Method of making hermetically sealed hard disk drive by encapulation

• US 20060262452A1
• Filed: 05/18/2005
• Published: 11/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Tyndall, George, Khurshudov, Andrei
• Application Number:
  US11/132,852
• Publication Number:
  US 20060262452A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 360/97.10
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 25/043 using rotating discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/1446 Reducing contamination, e.g. by dust, debris
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/1466 sealing gaskets, gasket in general F16J

Abstract

An encapsulated hard disk drive. The drive includes a spindle motor and an actuator arm assembly coupled to a base plate. A disk and head are coupled to the spindle motor and actuator arm assembly, respectively. A cover encloses the disk and the head. The cover and the base plate are covered with an encapsulant. The encapsulant may be a dip coated polymer that can flow into every crack and aperture of the cover and base plate to hermetically seal the disk drive.

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 assembly coupled to said base plate;

a head structurally coupled to said actuator arm assembly and magnetically coupled to said disk;

a cover that is attached to said base plate and encloses said disk and said head; and

,

an encapsulant that covers said cover and said base plate.

2. The disk drive of claim 1, wherein said encapsulant is a polymer material.

3. The disk drive of claim 2, wherein said polymer is dip coated onto said base plate and said cover.

4. The disk drive of claim 1, wherein said encapsulation has a thickness of 5 millimeters or less.

5. The disk drive of claim 1, wherein said encapsulant has a glass transition temperature greater than a maximum operating temperature of the hard disk drive.

6. The disk drive of claim 2, wherein said polymer is a polyurethane.

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 assembly coupled to said base plate;

a head structurally coupled to said actuator arm assembly and magnetically coupled to said disk;

a cover that is attached to said base plate and encloses said disk and said head; and

,

sealing means for sealing said cover and said base plate.

8. The disk drive of claim 7, wherein said sealing means includes is a polymer material.

9. The disk drive of claim 8, wherein said polymer is dip coated onto said base plate and said cover.

10. The disk drive of claim 7, wherein said sealing means has a thickness of 5 millimeters or less.

11. The disk drive of claim 7, wherein said sealing means has a glass transition temperature greater than a maximum operating temperature of the hard disk drive.

12. The disk drive of claim 8, wherein said polymer is a polyurethane.

13. A method for assembling a hard disk drive, comprising:

attaching a cover to a base plate to enclose a disk and a head of a hard disk drive; and

,

encapsulating the cover and the base plate.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the cover and the base plate are encapsulated by dipping the cover and the base plate into a bath of liquid polymer.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the polymer has a glass transition temperature above a maximum operating temperature of the disk drive.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the cover and the base plate are encapsulated with a material that is applied in a vapor form.