# US 9,520,153 B2 · Apparatus with disc separator plates > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,520,153 B2 - Document ID: US9520153B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/678,551 - Filed: 2015-04-03 - Published: 2016-10-06 - Granted: 2016-12-13 - Earliest claimed: 2015-04-03 - Assignees: Seagate Technology LLC - Applicants: Seagate Technology LLC - Inventors: David A. Olivero; Stephen Robert Martin - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9520153B2 ## CPC - G11B 17/021: {Selecting or spacing of record carriers for introducing the heads} - G11B 25/043: {using rotating discs} - G11B 33/14: Reducing influence of physical parameters, e.g. temperature change, moisture, dust - G11B 33/148: {Reducing friction, adhesion, drag} - G11B: INFORMATION STORAGE BASED ON RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN RECORD CARRIER AND TRANSDUCER (recording measured values in a way that does not require playback through a transducer G01D9/00; recording or playback apparatus using mechanically marked tape, e.g. punched paper tape, or using unit records, e.g. punched or magnetically marked cards G06K; transferring data from one type of record carrier to another G06K1/18; circuits for coupling output of reproducer to radio receiver H04B1/20; gramophone pick-ups or like acoustic electromechanical transducers or circuits therefor H04R) ## Abstract Certain exemplary aspects of the present disclosure are directed towards an apparatus including a base deck, a plurality of storage mediums (e.g., discs) and a plurality of disc separator plates. The base deck includes a sidewall forming a cavity to house the storage medium, with slots in the sidewall in which each disc separator plate extends. The disc separator plates extend into spaces between peripheral ends of adjacent ones of the storage medium. This arrangement can be used to provide rigid coupling of the separator plates, which can mitigate issues relating to vibration or shock. Further, air flow can be mitigated in this regard, such as to reduce effects upon a magnetoresistive transducer that reads data from the storage mediums. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An apparatus comprising: a plurality of storage mediums spaced apart from one another in a stacked arrangement, the storage mediums having planar surfaces separated by a thickness and exhibiting a periphery having a circular shape; a base deck including a sidewall forming a cavity and being configured and arranged to house the plurality of storage mediums, the sidewall having has an inner surface that extends at least partially along the periphery of the storage mediums, and a plurality of slots in the sidewall, the slots being aligned with spaces between peripheral ends of adjacent ones of the storage mediums, and extending into the inner surface and continuously and laterally along the periphery of the storage mediums in the inner surface; and a plurality of disc separator plates, each separator plate being fixed within and held by one of the slots, and each separator plate extending into one of the spaces between peripheral ends of adjacent ones of the storage mediums, the separator plates being configured and arranged with the base deck and slots to mitigate generation of gas flow via movement of the storage mediums. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the inner surface is concentric with the periphery of the storage mediums. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the base deck further includes a plurality of vertical grooves in the sidewall, the vertical grooves extending from a top surface of the base deck and through the plurality of slots in the sidewall, and each of the disc separator plates include at least one extrusion spaced along a peripheral end of the disc separator plate, the at least one extrusion being configured and arranged to interact with one of the vertical grooves in the base deck and to interlock with at least one of the plurality of slots in the sidewall. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising at least one post fastened to the base deck and configured and arranged to secure the plurality of disc separator plates to the base deck by applying a directed force that retains each of the plurality of disc separator plates within one of the slots. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each slot is configured and arranged to compress one of the disc separator plates within opposing sidewalls of the slot, therein securing the separator plate within the slot and fixing the separator plate in the space between the adjacent ones of the storage mediums. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, further including a magnetoresistive transducer configured and arranged to access data storage locations on one of the plurality of storage mediums, and wherein the disc separator plates, sidewall, and slots are circumferentially disposed at the outer circumference of the plurality of storage mediums and configured and arranged to direct airflow generated by rotation of the storage mediums away from the magnetoresistive transducer, thereby mitigating gas flow forces upon the magnetoresistive transducer. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the disc separator plates are configured and arranged with the slots to mitigate air flow between the storage mediums along a surface of the sidewall in which the slots are formed. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the disc separator plates are configured and arranged with the slots to mitigate air flow-induced turbulence on the plurality of discs and to stabilize a layer of air flow at a junction between the peripheral ends of the plurality of storage mediums and the sidewall. