Particle-capturing device configured to remove particles from a plurality of air-streams flowing within a disk enclosure of a hard-disk drive

• US 8,638,525 B1
• Filed: 07/24/2012
• Issued: 01/28/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: JP Morgan Chase Bank, N.A. (JP Morgan Chase & Co)
• Original Assignee: HGST Netherlands B.V. (Western Digital Corporation)
• Inventors: Sugii, Taisuke
• Primary Examiner(s): DANIELSEN, NATHAN ANDREW
• Application Number:
  US13/557,159
• Publication Number:
  US 20140029136A1
• Time in Patent Office: 553 Days
• Field of Search: 360 9711- 9718, 720648-651
• US Class Current: 360/97.17
• 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 33/146 constructional details of filters

Abstract

A particle-capturing device configured to remove particles from a plurality of air-streams flowing within a disk enclosure of a HDD. The particle-capturing device includes a particle-capturing filter, and a filter holder. The filter has a front side and a back side. The filter holder holds the filter. The filter holder has a first opening configured to allow a first in-bound air-stream to flow in-bound through a first portion of the filter, which is disposed in the first opening, from the front side out through the back side of the filter, and a second opening configured to allow an out-bound air-stream to flow out-bound through a second portion of the filter, which is disposed in the second opening, from the back side out through the front side of the filter. A HDD and a particle-capturing system that include the particle-capturing device are also provided.

Claims

1. A particle-capturing device configured to remove particles from a plurality of air-streams flowing within a disk enclosure of a hard-disk drive, said particle-capturing device comprising:

a particle-capturing filter, said filter having a front side and a back side;

a filter holder holding said filter, said filter holder having a first opening configured to allow a first in-bound air-stream to flow in-bound through a first portion of said filter, disposed in said first opening, from said front side out through said back side of said filter, and having a second opening configured to allow an out-bound air-stream to flow out-bound through a second portion of said filter, disposed in said second opening, from said back side out through said front side of said filter, wherein said filter holder has a third opening configured to allow a second in-bound air-stream to flow in-bound through a third portion of said filter disposed in said third opening from said front side out through said back side of said filter, said third opening disposed between said first opening and said second opening; and

a second spoiler disposed between said second opening and said third opening at said front side of said filter, said second spoiler configured to direct said second in-bound air-stream through said third opening.

2. The particle-capturing device of claim 1, further comprising:

a first spoiler disposed between said first opening and said second opening at said front side of said filter, said first spoiler configured to direct said first in-bound air-stream through said first opening.

3. The particle-capturing device of claim 2, wherein said first spoiler is configured to produce said out-bound air-stream through said second opening.

4. The particle-capturing device of claim 2, wherein said first spoiler is configured to produce a first high-pressure region adjacent to said first opening at said front side of said filter and a low-pressure region adjacent to said second opening at said front side of said filter.

5. The particle-capturing device of claim 2, wherein said first spoiler has a shape that tapers down towards a trailing edge of said first spoiler.

6. The particle-capturing device of claim 1, wherein said filter holder further comprises a first support disposed at a downstream side of said first opening, said first support defining said downstream side of said first opening.

7. The particle-capturing device of claim 6, wherein said first support is coupled to a first spoiler.

8. The particle-capturing device of claim 1, wherein said second spoiler is configured to produce said out-bound air-stream through said second opening.

9. The particle-capturing device of claim 1, wherein said second spoiler is configured to produce a second high-pressure region adjacent to said third opening at said front side of said filter and a low-pressure region adjacent to said second opening at said front side of said filter.

10. The particle-capturing device of claim 1, wherein said second spoiler has a shape that is squared-off at a leading-edge portion and squared-off at a trailing-edge portion of said second spoiler.

11. The particle-capturing device of claim 1, wherein said filter holder further comprises a second support disposed between said third opening and said second opening, said second support defining a downstream side of said third opening and an upstream side of said second opening.

12. The particle-capturing device of claim 11, wherein said second support is coupled to a second spoiler.

13. The particle-capturing device of claim 1, further comprising:

a first spoiler disposed between said first opening and said third opening at said front side of said filter, said first spoiler configured to direct said first in-bound air-stream through said first opening;

a second spoiler disposed between said second opening and said third opening at said front side of said filter, said second spoiler configured to direct said second in-bound air-stream through said third opening; and

an inter-spoiler bridge disposed at and coupled to front ends of said first spoiler and said second spoiler, said inter-spoiler bridge configured to stiffen said front ends of said first spoiler and said second spoiler.

14. The particle-capturing device of claim 1, further comprising:

an out-bound air-stream flow diverter coupled to said filter holder and disposed at a downstream side of said second opening at said back side of said filter, said out-bound air-stream flow diverter configured to direct said out-bound air-stream through said second opening.

