182results about "Sealing carrier gaskets" patented technology

A hermetic sealing approach involves welding an Aluminum cover onto a low-cost Aluminum housing. According to an example embodiment of the present invention, a metal housing having a base and sidewalls extending upward therefrom is adapted to receive and couple to an HDD arrangement. The metal housing is formed using material and processing (e.g., cold formed or die cast Aluminum) that are relatively inexpensive. A feedthrough arrangement including a plurality of communication pins extends through an opening in the base and is coupled thereto, with the communication pins adapted to pass signals between the inside and the outside of the metal housing. A metal cover is welded to an upper portion of the sidewalls and, with the feedthrough arrangement, hermetically seals the metal housing.

A disc drive includes a base plate and a structural cover removably attached to the base plate to form an internal environment within the disc drive that is filled with a low density gas such as helium. A sealing cover is permanently attached to the base plate and the structural cover to form a hermetic seal for the low density gas. A first seal secured between the base plate and the removable structural cover permits short term operation of the disc drive with minimal leakage of the low density gas so that the drive can be tested prior to permanent attachment of the sealing cover.

A hermetic sealing approach involves welding an Aluminum cover onto a low-cost Aluminum housing. According to an example embodiment of the present invention, a metal housing having a base and sidewalls extending upward therefrom is adapted to receive and couple to an HDD arrangement. The metal housing is formed using material and processing (e.g., cold formed or die cast Aluminum) that are relatively inexpensive. A feedthrough arrangement including a plurality of communication pins extends through an opening in the base and is coupled thereto, with the communication pins adapted to pass signals between the inside and the outside of the metal housing. A metal cover is welded to an upper portion of the sidewalls and, with the feedthrough arrangement, hermetically seals the metal housing.

A novel disk drive includes an enclosure and a disk rotatably mounted to and within the enclosure. The disk drive enclosure has a fill port opening with an internally threaded section and an internal annular seating surface. A fill port valve is disposed within the fill port opening. The fill port valve includes an externally threaded section that is engaged with the internally threaded section of the fill port opening, an external annular seating surface in contact with and forming a continuous annular seal with the internal annular seating surface of the fill port opening, and a gas flow channel spanning the externally threaded section of the fill port valve. The disk drive may be helium-filled, and may also include a metal foil seal that is externally adhered to the disk drive enclosure and covers the fill port opening and the fill port valve.

A radial top cover gasket is used for sealing a disk drive assembly. In one embodiment, a disk drive assembly includes a baseplate having a sidewall disposed about a periphery of the baseplate. The disk drive further includes a top cover that is disposed within the sidewall of the baseplate. A gasket is then radially compressed between the top cover and an inner face of the baseplate sidewall.

A disk drive includes an opaque cover secured to a base, where the opaque cover has an opening. A see-through insert, which includes an electrically conductive material, is affixed to the opaque cover over the opening. The electrically conductive material may be a coating applied to the see-through insert which, in one embodiment is a polymer coating having a certain surface resistivity. Alternatively, the coating's ESD-dissipative properties may be due to the presence of sputtered gold, sputtered indium tin oxide or a metal film. The electrically conductive material may alternatively be embedded in the see-through insert.

A hermetic seal is provided for sealing discrete openings in a disk drive, such as an opening made in a base plate of the drive for a spindle motor shaft and openings made in the base plate for spindle motor lead wires. The hermetic seal for the spindle motor shaft comprises an undercut made in the portion of the spindle shaft that is secured to the base plate, and an epoxy material fills the gap between the surface defining the opening and the undercut made in the spindle motor shaft. Epoxy is also used to seal the openings made for the motor lead wires. The invention also comprises the method by which the base plate casting may be sealed by a two-time resin impregnation process which fills exposed pores on the surfaces of the castings.