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the disc separator plates and the base deck are configured and arranged to prevent contact between the plurality of storage mediums and the disc separator plates, via interaction between the separator plates and the slot that sets a fixed distance between the storage mediums and the separator plates. ### Claim 10 An apparatus comprising: a plurality of storage mediums spaced apart from one another in a stacked arrangement, each storage medium having a planar surface separated by a thickness and exhibiting a periphery having a circular shape; a base deck including a sidewall forming a cavity and being configured and arranged to house the plurality of storage mediums; a plurality of stacking rings having surfaces that are concentric with the periphery of the plurality of storage mediums and the base deck sidewall, the stacking rings extending contiguously and laterally along the periphery of the storage mediums; and a plurality of disc separator plates, each separator plate coupled to the base deck by at least one of the stacking rings, and each separator plate extending into one of the spaces between peripheral ends of adjacent ones of the storage mediums. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the disc separator plates are configured and arranged with the stacking rings and the base deck to mitigate generation of gas flow via movement of the storage mediums. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The apparatus of claim 10, wherein each of the plurality of disc separator plates include a plurality of extrusions spaced along a peripheral end of the separator plate, the plurality of extrusions being configured and arranged to interlock with at least one of the plurality of stacking rings. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the plurality of extrusions are configured and arranged to interact with the stacking rings by deforming under compression. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The apparatus of claim 10, further including a fastener coupled to a proximal surface of the base deck and configured and arranged to exert a downward force upon the plurality of disc separator plates and stacking rings; and wherein the plurality of disc separator plates includes a plurality of extrusions spaced along its peripheral end, the plurality of extrusions being configured and arranged to interact with the stacking rings and to deform under compression exerted by the fastener via the downward force, and to maintain an upper surface of the plurality of disc separator plates and stacking rings about level with the proximal surface of the base deck. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The apparatus of claim 10, further including a magnetoresistive transducer configured and arranged to access data storage locations on one of the plurality of storage mediums, and wherein the disc separator plates, sidewall, and stacking rings are circumferentially disposed at an outer circumference of the plurality of storage mediums, and are configured and arranged to direct gas flow generated by rotation of the discs away from the magnetoresistive transducer between the storage medium, thereby mitigating gas flow forces upon the magnetoresistive transducer. ### Claim 16 (depends on 10) The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the disc separator plates, sidewall, and stacking rings are circumferentially disposed at an outer circumference of the plurality of storage mediums and configured and arranged to mitigate gas flow between opposing surfaces of adjacent storage mediums. ### Claim 17 (depends on 10) The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the disc separator plates are configured and arranged to induce friction upon gases flowing along surfaces of the plurality of storage mediums. ### Claim 18 (depends on 10) The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the disc separator plates are configured and arranged with the base deck and stacking rings to prevent contact between the plurality of storage mediums and the disc separator plates, via interaction between the separator plates and the stacking rings that sets a fixed distance between the storage mediums and the separator plates. ### Claim 19 An apparatus comprising: a plurality of storage mediums spaced apart from one another in a stacked arrangement, each storage medium having a planar surface separated by a thickness and exhibiting a periphery having a circular shape; a plurality of stacking rings having surfaces that are concentric with the periphery of the plurality of storage mediums and the base deck sidewall; a base deck including a sidewall forming a cavity and being configured and arranged to house the plurality of storage mediums; a plurality of slots having sidewalls aligned with spaces between peripheral ends of adjacent ones of the storage mediums; and a plurality of disc separator plates, each separator plate being fixed within and held by the sidewalls of one of the slots, and each separator plate extending into one of the spaces between peripheral ends of adjacent ones of the storage mediums. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the stacking rings extend contiguously and laterally along the periphery of the storage mediums; wherein the plurality of slots have sidewalls defined by the stacking rings; and wherein the plurality of disc separator plates are coupled to the base deck by at least one of the stacking rings.