U.S. patent application number 09/956727 was filed with the patent office on 2002-03-28 for soft enclosure for data storage device.
Invention is credited to Kwong, Bill.
Application Number | 20020036149 09/956727 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 26928084 |
Filed Date | 2002-03-28 |
United States Patent
Application |
20020036149 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Kwong, Bill |
March 28, 2002 |
Soft enclosure for data storage device
Abstract
A soft enclosure for an external data storage device or other
electronic devices in their storage, carrying and operating mode
comprises a soft outside enclosure and a soft inside enclosure. The
soft outside enclosure is made of a durable fabric, polymeric or
leather material. The soft outside enclosure is easily opened and
closed with a variety of means such as zipper or velcrel without
tool. To ease the quick interconnect with a variety of data storage
devices having an equivalent electrical interface, the soft
enclosure comprises two compartments wherein a physically flexible
mechanical connector interchanger is disposed inside a first
compartment separated from a second compartment enclosing the data
storage device. Additional expansion compartments can also be
integrated onto the soft enclosure for the direct connection of
additional electronic modules or other accessories to the data
storage device.
Inventors: |
Kwong, Bill; (Saratoga,
CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
C. P. Chang
c/o Pacific Law Group LLP
Suite 290
2 North Second Street
San Jose
CA
95113
US
|
Family ID: |
26928084 |
Appl. No.: |
09/956727 |
Filed: |
September 19, 2001 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60234574 |
Sep 22, 2000 |
|
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Current U.S.
Class: |
206/308.3 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 85/30 20130101;
A45C 13/36 20130101; A45C 3/00 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
206/308.3 |
International
Class: |
B65D 085/30; B65D
085/57 |
Claims
What is claimed are:
1. A durable, shock-proof and dirt-proof soft enclosure for the
storage, carrying and operation of a device for external data
storage, comprising: a soft inside enclosure disposed in snug and
all-around fitting contact with the enclosed device with the soft
inside enclosure being made of a soft, shock absorbing and
reasonably heat dissipating material; a soft outside enclosure
disposed in snug and all-around fitting contact with the enclosed
inside enclosure with the outside soft layer being made of a
durable, dirt-proof, and reasonably heat dissipating material; the
soft outside enclosure further comprising a number of all-around
enclosing surfaces and a device cover having a means for opening or
closing for easy opening or closing of the device cover and for the
replacement or repair of the enclosed device without using any
tool; and the external surfaces of said soft inside enclosure being
press fitted within or fastened to their respective fitting
surfaces of said soft outside enclosure.
2. The durable, shock-proof and dirt-proof soft enclosure of claim
1 further comprises a mechanical connector interchanger disposed
and snugly fit inside the soft enclosure with means of covering,
accessing and separately replacing the mechanical connector
interchanger and the enclosed device.
3. The durable, shock-proof and dirt-proof soft enclosure of claim
2 wherein the mechanical connector interchanger further comprises:
a host side standard connector capable of being electrically hooked
up to an external electronic device working cooperatively with the
device enclosed within the soft enclosure; a storage device
interface connector capable of being electrically hooked up to the
device enclosed within the soft enclosure wherein said storage
device interface connector may be in a variety of electrically
equivalent but mechanically different interface configuration as
determined by the type of the device; a connector interchanger body
having a set of printed circuit traces whereby the electrical
signals of the host side standard connector are properly rerouted
to the electrical signals of the storage device interface
connector; and a ribbon cable having its first end electrically
hooked up to said host side standard connector through said
connector interchanger body and its second end electrically hooked
up to said storage device interface connector to enable connection
of the device with the same host side standard connector thereby
simplifying the task of mechanical hook up of an external
electronic device working cooperatively with the enclosed device
within the soft enclosure.
4. The durable, shock-proof and dirt-proof soft enclosure of claim
3 wherein the ribbon cable further enables a significant range of
relative movement between the enclosed device and the mechanical
connector interchanger without disturbing the related electrical
connections.
