Temperature control within disk drive testing systems

• US 8,482,915 B2
• Filed: 08/13/2010
• Issued: 07/09/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Teradyne Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Teradyne Incorporated
• Inventors: Merrow, Brian S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Datskovskiy, Michail V
• Application Number:
  US12/856,056
• Publication Number:
  US 20100302678A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,061 Days
• Field of Search: 361/679.02, 36167946-67955, 361/679.31, 361/679.33, 361690-695, 361715-719, 361724-727, 165121-126, 165/104.33, 165/185, 454/184, 324/73.1, 324/141, 324/158.1, 324/212, 324/760, 735/41, 738/62, 738/656, 360/97.01, 360/97.02
• US Class Current: 361/679.47
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/128 of the plurality of recording/reproducing devices, e.g. disk drives, onto a chassis
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/1426 by cooling plates, e.g. fins
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/144 by detection, control, regulation of the temperature

Abstract

A disk drive test slot thermal control system includes a test slot. The test slot includes a housing and an air mover (e.g., a blower or a fan). The housing includes an outer surface, and an internal cavity. The internal cavity includes a test compartment for receiving a disk drive for testing. The housing also includes an inlet aperture extending from the outer surface of the housing to the internal cavity. The air mover can be disposed outside of the internal cavity to provide an air flow towards the test compartment through the inlet aperture.

Claims

1. A disk drive test slot thermal control system comprising:

A) a disk drive test rack, and

B) a test slot attached to the disk drive test rack, the test slot comprising;

     1) a disk drive housing comprising;

a) an outer surface,

b) an internal cavity defined by the disk drive housing and comprising a test compartment for receiving a disk drive for testing, and

c) an inlet aperture extending from the outer surface of the disk drive housing to the internal cavity;

C) an air mover housing attached to the disk drive test rack; and

D) an air mover mounted in the air mover housing, wherein the air mover is at least partially vibrationally isolated from the disk drive test rack by an isolator positioned between the air mover and the disk drive test rack, and wherein the air mover is configured to provide an air flow towards the test compartment through the inlet aperture.

2. The disk drive test slot thermal control system of claim 1, wherein, in the absence of a disk drive and/or a disk drive transporter, the disk drive housing carries substantially no moving parts.

3. The disk drive test slot thermal control system of claim 1, wherein the disk drive housing defines an outlet aperture extending from the outer surface to the internal cavity, and wherein the air mover comprises an air outlet in fluid communication with the inlet aperture and an air inlet in fluid communication with the outlet aperture.

4. The disk drive test slot thermal control system of claim 1, wherein the air mover housing is formed of a flexible material.

5. The disk drive test slot thermal control system of claim 1, wherein the air mover housing comprises one or more isolators which connect the air mover to the air mover housing.

6. The disk drive test slot thermal control system of claim 5, wherein the one or more isolators comprise a dampening material selected from the group consisting of thermoplastics and thermosets.

7. The disk drive test slot thermal control system of claim 1, wherein the disk drive housing is at least partially vibrationally isolated from the disk drive test rack.

8. The disk drive test slot thermal control system of claim 7, wherein the disk drive housing comprises one or more isolators.

9. The disk drive test slot thermal control system of claim 8, wherein the one or more isolators comprise a dampening material selected from the group consisting of thermoplastics and thermosets.

10. The disk drive test slot thermal control system of claim 1, wherein the air mover comprises a blower or a fan.

11. The disk drive test slot thermal control system of claim 1, further comprising a thermoelectric device configured to cool or heat an air flow exiting the air mover.

12. The disk drive test slot thermal control system of claim 11, further comprising a cooling conduit, wherein the thermoelectric device is mounted to the cooling conduit, and wherein the cooling conduit is configured to absorb heat dissipated by the thermoelectric device.

13. The disk drive test slot thermal control system of claim 12, wherein the cooling conduit is liquid cooled.

14. The disk drive test slot thermal control system of claim 11, further comprising a heatsink connected to the thermoelectric device, wherein the air mover is configured to direct an air flow towards the heatsink.

15. The disk drive test slot thermal control system of claim 11, further comprising test electronics in electrical communication with the thermoelectric device and configured to control current flows to the thermoelectric device.

16. The disk drive test slot thermal control system of claim 15, further comprising one or more temperature sensors disposed within the internal cavity, wherein the one or more temperature sensors are electrically connected to the test electronics, and wherein the test electronics are configured to control flows of current to the thermoelectric device based, at least in part, on signals received from the one or more temperature sensors.

17. The disk drive test slot thermal control system of claim 16, wherein the test electronics are disposed outside of the internal cavity.

18. The disk drive test slot thermal control system of claim 1, further comprising an electric heating device configured to heat an air flow exiting the air mover.

19. The disk drive test slot thermal control system of claim 18, further comprising a heatsink connected to the electric heating device, wherein the electric heating device is configured to heat the heatsink.

20. The disk drive test slot thermal control system of claim 18, further comprising test electronics in electrical communication with the electric heating device and configured to control current flows to the electric heating device.

21. The disk drive test slot thermal control system of claim 20, further comprising one or more temperature sensors disposed within the internal cavity, wherein the one or more temperature sensors are electrically connected to the test electronics, and wherein the test electronics are configured to control flows of current to the electric heating device based, at least in part, on signals received from the one or more temperature sensors.

22. The disk drive test slot thermal control system of claim 21, wherein the test electronics are disposed outside of the internal cavity.

