Apparatus and method for guiding bypass reentry flow through contraction and filter in a hard disk drive

• US 20060066992A1
• Filed: 09/30/2004
• Published: 03/30/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HGST Netherlands B.V. (Western Digital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Global Storage Technologies Netherlands BV (Western Digital Corporation)
• Inventors: Shen, Jr-Yi, Hendriks, Ferdinand, Chan, Andre, Hatchett, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 7,450,337 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 360/97.30
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 25/043 using rotating discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/08 Insulation or absorption of undesired vibrations or sounds
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/142 by air cooling
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 5/6005 Specially adapted for spacing from a rotating disc using a fluid cushion

Abstract

An apparatus and method for guiding bypass reentry flow through contraction and filter in a hard disk drive. The method provides a bypass channel for directing airflow away from a first portion of a disk of the hard disk drive and toward a second portion of the disk of the hard disk drive. A contraction portion is coupled with the bypass channel at a location wherein the bypass channel directs the airflow back toward the second portion of the disk of the hard disk drive. The contraction portion accelerates a first portion of the airflow directed toward the second portion of the disk of the hard disk drive. A filter portion integral with the contraction portion is utilized for filtering a second portion of the airflow directed toward the second portion of the disk of the hard disk drive.

Claims

1. A method for guiding bypass reentry flow through contraction and filter in a hard disk drive comprising:

providing a bypass channel for directing airflow away from a first portion of a disk of the hard disk drive and toward a second portion of the disk of the hard disk drive;

providing a contraction portion coupled with the bypass channel at a location wherein the bypass channel directs the airflow back toward the second portion of the disk of the hard disk drive, said contraction portion for accelerating a first portion of the airflow directed toward the second portion of the disk of the hard disk drive; and

providing a filter portion integral with the contraction portion, said filter portion for filtering a second portion of the airflow directed toward the second portion of the disk of the hard disk drive.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the first portion of the airflow passing through the contraction portion does not pass through the filter portion.

3. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the second portion of the airflow passing through the filter portion does not pass through the contraction portion.

4. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said providing a filter portion further comprises:

providing a removable filter for filtering particles out of said airflow.

5. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said providing a filter portion further comprising:

providing an adjustable filter portion for filtering particles out of said airflow, wherein said adjusting allows said filter to be more or less permeable.

6. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the contraction portion is located closer to the second portion of the disk of the hard disk drive than the filter portion.

7. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the first portion of the airflow passing through the contraction portion provides a suction such that the second portion of the airflow is drawn through the filter portion.

8. An airflow contractor and filter comprising:

a contraction portion for accelerating a first portion of an airflow to a disk of a hard disk drive; and

a filter portion integral with the contraction portion, said filter portion for filtering a second portion of the airflow to the disk of the hard disk drive.

9. The airflow contractor and filter of claim 8 wherein the first portion of the airflow passing through the contraction portion does not pass through the filter portion.

10. The airflow contractor and filter of claim 8 wherein the second portion of the airflow passing through the filter portion does not pass through the contraction portion.

11. The airflow contractor and filter of claim 8 wherein the filter portion further comprises:

a removable filter for filtering particles out of said airflow.

12. The airflow contractor and filter of claim 8 wherein the filter portion further comprises:

an adjustment portion for adjusting the filter'"'"'s capability for filtering particles out of said airflow, wherein said adjustment portion allows said filter to be more or less permeable.

13. The airflow contractor and filter of claim 8 wherein the contraction portion is located closer to the disk of the hard disk drive than the filter portion.

14. The airflow contractor and filter of claim 8 wherein the first portion of the airflow passing through the contraction portion provides a suction such that the second portion of the airflow is drawn through the filter portion.

15. A hard disk drive comprising:

a housing;

a disk pack mounted to the housing and having a plurality of disks that are rotatable relative to the housing, the disk pack defining an axis of rotation and a radial direction relative to the axis, and the disk pack having a downstream side wherein air flows away from the disks, and an upstream side wherein air flows toward the disk;

an actuator mounted to the housing and being movable relative to the disk pack, the actuator having a plurality of heads for reading data from and writing data to the disks;

a bypass channel formed in the housing for directing the air flows generated by rotation of the disks from the downstream side of the disk pack to the upstream side of the disk pack; and

an airflow contractor and filter comprising;

a contraction portion for accelerating a first portion of the air flows to the upstream side of the disk pack; and

a filter portion integral with the contraction portion, said filter portion for filtering a second portion of the air flows to the upstream side of the disk pack.

16. The hard disk drive of claim 15 wherein the first portion of the airflow passing through the contraction portion does not pass through the filter portion.

17. The hard disk drive of claim 15 wherein the second portion of the airflow passing through the filter portion does not pass through the contraction portion.

18. The hard disk drive of claim 15 wherein the filter portion further comprises:

a removable filter for filtering particles out of said airflow.

19. The hard disk drive of claim 15 wherein the filter portion further comprises:

an adjustment portion for adjusting the filter'"'"'s capability for filtering particles out of said airflow, wherein said adjustment portion allows said filter to be more or less permeable.

20. The hard disk drive of claim 15 wherein the contraction portion is located closer to the disk of the hard disk drive than the filter portion.

21. The hard disk drive of claim 15 wherein the first portion of the airflow passing through the contraction portion provides a suction such that the second portion of the airflow is drawn through the filter portion.