Abstract: A mounting tray for a hard disk drive has a base, a front wall, and a pair of side walls. A pair of latching mechanisms are located in each side wall. Each latching mechanism has a slide and a spring-like fastener. The fasteners have an unlocked position where they are biased away from the tray, and a locked position where the slides capture them against the side walls. A tapered pin extends inward from each fastener. With the latching mechanisms in their unlocked positions, a drive is placed in the tray. The slides are then moved to the locked positions such that the pins on the fasteners engage holes in the drive. The pins secure the drive from movement relative to the tray to facilitate hot plugging of the drive into a computer system.

Abstract: A portable data processing system and method are disclosed for improving cooling of a microprocessor included within the system. The portable data processing system includes a base housing for housing a CPU and a display housing for housing a display. A heat sink is established within the base housing. The heat sink is formed from a highly conductive composite material. A heat dissipater is established within the display housing. The heat dissipater is comprised of a highly conductive composite material. The heat dissipater and heat sink are capable of receiving a heat pipe. Heat is transferred from the heat sink to the heat dissipator utilizing the heat pipe. In a second embodiment, the portable system is docked with a docking station, and a heat probe is included which is utilized to dissipate additional heat from the microprocessor to a large fan sink included within the docking station.

Abstract: A removable card insulator and guide prevents inadvertent shorting during the insertion or removal of an adapter card into a "hot-plug" computer system. The card insulator includes perpendicular first and second planar portions. When installed in a computer system, the first planar portion is positioned perpendicular to the motherboard, and the second planar portion is positioned parallel to the motherboard such that any components on the motherboard are positioned between the second planar portion and the motherboard. The second planar portion includes a slot through which an adapter card connector can be passed to mate with a connector on the motherboard. A step has perpendicular riser and tread portions, wherein the riser is attached perpendicular to the second planar portion, such that the tread is parallel to and offset from the second planar portion.

Abstract: An arrangement and method for enhancing the cooling capacity of portable personal computers. More particularly, the arrangement is employed for increasing the cooling capacity of portable personal computers, particularly such as laptop or notebook computers, wherein the computer possesses a keyboard housing having the rear edge thereof hingedly connected with the bottom of an openable display unit or panel, and containing heat-generating computer electronics, from which heat is removed through the intermediary of heat pipes which are hingedly connected with at least one heat dissipator located in the display unit.