5. The durable, shock-proof and dirt-proof soft enclosure of claim
2 wherein the means of covering, accessing and separately replacing
the mechanical connector interchanger and the enclosed device
comprises a first compartment disposed to enclose and restrain the
mechanical connector interchanger and a second compartment disposed
to enclose and restrain the device.
6. The durable, shock-proof and dirt-proof soft enclosure of claim
1 wherein said soft, shock absorbing and reasonably heat
dissipating material is further porous.
7. The durable, shock-proof and dirt-proof soft enclosure of claim
6 wherein said soft, shock absorbing and reasonably heat
dissipating material is further of low dimensional precision and of
low memory effect under prolonged compression.
8. The durable, shock-proof and dirt-proof soft enclosure of claim
1 wherein said durable, dirt-proof, and reasonably heat dissipating
material is further porous.
9. The durable, shock-proof and dirt-proof soft enclosure of claim
8 wherein said durable, dirt-proof, and reasonably heat dissipating
material is further cosmetically pleasing.
10. The durable, shock-proof and dirt-proof soft enclosure of claim
9 wherein said durable, dirt-proof, and reasonably heat dissipating
material is further of low dimensional precision.
11. The durable, shock-proof and dirt-proof soft enclosure of claim
1 wherein one or both of said soft inside enclosure and the soft
outside enclosure are further made to be fire retardation.
12. The durable, shock-proof and dirt-proof soft enclosure of claim
1 wherein one or both of said soft inside enclosure and the soft
outside enclosure are further made to shield against radio
frequency interference for reliable data transfer to and from the
enclosed device.
13. The durable, shock-proof and dirt-proof soft enclosure of claim
1 wherein one or both of said soft inside enclosure and the soft
outside enclosure are further made to prevent build up of static
electricity for good ESD protection.
14. The durable, shock-proof and dirt-proof soft enclosure of claim
1 wherein said soft inside enclosure and the soft outside enclosure
are made of materials selected from the group consisting of sponge,
polymeric foam, porous rubber, durable colored fabrics, fabrics
made of nylon, fabrics made of polyester, fabrics made of
polyimide, a woven structure of polymeric fabrics and tiny metal
wires, colored decorative canvas, leather, and decorative leather
with small venting holes or slots on its wall.
15. The durable, shock-proof and dirt-proof soft enclosure of claim
1 wherein the means for opening or closing the device cover is a
velcrel, a zipper or a button structure.
16. The durable, shock-proof and dirt-proof soft enclosure of claim
1 wherein the soft enclosure further comprises a number of
additionally integrated expansion compartments for the inclusion
and direct connection of electronic modules or other accessories to
the enclosed device.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This invention is a formal application of a provisional
application, filed on Sep. 22, 2000, Serial No, 60/234,574.
FILED OF INVENTION
[0002] This invention relates to a soft enclosure design, more
specifically, it relates to a soft enclosure for an external data
storage device or other electronic devices in their storage,
carrying and operating mode.
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
[0003] Traditionally, external data storage devices such as Hard
Drive, Optical or Magnetic Removable drives are housed in a rigid
enclosure that is made of plastics or metal. The manufacturing of
the plastic enclosure requires an expensive tool for injection
molding which, depending upon the complexity of the parts and the
required accuracy, takes a long time to produce--typically two to
three months. Still, the resulting plastic enclosure can be easily
damaged upon impact which can happen frequently in a mobile
computing environment.
[0004] While a metal enclosure is more rugged, the manufacturing of
metal enclosure also requires an expensive tooling and the piece
part is more expensive to make than plastic. Additionally, a metal
enclosure adds substantial weight to the device which is
undesirable.
[0005] In any case, the enclosed data storage device is still very
susceptible to shock damage as neither enclosure type provides any
shock protection. Adding shock mount features would mean more
complication and cost added to the manufacturing of the device.
Furthermore, for both plastic and metal enclosure, it is
inconvenient to repair or replace the enclosed data storage device
as special tools are usually required to take apart the enclosures.
Often time, the entire enclosure needs to be replaced in order to
replace the data storage device inside.
