A hard disk drive (“HDD”) is a common electro-mechanical storage device that is used in many computers and consumer electronic devices. Most HDDs are designed to be installed on the inside of an associated computer or electronic device, and most are manufactured to one of a select few standardized sizes and shapes, otherwise known as “form factors.” Such standardized form factors are important for compatibility purposes between the numerous manufacturers and users of HDDs, computers, electronic devices and other associated components. Examples of generally well known HDD form factors include the 5.25 inch, 3.5 inch, and 2.5 inch form factors, although several others do exist.
An HDD is typically a relatively fragile device that can experience handling and physical/mechanical shock damage, such as in the case of a dropped device, even where a user is careful. Such handling or shock damage can severely reduce the operating life of the associated computer or consumer electronic device, and may also result in the loss of data from the HDD itself. As might be expected, a laptop or other portable computer or consumer electronic device is typically subjected to more user handling and mechanical shocks than a desktop computer or other non-portable computing device. Where an HDD is incorporated into a laptop or other portable electronic device, then mounting designs that enhance mechanical shock tolerances are preferable. Mounting designs can be challenging for such portable devices, however, and the lack of effective mounting designs to adequately damp physical or mechanical shocks has traditionally limited HDD form factors choices for portable computing devices. For example, most laptop computers today utilize the standardized 2.5 inch form factor for their incorporated HDDs.
Although the 2.5 inch HDD form factor is quite popular for portable computing devices, there are limitations that arise where a manufacturer or user is limited to an HDD having such a form factor over a more robust HDD, such as, for example, a 3.5 inch form factor HDD. Notably, the storage capacity of a 3.5 inch form factor HDD is significantly improved over that of the smaller 2.5 inch form factor HDD. Not surprisingly, 3.5 inch form factor HDDs tend to be more popular in desktop computers and other non-portable electronic devices. As is generally well known, the standardized 3.5 inch form factor calls for HDD outer dimensions of a width of 4.0 inches, a depth of 5.75 inches, and a height that can be either 1.0 or 1.63 inches. In comparison, the standardized 2.5 inch form factor calls for HDD outer dimensions of a width of 2.75 inches, a depth of 3.94 inches, and a height that can be any of 0.37, 0.49, 0.67 or 0.75 inches.
Another feature that favors the 2.5 inch HDD form factor for portable electronic devices is the actual size of the HDD itself. A major driver in the design of portable computers and other portable electronic devices is overall device size, and a 2.5 inch form factor HDD is simply smaller than a 3.5 inch form factor HDD. Sway space allocated for HDD mounting must be minimized as well in any drive to design devices with minimize overall sizes. Unfortunately, mountings to damp physical shocks typically need to be larger to accommodate for greater shock forces in larger devices, which then adds even more size to the overall device where larger HDDs are used. Industry has thus gravitated toward the 2.5 HDD form factor for portable electronic devices, due in large part to the practical considerations of overall smaller size and the traditional inability to adequately mount larger form factor HDDs to damp mechanical shocks and other handling issues within a reasonably sized space.
While many designs and techniques used to mount HDDs in portable computers and other portable electronic devices have generally worked well in the past, there is always a desire to provide further designs and techniques for mounting portable device HDDs. In particular, improved mounting structures that allow for the use of 3.5 inch form factor HDDs in portable electronic devices while also sufficiently damping mechanical shocks to the HDD are desired. In addition, improved designs that further minimize the overall size dimensions of a portable electronic device having an incorporated HDD are desired.