Disclosed is a storage medium protection system for protecting one or more storage media from the effects of one or more undesirable conditions. The system includes an enclosure formed from a material resistant to the one or more undesirable conditions, and the storage medium is positioned within the interior of the enclosure. Further, the system provides a sealing mechanism for sealing a circulation passageway of the enclosure in the event of an occurrence of the one or more undesirable conditions.

In a disk drive device having a double cover structure with low-density gas enclosed therein, embodiments of the present invention help to securely perform leak inspection on an outer cover and to prevent defects caused in joining the outer cover. According to one embodiment, a hard disk drive (HDD) comprises a flow amount adjuster on a base-facing side of its inner cover. Helium gas in an enclosure goes out through a ventilation hole via diffusion channel of a flow amount adjuster. The emitted helium gas remains in the space between the inner cover and an outer cover. This achieves easier detection of the leakage of helium gas from the joining section of the outer cover and prevention of emission of too much helium gas from the enclosure.

A disk drive assembly of the invention comprises: a hard disk drive; a base; and a cover, wherein the base and the cover are mechanically coupled without using essentially any discrete mechanical fasteners to form an enclosed housing comprising internal hard disk drive components between the base and the cover and to irreversibly hermetically seal the hard disk drive. Methods for forming such disk drive assemblies are also disclosed.

In a disk drive device having a double cover structure with low-density gas enclosed therein, embodiments of the present invention allow a more reliable leak inspection to be performed on the second cover and to prevent defects caused by joining the secondary cover. An HDD according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises a ventilation path from a ventilation hole on an inner cover to a space between the inner cover and an outer cover. An outer peripheral end of an adhesive layer is apart from a joining section, which is exposed in the space. Helium gas flowing out of the ventilation hole flows to the space via the ventilation path and remains within the space. This enables detection of leakage of the helium gas from the joining section to be performed more easily.

Embodiments of the present invention allow a cover of a magnetic disk drive to be temporarily joined to a base without widening a mounting space, and completely joined after a head disk assembly (HDA) inspection. According to one embodiment, a cover includes a metal plate, an adhesive, and a seal member. The adhesive has a surface wider than the metal plate and the seal member has a surface wider than the adhesive. A solder is coated or printed at an outer periphery of the seal member. A gasket is set at a flange of a base sidewall and an outer peripheral portion of the adhesive of the cover is affixed to an upper surface of the base sidewall to temporarily fix the cover. Low-density gas is injected in a casing interior and a functional inspection of the HDA is performed. After the inspection is finished, helium is injected again, and the casing is completely sealed by melting the solder of the seal member, and joining the seal member to a collar-shaped protrusion of the base sidewall by the solder.

Embodiments of the present invention help to provide a magnetic disk drive in which the base and the lid are securely welded together, so that the low-density gas sealed therein is protected from leakage. According to one embodiment, the peripheral surface of the rib of the base is machined to form the surface, which is free of electrocoating and weld surface. The outer lid, which completely conforms to the contour of the base, is placed on the rib, and the laser beam is directed onto the outer lid. Thus the position of laser beam irradiation varies within only ±0.05 mm for both the base and the lid. Laser welding in this manner yields the bead invariably, which makes the enclosure completely sealed without helium leakage.

In order to make it possible to previously specify which of two members the rubber-like elastic part pinched between the two members attaches to, and to improve workability of rework or the like, an attachment member specifying structure is provided in the rubber-like elastic part so that the rubber-like elastic part is surely detached from one member and attached to the other member at a time of moving the two members apart from each other, preferably by forming a contact area with one member in the rubber-like elastic part smaller than a contact area with the other member, by forming a surface treated portion by matte finishing or the like in a contact area with one member in the rubber-like elastic part, or by forming a projection-like spring portion elastically pressed to one member so as to achieve a spring effect.

A disk drive device is configured such that a wall of a base plate is provided with a through hole that guides a lead from a drive unit outside. The through hole is covered by a sealing sheet having an insertion hole. The lead is guided from inside the housing via the insertion hole of the sealing sheet. The sealing sheet carries a curable resin. The curable resin, temporarily softened during a curing process, flows into a space between the base plate and the through hole and a space between the insertion hole and the lead. The curable resin is cured in this state, ensuring the airtightness of the housing.

