Disc drive breather filter mount

• US 20050036232A1
• Filed: 08/11/2003
• Published: 02/17/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC (Seagate Technology Holdings Plc)
• Original Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC (Seagate Technology Holdings Plc)
• Inventors: Macpherson, Aaron S.
• Granted Patent: US 7,082,012 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 360/97.20
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 25/043 using rotating discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/146 constructional details of filters

Abstract

A breather filter is assembled within a disc drive without the use of adhesives by positioning the filter atop a flex circuit bracket on a base plate of the drive. In one embodiment, a breather port is formed through a top cover of the disc drive, and an inlet of the breather filter is sealed against the top cover of the drive. Compressing the top cover against the top of the breather filter helps to retain the filter in position between the flex circuit bracket and the top cover without an adhesive connection to the top cover. In a second embodiment, the breather port is formed in the flex circuit bracket, and the filter is securely attached to the flex circuit bracket so that no connection is required between the filter and the top cover. A diffusion tube may be formed integrally with the breather filter itself or within the body of the flex circuit bracket when the breather port is located in the flex circuit bracket. The connection of the breather filter to the flex circuit bracket allows a top-down assembly of the disc drive so that an adhesive connection between the filter and the top cover of the drive is not required.

Claims

1. A disc drive having a base plate, a top cover attached to the base plate to form an interior volume of the disc drive, and a flex circuit having a pass-through electrical connector extending through an opening formed in the base plate, the disc drive comprising:

a flex circuit bracket having a bottom surface attached to the pass-through electrical connector, the flex circuit bracket secured to the base plate to position the pass-through electrical connector within the opening formed in the base plate; and

a breather filter attached to a top surface of the flex circuit bracket, wherein the breather filter includes an inlet in fluid communication with ambient air outside of the disc drive and an outlet in fluid communication with the interior volume of the disc drive, wherein the breather filter provides chemical and particulate filtering of the ambient air.

2. The disc drive of claim 1 wherein the breather filter further comprises a body having a first end defining the filter inlet and a second end defining the filter outlet.

3. The disc drive of claim 2 wherein the breather filter further includes alignment arms extending outwardly from the body to support and align the breather filter on the flex circuit bracket.

4. The disc drive of claim 3 wherein:

the filter inlet communicates with a breather port formed in the top cover of the disc drive; and

the filter body is sized so that the breather filter is retained between the flex circuit bracket and the top cover.

5. The disc drive of claim 4 wherein the alignment arms support the filter outlet a predetermined distance above the flex circuit bracket.

6. The disc drive of claim 5 further comprising a seal surrounding the filter inlet and compressed between the first end of the filter body and an inner surface of the top cover to provide a hermetic seal substantially preventing air from leaking into the interior volume of the disc drive through the breather port.

7. The disc drive of claim 6 wherein the seal further comprises two concentric, raised annular rings that independently contact the inner surface of the top cover to provide a redundant seal.

8. The disc drive of claim 6 wherein the breather filter further comprises a cylindrical stem extending upward from the first end of the filter body so that the cylindrical stem extends through a central opening formed in the seal, wherein the cylindrical stem defines the filter inlet.

9. The disc drive of claim 6 wherein the breather filter includes a diffusion tube connected to the filter inlet whereby ambient air travels through the diffusion tube prior to experiencing chemical filtering within the body of the breather filter.

10. The disc drive of claim 9 wherein the diffusion tube is defined by a channel formed in the first end of the filter body and a disc that that is attached to the first end of the filter body to cover the channel, wherein the filter inlet protrudes through the first end of the filter body at one end of the channel and wherein the disc includes an opening at an opposite end of the channel to provide fluid communication between the diffusion tube and the body of the breather filter.

11. The disc drive of claim 2 wherein:

the filter inlet communicates with a breather port formed in the flex circuit bracket; and

the first end of the filter body engages the flex circuit bracket so that the filter inlet is aligned with the breather port in the flex circuit bracket and the second end of the filter body is positioned a predetermined distance below the top cover of the disc drive to allow air to vent from the filter outlet to the interior volume of the disc drive.

12. The disc drive of claim 11 wherein the breather filter further includes attachment arms extending outwardly from the filter body for securing the breather filter to the base plate without contact between the breather filter and the top cover of the disc drive.

13. The disc drive of claim 12 wherein a gasket provides a substantially hermetic seal between the pass-through electrical connector and the opening formed in the base plate, and wherein:

a notch in the gasket allows fluid communication between ambient air outside of the disc drive and the breather port formed in the flex circuit bracket.

14. The disc drive of claim 13 wherein the flex circuit bracket includes a diffusion tube whereby the ambient air travels through the diffusion tube prior to communicating with the filter inlet.

15. The disc drive of claim 14 wherein the flex circuit bracket further comprises:

a top portion having a channel and a diffusion tube outlet at one end of the channel; and

a bottom portion that is attached to the top portion to cover the channel and form the diffusion tube, wherein the bottom portion includes a diffusion tube inlet that provides access to the diffusion tube at an opposite end of the channel from the diffusion tube outlet.

16. A disc drive comprising:

a base plate;

a top cover attached to the base plate;

a flex circuit having a flex circuit bracket attached to the base plate; and

a breather filter supported by the flex circuit bracket, wherein the breather filter includes a filter inlet and alignment means for aligning the filter inlet with a breather port formed in the disc drive.

17. The disc drive of claim 16 wherein the breather port is formed in the top cover of the disc drive and a first end of the breather filter containing the filter inlet engages the top cover of the disc drive so that the breather filter is retained between the top cover and the flex circuit bracket without the use of adhesives.

18. The disc drive of claim 16 wherein the breather port is formed in the flex circuit bracket and a first end of the breather filter containing the filter inlet is securely attached to the flex circuit bracket so that a second end of the breather filter containing the filter outlet is positioned a predetermined distance below the top cover without engaging the top cover of the disc drive.

19. A method of assembling a disc drive, comprising steps of:

(a) installing a flex circuit bracket onto a base plate of the disc drive;

(b) attaching a breather filter to a top surface of the flex circuit bracket, wherein the breather filter has a first end defining a filter inlet adapted to engage a breather port formed in the disc drive and a second end defining a filter outlet adapted to expel filtered air into an interior volume of the disc drive; and

(c) attaching a top cover to the base plate to define the interior volume of the disc drive without adhering the breather filter to an inside surface of the top cover.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the breather port is formed in the top cover of the disc drive and further comprising steps of:

(d) placing a seal atop the first end of the breather filter so that the top cover compresses the seal to create a hermetic seal around the filter inlet and retain the breather filter in position on the flex circuit bracket; and

(e) supporting the second end of the breather filter a predetermined distance above the flex circuit bracket to provide uninhibited airflow though the filter outlet.

21. The method of claim 19 wherein the breather port is formed in the flex circuit bracket and further comprising steps of:

(d) securely fastening the first end of the breather filter to the flex circuit bracket so that the filter inlet is aligned with the breather port in the flex circuit bracket; and

(e) positioning the second end of the breather filter a predetermined distance below the top cover of the disc drive to provide uninhibited airflow though the filter outlet.