Self sealing structure for a removable disk hard disk drive
AssigneeAvatar Systems Corporation
InventorRobert P. Hoppe
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Sealing structures are provided to prevent contamination entry into a removable disk cartridge hard disk drive. The outer end of the cartridge is fitted with a seal abutment structure, which is slightly wider and thicker than the rest of the cartridge. The seal abutment structure has a chamfered ring surface thereabout facing the inner end of the cartridge. The cartridge is inserted into the disk drive through a pair of doors that normally seal the interior of the disk drive until the chamfered ring surface engages a sealing gasket positioned about an opening to the interior of the disk drive behind the doors, so that when the disk is spun, the air centrifugally pumped can not pull dust particles in from the outside environment.
Claims20
A hard disk drive system including:
- a hard disk cartridge that includes:
- a disk for data storage;
- a housing positioned about said disk having:
- an inner housing end;
- an outer housing end;
- and
- means at said inner housing end for providing access to the disk;
- and
- a seal abutment structure positioned around said housing at said outer housing end;
- and
- a disk drive including:
- a cartridge opening into which at least said inner housing end of said hard disk cartridge is inserted;
- and
- a gasket about said cartridge opening sized and positioned to sealably engage said seal abutment structure when said hard disk cartridge is fully inserted in said disk drive.
A removable cartridge hard disk drive system including:
- a removable hard disk cartridge that includes:
- a housing having:
- a generally rectangular cross-section;
- an inner housing end;
- and
- an outer housing end;
- and
- a seal abutment structure positioned around said housing at said outer housing end, said seal abutment structure having a generally rectangular cross-section larger than said generally rectangular cross-section of said housing;
- and
- a disk drive including:
- a rectangular cartridge opening into which at least said inner housing end of said hard disk cartridge is inserted;
- and
- a rectangular seal ring structure positioned about said rectangular cartridge opening sized to sealably engage said seal abutment structure of said removable hard disk cartridge.
A hard disk drive system including:
- a hard disk cartridge that includes:
- a housing having:
- an inner housing end;
- and
- an outer housing end;
- and
- a seal abutment structure positioned at said outer end of said housing;
- and
- a disk drive including:
- a seal member defining a cartridge opening, said seal member being sized and positioned to sealably engage said seal abutment structure when said hard disk cartridge is inserted in said disk drive.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.