and relatively smaller holes formed at each of the other two corners of the rectangular portion so that the larger end coil of a spring can be threaded through the spaces defined by the straps and the smaller end coil of the spring can be fastened to the inner body by inserting a suitable driver tool through the relatively larger hole in the outer body to connect a fastener in the adjacent relatively smaller hole in the inner body.