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AssigneeQuantum Corporation
InventorsRichard J. Blackborow, Peter S. Hahn, Claude E. Camp, Donald C. Westwood, Rodica Florea, Eric J. Botto, Scott E. Richmond, David B. Jeppson
Estimating the term…
A removable and transportable hard disk subsystem is provided for use with at least one computer and includes at least one hard disk module. The module contains a shock mounted, thin and compact micro-Winchester head and disk assembly which plugs into a base housing which is installable entirely within a well of the computer nominally allotted to receive a 51/4 inch half height disk drive. The base housing includes a head positioning and data module loading/unloading portion of the subsystem control electronics and an electromechanical mechanism for automatically loading and unloading the hard disk module. The base housing provides electrical connections for operating the head and disk assembly when loaded therein. The subsystem further includes an adapter board having a host interface portion of the subsystem control electronics and connected by a cable with the control electronics portion of the base housing, the adapter board for connecting the subsystem directly to address, data and control buses of said computer to enable storage and retrieval in the loaded module of host computer data blocks.
A removable and transportable hard disk subsystem for use with at least one computer, the subsystem comprising at least one hard disk module including a micro-Winchester head and disk assembly, at least one base housing installable entirely within a space nominally allotted to receive a 51/4 inch diameter, half height floppy or hard disk drive, the base housing including a head positioning and data module loading/unloading portion of the subsystem control electronics for automatically loading, unloading and operating the hard disk module therein and for providing electrical connections to the head and disk assembly when loaded, and an adapter board including a host interface portion of the subsystem control electronics and connected by a cable with the control electronics portion of the base housing, the adapter board for connecting the subsystem directly to address, data and control buses of said computer.
The removable and transportable hard disk subsystem set forth in claim-1 wherein said micro-Winchester head and disk assembly includes a plurality of disks, at least one of which is a data storage disk and an aerodynamically powered release latch mechanism including an airvane movably mounted to a base of the assembly and moveable in an airflow region between two disks;
The removable and transportable hard disk subsystem set forth in claim wherein the base housing comprises an electromechanical load/unload mechanism operating under the control of the subsystem control electronics for automatically loading, and unloading the hard disk module and further comprises plural safety interlock switch means for sensing the module within the housing, the plural safety interlock switch means being disposed to protect the user from inadvertent actuation of the load/unload mechanism.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.