[0006] The need of an enclosure for the protection of a variety of
devices against shock has been around for a long time. A brief
search and analysis of the prior art revealed the following U.S.
patents:
[0007] U.S. Pat. No. 4,786,121 (November 1988, by Lyons), titled
computer protective enclosure, teaches the usage of outside panels
with inner linings to acoustically isolate and additionally protect
the stored computer. The outside panels, or covers, are made of
rigid materials such as wood, plastic and metal. The inner linings
are made of foam plastic with a space between the inner linings and
the computer. Furthermore, the enclosure is intended for affixing
to building construction members or other stationary objects for
stability.
[0008] U.S. Pat. No. 4,846,340 (July 1989, by Walther), titled
shock proof carrying enclosure for musical instrument, teaches the
usage of an enclosure for the shock proof storage and carrying of a
musical instrument like cello. However, in this case, the enclosed
musical instrument is already retained within a rigid case to begin
with. Therefore, effectively, the protective structure for the
musical instrument itself consists of an inner rigid case and an
outer flexible enclosure.
[0009] U.S. Pat. No. 5,010,988 (April 1991, by Brown), titled
expandable shock protected carrying case, teaches the usage of a
carrying case for a lap top computer, printers, facsimiles and the
like where the carrying case comprises of functional elements like
handle, shoulder strap, compartments and accessory pockets. The
disclosed wall structure consists of at least three layers, that
is, an outer shell, an inner shell and a three-ply shock protection
structure sandwiched in between. The outer shell is made of a
substantially rigid yet soft material. The disclosed carrying case
looks to be primarily used when the enclosed device is in its
non-operating mode. Thus, for example, thermally insulating
materials and related structural design are employed there to
protect the enclosed device from temperature extremes.
[0010] U.S. Pat. No. 6,034,841 (March 2000, by Albrecht, Khanna,
Kumar and Sri-Jayantha), titled disk drive with composite sheet
metal and encapsulated plastic, describes the usage of a metal base
with integrally molded plastic peripheral flanges plus elastomeric
corner bumpers for shock protection. As described, except for the
elastomeric corner bumpers, all the other enclosure pieces are made
of rigid material.
[0011] The current invention is conceived to address all of the
aforementioned problems and inconvenience of the traditional type
of enclosure for an external data storage device.
[0012] It is therefore an objective of this invention to provide an
enclosure for an external data storage device whereby the
manufacturing of the enclosure requires only inexpensive and fast
tooling with associated low piece part cost.
[0013] It is another objective of this invention to provide an
enclosure for an external data storage device whereby the enclosure
is durable, lightweight and provides for shock protection of the
enclosed data storage device.
[0014] A third objective of this invention is to provide an
enclosure for an external data storage device whereby a
standardized mechanical computer interface with a variety of data
storage devices can be quickly established without using any
special tool.
[0015] A fourth objective of this invention is to provide an
enclosure for an external data storage device whereby the repair or
replacement of the enclosed data storage device does not require
any special tool.
[0016] A fifth objective of this invention is to provide an
enclosure for an external data storage device whereby the enclosure
can be made to be fire retardant, shielding against radio frequency
interference, preventing build up of static electricity, allowing
heat dissipation from the data storage device while preventing dirt
penetration into the interior of the enclosure.
[0017] A sixth objective of this invention is to provide an
enclosure for an external data storage device whereby the enclosure
can be easily and quickly customized for various fashionable
designs thus product differentiation.
[0018] A seventh objective of this invention is to provide an
enclosure for an external data storage device whereby additional
expansion compartments can be easily integrated onto the enclosure
for the direct connection of future electronic modules or other
accessories to the data storage device.
[0019] An eighth objective of this invention is to provide an
enclosure for an external data storage device whereby the enclosure
can be easily integrated with a carrying bag, a luggage bag or any
type of carrying cases.
