Shroudless Small Form CD ROM for Notebook Computers

The disclosures herein relate generally to CD ROM drives and more particularly to placing a shroudless CD ROM drive in the footprint and volume of a standard floppy disc drive.

In multimedia notebook computers it is necessary to have a CD ROM. The CDs are very large and their drive modules have enlarged the standard notebook computer so as to accommodate them. The market requires the smallest notebook possible. Thus, there is an obvious conflict. Typically, these notebook CD ROM drive modules are removable from a large media bay and replaceable with a module that has a floppy drive in it. The floppy drive module is smaller than the CD ROM drive module because of the difference in size of their respective discs. The smaller floppy modules are fitted into the large media bay by housing the floppy drive in a dummy carrier of the same size as the CD module. Again, this makes the notebook computer larger than necessary.

Typical CD ROM drive modules have a sheet metal shroud that covers the entire CD drive and disc. The shroud is thick and the module also includes extension arms on the side of the drive which when operated, extend the disc out of the module to be replaced. Because of this extension, there is a large service loop in a cable that requires a dead space behind the unit. This requirement enlarges the CD module and packages a lot of air in the CD module.

Therefore, what is needed is an apparatus and a method for placing a full size CD ROM drive module in the footprint of a relatively smaller standard floppy disc drive module rather than vice versa as has been described. It is also highly desirable to provide for the CD ROM drive module and floppy drive module to be of substantially the same volume.

One embodiment, accordingly, provides an apparatus and method of using a CD ROM drive module in the footprint and volume of a standard floppy drive module. To this end, a computer system includes a housing having a slot provided therein. The slot has a defined footprint area. A pair of inserts are provided, each having substantially the same footprint area as the slot and as each other. One of the inserts is a floppy insert for driving a floppy disc. The inserts are alternately removably inserted in the slot and each insert is respectively provided for driving a different size storage media than the other insert.

A principal advantage is that the larger CD ROM disc and the smaller floppy disc are each driven by the same size drive module which fits into the slot. This requires less dead air space in the housing and contributes to maintaining the desired small size of notebook computers. This is in contrast to present devices which place a floppy disc drive module in a dummy carrier provided to fit in a large media bay sized to receive a standard CD ROM drive module.

FIG. 1 is an isometric view illustrating an embodiment of a portable computer.

FIG. 1a is a diagrammatic view illustrating an embodiment of a computer system.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the computer of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an isometric view illustrating an embodiment of a portable computer chassis.

FIG. 4 is an isometric view illustrating an embodiment of a floppy drive module.

FIG. 5 is an isometric view illustrating an embodiment of a CD ROM drive module.

FIG. 6 is a plan view diagrammatically illustrating an embodiment of a floppy disc and a CD ROM disc.

FIG. 7 is a plan view diagrammatically illustrating an embodiment of a floppy drive module including a disc.

FIG. 8 is a plan view diagrammatically illustrating an embodiment of a CD ROM drive module including a disc.

FIG. 9 is a plan view diagrammatically illustrating an embodiment of a prior art CD ROM drive module.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, illustrated is a portable, notebook size computer designated 10 including a self-contained computer system 41, FIG. 1a, and including a hinged top or lid 12 rotatable about a pivotable member 14 from a nested position "N", with a horizontal housing base 16, to a substantially vertical or open position "V" shown in FIG. 1.

In one embodiment, computer system 41, FIG. 1a, includes a microprocessor 11 which is connected to a bus 13. Bus 13 serves as a connection between microprocessor 11 and other components of computer system 41. An input device 15 is coupled to microprocessor 11 to provide input to microprocessor 11. Examples of input devices include keyboards, touchscreens, and pointing devices such as mouses, trackballs and trackpads. Programs and data are stored on a mass storage device 17 which is coupled to microprocessor 11. Mass storage devices include such devices as hard disks, optical disks, magneto-optical drives, floppy drives and the like. Computer system 41 further includes a display 19 which is coupled to microprocessor 11 by a video controller 21. A system memory 23 is coupled to microprocessor 11 to provide the microprocessor with fast storage to facilitate execution of computer programs by microprocessor 11. It should be understood that other busses and intermediate circuits can be deployed between the components described above and microprocessor 11 to facilitate interconnection between the components and the microprocessor.

Opening of the notebook style portable computer by manipulation of a latch 18, reveals a plurality of keys 20, FIG. 2, on an exposed horizontal keyboard surface 22 of base 16, and a monitor screen 12a in an exposed portion of lid 12, FIG. 1. Computer 10 also includes a sidewall 16a having plurality of external ports, an exemplary one of which is designated 24. Base 16 may also include a pointing device 26, FIG. 1, such as a track pad, track ball or the like. A palm rest 28 is commonly provided adjacent keyboard 22, FIG. 2, which forms an upper surface of a battery housing 30. Housing 16 includes an access slot 32 formed in a sidewall 16b opposite sidewall 16a of housing 16. Slot 32 is generally rectangular and is integrally formed with a slit 34.

