378results about "Reducing carrier contamination" patented technology

The present invention is directed to a data cartridge library system that realizes a reduced cost by reducing the number of certain components, especially expensive components, that are needed to perform certain functions within the library. With respect to certain functions, a reduced cost is realized by using lower precision componentry in combination with componentry that compensates for lower precision while still providing a reduced component cost with respect to a given function. In one embodiment of the invention, a data cartridge picker is provided that: (1) uses a single electro-mechanical device for the functions of grasping a data cartridge, retracting a grasped cartridge from a drive/storage location, inserting a grasped cartridge into a drive/storage location, and releasing a grasped cartridge once position in a desired location; (2) is capable of compensating for variations in cartridge positioning; (3) has a gripping mechanism that moves in a sinusiodal manner; and (4) avoids the wear and tear associated with moving fully retracted gripper mechanism that is not holding a data cartridge from a fully retracted position to a position at which a cartridge can be retrieved. Another embodiment provides a elevator mechanism for moving the cartridge picker in which the guiding portion of the mechanism is also part of the portion of the mechanism that moves the cartridge picker. A further embodiment employs a face plate extension that facilitates insertion of a data cartridge into a drive by a low precision cartridge transport device. Yet another embodiment provides a removable data cartridge holder that: (1) includes a box-like structure for holding data cartridges and a dust cover that can be placed over the opening of the box-like structure when the holder is not in use and when the holder is in use, attached to the box-like portion; (2) an orientation structure that prevents insertion of a data cartridge into the box-like holder if the cartridge is improperly oriented; and (3) retention clips for preventing accidental dislodgement of a data cartridge located in the box-like structure.

An environmental control system, or data pack, is provided in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. The system allows for audio and video recording on hard drive media in situations where temperature, vibration and humidity would otherwise have prevented the use of such technology. The system can be used in conjunction with an event recorder for use in motor vehicles, trains and the like. The environmental control system includes a thermoelectric module connected to the hard drive and to a housing. The thermoelectric module is for transferring heat between the hard drive and the housing in response to an applied voltage in order to maintain a hard drive temperature within a hard drive operable temperature range. The vehicle operating temperature range includes temperatures outside the hard drive operable temperature range.

An optical recording/reproducing apparatus includes an upper cover, a lower cover, and several vents. Each vent is arranged on the lower cover, and includes a first grille and a parallel second grille. The first and second grilles each include parallel louvers interleaved by parallel gaps. The first grille is arranged at an outer surface of the lower cover, while the second grille is arranged on an inner surface of the lower cover, with a clearance h separating the first and second grilles. Heat produced in the optical recording/reproducing apparatus is expelled out from the housing via the gaps of the second grille and the gaps of the first grille. However, external dust or contaminants that may enter the gaps of the first grille are blocked from entering the housing by the louvers of the second grille.

A data storage and retrieval system such as a robotic library has a large plurality of removable storage media, such as tape cartridges, for purposes of I/O. To enhance performance and reliability of the library, a thermodynamic model of the library is constructed and stored in the library, and environmental conditions such as the temperature, humidity, and flow rate of cooling air coming into, flowing through, and leaving the library are monitored. The thermodynamic model of the library includes an acceptable operating range for the library in a psychrometric chart; and the product of the effective thermodynamic mass and specific heat of the library.

According to a lead wire sealing device of an example of the present invention, a bush 116 is inserted in a housing through hole 113 formed in a bottom plate member 1110 and a lead wire 1343 is inserted in the inside of the bush 116. A first adhesive 117 is loaded in the inside of the bush 116, the first space S1, the second space S2 and the third space S3. A second adhesive 118 covers the first adhesive 117 at the edge where a flange portion 1162 of the bush 116 is provided. The first adhesive 117 having a lower viscosity is easily inserted in the first space S1 by a capillary action to be loaded without a space. As a result, it is possible to certainly seal the first space S1.

