Protective device for reducing the impact of physical shock
View Patent ↗A device for extending an event time of a physical shock imparted on an electronic device. The device includes a rigid or semi-rigid frame and a resiliently elastic material coupled to the frame, the resiliently elastic material suspending an electronic device with respect to the frame. The resiliently elastic material may be in the form of a sheet, a strap, a rib, and combinations thereof. One preferred resiliently elastic material is a polymeric material.
1. A device for extending an event time of a physical shock imparted on an electronic device, comprising:
a frame; and
a resiliently elastic material coupled to the frame, the resiliently elastic material being adapted for suspending an electronic device with respect to the frame and holding the electronic device away from a base of the frame,
wherein a portion of the frame is positioned along at least three sides of the electronic device,
wherein at least a portion of the resiliently elastic material is wrapped around an entire length of an outer periphery of the portion of the frame such that the resiliently elastic material encircles the outer periphery of the portion of the frame,
wherein the resiliently elastic material forms a complete loop around the portion of the frame.
2. A device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the portion of the frame located along the at least three sides of the electronic device is a unitary structure.
3. A device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the frame is at least one of rigid and semi-rigid.
4. A device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the resiliently elastic material is a polymeric material.
5. A device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the resiliently elastic material is in the form of a sheet.
6. A device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the resiliently elastic material is in the form of a strap.
7. A device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the resiliently elastic material is in the form of a rib adapted to be coupled to an electronic device.
8. A device as recited in claim 7 , wherein the rib is in tension.
9. A device as recited in claim 1 , further comprising layers of the resiliently elastic material adapted to sandwich an electronic device therebetween.
10. A device as recited in claim 9 , further comprising at least one rib coupled to the frame and adapted for coupling to an electronic component for further restricting movement of the electronic component with respect to the frame.
11. A device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the resiliently elastic material is adapted for physical coupling to an electronic device.
12. A device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the device extends a shock event time imparted on an electronic device coupled thereto by at least twice with respect to an identical shock imparted on an identical unprotected electronic device.
13. A device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the device extends a shock event time imparted on an electronic device coupled thereto by at least four times with respect to an identical shock imparted on an identical unprotected electronic device.
14. A device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the device is designed for coupling to a hard disk drive.
15. An electronic device in combination with a device for extending an event time of a physical shock imparted on the electronic device, comprising:
an electronic device;
a frame having a base and at least two sides; and
an elastic material coupled to the frame, the elastic material being wrapped around at least a portion of the frame such that the elastic material forms an effectively continuous single loop around an outer periphery of the frame located there along and the electronic device,
wherein the elastic material suspends the electronic device away from the base of the frame.
16. An electronic device in combination with a device for extending an event time of a physical shock imparted on the electronic device as recited in claim 15 , wherein the elastic material is in the form of a sheet.
17. An electronic device in combination with a device for extending an event time of a physical shock imparted on the electronic device as recited in claim 15 , wherein the elastic material is in the form of a strap.
18. An electronic device in combination with a device for extending an event time of a physical shock imparted on the electronic device as recited in claim 15 , further comprising at least one rib coupled to the frame and the electronic device for further restricting movement of the electronic device with respect to the frame.
19. An electronic device in combination with a device for extending an event time of a physical shock imparted on the electronic device as recited in claim 15 , wherein the electronic device is fixedly coupled to the elastic material.
20. An electronic device in combination with a device for extending an event time of a physical shock imparted on the electronic device as recited in claim 15 , wherein the shock event time is extended by at least twice with respect to an identical shock imparted on an identical unprotected electronic device.
21. An electronic device in combination with a device for extending an event time of a physical shock imparted on the electronic device as recited in claim 15 , wherein the shock event time is extended by at least four times with respect to an identical shock imparted on an identical unprotected electronic device.
22. An electronic device in combination with a device for extending an event time of a physical shock imparted on the electronic device as recited in claim 15 , wherein the electronic device is a hard disk drive.