[0020] A ninth objective of this invention is to provide an
enclosure for a variety of electronic and computer peripheral
devices whereby some or all of the just mentioned objectives are
achieved.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0021] This invention concerns a new enclosure design (hereinafter
referred to as "Soft Enclosure") for, but without limitation to, an
external data storage device. The Soft Enclosure consists of an
outside soft layer and an inside soft layer. The outside soft layer
is decorative, is made of a durable fabric, polymeric or leather
material and is easily opened and closed with a variety of means
without tool. The inside soft layer is made of a soft shock
absorbing material thus providing a snug fit and all around shock
protection for the enclosed data storage device. As needed, one or
both layers can be designed to be fire retardant, shielding against
radio frequency interference, preventing build up of static
electricity, allowing heat dissipation from the data storage device
while preventing dirt penetration into the interior of the
enclosure. To ease the quick mechanical computer interface with a
variety of data storage devices having the same electrical computer
interface, the Soft Enclosure employs a two-compartment design
wherein a mechanical connector interchanger is disposed inside a
first compartment separated from a second compartment containing
the data storage device. Additional expansion compartments can also
be easily integrated onto the Soft Enclosure for the direct
connection of future electronic modules or other accessories to the
data storage device.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0022] The invention is explained in full detail with the following
detailed description of the preferred embodiments, with reference
made to the accompanying drawings, wherein:
[0023] FIG. 1A, FIG. 1B and FIG. 1C are perspective illustrations
of a commonly practiced prior art wherein two rigid covers with
mounting means are employed to enclose a storage device;
[0024] FIG. 2A, FIG. 2B and FIG. 2C are perspective illustrations
of the current invention wherein two layers of Soft Enclosure
material are employed to enclose a storage device. Furthermore, a
connector interchanger is added to simplify the computer interface
with a variety of storage devices;
[0025] FIG. 3A, FIG. 3B, FIG. 3C and FIG. 3D are perspective
illustrations of the current invention wherein the details of
fitting between the soft inside enclosure base and the storage
device are shown without the visual interference of the soft
outside enclosure for better clarity;
[0026] FIG. 4A and FIG. 4B are perspective illustrations of the
current invention wherein the details of fitting between the soft
inside enclosure connector interchanger cover and the just seated
storage device from FIG. 3D are shown without the visual
interference of the soft outside enclosure for better clarity;
and
[0027] FIG. 5A, FIG. 5B, and FIG. 5C are perspective illustrations
of the current invention wherein the details of fitting between the
soft outside enclosure and the seated storage device from FIG. 4B
are shown for further geometric clarity.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0028] FIG. 1A is a perspective illustration of a plain storage
device 1 with a storage device interface connector 2. The wall
material of the storage device 1 is usually made of metal to house
the precision mechanism inside. The storage device interface
connector 2, when hooked up with the corresponding mating connector
from a computer not shown here, would provide all the necessary
electrical power and interface signals to insure proper operation
of the storage device 1.
[0029] For the look and feel of a finished product the plain
storage device 1 needs to be properly enclosed in a housing
structure. In a common prior art practice, as illustrated in FIG.
1B, the storage device 1 is generally housed between a rigid top
cover 3 and a rigid bottom cover 4 wherein a set of top cover
mounting holes 3a and a corresponding set of bottom cover mounting
holes 4a are provided and fastened with a set of mounting screws
5a. The finished product is illustrated in FIG. 1C. Usually these
rigid covers are made of plastics or metal. The manufacturing of
the plastic enclosure requires an expensive molding tool which also
takes a long time to produce--typically two to three months. Still,
the resulting plastic enclosure can be easily damaged upon impact
which can easily happen in a mobile computing environment. While a
metal enclosure is more rugged, the manufacturing of the metal
enclosure also requires an expensive tooling and the piece part is
more expensive to make than plastic. Additionally, a metal
enclosure adds substantial weight to the device which is
undesirable.
[0030] In any case, the enclosed storage device 1 is still very
susceptible to shock damage as neither enclosure type provides any
damping protection against the shock. Adding shock mount would mean
more complication and cost added to the manufacturing of the
device. Furthermore, for both plastic and metal enclosure, it is
inconvenient to repair or replace the enclosed storage device 1 as
special tools are usually required to take apart the enclosures. As
illustrated here, four mounting screws 5a need to be removed with a
special tool to replace the enclosed storage device 1. Often time,
the entire plastic enclosure needs to be replaced in order to
replace the data storage device 1 inside.
