Magnetic disk device

Abstract

The embodiment of the invention relates to a magnetic disk device. A magnetic disk device according to an embodiment includes a rotating shaft, a shroud, and a damper. The rotating shaft rotates the plurality of discs. The shield surrounds at least a portion of the disc so as to be spaced apart from the outer edge of the disc and along the outer edge of the disc. The damper is disposed on a downstream side of the shroud with respect to a flow between the disks induced by rotation of the disks, and has a portion intersecting the flow and a portion along the flow.

Description

[0001] This application enjoys priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-158631 (filed on September 12, 2024). This application incorporates the entire contents of that basic application by reference. Technical Field

[0002] Embodiments of the present invention relate to disk drives. Background Technology

[0003] As the recording density of hard disks increases, high-precision positioning of the read / write head is required. When the disk spins at high speed, the airflow velocity and turbulence inside the device increase. This increased flow and turbulence cause greater forces on the arms supporting the read / write head, leading to vibrations and a decrease in positioning accuracy. Furthermore, dust and other particles adhere to the disk surface, causing damage and data read / write errors.

[0004] Therefore, there is a need for a disk drive that can simultaneously suppress the reduction in head positioning accuracy caused by flow and reduce the amount of particles adhering to the disk. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The disk drive device of this embodiment includes a rotating shaft, a shroud, and a damper. The rotating shaft rotates a plurality of disks. The shroud surrounds at least a portion of the disks in a manner that is spaced apart from and along the outer edge of the disks. The damper is disposed downstream of the shroud relative to the flow between the disks induced by the rotation of the disks, and the damper has a portion that intersects with the flow and a portion that runs along the flow.

[0006] According to embodiments of the present invention, a disk device can be provided that simultaneously suppresses the reduction in the positioning accuracy of the read / write head caused by flow and reduces the amount of particles adhering to the disk. Attached Figure Description

[0007] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the interior of the disk device in the first embodiment.

[0008] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 Cross-sectional view at point XY.

[0009] Figure 3 This is an example of a schematic diagram of a disk device when the disk is stopped.

[0010] Figure 4 Is Figure 1 The schematic diagram shows the flow of air marked with arrows.

[0011] Figure 5It is a graph showing the time-varying force on the arm due to airflow.

[0012] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the interior of the disk device in the second embodiment.

[0013] Label Explanation

[0014] 1 disk device

[0015] 2-panel side area

[0016] 3 Equipment side area

[0017] 10 shields

[0018] 11 discs

[0019] 12 Rotation axis

[0020] 13 Magnetic Heads

[0021] 14 arms

[0022] 15 guide vanes

[0023] 16. Capture Components

[0024] 17 Dampers

[0025] 171 Part 1

[0026] 172 Part 2

[0027] 21. Casing

[0028] Equipment Category A

[0029] B Equipment Category Detailed Implementation

[0030] The following describes embodiments for carrying out the invention. The following embodiments and variations are examples of their configurations, controls, and the effects and benefits resulting from these configurations and controls. Furthermore, the various embodiments illustrated below include the same constituent elements. Hereinafter, the same constituent elements will be labeled with common reference numerals, and repeated descriptions will be omitted.

[0031] (First Embodiment)

[0032] Figure 1This is a schematic diagram of the interior of the disk drive 1 in this embodiment. The disk drive 1 has a housing 21. The housing 21 is filled with a medium gas such as air and / or helium, or other mixed gases. Inside the housing 21 are disposed one or more disks 11 serving as recording media, a protective cover 10 surrounding the disks 11, a rotation axis 12, a magnetic head 13 for recording or reproducing information on the recording medium, an arm 14 supporting the magnetic head 13, guide vanes 15, a damper 17, and an actuator for controlling the position of the magnetic head. The multiple disks 11 rotate around the rotation axis 12. The housing 21 is divided into a disk-side region 2 that houses the disks 11, and a device-side region 3 that houses the magnetic head 13, the arm 14, the actuator, etc. Figure 1 The illustration shows the state of disk 11 rotating counterclockwise around the rotation axis 12, with the magnetic head 13 located on the surface of disk 11 and between disks 11, for reading and writing data.

