초록 ▼

A modular data device assembly for a computer is disclosed, wherein the assembly has a housing that is designed to fit into a conventional, industry standard size expansion bay. Individual plug-in data storage devices such as hard disk drives or CD-ROM drives are disposed vertically in a stacked for

A modular data device assembly for a computer is disclosed, wherein the assembly has a housing that is designed to fit into a conventional, industry standard size expansion bay. Individual plug-in data storage devices such as hard disk drives or CD-ROM drives are disposed vertically in a stacked formation within the housing. A motherboard with plug-in connectors to which the drives are connected allows easy replacement of defective data devices, which devices slide in or out. The disk drives and modular data device assemblies may be arrayed in series or in parallel to a controller. By its modular structure and redundant storage functions, the present invention benefits from what is known as Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disk principle.

대표청구항 ▼

[ What is claimed is:] [1.] A modular disk drive unit, comprising:a housing enclosure having an internal open area and a front opening communicating with said open area;a plurality of guide members mounted in said housing enclosure and defining a plurality of hard disk drive bays in said open area,

[ What is claimed is:] [1.] A modular disk drive unit, comprising:a housing enclosure having an internal open area and a front opening communicating with said open area;a plurality of guide members mounted in said housing enclosure and defining a plurality of hard disk drive bays in said open area, each of said hard disk drive bays communicating with and being accessible through said front opening;a backplane mounted in a back of said housing enclosure;plug-in connectors attached to said backplane and positioned in a back of said housing enclosure so as to correspond to each of said hard disk drive bays;a plurality of hard disk drives, each being adapted to be slid along said guide members into a respective said hard disk drive bay and to thereby electrically connect to a respective said plug-in connector;a data bus disposed in said housing enclosure for operatively interconnecting said hard disk drives when in respective said hard disk drive bays;at least one connector at a back of said housing enclosure and to which said bus is operatively connected; anda fan mounted in a back of said housing enclosure for drawing cooling air through cooling vents of said disk drives, said fan being controlled by an interior temperature sensor in said housing enclosure;wherein said housing enclosure has exterior dimensions corresponding to interior dimensions of an industry standard expansion bay in a personal desktop computer having therein a RAID controller such that said modular disk drive unit enclosure is operatively mountable in the expansion bay by inserting said housing enclosure therein as a self-contained unit and thereby into an operative insert position; andwherein with said housing enclosure in the operative insert position, said hard disk drives are operatively connected to the RAID controller via said at least one connector.