[0031] FIG. 2A, FIG. 2B and FIG. 2C are perspective illustrations
of the current invention called Soft Enclosure. The Soft Enclosure
comprises a soft inside enclosure 9 and a soft outside enclosure 8
to enclose the said storage device 1. Furthermore, a connector
interchanger 67 is added to simplify the computer interface with a
variety of storage devices.
[0032] FIG. 2A shows the details of the connector interchanger 67.
The connector interchanger 67 consists of two parts. The part next
to the storage device 1 further consists of a ribbon cable
peripheral side connector 6b, a ribbon cable with terminating
connectors 6 and a ribbon cable host side connector 6a. The part on
the computer side further consists of a connector interchanger host
side standard MC-36 connector 7a and a connector interchanger 7.
Thus, the ribbon cable peripheral side connector 6b is mated with
the corresponding storage device interface connector 2 (not visible
here) of the storage device 1. Likewise, the ribbon cable host side
connector 6a is mated with the corresponding connector of the
connector interchanger 7. In this way, using a properly designed
set of printed circuit trace patterns on the connector interchanger
7, a variety of electrically equivalent but mechanically different
storage device interface connectors 2 are converted into the same
host side standard connector 7a greatly thus simplifying the task
of mechanical hook up to the computer. Additionally, the usage of
the flexible ribbon cable 6 allows significant range of relative
movement between the storage device 1 and the connector
interchanger host side standard connector 7a which will be
unavoidable with the usage of the Soft Enclosure. It should be
further understood that other functionally equivalent design
specifics exist for the connector interchanger 67. For example, an
alternative design for the connector interchanger 67 would consist
of just a flexible circuit with a peripheral side connector 6b on
one end and a connector interchanger host side standard connector
7a on the other end.
[0033] FIG. 2B illustrates the detailed construction of the Soft
Enclosure. As said before, the Soft Enclosure comprises a soft
inside enclosure 9 and a soft outside enclosure 8 to enclose the
said storage device 1. The soft inside enclosure 9 is made of a
soft, porous and shock absorbing material. Some examples are
polymeric foam, sponge and porous rubber. Thus, the soft inside
enclosure 9 will provide shock protection and heat dissipation for
the enclosed storage device 1. As shown, the soft inside enclosure
9 further consists of a soft inside enclosure base 9a, a soft
inside enclosure device ridge 9d, a soft inside enclosure device
cover 9b and a soft inside enclosure connector interchanger cover
9c. Therefore, after the composite of storage device 1 and
connector interchanger 67 from FIG. 2A gets seated onto the soft
inside enclosure base 9a as illustrated by the downward pointing
arrow, the storage device 1 would be restrained within a first
compartment from any downward and lateral movement with the
combination of soft inside enclosure base 9a and soft inside
enclosure device ridge 9d. Furthermore, the connector interchanger
67 would be sandwiched from movement in all direction within a
second compartment formed between the soft inside enclosure base 9a
and the soft inside enclosure connector interchanger cover 9c. More
graphical clarification of this point will be presented later. It
is remarked that the soft inside enclosure base 9a, the soft inside
enclosure device ridge 9d and the soft inside enclosure connector
interchanger cover 9c of the soft inside enclosure 9 can be
designed as separate pieces or as a single integrated unit in
practice, dictated by the corresponding manufacturing and assembly
process and cost considerations. In any case, the said members 9a,
9d and 9c should be press fitted within or fastened to their
respective fitting surfaces of the soft outside enclosure 8.
Likewise, as illustrated, the soft inside enclosure device cover 9b
is also press fitted within or fastened to its fitting surface of
the device cover 12 of the soft outside enclosure 8. Thus, upon
closing of the device cover 12 of the soft outside enclosure 8 as
illustrated with the curved arrow at the right side of FIG. 2B, the
soft inside enclosure device cover 9b will close the said first
compartment with the soft inside enclosure base 9a and the soft
inside enclosure device ridge 9d restraining the movement of the
enclosed storage device 1 in all directions.
