VIBRATION AND SHOCK CONTROL PROTECTIVE ENCLOSURES FOR HARD DISK DRIVES

摘要

The present invention includes several hard disk drive enclosures that use pre-stressed polymer compression members to provide integral vibration shock and acoustic noise dampening and isolation. The vibration dampening system has springs of polymeric material located between outer surfaces and existing HDD FRU mounting walls. The suspension system secures the hard drive in a slot in the structure within the polymer springs, isolating the hard drive from the side panels and dampening the vibration internal and external. The side walls also act as low mass, highly efficient structural members within the system. The minimal structure allows for significant air flow to provide the cooling that is critical to HDD reliability. Beams are designed to consider temperature effects, creep and long term fatigue of the plastics. Multiple beams will be recruited to support the drives and each other to ensure that no individual beam sustains a substantial portion of the load.