Patents by Inventor Robert F. Deal

Robert F. Deal has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 6339531
    Abstract: A dockable equipment container includes an outer shell of a durable material and an inner metallic container. The inner container is suspended within the outer shell by blocks of energy absorbent material, such as SORBATHANE. The dockable equipment container further includes a connector at one end, which is covered by a protective door. When mated with external equipment, the protective door is moved to an open position by an alignment device, such as alignment pins, pressing against an end of the protective door. The alignment pins mate with corresponding alignment holes for ensuring that the connector properly mates with a corresponding connector in the external equipment. The dockable equipment container may contain various electronic equipment, which communicates with the external equipment through the connector. The electronic equipment may include disk drives, which are protected from the environment and from shock by the construction of the dockable equipment container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2002
    Assignee: Avid Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: James A. McKain, Peter Fasciano, Alan Denny, Raymond W. Imblum, Mark A. Sprague, Robert F. Deal, Morton Tarr
  • Patent number: 5999406
    Abstract: A dockable equipment container includes an outer shell of a durable material and an inner metallic container. The inner c,ontainer is suspended within the outer shell by blocks of energy absorbent material, such as SORBATHANE. The dockable equipment container further includes a connector at one end, which is covered by a protective door. When mated with external equipment, the protective door is moved to an open position by an alignment device, such as alignment pins, pressing against an end of the protective door. The alignment pins mate with corresponding alignment holes for ensuring that the connector properly mates with a corresponding connector in the external equipment. The dockable equipment container may contain various electronic equipment, which conmmunicates with the external equipment through the connector. The electronic equipment may include disk drives, which are protected from the environment and from shock by the construction of the dockable equipment container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 1997
    Date of Patent: December 7, 1999
    Assignee: Avid Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: James A. McKain, Peter Fasciano, Alan Denny, Raymond W. Imblum, Mark A. Sprague, Robert F. Deal, Morton Tarr