[0034] The soft outside enclosure 8 is made of a soft, porous,
durable and cosmetically pleasing material. Some examples are
colored decorative canvas or fabrics made of polymeric materials
like nylon, polyester or polyimide. Another example is a decorative
leather with small venting holes or slots on the wall. Thus, the
soft outside enclosure 8 would provide durability, heat dissipation
and an ergonomic look and feel for the enclosed storage device 1.
As needed, one or both of the soft inside enclosure 9 and the soft
outside enclosure 8 can be designed to be fire retardant, shielding
against radio frequency interference, preventing build up of static
electricity while preventing dirt penetration into the interior of
the enclosure. For example, the usage of an interleaved structure
of polymeric fabrics and tiny metal wires in the weaving of the
soft outside enclosure 8 will provide the functions of static
prevention and shielding against radio frequency interference.
[0035] In addition to the basic surfaces of an outside enclosure,
the soft outside enclosure 8 includes a soft outside enclosure
device cover 12 as mentioned before. One way of easily opening and
closing the soft outside enclosure device cover 12, as illustrated
herein, is with the usage of a zipper structure consisting of two
soft outside enclosure zipper contours 10 and the corresponding
outside enclosure zipper handle 11. The soft outside enclosure 8
further includes a connector access slot 15 through which the
connector interchanger host side standard connector 7a can be
hooked up to a host computer for operation. For the protection of
the connector interchanger host side standard connector 7a during
storage and transportation of the enclosed storage device 1, the
soft outside enclosure 8 further includes a soft outside enclosure
connector cover 13 and associated securing means of a velcro hook
pad 14a and a velcro loop pad 14b as illustrated with the curved
arrow at the left side of FIG. 2B. It should be noted that, in
addition to the usage of zipper and velcro as illustrated herein
for their respective functions, there are other means by which the
same functions can be performed. For example a snap on button can
be used instead for the opening and closing of the soft outside
enclosure connector cover 13.
[0036] FIG. 2C illustrates the Soft Enclosure after the closing of
both the soft outside enclosure device cover 12 and the soft
outside enclosure connector cover 13 with the storage device 1 and
the connector interchanger 67 enclosed inside for storage or
transportation. Here, the soft outside enclosure zippers 10 are
seen in their locked position guided by the outside enclosure
zipper handle 11.
[0037] It should become clear by now that the manufacturing of the
Soft Enclosure requires only inexpensive and fast tooling with
associated low piece part cost, given that the materials and parts
involved are made of soft polymeric fabrics, sponge, rubber,
leather or the like. The Soft Enclosure is also clearly durable,
light weight and provides for shock protection of the enclosed
storage device. In addition, the Soft Enclosure can be easily and
quickly customized for various fashionable designs thus product
differentiation in the market. Other expansion compartments can
also be easily integrated onto the Soft Enclosure for the direct
connection of future electronic modules or other accessories to the
storage device. By the very nature of its materials and
construction, the Soft Enclosure can be easily and ergonomically
integrated with a carrying bag, a luggage bag or any type of
carrying cases. A mechanically standardized computer interface with
a variety of storage devices can also be quickly established by the
current invention using an enclosed connector interchanger without
any special tool. With the design of the Soft Enclosure and its
associated easy means of opening and closing the respective covers,
the repair or replacement of the enclosed data storage device or
connector interchanger would not require any special tool,
providing additional after-sales benefit to the customer. Finally,
it should also become clear by now that the scope of the current
invention should not be limited to the enclosure of just storage
devices. Instead, the content and unique benefit of the current
invention should be applicable to a wide variety of electronic and
computer peripheral devices.
[0038] FIG. 3A, FIG. 3B, FIG. 3C and FIG. 3D are additional
perspective illustrations of the current invention wherein the
details of fitting between the soft inside enclosure base 9a and
the storage device 1 are shown without the visual interference of
the soft outside enclosure 8 for better clarity. FIG. 3A
illustrates the step of connecting the connector interchanger 67 to
the storage device 1 following the direction of the arrow. As seen,
the relevant connectors to be mated are the ribbon cable peripheral
side connector 6b and the storage device interface connector 2.
