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US 2012/0057292 A1Published application
Removable storage system for server bay
AssigneeProStor Systems, Inc.
InventorMichael H. Ulrich
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A dock couples a removable data storage cartridge, for example an RDX cartridge, to a computing device. The dock includes a chassis having frontal dimensions configured to substantially match the nominal frontal dimensions of a low profile large format disk drive, such that the dock may reside in a bay in the computing device sized to receive a low profile large format disk drive. The dock may include a door that swings about an axis aligned with the height of the door.
Claims23
A dock for coupling a removable data storage cartridge to a computing device, the dock comprising:
- a chassis having a width and a height that substantially match the nominal frontal dimensions of a low profile large form factor disk drive, wherein the nominal frontal dimensions of a low profile large form factor disk drive are 4 inches in width by 1.028 inches or less in height;
- a front bezel coupled to the chassis, the front bezel being exposed when the dock resides in a bay of the computing device, the front bezel defining an opening sized and shaped to receive the removable data storage cartridge;
- a circuit board mounted to the chassis, the circuit board including an electrical interface to the computing device, and the circuit board also including a connector to engage a mating connector of the removable data storage cartridge when the removable data storage cartridge is fully inserted into the dock;
- and
- a door having a height and a width greater than the height, the door sized and shaped to substantially cover the opening when no removable cartridge is inserted into the dock, and the door being rotatable about an axis to admit the removable data cartridge when the removable data cartridge is inserted into the opening.
2 more elements
A system for providing removable data storage, the system comprising:
- a computing device having a bay sized for receiving a low profile large form factor mass storage device, wherein the nominal dimensions of a low profile large form factor mass storage device are 4 inches in width by 5.787 inches or less in length by 1.028 inches or less in height;
- and
- a dock residing in the bay, wherein the dock comprises
- a chassis having a width and a height that substantially match the nominal frontal dimensions of a low profile large form factor disk drive, wherein the nominal frontal dimensions of a low profile large form factor disk drive are 4 inches in width by 1.028 inches or less in height;
- a front bezel coupled to the chassis, the front bezel being exposed when the dock resides in a bay of the computing device, the front bezel defining an opening sized and shaped to receive the removable data storage cartridge;
- a circuit board mounted to the chassis, the circuit board including an electrical interface to the computing device, and the circuit board also including a connector to engage a mating connector of the removable data storage cartridge when the removable data storage cartridge is fully inserted into the dock;
- and
- a door having a height and a width greater than the height, the door sized and shaped to substantially cover the opening when no removable cartridge is inserted into the dock, and the door being rotatable about an axis to admit the removable data cartridge when the removable data cartridge is inserted into the opening.
5 more elements
A method of providing removable data storage, the method comprising:
- providing a computing device having a bay sized for receiving a low profile large form factor mass storage device, wherein the nominal dimensions of a large form factor mass storage device are 4 inches in width by 5.787 inches or less in length by 1.028 inches or less in height;
- providing a dock, the dock comprising
- a chassis having a width and a height that substantially match the nominal frontal dimensions of a low profile large form factor disk drive, wherein the nominal frontal dimensions of a low profile large form factor disk drive are 4 inches in width by 1.028 inches or less in height;
- a front bezel coupled to the chassis, the front bezel being exposed when the dock resides in a bay of the computing device, the front bezel defining an opening sized and shaped to receive the removable data storage cartridge;
- a circuit board mounted to the chassis, the circuit board including an electrical interface to the computing device and the circuit board also including a connector to engage a mating connector of the removable data storage cartridge when the removable data storage cartridge is fully inserted into the dock;
- and
- a door having a height and a width greater than the height, the door sized and shaped to substantially cover the opening when no removable cartridge is inserted into the dock, and the door being rotatable about an axis to admit the removable data cartridge when the removable data cartridge is inserted into the opening;
- and
- inserting the dock into the bay and electrically connecting the circuit board with circuitry in the computing device.
6 more elements
A system for coupling a removable data storage cartridge to a computing device, the system comprising:
- a chassis having a width and a height that substantially match or are smaller than the nominal frontal dimensions of a low profile large form factor disk drive, wherein the nominal frontal dimensions of a low profile large form factor disk drive are 4 inches in width by 1.028 inches or less in height;
- and
- a front bezel coupled to the chassis, the front bezel being exposed when the dock resides in a bay of the computing device, the front bezel defining an opening sized and shaped to receive within the chassis a removable data storage cartridge having a height of 0.90 inches or greater.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.