Hard disk drive spoiler with top disk flow mitigation
AssigneeWestern Digital Technologies, Inc.
InventorsGakuto Takami, Yoshiyuki Hirono, Takaaki Deguchi
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An upstream spoiler for a hard disk drive (HDD) includes a top fin configured to cover a radial gap between the top fin and a top disk medium of an HDD to inhibit gas/air flow to a top surface of the top disk through the gap. The spoiler may further include a middle fin adjacent the top fin and a mounting structure configured for mounting the spoiler in an HDD, where the top fin extends circumferentially in an upstream direction beyond the middle fin and tapers down toward the mounting structure, thereby inhibiting particulates from entering a space between an HDD cover and the top disk.
Claims18
A hard disk drive (HDD) comprising:
- a plurality of disk media including a top disk medium rotatably mounted on a spindle;
- a head slider housing a read-write transducer configured to read from and to write to the top disk medium;
- an actuator configured for moving the head slider to access portions of the top disk medium;
- an enclosure comprising a base and a cover, the enclosure housing the plurality of disk media, the head slider, and the actuator;
- and
- a spoiler positioned upstream of the head slider and configured to inhibit gas flow to a top surface of the top disk medium through a gap between the spoiler and the top disk medium, the spoiler comprising:
- a pocket housing a filter;
- wherein:
- the gap comprises a top gap positioned radially between the top disk medium and a top fin of the spoiler;
- and
- a curved innermost edge of the top fin with a substantially constant radius extends circumferentially upstream along a majority of the filter.
An upstream spoiler for a hard disk drive (HDD), the spoiler comprising:
- a top fin configured to cover a radial gap between a portion of the top fin and a top disk medium of an HDD to inhibit gas flow to a top surface of the top disk medium through the gap;
- and
- a pocket configured for housing a filter and positioned in a radial direction away from a curved innermost edge of the top fin;
- wherein the curved innermost edge of the top fin, having a substantially constant radius throughout, extends circumferentially along a majority of the pocket.
A method of manufacturing an upstream spoiler for a hard disk drive (HDD), the method comprising:
- forming a top fin configured to cover, when installed in an HDD, a radial gap between a portion of the top fin and a top disk medium of the HDD to inhibit gas flow to a top surface of the top disk medium through the gap;
- and
- forming a pocket configured for housing a filter in a radial direction away from a curved innermost edge of the top fin;
- wherein forming the top fin includes forming the curved innermost edge of the top fin with a substantially constant radius throughout to extend circumferentially along a majority of the pocket.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.