Method and apparatus for cleaning disks
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorsThomas A. Gregory, Christopher G. Keller, James M. Severson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The back edge of a disk drive slider is used to remove debris from disk media by slowly sweeping it from the inner diameter of the disk to the outer diameter of the disk while the disk is rotating backwards from normal. The sweeping operation is completed while the disks are still gaining rotational speed so that liftoff velocity is not achieved. Material accumulated on the back edge of the slider is either dumped at the outer diameter of the disk, or remains on the back edge of the slider as normal operation is commenced.
Claims40
A data storage device comprising:
- a disk having a data storing surface;
- means for controllably rotating said disk in first and second directions;
- a slider supported adjacent the data storing surface of said disk, said slider transducing data when said disk is rotated in the first direction;
- and
- means for moving the slider to remove debris from the data storing surface when said disk is rotated in the second direction.
A data storage device comprising:
- a disk having a data storing surface;
- means for controllably rotating said disk in first and second directions;
- a slider supported adjacent the data storing surface of said disk, said slider having a surface forming a plowing edge;
- and
- means for moving the slider to plow debris from the data storing surface when said disk is rotated in the second direction.
A data storage device comprising:
- a disk having a data storing surface;
- means for controllably rotating said disk in first and second directions;
- a slider supported adjacent the data storing surface of said disk, said slider having a surface forming a plowing edge;
- means for moving the slider to plow debris from the data storing surface when said disk is rotated in the second direction;
- a frame for supporting the disk rotating means and actuator means;
- and
- a cover sealingly coupled to the frame for preventing harmful particle contamination from entering the data storage device.
A data storage device comprising:
- a disk having a data storing surface;
- means for controllably rotating said disk in first and second directions;
- and
- a slider supported adjacent the data storing surface of said disk, said slider transducing data when said disk is rotated in the first direction, and removing debris from the data storing surface when said disk is rotated in the second direction.
A data storage device comprising:
- a disk having a data storing surface;
- means for controllably rotating said disk in first and second directions;
- a slider supported adjacent the data storing surface of said disk, said slider having a surface forming a plowing edge;
- actuator means for moving the slider to plow debris from the data storing surface when said disk is rotated in the second direction;
- a frame for supporting the disk rotating means and actuator means;
- a cover sealingly coupled to the frame for preventing harmful particle contamination from entering the data storage device;
- means for monitoring the error rates of the disk drive;
- and
- means for initiating the cleaning of the disk based on said error rates.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.