Method for the removable sealing of a component housing, and apparatus to practice the method using an elastic or conformable sealing band. The present invention teaches a sealing band, preferably elastic, to apply a horizontal seal to the horizontal seam defined by vertically assembled component case elements. The seal is maintained in position over the seam by an alignment element disposed on at least one of the seal and the case. The sealing band is rendered electrically conductive by admixing therewith a conductive material, or by plating thereon a conductive coating. A retaining element may be further added to at least one of the sealing band and the case to minimize tampering with the sealing band once installed.

To efficiently manufacture a feedthrough used in a disk drive device having a hermetically sealed enclosure, embodiments of the present invention manufacture a feedthrough used in an HDD having a hermetically sealed enclosure. An embodiment of a manufacturing method of the present embodiment manufactures a columnar body, cuts the columnar body in the direction vertical to the axes of pins, and cuts out a feedthrough. Then, necessary plating is made on the outer surfaces of the cut out feedthrough. The columnar body comprises a hollow tube, a plurality of pins inserted inside the tube, and an insulating sealant filled inside the tube. This manufacturing method achieves efficient manufacture of the feedthrough.

Embodiments of the present invention help to provide a sealed hard disk drive (HDD) with high reliability. According to one embodiment, a HDD is a hermetically sealed HDD. A base has an opening of a through-hole on its bottom; a feedthrough is provided so as to close the opening. A flange of the feedthrough has a larger outline than the opening, and its rim is joined to the base with solder at the solder joint. The solder at the solder joint is mainly composed of Sn and contains 15 atomic percent to 27 atomic percent of indium. This solder reaches the γ phase from −150° C. to 120° C. Accordingly, even if the HDD has been exposed at low temperature for a long time, the solder joint is not broken so that helium gas does not leak.

Embodiments of the present invention help to prevent leakage of low-density gas during low-density gas injection into a disk drive device and to perform low-density gas injection efficiently. In a hard disk drive (HDD) according to one embodiment of the present invention, an injection hole filter with a valve function is attached to a helium injection hole in order to inject helium gas in an enclosure. The injection hole filter has a valve member configured to operate in an open state or closed state. The open state is a state while the helium gas is being injected and the closed state is a state after the helium gas has been finished to be injected. The valve member is in the open state if the outside pressure is higher than the inside pressure and is in the closed state if the inside pressure is higher than the outside pressure.

To efficiently manufacture a feedthrough used in a disk drive device having a hermetically sealed enclosure, embodiments of the present invention manufacture a feedthrough used in an HDD having a hermetically sealed enclosure. An embodiment of a manufacturing method of the present embodiment manufactures a columnar body, cuts the columnar body in the direction vertical to the axes of pins, and cuts out a feedthrough. Then, necessary plating is made on the outer surfaces of the cut out feedthrough. The columnar body comprises a hollow tube, a plurality of pins inserted inside the tube, and an insulating sealant filled inside the tube. This manufacturing method achieves efficient manufacture of the feedthrough.

