LIQUID CRYSTAL MATERIAL SEALED HOUSING

• US 20090073328A1
• Filed: 09/07/2007
• Published: 03/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC (Seagate Technology Holdings Plc)
• Original Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC (Seagate Technology Holdings Plc)
• Inventors: Mewes, Michael A., Gunderson, Neal Frank, Dittmer, Daniel Dennis
• Granted Patent: US 8,014,167 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 349/1
• CPC Class Codes: F16J 15/102 characterised by material
• CPC Class Codes: F16J 15/128 with metal covering
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/1466 sealing gaskets, gasket in general F16J
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/061 sealed by a gasket held between a removable cover and a body, e.g. O-ring, packing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49126 Assembling bases

Abstract

A hermetically sealed housing having a base deck, a cover member and a seal assembly constructed of a liquid crystal material (LCM), the base deck and cover member forming an enclosure containing an inert gas atmosphere. Various embodiments have the LCM seal bonded to one or both of the base deck and cover member and bonded to seal the enclosure by molding, compression, adhesive bonding, thermoplastic welding or soldering, or a combination of such.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a hermetically sealed housing comprising a base deck and a cover member that, when joined, enclose an inert gas atmosphere; and

means for joining the base deck and the cover member to form an enclosure with an inert gas atmosphere, said means comprising a liquid crystal material (LCM) seal.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the inert gas atmosphere substantially comprises helium.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein means for joining comprises adhesively bonding the LCM seal to one of the cover member and the base deck.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the LCM seal is over molded to the other one of the cover member and the base deck.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the LCM seal is over molded on both the cover member and the base deck.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the LCM seal comprises a first seal member and a second seal member, and wherein the first seal member is over molded on the cover member and the second member is over molded on the base deck, and wherein the first seal member and the second seal member are bonded together.

7. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the first and second seal members are thermally welded together to seal the housing.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein one of the first and second seal members contains an IR absorbent material.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the IR absorbent material is carbon.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the base deck has a seal channel extending about it, and wherein the LCP seal comprises a first seal member and a second seal member, the first seal member over molded on the cover member and the second member is bonded in the seal channel, the first seal member and the second seal member bonded together to seal the housing.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the LCM seal is plated with a metal coating, and wherein the LCM seal is bonded to at least one of the base deck and the cover member via a metal-to-metal seam.

12. A method of hermetically sealing a housing having a cover member and a base deck forming, the method comprising:

joining the base deck and the cover member with a liquid crystal material (LCM) seal to contain an inert gas atmosphere in the enclosure.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the inert gas atmosphere is substantially helium.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of:

bonding the LCM seal to one of the cover member and the base deck with an adhesive.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

molding the LCM seal to the other one of the cover member and the base deck.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

molding the LCM seal to the cover member and the base deck.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the LCM seal comprises a first seal member and a second seal member, the method further comprising:

molding the first seal member on the cover member;

molding the second member on the base deck; and

bonding first seal member and the second seal member to seal the enclosure.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein one of the first and second seal members contains an IR absorbent material.

20. The method of claim 12 wherein the LCM seal is plated with a metal coating, and the step of joining the base deck and the cover member comprises bonding the metal coating of the LCM seal to at least one of the base deck and the cover member to form a metal-to-metal seam.

18. The method of 16 wherein the step of bonding the first and second seal members comprises thermally welding the first seal member and the second seal member.