Slot 32 has a rectangular footprint area 32a in a chassis 33, FIG. 3, of a size sufficient to receive both a rectangular floppy disc drive module 36, having a footprint area 36a, FIG. 4, and a rectangular shroudless CD ROM disc drive module 38, having a footprint area 38a, FIG. 5. CD ROM disc drive module 38 has four peripheral sides 30a, 30b, 30c and 30d. It is well known that the relative size of a CD ROM disc 40, FIG. 6, is substantially larger than the size of a floppy disc 42, also illustrated in FIG. 6. The footprint area 32a of the slot 32, FIG. 3, is substantially the same as the footprint area 36a of floppy module 36, FIG. 4, and the same as the footprint area 38a of CD module 38, FIG. 5. Also, slot 32 has a volume as measured by the height h times the footprint area 32a, FIGS. 2 and 3, which is sufficient to receive either the floppy module 36 or the CD module 38, alternately and selectively. This is because the height h of slot 32 is substantially the same as the height h 1 of floppy module 36 and the height h 2 of CD module 38, FIGS. 4 and 5. Although the modules 36, 38 have substantially equal footprint areas 36a, 38a, respectively, as slot footprint area 32a, FIGS. 3, 4 and 5, their ability to drive substantially different size discs such as CD disc 40 and floppy disc 42 is possible. This is accomplished because floppy disc 42 fits within floppy module 36, FIG. 7, as is well known. However, CD disc 40 is positioned above and overhangs two, 30a, 30b, of the four peripheral sides 30a, 30b, 30c and 30d of rectangular CD module 38 due to the offset of a CD drive spindle 44 being positioned substantially adjacent a corner portion 46 where sides 30a and 30b converge, FIG. 8. This is in contrast to a prior art CD ROM module 138, FIG. 9, which is substantially larger than the CD ROM module 38 so that there is no overhang.

The overhang arrangement is accommodated in the housing 16 by providing the slit 34, FIG. 2, which communicates with slot 32. Slit 34 permits ingress and egress of CD disc 40 into and out of housing 16 simultaneously with ingress and egress of CD module 38 into and out of slot 32. Within housing 16, there is no wasted space because CD disc 40 flies above components within the housing 16, FIGS. 2 and 3. A connector 46, FIG. 3, in housing 16 adjacent slot 32, mates with either of a connector 48 of floppy module 36, FIG. 4, or a connector 50 of CD module 38, FIG. 5.

In operation, FIG. 2, when a floppy disc 42 is to be utilized with computer 10, floppy module 36 is placed in slot 32 so that floppy connector 48 operably engages housing connector 46. A floppy disc 42 can then be operably inserted in and removed from floppy module 36. When a CD disc 40 is to be utilized with computer 10, floppy module 36 is removed from slot 32. A CD disc 40 can then be operably installed on CD module spindle 44, and when CD module 38 is moved into slot 32, CD disc 40 simultaneously enters housing 16 partially via slot 32 and the overhang enters via slit 34. CD connector 50 becomes engaged with housing connector 46. If subsequent use of computer 10 requires a floppy disc 42, egress is accomplished in the same manner, i.e. simultaneous movement of CD module 38 from slot 32 and CD disc 40 partially via slot 32 as the overhang moves through slit 34. Thus, CD module 38 is removed and replaced by floppy module 36 as described above.

As it can be seen, the principal advantage of the above-described embodiment is maintaining the desired small size of a portable notebook computer. The prior art CD module, FIG. 9, is encased in a shroud 138 not only to carry the CD drive mechanism but also house the large CD disc. As a result, the smaller floppy module is placed in an oversized carrier which was of the size of the shrouded CD module so that both the floppy module and CD module could utilize the same slot. Both drive modules utilize the same slot but the slot is now the size of the smaller floppy module. The CD module is shroudless and has the same footprint area of the floppy module and the slot. The larger CD disc does not require the enlarged slot but only an adjacent slit to permit CD disc ingress and egress from the housing, thus the floppy module size slot also receives the CD module.

Although an illustrative embodiment has been shown and described, a wide range of modifications, change and substitution is contemplated in the foregoing disclosure and in some instances, some features of this embodiment may be employed without a corresponding use of other features. Accordingly, it is appropriate that the appended claims be construed broadly and in a manner consistent with the scope of the embodiment disclosed herein.