23. The disk drive test slot thermal control system of claim 1, further comprising test electronics configured to communicate one or more test routines to a disk drive within the test compartment.

24. The disk drive test slot thermal control system of claim 23, further comprising a test slot connector disposed within the internal cavity and configured to engage a mating connector on a disk drive, wherein the test slot connector is electrically connected to the test electronics.

25. The disk drive test slot thermal control system of claim 24, further comprising a printed wiring board disposed within the internal cavity of the disk drive housing and arranged to be substantially coplanar with a disk drive within the test compartment, wherein the test slot connector is mounted to the printed wiring board.

26. The disk drive test slot thermal control system of claim 24, wherein the test electronics are disposed outside of the internal cavity.

27. The disk drive test slot thermal control system of claim 26, further comprising a connection interface circuit disposed within the internal cavity, wherein the connection interface circuit is configured to provide electrical communication between the test slot connector and the test electronics.

28. A disk drive test system comprising:

A) A disk drive test rack, and

B) a test slot assembly comprising;

1) a plurality of test slots, each of the test slots being attached to the disk drive test rack, and comprising;

a) a housing comprising;

b) an outer surface,

c) an internal cavity defined by the housing and comprising a test compartment for receiving a disk drive transporter carrying a disk drive for testing, and

d) an inlet aperture extending from the outer surface to the internal cavity; and

C) an air mover assembly associated with corresponding ones of the plurality of test slots, said air mover assembly comprising a plurality of air movers and

being attached to the disk drive test rack and disposed outside of the internal cavities of the associated test slots and

being configured to provide corresponding air flows towards the test compartments of each of the associated test slots through the respective inlet apertures,

wherein said plurality of air movers is at least partially vibrationally isolated from the disk drive test rack by an isolator positioned between the plurality of air movers and the disk drive test rack.

29. The disk drive test system of claim 28, wherein the air mover assembly comprises an air mover housing, and wherein the plurality of air movers are mounted in the air mover housing.

30. The disk drive test system of claim 29, wherein the air mover housing is formed of a flexible material.

31. The disk drive test system of claim 29, wherein the air mover housing comprises one or more isolators which connect the air movers to the air mover housing.

32. The disk drive test system of claim 31, wherein the one or more isolators comprise a dampening material selected from the group consisting of thermoplastics and thermosets.

33. The disk drive test system of claim 29, wherein the air mover housing is at least partially vibrationally isolated from the disk drive test rack.

34. The disk drive test s system of claim 33, wherein the air mover housing comprises one or more isolators which connect the air mover housing to the disk drive test rack.

35. The disk drive test system of claim 34, wherein the one or more isolators comprise a dampening material selected from the group consisting of thermoplastics and thermosets.

36. The disk drive test system of claim 29, further comprising one or more thermoelectric devices configured to cool or heat air flows exiting the air movers.

37. The disk drive test system of claim 29, further comprising a plurality of thermoelectric devices each associated with a corresponding one of the air movers and each configured to cool or heat an air flow exiting the associated one of the air movers.

38. The disk drive test system of claim 37, wherein the thermoelectric devices are disposed downstream of the air movers and upstream of the inlet apertures of associated ones of the test slots.

39. The disk drive test system of claim 38, wherein the air mover assembly comprises an air mover housing, wherein the plurality of air movers are mounted in the air mover housing, and wherein the air mover housing is configured to direct air flows from each of the air movers towards associated ones of the thermoelectric devices.

40. The disk drive test system of claim 39, wherein the air mover housing is formed of a flexible material.

41. The disk drive test system of claim 39, wherein the air mover housing comprises a plurality of isolators which connect the air movers to the air mover housing.

42. The disk drive test system of claim 37, further comprising a cooling conduit, wherein the thermoelectric devices are mounted to the cooling conduit, and wherein the cooling conduit is configured to absorb heat dissipated by the thermoelectric devices.

43. The disk drive test system of claim 42, wherein the cooling conduit is liquid cooled.

44. The disk drive test system of claim 37, further comprising a plurality of heatsinks each connected to an associated one of the thermoelectric devices, wherein each of the air movers is configured to direct an air flow towards the heatsink of the associated one of the thermoelectric devices.

45. The disk drive test system of claim 37, further comprising a plurality of electric heating devices each associated with a corresponding one of the test slots, wherein each of the electric heating devices is configured to heat an air flow being conveyed through the inlet aperture of the associated test slot.

46. The disk drive test system of claim 45, wherein each of the electric heating devices is disposed within the internal cavity of the associated test slot.

47. The disk drive test system of claim 45, further comprising test electronics in electrical communication with the thermoelectric devices and the electric heating devices and configured to control current flows to the thermoelectric devices and the electric heating devices.

48. The disk drive test system of claim 47, further comprising a plurality of temperature sensors each associated with a corresponding one of the test slots, wherein the temperature sensors are electrically connected to the test electronics, and wherein the test electronics are configured to control flows of current to the thermoelectric devices and the electric heating devices based, at least in part, on signals received from the temperature sensors.

49. The disk drive test system of claim 48, wherein each of the temperature sensors is disposed within the internal cavity of the associated one of the test slots.

50. The disk drive test system of claim 48, wherein the test electronics are disposed outside of the internal cavities of the test slots.

51. The disk drive test system of claim 28, wherein each of the air movers comprises a rotating blade that is mounted for out-of-plane rotation relative to a disk drive within the test compartment of the associated one of the test slots.