Hard disk drive support in USB enclosure to improve vibration isolation
View Patent ↗A hard disk drive assembly having a hard disk drive positioned within an external housing. Isolators formed of a resilient material, such as an elastomeric material, are interposed between the hard disk drive and an external housing. The isolators also preferably having a plurality of openings that extend there through that lower the stiffness of the isolators during small deflections such as those caused by vibrations, but large deflections, such as those caused by shocks cause the openings or holes to close there by generating greater stiffness is response to external shocks.
1. A storage device assembly comprising:
a data storage device;
a data storage device housing that has an interior that receives the data storage device;
an enclosure having an interior that receives the data storage device housing; and
at least one isolator that is interposed between the data storage device housing and the enclosure, wherein the at least one isolator:
is formed of a resilient material that is contoured so as to attenuate vibrations having a frequency greater than approximately 100 Hz being transmitted between the enclosure and the data storage device housing; and
has two planar surfaces and edge surfaces interposed between the two planar surfaces with a first planar surface being positioned so as to be parallel to a surface of the data storage device housing; and
includes a plurality of circular holes having inner walls formed in the two planar surfaces, the plurality of circular holes each having an axis that is perpendicular to the two planar surfaces wherein the inner walls of the plurality of holes are exposed so as to contact each other in response to shocks.
2. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the resilient material is formed of an elastomeric material.
3. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of circular holes are sized and positioned so that the vibrations experienced by the data storage device housing in approximately the 300 Hz to 500 Hz range is reduced approximately 34-80% in a first direction, approximately 20-60% in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction and approximately 74-97% in a third direction orthogonal to the first and second directions.
4. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the data storage device housing and the enclosure define corresponding first and second surfaces, and corresponding side walls that interconnect the first and second surfaces, wherein the at least one isolator comprises a first isolator that is planar in configuration and is mounted on a first side wall of the data storage device housing so as to be parallel with the plane of the first side wall of the data storage device housing and extend towards and contact a first side wall of the enclosure that extends in a direction that intersects the plane of the first side wall of the data storage device housing so that forces due to shocks that are travelling in a direction parallel to the plane of the first side wall of the data storage device housing are at least partially attenuated by the plurality of circular holes.
5. The assembly of claim 4 , wherein the plurality of circular holes in the first isolator are sized so that forces from shocks travelling in a direction parallel to the first side wall of the data storage device housing results in the plurality of circular holes being deformed so that the inner walls contact each, so that at least a portion of the force is transmitted through the first isolator between the data storage device housing and the enclosure.
6. The assembly of claim 5 , wherein the at least one isolator further comprises a second isolator that is planar in configuration and is mounted on the first side wall so as to be parallel with the plane of the first side wall of the data storage device housing and to extend towards and contact a second side wall of the enclosure that extends in a direction that intersects the plane of the first side wall of the data storage device housing, so that forces due to shocks that are travelling in a direction parallel to the plane of the first side wall of the data storage device housing are at least partially attenuated by the plurality of circular holes.
7. The assembly of claim 6 , wherein the at least one isolator comprises further a third isolator that is planar in configuration and is mounted on a second side wall of the data storage device that extends in a direction that intersects the plane of the first side wall of the data storage device, wherein the third isolator is mounted so as to be parallel with the plane of the second side wall of the data storage device housing and to extend towards and contact the first surface of the enclosure that extends in a direction that intersects the plane of the second side wall of the data storage device housing and the plane of the first side wall of the enclosure, so that forces due to shocks that are travelling in a direction parallel to the plane of the second side wall of the data storage device housing are at least partially attenuated by the plurality of circular holes.
8. The assembly of claim 4 , wherein the data storage device housing and the enclosure each has the first and second surfaces and four side walls and wherein the at least one isolator further comprises a plurality of isolators that extend between each of the side walls and surfaces of the data storage device housing and the enclosure that are orthogonal to each other.
