# US 10,121,518 B1 · Reducing leak rate in adhesive-based hermetically-sealed data storage devices and systems

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- Number: US 10,121,518 B1
- Document ID: US10121518B1
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B1
- Application number: 15/629,558
- Filed: 2017-06-21
- Granted: 2018-11-06
- Earliest claimed: 2017-06-21
- Assignees: Western Digital Technologies, Inc.
- Applicants: Western Digital Technologies, Inc.
- Inventors: Vipin Ayanoor-Vitikkate; Toshiki Hirano; Neale M. Jones
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10121518B1

## CPC

- G11B 33/1466: {sealing gaskets, (gasket in general F16J)}
- G11B 33/022: {Cases}
- G11B 33/027: {Covers (G11B33/022 takes precedence; with means for guiding the record carrier G11B17/34)}
- G11B 33/148: {Reducing friction, adhesion, drag}
- H05K 5/062: {sealed by a material injected between a non-removable cover and a body, e.g. hardening in situ}
- G11B: INFORMATION STORAGE BASED ON RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN RECORD CARRIER AND TRANSDUCER (recording measured values in a way that does not require playback through a transducer G01D9/00; recording or playback apparatus using mechanically marked tape, e.g. punched paper tape, or using unit records, e.g. punched or magnetically marked cards G06K; transferring data from one type of record carrier to another G06K1/18; circuits for coupling output of reproducer to radio receiver H04B1/20; gramophone pick-ups or like acoustic electromechanical transducers or circuits therefor H04R)
- H05K: PRINTED CIRCUITS; CASINGS OR CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF ELECTRIC APPARATUS; MANUFACTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS

## Abstract

A hermetically-sealed container for one or more data storage devices may include a base having grooves, and corresponding sidewalls disposed within each groove, with an adhesive disposed within each groove and bonding each sidewall to the base, and with gap spacing mechanisms positioned within each groove between the corresponding sidewall and the base, thereby ensuring a gap for sufficient flow of the adhesive between each sidewall and the base. The adhesive may be a liquid-based epoxy adhesive, and whereby the spacing mechanisms enable sufficient capillary action to wet all the surfaces to form a sound hermetic bond or seal between the sidewalls and the base. The container may, then, be filled with a lighter-than-air gas such as helium.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A hermetically-sealed container for one or more data storage devices, the container comprising:
an enclosure base having a plurality of grooves, each groove having an inner surface, a bottom surface, and an outer surface;
a plurality of sidewalls each having an inner surface, a bottom surface, and an outer surface and disposed within a corresponding groove of said plurality of grooves;
an adhesive disposed within each said groove and bonding a corresponding sidewall with said enclosure base; and
a plurality of spacing mechanisms each positioned within a corresponding said groove between a corresponding sidewall and said enclosure base to ensure substantial flow of said adhesive between each said sidewall and said enclosure base.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The hermetically-sealed container of claim 1, wherein said adhesive is an epoxy-based liquid adhesive prior to curing.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The hermetically-sealed container of claim 2, wherein each of said plurality of spacing mechanisms is positioned within said corresponding groove to ensure substantial capillary action of said adhesive to bond each said inner surface, bottom surface, and outer surface of said sidewall with each corresponding said inner surface, bottom surface, and outer surface of said groove of said enclosure base.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The hermetically-sealed container of claim 1, wherein at least some of said plurality of spacing mechanisms comprise thin wires positioned intermittently along said corresponding groove.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The hermetically-sealed container of claim 1, wherein at least some of said plurality of spacing mechanisms comprise metal foil strips positioned intermittently along said corresponding groove.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The hermetically-sealed container of claim 1, wherein said plurality of spacing mechanisms and said enclosure base are composed of a substantially same material.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The hermetically-sealed container of claim 1, wherein said plurality of spacing mechanisms comprises a protrusion from each of said inner surface, said bottom surface, and said outer surface of at least one said sidewall.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The hermetically-sealed container of claim 1, wherein said plurality of spacing mechanisms comprises a protrusion inward from each of said inner surface and said outer surface of at least one said groove.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The hermetically-sealed container of claim 1, wherein said plurality of spacing mechanisms comprises:
a protrusion from each of said bottom surface and said outer surface of at least one said sidewall; and
a protrusion outward from said inner surface of at least one said groove.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The hermetically-sealed container of claim 1, wherein said plurality of spacing mechanisms comprises:
a protrusion from each of said bottom surface and said inner surface of at least one of said plurality of sidewalls; and
a protrusion inward from said outer surface of at least one said groove.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The hermetically-sealed container of claim 1, further comprising and contained therein:
a plurality of spinning-disk data storage devices; and
a lighter-than-air gas.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The hermetically-sealed container of claim 11, wherein said lighter-than-air gas comprises helium.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The hermetically-sealed container of claim 1, further comprising and contained therein:
a recording disk medium rotatably mounted on a spindle;
a head slider comprising a read-write transducer configured to write to and to read from said disk medium;
a rotary actuator assembly configured to move said head slider to access portions of said disk medium; and
a lighter-than-air gas.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The hermetically-sealed container of claim 13, wherein said lighter-than-air gas comprises helium.

### Claim 15

A method of hermetically sealing a container housing one or more data storage devices, the method comprising:
inserting each of a plurality of container sidewalls into a corresponding groove of a plurality of grooves in a container base with a plurality of gap spacing mechanisms disposed therebetween;
dispensing an adhesive into each said groove such that said gap spacing mechanisms maintain a gap between each said container sidewall and said corresponding groove in said container base to enable substantial capillary action flow so that said adhesive wets each of a corresponding inner surface, bottom surface, and outer surface of each said container sidewall and of said corresponding groove of said base; and
curing said adhesive to form a hermetic bond between each said container sidewall and said corresponding groove in said container base.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, wherein said adhesive is an epoxy-based liquid adhesive prior to curing.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, wherein each said gap spacing mechanism comprises a plurality of thin wires and/or metal foil strips positioned intermittently along said corresponding grooves.

### Claim 18 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, wherein said gap spacing mechanisms and said container base are composed of a substantially same material.

### Claim 19 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, wherein at least one said gap spacing mechanism comprises a protrusion from each of said inner surface, said bottom surface, and said outer surface of at least one said container sidewall.

### Claim 20 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, wherein at least one said gap spacing mechanism comprises a protrusion inward from each of said inner surface and said outer surface of at least one said corresponding groove.

### Claim 21 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, wherein at least one said gap spacing mechanism comprises:
a protrusion from each of said bottom surface and said outer surface of at least one said sidewall; and
a protrusion inward from said inner surface of said corresponding groove.

### Claim 22 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, wherein at least one said gap spacing mechanism comprises:
a protrusion from each of said bottom surface and said inner surface of at least one said sidewall; and
a protrusion inward from said outer surface of said corresponding groove.

### Claim 23 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, further comprising:
filling said container with a lighter-than-air gas.

### Claim 24

A method of enabling a liquid adhesive dispensed into a plurality of grooves in a container base housing one or more data storage devices to wet (1) each of an inner surface, a bottom surface, and an outer surface of each of a plurality of container sidewalls positioned within a corresponding groove of said plurality of grooves and (2) each of a corresponding inner surface, bottom surface, and outer surface of said corresponding groove, the method comprising:
providing means for ensuring a gap space between each said inner surface, bottom surface, and outer surface of each said container sidewall and each said corresponding inner surface, bottom surface, and outer surface of said corresponding groove to facilitate capillary action of said liquid adhesive groove; and
dispensing said adhesive within each said corresponding groove to bond each said container sidewall with said container base.