UV-transparent elements for hard disk drive components
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorsWalter Lloyd Prater, Eric Martin Albertson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Ultraviolet-transparent seals, flange, and sleeve assemblies are used in actuator pivot cartridges for hard disk drives to cure adhesive located inside the pivot housing. The assemblies are formed from silica glass, polymers, or other suitable materials, and focus UV light into hard to reach, high aspect ratio areas between the pivot bearings, sleeve, and shaft. Some of the assemblies use transparent components with convex or fresnel lenses formed into their geometry. With these designs, UV light can enter the pivots axially and/or radially to reach and cure the adhesive regardless of its location.
Claims35
An apparatus for a hard disk drive, comprising:
- a housing having a bore with a central axis, and two axial ends;
- a shaft coaxially mounted within the bore of the housing for rotation relative thereto;
- a bearing mounted adjacent to each axial end of the housing between the housing and the shaft;
- adhesive located in clearances between the housing and each bearing and clearances between the shaft and each bearing for bonding the bearings to the housing and the shaft, the adhesive being curable by light of a selected wavelength;
- and
- a member mounted to the apparatus that is capable of transmitting light of the selected wavelength, the member being adjacent to at least one of the clearances for transmitting light incident on the apparatus during assembly into said at least one of the clearances to cure at least some of the adhesive.
A rotational device for a hard disk drive, comprising:
- a generally cylindrical housing having a central bore with an axis and an axial end;
- is a shaft coaxially mounted within the bore of the housing for rotation relative thereto;
- a bearing mounted adjacent to the axial end of the housing and having an inner race that contacts the shaft, and an outer race that contacts the housing;
- anaerobic adhesive located between the housing and the outer race of the bearing, and the shaft and the inner race of the bearing for bonding the respective races thereto;
- and
- an annular flange mounted to one of the housing and the shaft and extending radially therefrom adjacent to the axial end of the housing, the flange having a portion that is UV-transparent for transmitting UV light incident on the rotational device onto the adhesive during assembly to cure the adhesive.
A rotational device for a hard disk drive, comprising:
- a generally cylindrical housing having a central bore with an axis, and an axial end;
- a shaft coaxially mounted within the bore of the housing for rotation relative thereto;
- a bearing mounted adjacent to the axial end of the housing and having an inner race and an outer race;
- an annular outer sleeve mounted between the housing and the outer race of the bearing;
- an annular inner sleeve mounted between the shaft and the inner race of the bearing;
- anaerobic adhesive located between the shaft and the inner sleeve, the inner sleeve and the inner race, the outer race and the outer sleeve, and the outer sleeve and the housing;
- and wherein
- the sleeves are UV-transparent for directing UV light incident on the rotational device during assembly into the housing to cure the adhesive.
A rotational device for a hard disk drive, comprising:
- a generally cylindrical housing having a central bore with an axis, two axial ends, and a side wall;
- a shaft coaxially mounted within the bore of the housing for rotation relative thereto;
- a bearing mounted adjacent to each axial end of the housing, each bearing having an inner race that contacts the shaft, and an outer race that contacts the housing;
- anaerobic adhesive located between the housing and each outer race and between the shaft and each inner race for bonding the outer races of the bearings to the housing and the inner races of the bearings to the shaft;
- and
- an annular window located in the side wall of the housing between the axial ends of the housing, the window being UV-transparent for transmitting UV light incident on the rotational device during assembly into the housing to cure the adhesive.
A method for curing adhesive in an apparatus for a hard disk drive, comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing an apparatus, the apparatus comprising a housing having a bore with an axis, two axial ends, a coaxial shaft, a bearing between the housing and the shaft, and adhesive between the housing and the shaft for bonding the bearing thereto;
- (b) providing a window formed from solid materials and mounted to the apparatus that is capable of transmitting light of a selected wavelength into the apparatus;
- (c) exposing the apparatus to the light of the selected wavelength such that at least some of the light enters and is transmitted by the window to cure at least some of the adhesive.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.