[0033] A cover 10 is provided inside the housing 21, which is spaced apart from the outer edge of the disk 11 and surrounds at least a portion of the disk 11 along the outer edge of the disk 11. In the region of the cover 10 along the disk 11, the distance between the cover 10 and the disk 11 is preferably more than 0.1 mm and less than 1.0 mm.

[0034] Disk 11 is a disc-shaped recording medium, and multiple disks are stacked together. The number of disks 11 can be varied depending on the specifications. Furthermore, the magnetic layer of disk 11 can be single-sided or double-sided; in this embodiment, it will be described as double-sided. Multiple disks 11 are configured to be rotatable along a rotation axis in the rotation direction and stacked at predetermined intervals along the rotation axis. In this specification, the main surface of disk 11 is sometimes referred to as the "disk surface," and the disk surface is described as including both the surface and back of disk 11.

[0035] The rotating shaft 12 is the shaft that rotates the disk 11. The rotating shaft 12 is connected to a drive motor (not shown), causing the disk 11, which is fixed to the rotating shaft 12 and configured to be driven to rotate, to rotate about the rotating shaft 12 as its central axis. The rotational speed of the disk 11 generated by driving the rotating shaft 12 is generally several thousand rpm to tens of thousands of rpm, but the rotational speed of the disk 11 in this embodiment is not limited to this range. In this embodiment, […]. Figure 1 The counterclockwise direction is used as the rotation direction of disk 11 for explanation.

[0036] The magnetic head 13 reads data recorded on the disk 11 and writes data to the disk 11. The magnetic head 13 is located at the front end of the arm 14. Figure 2 yes Figure 1Cross-sectional view at XY. The read / write head 13 is alternately arranged with the disk 11. The read / write head 13 located on the upper part of the disk 11 can read and write to the upper surface (surface) of the disk 11 (hereinafter referred to as read / write), the read / write head 13 located between the disks 11 can read and write to the lower surface (back side) of the disk 11 above it and to the surface of the disk 11 below it, and the read / write head 13 located at the lower part of the disk 11 can read and write to the back side of the disk 11 above it. Figure 3 This is an example of a schematic diagram of a disk drive when disk 11 is stopped. The heads 13 and arms 14, when disk 11 stops rotating, are as follows: Figure 3 The disk stops in a retracted state from disk 11 as shown. Furthermore, when the rotating shaft 12 is driven to rotate and disk 11 is in a rotating state, due to the airflow generated in the rotational direction of disk 11 caused by its centrifugal force and surface viscosity, each magnetic head 13 floats up from the surface of these disks 11 by a predetermined amount (e.g., about 10 nm). The position of the arm 14 is controlled by an actuator, thereby reading and writing data to the magnetic layer of the disk 11 opposite to the magnetic head 13. The disks 11 opposite to the magnetic head 13 correspond to the disks 11 directly above and directly below the magnetic head 13. That is, the magnetic head 13 reads and writes information to the opposite disks 11.

[0037] Arm 14 is a component that supports the magnetic head 13. The magnetic head 13, located at the front end of arm 14, is configured to enter the gap in the stacking direction of disk 11.

[0038] The actuator drives and controls the arm 14 to control the position of the read / write head 13 relative to the disk 11. The actuator is included in... Figure 1 In device class A, examples of actuators include voice coil motors and stepper motors, but the actuator in this embodiment is not limited to these.

[0039] Guide vanes 15 are disposed approximately along the disk 11 between the disk-side region 2 and the equipment-side region 3, extending from the end of the shroud 10 downstream of the flow 101 generated in the rotational direction of the disk 11 to the front of the damper 17. That is, guide vanes 15 are disposed approximately along the disk 11 between the end of the shroud 10 downstream of the flow induced by the rotation of the disk 11 between the disk 11 and the shroud 10, and the damper 17, with one end of the guide vanes 15 connected to the aforementioned downstream end of the flow shroud 10. Here, "approximately along" is used because the distance between the guide vanes 15 and the disk 11 is not entirely fixed and can vary depending on their position.