Embodiments of the invention provide a disk device capable of writing highly accurate servo data using an extremely simple technique, and a manufacturing method therefor. According to one embodiment, a method for manufacturing a disk device includes: mounting a magnetic disk and each assembly for driving the magnetic disk, such as an SPM and a VCM, in a base and attaching a top cover so as to seal the enclosure (made up of the base and the top cover) with each assembly of the HDD therein; replacing the air within the hard disk assembly (HDA) with a gas having a lower density than air, such as He; writing servo data to the magnetic disk in a self servo track write operation; and replacing the gas within the HDA with air.

Disclosed is a method and apparatus for a storage system having an adsorbtive element capable of adsorbing gas borne molecules from gas for the storage system. In one configuration the storage system can comprise an enclosure adapted to contain a plurality of data storage drive devices and data storage media and wherein the data storage drive devices are adapted to functionally operate. The enclosure is capable of containing gas having, among other constituents, gas borne molecules. The storage system is capable of cooperating with the adsorbtive element to adsorb gas borne molecules from the gas for inside of the enclosure.

A base support member for a disc drive is provided. The base support member includes a disc support cavity configured to house and support a spinning disc, and a filter support cavity configured to house and support a filter. The base support member also includes at least one surface that defines an airborne filtering channel that is generally disposed within the filter support cavity of the base support member. The airborne filtering channel has an inlet opening positioned in a first location proximate the disc support cavity and an outlet opening positioned in a second location proximate the disc support cavity. The airborne filtering channel is configured to receive a flow of air from the spinning disc at the inlet opening, pass the flow of air through the filter cavity and to discharge the flow of air at the outlet opening.

A system includes at least two discs that rotate about a central axis. The system also includes an actuator mechanism that is configured to position transducing heads and at least one filter disposed between two discs to filter airflow.

A package includes a non-thermoformed thermoplastic pouch including a first and second panel; and an optical data storage medium disposed in the pouch; wherein the pouch comprises an oxygen barrier material, and an oxygen scavenger. Two methods of making a package include (1) providing a web; providing an optical data storage medium; forming a non-thermoformed pouch from the thermoplastic web, the pouch comprising a first and second panel; placing the optical data storage medium in the pouch; and sealing the pouch; wherein the web includes an oxygen barrier material and an oxygen scavenger; or (2) providing a first and second web; providing an optical data storage medium; forming a non-thermoformed pouch from the webs; placing the optical data storage medium in the pouch; and sealing the pouch; wherein at least one of the webs includes an oxygen barrier material, and at least one of the webs includes an oxygen scavenger.

A breather bag filter assembly for use with an electronic enclosure, such as a hard disk drive enclosure containing a rotating disk, is disclosed. The filter assembly provides filtration of air entering and exiting an electronic enclosure through a breather hole. The filter assembly is a deformable sealed cavity that exchanges air with the drive enclosure as the air pressure inside the drive enclosure fluctuates. In one implementation of the invention the filter assembly contains three layers of material. Two layers of material form the exterior of the filter assembly surrounding a third layer that is composed of an adsorbent material.

At least an optical disk, a spindle motor, an optical head assembly and a seeking mechanism are mounted in a disk cartridge to accordingly establish a hermetically sealed structure. On the other hand, a disk cartridge guide member, an optical assembly, a disk cartridge lock mechanism, an optical path switching mechanism and the like are mounted in an optical disk drive. This enables the structure of improving the dust immunity of the disk cartridge and the low cost. Moreover, the optical disk drive can accommodate a plurality of disk cartridges. Thus, a disk cartridge implements a memory corresponding to various services. Or, an optical library of the present invention has mechanisms for mounting and detaching the optical disk cartridge and accordingly accommodating a large number of disk cartridges in a limited space. Moreover, it is possible to provide an extremely small type of an optical disk drive to thereby design a memory unit applicable to various services including a portable apparatus. This is a media convertible storage system, which is superior in dust immunity and rapid access of a fixed magnetic disk and can record large-scale information and can satisfy various requests from miscellaneous application fields.

