Damping structure of a hard disk drive

• US 20050180044A1
• Filed: 11/12/2004
• Published: 08/18/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Jae-suk
• Granted Patent: US 7,283,323 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 360/97.10
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 25/043 using rotating discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/08 Insulation or absorption of undesired vibrations or sounds

Abstract

A damping structure of a hard disk drive. The damping structure includes: a damping plate arranged spaced apart from an upper surface of the cover member, such that an air gap is formed between the cover member and the damping plate; and a damping member arranged between an edge of the cover member and an edge of the damping plate. The damping plate includes a stepped portion which is inwardly formed at a portion spaced apart from the edge of the damping plate by a predetermined distance, and a bent portion which is formed at an edge of the damping plate and smoothly bent toward the cover member. In such a damping structure, an impact that is applied to the cover member from an outside can be reduced much more through the damping plate and the damping member.

Claims

1. A damping structure of a hard disk drive, including a base member and a cover member that enclose and protect a spindle motor to rotate a data storage disk and an actuator to move a read/write head to a predetermined position of the data storage disk, the damping structure comprising:

a damping plate that is spaced apart from an upper surface of the cover member, such that an air gap is formed between the cover member and the damping plate; and

a damping member arranged between an edge of the cover member and an edge of the damping plate, wherein the damping plate comprises;

a stepped portion which is inwardly spaced apart from the edge of the damping plate by a predetermined distance, and

a bent portion which is formed at an edge of the damping plate and smoothly bent toward the cover member.

2. The damping structure of claim 1, wherein a stepped surface, formed at an edge portion of the cover member, is lower than a central upper surface of the cover member, and the damping member is arranged on the stepped surface.

3. The damping structure of claim 1, wherein top and bottom surfaces of the damping member are respectively attached to the damping plate and the cover member using a double-sided adhesive tape.

4. The damping structure of claim 1, wherein the damping member is formed of viscoelastic material.

5. The damping structure of claim 1, wherein the damping member is at least approximately 0.5 mm thick.

6. The damping structure of claim 1, wherein the stepped portion is formed in an inclined shape to be gradually lowered toward the edge of the damping plate.

7. The damping structure of claim 1, wherein a fillet radius of the stepped portion is at least approximately 1 mm.

8. The damping structure of claim 1, wherein a vertical bending amount of the bent portion ranges from approximately 0.1 mm to 0.2 mm.

9. The damping structure of claim 1, wherein the damping plate is formed of an elastic metal plate.

10. The damping structure of claim 9, wherein the damping plate is formed through a press process of a stainless steel plate.

11. The damping structure of claim 9, wherein the bent portion is formed through a pressing process of the metal plate in which a soft plate is arranged at a bottom of an edge of the metal plate.

12. The damping structure of claim 9, wherein the bent portion is formed through a pressing process of the metal plate using a press die, the press die being formed in a shape corresponding to the bent portion.

13. A damper of a hard disk drive, including a base member and a cover member, having an edge and an upper surface, that enclose and protect a spindle motor and an actuator, the damper comprising:

a damping plate, spaced apart from the upper surface of the cover member, such that an air gap is formed between the cover member and the damping plate, the damping plate including;

a bent portion, which is bent toward the cover member, at an edge of the damping plate, and

a stepped portion which is inwardly spaced from the edge of the damping plate; and

a damping member arranged between the edge of the cover member and the edge of the damping plate.

14. The damper according to claim 13, wherein the air gap reduces noise occurring in an inside of the hard disk drive.

15. The damper according to claim 13, wherein the air gap reduces operates as an air damper that absorbs impact energy applied to the damping plate.

16. The damper according to claim 13, wherein the damping plate dampens an impact from an outside of the hard disk drive by a springing operation.

17. The damper according to claim 13, wherein the stepped portion is gradually inclined toward the edge of the damping plate.

18. The damper according to claim 17, wherein fillet radii R₁ and R₂ are generated at an upper surface of the damping plate where the stepped portion is formed and where the stepped portion ends, respectively.

19. The damper according to claim 18, wherein the radii R₁ and R₂ are at least approximately 1 mm.

20. The damper according to claim 13, wherein the damping member absorbs and reduces impact energy transferred from the damping plate towards the cover member.

21. The damper according to claim 13, wherein the damping member comprises viscoelastic material.

22. The damper according to claim 21, wherein the viscoelastic material is at least one of a polymer or rubber.

23. The damper according to claim 13, further comprising a stepped surface of the cover member, wherein the damping member is provided on the stepped surface of the cover member.

24. The damper according to claim 13, wherein double sided adhesive tape allows the damping member to be attached to the cover member and to the damping plate.