Abstract: A balloon inflation apparatus for inflating balloons is provided. A balloon plug having a resilient body with an outer perimeter designed to engage the inside of the neck of a balloon. The balloon plug is interconnected to a spool. A pierceable central portion is provided. The inflation apparatus includes an inflation station supported by a support frame. The inflation station includes an engagement opening for retaining a balloon plug with a balloon engaged therewith. The station also includes an inflation needle which has a retracted position and an inflation position that extends through the pierceable central portion of a balloon plug retained by the plug connector when the needle is in the inflation position. The inflation station also includes an actuator to move the needle between the retracted and inflation positions.

Abstract: A removable self-contained rigid disk drive has a head and disk assembly (HDA) and controller enclosed by a top and bottom cover. The industry standard form factor drive is externally dimensioned to be removably installable in a disk bay of the same form factor. HDA components are mounted on one side a composite plastic-steel base, and the controller is attached to the other side. The controller is proved with an industry standard electrical interface for connecting the drive with a host computer system with a complementary electrical interface. The covers of the drive are made of metal to reduce electromagnetic interference when the drive is in operation.

Abstract: A combined shock mount frame and seal for a rigid or hard disk drive is constructed by attaching a compressible seal to the edge of a rectangular rigid plastic frame. The seal is provided with a circumferential angular groove on an interior portion having a depth slightly greater than half the thickness of the mounting base of the head and disk assembly of the drive. A circumferential angular ridge is formed on an exterior portion of the seal to conform to the mating edge of the covers of the drive enclosure. The frame is externally dimensioned to fit inside the covers of the drive enclosure. In use, a frame is placed inside a top and bottom cover of the drive enclosure. The mounting base is compressively held in the grooves of the seals of each of the two frames to provide shock resistance to the head and disk assembly and the ridge is compressively held between the mating edges of the covers to hermetically the drive enclosure.