15. A hard-disk drive including a particle-capturing device configured to remove particles from a plurality of air-streams flowing within a disk enclosure of said hard-disk drive, said hard-disk drive comprising:

a magnetic-recording disk;

a head-arm assembly including a magnetic-recording head disposed at a distal end of said head-arm assembly, said magnetic-recording head disposed to write data to, and to read data from, said magnetic-recording disk;

a voice-coil motor configured to move said head-arm assembly in accessing data on said magnetic-recording disk with said magnetic-recording head;

a disk enclosure configured to provide a protected environment in which said magnetic-recording disk, said magnetic-recording head, and said voice-coil motor are disposed;

a spindle motor mounted in a disk-enclosure base of said disk enclosure, said spindle motor coupled to a spindle to which said magnetic-recording disk is rotatably attached, and configured to rotate said magnetic-recording disk in accessing data on said magnetic-recording disk by said magnetic-recording head; and

a particle-capturing device configured to remove particles from a plurality of air-streams flowing within said disk enclosure, said particle-capturing device comprising;

a particle-capturing filter, said filter having a front side and a back side;

a filter holder holding said filter, said filter holder having a first opening configured to allow a first in-bound air-stream to flow in-bound towards said voice-coil motor from over a recording surface of said magnetic-recording disk through a first portion of said filter disposed in said first opening, and having a second opening configured to allow an out-bound air-stream to flow out-bound from said voice-coil motor towards said magnetic-recording disk through a second portion of said filter disposed in said second opening, wherein said filter holder has a third opening configured to allow a second in-bound air-stream to flow in-bound towards said voice-coil motor from over said recording surface of said magnetic-recording disk through a third portion of said filter disposed in said third opening, said third opening disposed between said first opening and said second opening;

a first spoiler disposed downstream of said first opening and upstream of said second opening at said front side of said filter, and disposed in proximity to a recording surface of said magnetic-recording disk, said first spoiler configured to direct said first in-bound air-stream through said first opening; and

a second spoiler disposed between said second opening and said third opening at said front side of said filter, and disposed in proximity to said recording surface of said magnetic-recording disk, said second spoiler configured to direct said second in-bound air-stream through said third opening, wherein the first spoiler is disposed between said first opening and said third opening at said front side of said filter.

16. The hard-disk drive of claim 15, further comprising:

an air-flow damper plate disposed in proximity to said recording surface of said magnetic-recording disk, a trailing-edge end of said damper plate disposed in proximity to said first opening.

17. The hard-disk drive of claim 15, wherein, independent of position of said head-arm assembly relative to said spindle, said first portion of said filter is configured to remove particulate debris from said first in-bound air-stream in-bound from over a recording surface of said magnetic-recording disk, and said second portion of said filter is configured to remove particulate debris from said out-bound air-stream out-bound from said voice-coil motor.

18. The hard-disk drive of claim 15, further comprising:

an inter-spoiler bridge disposed at and coupled to front ends of said first spoiler and said second spoiler, said inter-spoiler bridge configured to stiffen said front ends of said first spoiler and said second spoiler.

19. The hard-disk drive of claim 15, wherein said first spoiler has a shape that tapers down towards a trailing edge of said first spoiler;

and

wherein the second spoiler has a shape that is squared-off at a leading-edge portion and squared-off at a trailing-edge portion of said second spoiler.

20. The hard-disk drive of claim 15, further comprising:

an out-bound air-stream flow diverter coupled to said filter holder and disposed at a downstream side of said second opening at said back side of said filter, said out-bound air-stream flow diverter configured to direct said out-bound air-stream through said second opening.

21. A particle-capturing system configured to remove particles from a plurality of air-streams flowing within a disk enclosure of a hard-disk drive, said particle-capturing system comprising:

a particle-capturing device, comprising;

a particle-capturing filter, said filter having a front side and a back side;

a filter holder holding said filter, said filter holder having a first opening configured to allow a first in-bound air-stream to flow in-bound towards a voice-coil motor from over a recording surface of a magnetic-recording disk through a first portion of said filter disposed in said first opening, and having a second opening configured to allow an out-bound air-stream to flow out-bound from said voice-coil motor towards said magnetic-recording disk through a second portion of said filter disposed in said second opening, wherein said filter holder has a third opening configured to allow a second in-bound air-stream to flow in-bound towards said voice-coil motor from over said recording surface of said magnetic-recording disk through a third portion of said filter disposed in said third opening, said third opening disposed between said first opening and said second opening;

a first spoiler disposed downstream of said first opening and upstream of said second opening at said front side of said filter, and disposed in proximity to a recording surface of said magnetic-recording disk, at least one spoiler configured to direct said first in-bound air-stream through said first opening;

a second spoiler disposed between said second opening and said third opening at said front side of said filter, and disposed in proximity to said recording surface of said magnetic-recording disk, said second spoiler configured to direct said second in-bound air-stream through said third opening, wherein the first spoiler is disposed between said first opening and said third opening at said front side of said filter; and

an air-flow damper plate disposed in proximity to said recording surface of said magnetic-recording disk, wherein a trailing-edge end of said damper plate is disposed in proximity to said first opening.