Storage device with a cover supporting portion
View Patent ↗A disk drive assembly having a base, a cover, a post extending from the base toward the cover, and a latch movably mounted on the post such that the post extends there through, wherein the post comprises a cover supporting portion configured to support the cover, and prevent the cover from compressing the latch and causing the latch from contacting both the cover and the base simultaneously when a load is applied to a portion of the cover above the latch.
1. A disk drive assembly comprising:
a base;
a cover;
a post extending from the base toward the cover; and
a latch movably mounted on the post such that the post extends there through,
wherein the post comprises a cover supporting portion configured to:
support the cover, and
prevent the cover from compressing the latch and causing the latch to contact both the cover and the base simultaneously when a load is applied to a portion of the cover above the latch and
wherein the post has a height sufficiently greater than the height of the latch to provide a clearance between the cover and the base and prevent the latch from simultaneously contacting both the cover and the base when the external load is applied to a portion of the cover and the cover contacts the cover supporting portion.
2. The disk drive assembly of claim 1 , wherein the latch comprises at least one cover contacting portion configured to extend toward the cover and provide a reduced contact area between the latch and the cover.
3. The disk drive assembly of claim 2 , wherein the latch comprises at least one base contacting portion configured to extend toward the base and provide a reduced contact area between the latch and the base.
4. The disk drive assembly of claim 3 , wherein at least one of the at least one base contacting portion and the at least one cover contacting portion comprises a hemi-spherical structure formed on a surface of the latch.
5. The disk drive assembly of claim 2 , wherein the at least one cover contacting portion comprises a hemi-spherical structure formed on a surface of the latch.
6. The disk drive assembly of claim 1 , wherein the cover supporting portion comprises:
a substantially flat surface disposed at an end of the post; and
a tapered sidewall adjacent the substantially flat surface, which increases in radius along at least a portion of a height of the post.
7. The disk drive assembly of claim 1 , wherein the cover supporting portion comprises: a curved upper surface disposed at an end of the post.
8. The disk drive assembly of claim 1 , wherein the post is formed as a pin inserted through the base.
9. The disk drive assembly of claim 1 , wherein the post is formed as machined extension feature of the base.
10. A latch mechanism assembly for a disk drive assembly comprising a cover and a base, the latch mechanism comprising:
a post configured to extend from a portion of the disk drive assembly toward the cover; and
a latch movably mounted on the post such that the post extends there through,
wherein the post comprises a cover supporting portion configured to:
support the cover, and
prevent the cover from compressing the latch and causing the latch to contact both the cover and the base simultaneously when a load is applied to a portion of the cover above the latch, and
wherein the post has a height sufficiently greater than the height of the latch to provide a clearance between the cover and the base and prevent the latch from simultaneously contacting both the cover and the base when the external load is applied to a portion of the cover and the cover contacts the cover supporting portion.
11. The latch mechanism of claim 10 , wherein the latch comprises at least one cover contacting portion configured to extend toward the cover and provide a reduced contact area between the latch and the cover.
12. The latch mechanism of claim 11 , wherein the latch comprises at least one base contacting portion configured to extend toward the base and provide a reduced contact area between the latch and the base.
13. The latch mechanism of claim 12 , wherein at least one of the at least one base contacting portion and the at least one cover contacting portion comprises a hemi-spherical structure formed on a surface of the latch.
14. The latch mechanism of claim 11 , wherein the at least one cover contacting portion comprises a hemi-spherical structure formed on a surface of the latch.
15. The latch mechanism of claim 10 , wherein the cover supporting portion comprises:
a substantially flat surface disposed at an end of the post; and
a tapered sidewall adjacent the substantially flat surface, which increases in radius along at least a portion of a height of the post.
16. The disk drive assembly of claim 10 , wherein the cover supporting portion comprises: a curved upper surface disposed at an end of the post.