A rubber composition for fuel cell seals, HDD top cover gaskets or cable connector seals is disclosed. The rubber composition comprises a specific ethylene / α-olefin / non-conjugated polyene copolymer [A], a specific organopolysiloxane [B] and an SiH group-containing compound [C], with the weight ratio of [A]:[B] being 100:0 to 5:95. A fuel cell sealing material, HDD top cover gasket material, cable connector sealing material, fuel cell seal, HDD top cover gasket and cable connector seal according to the present invention comprise the composition. A fuel cell according to the present invention includes the fuel cell seal. A hard disk drive of the present invention includes the gasket. An automotive cable connector according to the present invention is sealed by the composition. The invention provides a crosslinkable rubber composition that has good high-speed moldability and can give fuel cell seals excellent in resistances to heat, acids and gas permeation. Further provided are a fuel cell seal from the composition, a fuel cell sealing material comprising the composition, and a fuel cell including the seal. The present invention also provides a crosslinkable rubber composition that has good high-speed moldability and can give HDD top cover gaskets having low hardness and being excellent in heat resistance, compression set resistance and long-term sealing properties. Further provided are a gasket from the composition, a HDD top cover gasket material comprising the composition, and a hard disk drive including the gasket. The present invention also provides a crosslinkable rubber composition that has excellent sealing properties and insertion properties with respect to cables without oil bleeding. Further provided are a cable connector seal from the composition, a cable connector sealing material comprising the composition, and an automotive cable connector including the seal.

Embodiments of the present invention help to provide a magnetic disk drive in which the base and the lid are securely welded together, so that the low-density gas sealed therein is protected from leakage. According to one embodiment, the peripheral surface of the rib of the base is machined to form the surface, which is free of electrocoating and weld surface. The outer lid, which completely conforms to the contour of the base, is placed on the rib, and the laser beam is directed onto the outer lid. Thus the position of laser beam irradiation varies within only ±0.05 mm for both the base and the lid. Laser welding in this manner yields the bead invariably, which makes the enclosure completely sealed without helium leakage.

Cover seals for sealing of a re-workable hard disk drive comprise: a metallic substrate; an outwardly exposed adhesive layer on at least a portion of a major surface of the metallic substrate; and an adhesive-free border comprising a fusible metal alloy layer surrounding the adhesive layer. The cover seals can be used to form sealed hard disk drives, wherein a cover seal is attached to an exterior surface of the cover of an enclosed hard disk drive housing so that an adhesive layer of the cover seal covers the entire junction where the base and cover components of the enclosed housing meet and a metallic joint adheres a perimeter of the cover seal to the base of the enclosed housing.

A sealed head disk assembly having a base casting that provides attachment points for the major components of the head disk assembly and a cover for enclosing the major components of the head disk assembly. The base casting has a hermetic seal encompassing an outer perimeter of the base casting. The hermetic seal is juxtaposed to at least one complementary surface on the cover. The cover has a semi-hermetic seal inside a perimeter of the complementary surface for the hermetic seal. The semi-hermetic seal is juxtaposed to at least one complementary surface on the base casting.

Method for the removable sealing of a component housing, and apparatus to practice the method using an elastic or conformable sealing band. The present invention teaches a sealing band, preferably elastic, to apply a horizontal seal to the horizontal seam defined by vertically assembled component case elements. The seal is maintained in position over the seam by an alignment element disposed on at least one of the seal and the case. The sealing band is rendered electrically conductive by admixing therewith a conductive material, or by plating thereon a conductive coating. A retaining element may be further added to at least one of the sealing band and the case to minimize tampering with the sealing band once installed.

A sealed head disk assembly has a cover for enclosing major components of the head disk assembly. The cover has a hermetic seal encompassing an outer perimeter of the cover and a semi-hermetic seal inside a perimeter of the hermetic seal. The hermetic seal and semi-hermetic seal are juxtaposed to at least one complementary surface on the base casting. The base casting, which provides attachment points for the major components of the head disk assembly has at least one complementary surface.

Embodiments of the present invention help to prevent leakage of low-density gas during low-density gas injection into a disk drive device and to perform low-density gas injection efficiently. In a hard disk drive (HDD) according to one embodiment of the present invention, an injection hole filter with a valve function is attached to a helium injection hole in order to inject helium gas in an enclosure. The injection hole filter has a valve member configured to operate in an open state or closed state. The open state is a state while the helium gas is being injected and the closed state is a state after the helium gas has been finished to be injected. The valve member is in the open state if the outside pressure is higher than the inside pressure and is in the closed state if the inside pressure is higher than the outside pressure.