FIG. 3B shows the composite of storage device 1 and connector
interchanger 67 after the step from FIG. 3A. FIG. 3C depicts the
step wherein the composite of storage device 1 and connector
interchanger 67 gets seated onto the soft inside enclosure base 9a
of the soft inside enclosure 9 following the direction of the
arrow. FIG. 3D shows the seated composite of storage device 1 and
connector interchanger 67 after the step from FIG. 3C. Notice that
the composite of storage device 1 and connector interchanger 67 is
also restrained laterally, as mentioned before, by the soft inside
enclosure device ridge 9d of the soft inside enclosure 9.
[0039] FIG. 4A and FIG. 4B are additional perspective illustrations
of the current invention wherein the details of fitting between the
soft inside enclosure connector interchanger cover 9c and the just
seated composite of storage device 1 and connector interchanger 67
from FIG. 3D are shown without the visual interference of the soft
outside enclosure 8 for better clarity. FIG. 4A depicts the fitting
of the soft inside enclosure connector interchanger cover 9c onto
the composite assembly from FIG. 3D following the direction of the
arrow. FIG. 4B illustrates the next composite assembly resulting
from the step in FIG. 4A. Notice the clearance feature at the
bottom of the soft inside enclosure connector interchanger cover 9c
which forms a slot with the soft inside enclosure base 9a allowing
the protrusion of the connector interchanger host side standard
connector 7a for the purpose of computer interface later.
[0040] FIG. 5A, FIG. 5B and FIG. 5C are additional perspective
illustrations of the current invention wherein the details of
fitting between the soft outside enclosure 8 and the seated
composite assembly from FIG. 4B are shown for further geometric
clarity. Notice that the illustration shown here is for positional
fit only but not for actual assembly procedure. For instance, from
previous description, it should be clearly understood that all the
members of the soft inside enclosure 9 are either press fitted
within or made as part of the Soft Enclosure to begin with.
[0041] The construction of the Soft Enclosure for the data storage
device requires primarily soft materials with low dimensional
precision such as fabrics, foams, rubber and the like. As such,
only inexpensive and fast tooling is required for manufacturing and
the associated piece part production cost is low. By the same
token, the Soft Enclosure can be easily shaped and quickly
customized with low cost for various customer specific fashionable
designs thus product differentiation. This equates to the business
advantage of an easily customizable product with low cost and short
time to market.
[0042] A second advantage of using the above mentioned soft
material is that, comparing with the traditional materials of
plastic and metal, the Soft Enclosure with an inside shock
absorbing layer is more durable, light weight and provides for
shock protection of the enclosed data storage device. These are all
important competitive advantages especially in a mobile computing
environment.
[0043] A third advantage of this invention is that the Soft
Enclosure can include a mechanical interface interchanger device
whereby a standardized mechanical computer interface with a variety
of data storage devices having the same electrical interface but
different mechanically can be quickly established without using any
special tool. In this way the Soft Enclosure offers great
versatility to the user.
[0044] The Soft Enclosure, with its pliant construction and easy
means of opening and closing, allows quick and easy repair or
replacement of the enclosed data storage device without any special
tool. This greatly increases the after-sales value of the
product.
[0045] With the wide range of choice of soft materials and their
related method of weaving or fabrication, the Soft Enclosure can be
made to be fire retardant, shielding against radio frequency
interference, preventing build up of static electricity, allowing
heat dissipation from the data storage device while preventing dirt
penetration into the interior of the enclosure, thus satisfying a
wide range of customer requirements.
[0046] Another advantage of this invention is that the Soft
Enclosure can be easily and economically made to integrate
additional expansion compartments for the direct connection of
future electronic modules or other accessories to the data storage
device.
[0047] Yet another advantage of the Soft Enclosure is that, as its
soft construction being in many cases made of a fabric or leather
material already, it can be easily and ergonomically integrated
with a carrying bag, a luggage bag or any type of carrying cases
suitable for the mobile computing environment.
* * * * *