System and method for utilizing an actuator-activated pumping mechanism for reducing the operating pressure of a disk drive assembly
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorsDonald Ray Gillis, Kris Victor Schouterden
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A disk drive having an actuator-activated pumping mechanism is disclosed. The pumping mechanism creates a low pressure operating environment for the disk drive in order to enhance the performance of the drive at higher rotational operating speeds. Through the use of an engaging element, the actuator motor acts to drive a pumping element. This design does not use a separate electrical motor to evacuate the disk drive housing. Instead, the natural motion of the actuator provides the necessary power to drive the pumping element.
Claims15
A disk drive assembly, comprising:
- a base containing a data storage disk that is rotatably mounted to a motor,
- an actuator movably mounted to the base and having a transducer for reading data from and writing data to the disk;
- a controller for controlling operations of the disk drive assembly;
- and
- a pump assembly located inside the base adjacent to the actuator such that the pump assembly is activated by motion of the actuator;
- and wherein
- the pump assembly comprises a pump housing having a piston that is moved by the actuator for communicating pressure to ambient surroundings.
A disk drive assembly, comprising:
- a sealed base containing data storage disks that are rotatably mounted to a motor;
- an actuator movably mounted to the base and having transducers for reading data from and writing data to the disks;
- a controller for controlling operations of the disk drive assembly;
- a pressure sensor monitored by the controller and wherein the operating pressure of the base is maintained in response thereto;
- a pump assembly located inside the base and biased toward the actuator, the pump assembly having a chamber with a piston, wherein the piston is reciprocated in the chamber by oscillatory pivot motion of the actuator to partially evacuate an interior atmosphere of the base and lower an operating pressure thereof;
- a crash stop adjacent to the actuator for limiting the range of motion of the actuator relative to the pump assembly;
- and wherein
- the actuator has a voice coil motor that physically contacts the piston to provide activation thereof.
A disk drive assembly, comprising:
- a base containing a data storage disk that is rotatably mounted to a motor;
- an actuator moveably mounted to the base and having a transducer for reading data from and writing data to the disk;
- a controller for controlling operations of the disk drive assembly;
- and
- a pump assembly located inside the base adjacent to the actuator such that the pump assembly is activated by motion of the actuator;
- and wherein
- the pump assembly is biased in one direction by a spring.
A disk drive assembly, comprising:
- a sealed base containing data storage disks that are rotatably mounted to a motor;
- an actuator movably mounted to the base and having transducers for reading data from and writing data to the disks;
- a controller for controlling operations of the disk drive assembly;
- and
- a pump assembly located inside the base and having a chamber with a piston, wherein the piston is reciprocated in the chamber by oscillatory pivot motion of the actuator to partially evacuate an interior atmosphere of the base and lower an operating pressure thereof.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.