Hard disk drive with multiple spindles
OwnerEnrique Stiles, Richard Calderwoodinventors
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A disk drive including two or more spindles each carrying one or more media platters. The disk drive may have an industry standard sized chassis. By using reduced diameter platters, two spindles' platters can be fit within the chassis, increasing the capacity and/or performance of the drive. The two spindles' platters may be of the same type, such as magnetic hard disk platters, or they may be different, such as one spindle of hard disk and one spindle of optical disk. Optionally, one spindle's platter may be used as a cache or buffer for the other spindle's platter.
Claims31
A disk drive comprising:
- a chassis;
- a first spindle coupled to the chassis for supporting at least one first media platter;
- a first read/write head coupled to the chassis for accessing the at least one first media platter;
- a second spindle coupled to the chassis for supporting at least one second media platter;
- a second read/write head coupled to the chassis for accessing the at least one second media platter;
- wherein the first and second spindles are non-coaxial.
A 3.5″ personal computer hard disk drive comprising:
- a first spindle;
- a first magnetic recording platter coupled to the first spindle and having a diameter less than 3.25″;
- a first read/write head coupled to a first actuator and positioned to access the first magnetic recording platter;
- a second spindle not coaxial with the first spindle;
- a second magnetic recording platter coupled to the second spindle and having a diameter less than 3.25″;
- and
- a second read/write head coupled to a second actuator and positioned to access the second magnetic recording platter.
An improvement in a standard sized computer hard disk drive which includes a chassis, a first spindle coupled to the chassis, a first magnetic recording platter coupled to the first spindle, and a first read/write head coupled to access the first magnetic recording platter, wherein the improvement comprises:
- a second spindle;
- a second magnetic recording platter coupled to the second spindle;
- and
- a second read/write head coupled to access the second magnetic recording platter.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.