Combined bulk thermal-assister and bulk eraser

A bulk eraser, for erasing recorded information on a magnetic-recording disk, with thermal-assist means, said bulk eraser with thermal-assist means comprising:

• a thermal-assist means, said thermal-assist means for producing a temperature in a magnetic-recording disk in a hard-disk drive when said hard-disk drive is disposed in said bulk eraser, wherein said temperature is about equal to a second temperature at least 20° C. above a first temperature of said magnetic-recording disk in said hard-disk drive;
• a bulk eraser, said bulk eraser configured to erase recorded information from said magnetic-recording disk at said second temperature in said hard-disk drive;
• wherein said first temperature is an ambient temperature of said magnetic-recording disk in said hard-disk drive;
• and
• a chiller, said chiller configured to lower a temperature of an enclosure of said hard-disk drive to a third temperature less than said second temperature of said magnetic-recording disk.

A combined bulk thermal-assister and bulk eraser for erasing recorded information on a magnetic-recording disk, said combined bulk thermal-assister and bulk eraser comprising:

• a bulk thermal-assister, said bulk thermal-assister configured to produce a temperature in a magnetic-recording disk in a hard-disk drive when said hard-disk drive is disposed in said bulk eraser, wherein said temperature is about equal to a second temperature greater than a first temperature of said magnetic-recording disk in said hard-disk drive;
• and
• a bulk eraser, said bulk eraser further comprising:
• a plurality of magnets;
• and
• a structure magnetically coupled with said plurality of magnets to produce magnetic-flux density in a gap, wherein said gap has a first portion, a second portion and a third portion and wherein two magnets are disposed with opposing polarity across said first portion of said gap;
• wherein said plurality of magnets and said structure are configured to produce a magnetic-flux density in said second portion of said gap sufficient to erase recorded information from a portion of at least one magnetic-recording disk at said second temperature in a disk-stack of said hard-disk drive when said hard-disk drive is inserted into said second portion of said gap;
• wherein said plurality of magnets and said structure are configured to direct said magnetic-flux density in a substantially radial direction of said portion of said magnetic-recording disk in said hard-disk drive in said second portion of said gap;
• and
• wherein said second temperature lowers a coercivity of said magnetic-recording disk in said hard-disk drive so that, when recorded information is erased from said magnetic-recording disk in said hard-disk drive at said second temperature, recorded information on said magnetic-recording disk is erased from a second magnetic-recording track in closer proximity to an inside diameter of said magnetic-recording disk than a first magnetic-recording track from which recorded information on said magnetic-recording disk may be erased, if recorded information were erased from said magnetic-recording disk in said hard-disk drive at said first temperature;
• and
• a chiller, said chiller configured to lower a temperature of an enclosure of said hard-disk drive to a third temperature less than said second temperature of said magnetic-recording disk.

A combined bulk thermal-assister and bulk eraser for erasing recorded information on a magnetic-recording disk, said combined bulk thermal-assister and bulk eraser comprising:

• a bulk thermal-assister, said bulk thermal-assister configured to produce a temperature in a magnetic-recording disk in a hard-disk drive when said hard-disk drive is disposed in said bulk eraser, wherein said temperature is about equal to a second temperature greater than a first temperature of said magnetic-recording disk in said hard-disk drive;
• and
• a bulk eraser, said bulk eraser further comprising:
• at least three magnets;
• and
• a structure magnetically coupled with said at least three magnets to produce magnetic-flux density in a gap, wherein said gap has a first portion, a second portion and a third portion, wherein a first magnet and a second magnet are disposed with opposing end poles of same polarity across said first portion of said gap;
• wherein said at least three magnets and said structure are configured to produce a magnetic-flux density in said second portion of said gap sufficient to erase recorded information from a portion of at least one magnetic-recording disk at said second temperature in a disk-stack of said hard-disk drive when said hard-disk drive is inserted into said second portion of said gap;
• wherein said at least three magnets and said structure are configured to direct said magnetic-flux density in a substantially radial direction of said portion of said magnetic-recording disk in said hard-disk drive in said second portion of said gap;
• and
• wherein said second temperature lowers a coercivity of said magnetic-recording disk in said hard-disk drive so that, when recorded information is erased from said magnetic-recording disk in said hard-disk drive at said second temperature, recorded information on said magnetic-recording disk is erased from a second magnetic-recording track in closer proximity to an inside diameter of said magnetic-recording disk than a first magnetic-recording track from which recorded information on said magnetic-recording disk may be erased, if recorded information were erased from said magnetic-recording disk in said hard-disk drive at said first temperature;
• and
• a chiller, said chiller configured to lower a temperature of an enclosure of said hard-disk drive to a third temperature less than said second temperature of said magnetic-recording disk.