Installation of heater into hard disk drive to improve reliability and performance at low temperature

• US 20030099055A1
• Filed: 11/26/2001
• Published: 05/29/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Hae Jung, Lee, Sang Y., Kim, Weonwoo
• Granted Patent: US 7,035,031 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 360/69
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 25/043 using rotating discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/1406 Reducing the influence of the temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/144 by detection, control, regulation of the temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 5/40 Protective measures on heads, e.g. against excessive temperature G11B5/31 takes precedence; protection against wear G11B5/255 ; protective structure of the head: see under structures, e.g. G11B5/3106

Abstract

A hard disk drive that includes a heater to heat an internal cavity of the drive. The disk drive may also have a temperature sensor to sense the temperature of the internal cavity, and a control circuit to control the heater and maintain the disk drive cavity, to be no less than a threshold temperature. The threshold temperature may correspond to a point where the heads of the drive undergo a significant degradation of performance. Maintaining the disk drive cavity temperature at or above the threshold temperature insures that the heads will not degrade due to temperature.

Claims

1. A hard disk drive, comprising:

a base plate;

a spindle motor coupled to said base plate;

a disk coupled to said spindle motor;

an actuator arm mounted to said base plate;

a voice coil motor coupled to said actuator arm;

a head coupled to said actuator arm;

a cover plate attached to said base plate to create an internal cavity that contains said head;

a heater located within said internal cavity;

a temperature sensor that can sense a temperature of said internal cavity; and

,

a control circuit to control said heater to maintain a temperature of internal cavity to be no less than a threshold temperature.

2. The hard disk drive of claim 1, wherein said control circuit includes an amplifier coupled to said heater and a comparator coupled to said amplifier and said temperature sensor.

3. The hard disk drive of claim 1, wherein said heater is coupled to said base plate.

4. The hard disk drive of claim 2, wherein said control circuit includes a switch coupled to said comparator and said amplifier.

5. The hard disk drive of claim 1, wherein the threshold temperature is approximately 10-15°

C.

6. The hard disk drive of claim 1, further comprising a register that stores the threshold value.

7. A hard disk drive, comprising:

a base plate;

a spindle motor coupled to said base plate;

a disk coupled to said spindle motor;

an actuator arm mounted to said base plate;

a voice coil motor coupled to said actuator arm;

a head coupled to said actuator arm and said disk;

a cover plate attached to said base plate to create an internal cavity that contains said head;

heater means for heating said internal cavity;

temperature sensor means for sensing a temperature of said internal cavity; and

,

control circuit means for controlling said heater to maintain a temperature of said internal cavity to be no less than a threshold temperature.

8. The hard disk drive of claim 7, wherein said control circuit means includes an amplifier coupled to said heater and a comparator coupled to said amplifier and said temperature sensor means.

9. The hard disk drive of claim 7, wherein said heater means is coupled to said base plate.

10. The hard disk drive of claim 8, wherein said control circuit means includes a switch coupled to said comparator and said amplifier.

11. The hard disk drive of claim 7, wherein the threshold temperature is approximately 10-15°

C.

12. The hard disk drive of claim 7, wherein said control circuit means includes a register that stores the threshold value.

13. A method for controlling a temperature of a hard disk drive internal cavity, comprising:

sensing a temperature of a hard disk drive internal cavity; and

,

activating a heater if the sensed temperature is less than a threshold value.

14. The method of claim 13, deactivating the heater if the sensed temperature is at least the threshold value.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the sensed temperature is compared with a threshold value that is stored in a register.

16. The method of claim 13, using exist temperature sensing method in pre-amplifier or read/write chip.