9. A storage device assembly comprising:
a data storage device;
a data storage device housing that has an interior that receives the data storage device;
an enclosure having an interior that receives the data storage device housing; and
at least one isolator that is interposed between the data storage device housing and the enclosure:
formed of a resilient material that has a plurality of holes formed therein wherein the plurality of holes have inner walls; and
has two parallel surfaces and edge surfaces interposed between the two parallel surfaces with a first parallel surface being positioned so as to be parallel to a surface of the data storage device housing; and
a plurality of circular holes having inner walls formed in the two parallel surfaces, the circular holes each having an axis that is perpendicular to the two parallel surfaces wherein the inner walls of the plurality of circular holes are exposed so as to contact each other in response to shocks.
10. The assembly of claim 9 , wherein the resilient material is formed of an elastomeric material.
11. The assembly of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of circular holes extend in a direction that is substantially perpendicular to the plane of a surface of the data storage device housing upon which the at least one isolator is positioned.
12. The assembly of claim 9 , wherein the holes are sized and positioned so that the at least one isolator reduces vibrations of the data storage device housing having a frequency of greater than approximately 100Hz.
13. The assembly of claim 12 , wherein the holes are sized and positioned so that the vibrations experienced by the data storage device housing in approximately the 300 Hz to 500 Hz range is reduced approximately 34-80% in a first direction, approximately 20-60% in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction and approximately 74-97% in a third direction orthogonal to the first and second directions.
14. The assembly of claim 9 , wherein the data storage device housing and the enclosure define corresponding first and second surfaces, first, second, third and fourth side walls that interconnect the first and second surfaces wherein the first and second side walls are opposed to each other and the third and fourth side walls are opposed to each other, and wherein the at least one isolator comprises a first isolator that extend between the first side wall of the enclosure and a third side wall of the data storage device housing.
15. The assembly of claim 14 , wherein the circular holes in the first isolator extend in a direction that intersects the plane of the third side walls of the data storage device housing and the enclosure, so that forces due to shocks that are travelling in a direction perpendicular to the first and second side walls of the data storage device housing and the enclosure induce the circular holes to deform to thereby attenuate the forces on the data storage device housing.
16. The assembly of claim 15 , wherein the first isolator is formed so as to contact the first side wall of the enclosure and is coupled to the third side wall of the data storage device housing.
17. The assembly of claim 16 , wherein the circular holes in the first isolator are sized so that forces from shocks travelling in a direction perpendicular to the first and second side walls results in the holes being deformed so that the inner walls of the circular holes contact each, so that at least a portion of the force is transmitted through the first isolator from the data storage device housing to the enclosure.
18. The assembly of claim 14 , wherein the at least one isolator further comprises a second isolator that extends between the second side wall of the enclosure and the third side wall of the data storage device housing and wherein the circular holes in the second isolator extend in a direction that intersects the plane of both the third side walls of the data storage device housing and the enclosure, so that forces due to shocks that are travelling in a direction perpendicular to the first and second side walls of the data storage device housing and the enclosure induce the circular holes to deform to thereby attenuate the forces on the data storage device housing.
19. The assembly of claim 18 , wherein the second isolator is sized so as to contact the second side wall of the enclosure and is coupled to the third side wall of the data storage device housing and wherein the circular holes in the second isolator are sized so that forces from shocks travelling in a direction perpendicular to the first and second side results in the circular holes being deformed so that the inner walls contact each, so that at least a portion of the force is transmitted through second isolator from the data storage device housing to the enclosure.
20. The assembly of claim 14 , wherein the at least one isolator comprises a third isolator that is coupled to the first side wall of the data storage device and extends between the first side wall of the data storage device housing and the first surface of the enclosure wherein the circular holes in the third isolator extend in a direction that intersects the plane of the first side wall of both the data storage device housing and the enclosure, so that forces due to shocks that are travelling in a direction perpendicular to the first surface of the data storage device housing and the enclosure induce the circular holes to deform to thereby attenuate the forces on the data storage device housing.
21. The assembly of claim 20 , wherein the at least one isolator further comprises a fourth isolator that extends between the second surface of the enclosure and the first side wall of the data storage device housing and wherein the circular holes in the second isolator extend in a direction that intersects the plane of the second surface of the data storage device housing and the enclosure, so that forces due to shocks that are travelling in a direction perpendicular to the second surface of the data storage device housing and the enclosure induce the circular holes to deform to thereby attenuate the forces on the data storage device housing.