A hard disk drive includes a disk pack having at least one disk for recording and/or storing data and a spindle motor that support and rotates the disk, a base to which the disk pack is mounted, a cover that covers an upper surface of the base, and a respective filter disposed close to each of at least one of the major surfaces of the disk and extending in the radial direction of the disk including over at least an inner peripheral region of the disk. The filter has an absorbent layer capable of absorbing particles that come in contact with it. Particles on the surface of the disk, from the inner to the outer peripheral regions of the disk, are removed by the filter when the disk is rotated and the particles are flung off of the disk. Thus, particles will not damage the magnetic head(s) of the hard disk drive nor will the particles cause errors to occur in the recording and/or reproducing of data.

An environmentally controlled cartridge and method for protecting data storage media from disallowed humidity levels and contaminants. The cartridge has a first chamber and a second chamber. The first chamber is operative to contain the data storage media and is openable to the ambient environment to provide drive access to the media. A charged desiccant is disposed in communication with the second chamber and may further include a pollutant getter. The second chamber is in selective communication with the first chamber.

A plenum assembly for use in a data storage device to direct and filter recirculating currents established by high speed rotation of a recording disc. The plenum assembly includes a top plate and a partitioning wall which projects from the top plate to form opposing, longitudinally extending first and second chambers. A first portion of the recirculating currents is directed along the first chamber and a separate, second portion of the recirculating currents is directed along the second chamber. A recirculation filter transversely extends across the first and second chambers and intersects the partitioning wall so that the respective first and second portions of the recirculating currents concurrently pass through adjacent sides of the recirculation filter before exiting the plenum assembly and merging into a combined set of recirculating currents.

A snap ring for applications requiring cleanliness has a novel recessed interior contour that reduces debris generation during installation of the snap ring. The snap ring is suitable for applications where a reduction in debris generation is desirable, such as to retain an actuator pivot bearing in information storage devices like magnetic hard disk drives.

Disclosed is a system and method for particle monitoring for a head disk assembly (HDA) to detect a head disk interface (HDI) event. A particle monitoring system includes a particle detector, an air sampling device, and a computer. The air sampling device is coupled to and in fluid communication with the particle detector. The air sampling device extends into the HDA to obtain an air sample. The particle detector is used to detect particles contained in the air sample. The computer is coupled to the particle detector and is configured to: monitor the particles detected by the particle detector; and declare an HDI event if the particles detected in the air sample match a pre-defined characteristic.

An assembly tool is provided. The assembly tool comprises a body, a first vacuum channel defined within the body, and a first locating pin attached to the body. The first locating pin has a shaft portion arranged within a surrounding portion of the body. The first locating pin is configured to engage a first alignment feature of a hard drive component at a first contact area to align the hard drive component with the assembly tool. The body is configured to couple the first vacuum channel to a vacuum source and to facilitate particle evacuation from the first contact area via the first vacuum channel when a vacuum is applied by the vacuum source.

A removable tool for reducing contamination in a cleanroom assembly environment during assembly of a hard disk drive may include a handle assembly and a positive locking assembly. The handle assembly may define a proximal and distal end such that, in use, the proximal end is further away from the hard disk drive being assembled than is the distal end. The positive locking assembly may be configured to lock onto a portion of an upper perimeter of a Motor Base Assembly (MBA) of a hard disk drive and onto a corresponding portion of a lower perimeter of the MBA. The handle assembly and the positive locking assembly may be further configured to enable free access to an interior of the MBA during subsequent assembly steps. The positive locking assembly may be further configured to be selectively releasable without touching the MBA, to thereby enable the removal of the tool.

Apparatuses and/or systems for performing self-servo write using a helium environment are provided. In one embodiment, an intake tube is coupled to an intake hole that is associated with an enclosure for enclosing a recording disk. A helium gas transport mechanism is coupled to the intake tube and the helium gas transport mechanism causes substantially helium gas to be transported to the enclosure.

Hard disk drives of the invention are wrapped in wraps for enhanced sealing of the hard disk drive. Wrapped hard disk drives of the invention comprise: an enclosed hard disk drive housing comprising a base and a cover enclosed around internal components for facilitating reading and recording of data at a desired location on at least one disk contained within the housing; and a wrap wrapped and metallically sealed around the enclosed hard disk drive housing in an at least partially overlapping manner to form the wrapped hard disk drive and prevent undesired migration therethrough such that a sealed environment exists within the wrapped hard disk drive.