[0040] like Figure 1As shown, near the root of arm 14, a damper 17 is positioned upstream of arm 14 relative to the airflow between disks 11 induced by the rotation of disk 11. Here, "airflow between disks 11 induced by the rotation of disk 11" refers to a counter-clockwise airflow centered on the rotation axis 12. Near damper 17, this airflow flows upstream of damper 17 and downstream of arm 14. Damper 17 is located downstream of the shroud 10 relative to the flow between disks 11 induced by the rotation of disk 11. Like arm 14, damper 17 has a comb-like structure inserted between disks 11. Damper 17 has portions that intersect with the flow between disks 11 induced by the rotation of disk 11, and portions that run along this flow. The damper 17 is approximately L-shaped, formed by a portion extending along the direction from the outer edge of the disk 11 toward the center (first part: 171) and a portion extending in the opposite direction of the rotation direction of the disk 11 (second part: 172). In other words, the first part 171 and the second part 172 are smoothly continuous without corners. The longer the first part 171 is, the greater the deceleration of the flow 101d, but this may lead to difficulties in ensuring strength and manufacturing. Therefore, theoretically, the length of the first part 171 is not limited to achieve the desired effect, but in practice, the length of the first part 171 is preferably about 2 / 3 or less of the radius of the disk 11. The length of the second part 172 is not particularly limited, but like the length of the first part 171, excessive length would lead to practical difficulties. Therefore, the length of the second part 172 is preferably about 1 / 2 to 3 / 2 of the length of the first part 171. In addition, the first part 171 extends in the direction toward the rotation axis 12. Specifically, regarding the straight line connecting the point P0 where the first part 171 intersects with the outer edge of the disk 11 (marked with a star in the figure) and the rotation axis 12, the angle α between the straight line and the first part 171 is preferably 0° or more and 30° or less, more preferably 0° or more and 10° or less. Regarding the second part 172, the angle β between the tangent of the disk 11 at P0 and the second part 172 is preferably 0° or more and 30° or less, more preferably 0° or more and 10° or less. It is preferable that the first part 171 and the second part 172 are connected by a curve. This is because a curved connection prevents the generation of turbulent airflow due to separation vortex.

[0041] The following uses Figure 4The airflow generated inside the disk drive 1 will be explained. The thick arrows in the figure indicate the direction of airflow within the disk drive 1. Furthermore, the position and shape of the thick arrows are marked for ease of explanation; the length and thickness of the thick arrows do not quantitatively represent the airflow velocity or flow rate. Airflow is induced by the rotation of the disk 11, generating flows 101a to 101d near the surface of the disk 11. In this specification, flows 101a to d are sometimes collectively referred to as flow 101.

[0042] The airflow generated inside the disk drive 1 will now be described. Airflow induced by the rotation of the disk 11 generates flow 101, including flows 101a to 101d, near the surface of the disk 11 in the disk-side region 2. In this embodiment, we also focus on flow 107, induced by the rotation of the disk 11 and passing through the gap between the disk 11 and the shield 10. In the figures, for ease of observation, the arrow representing flow 107 is marked outside the shield 10, but it actually corresponds to the airflow flowing in the gap between the shield 10 and the disk 11. A portion of flow 101d is slowed down by the damper 17. A portion of flow 101d is mainly intercepted by the first part 171 of the damper 17, generating flow 102a circulating inside the damper 17. A portion of flow 102a becomes flow 102c flowing downstream of the damper 17. A portion of the flow in flow 101d that is not intercepted by damper 17 is primarily rectified by the second part 172 of damper 17 to become flow 102d. Since flow 102d is rectified by damper 17, it becomes a less turbulent flow along the rotation direction of disk 11.

[0043] The flow 102c is the airflow that passes through the space between the guide vane 15 and the second part of the damper 17 and is slowed down by the damper 17.

[0044] The flow 107 in the gap between the shield 10 and the disk 11 is induced by the guide vane 15 so that the flow through the gap of the first part 171 of the damper 17 is slowed down (flow 108a) when passing through the damper 17, and then flows as 108b, 108c near the boundary between the disk side region 2 and the equipment side region 3.

[0045] Within equipment-side region 3, in addition to flows 108a to 108c, there are also airflows. For example, flows 115a to 115f flow around equipment type A, and flows 116a to 116c flow around equipment type B. The figure shows flows 115a to 115f and flows 116a to 116c flowing clockwise around equipment type A, but the actual direction of the flow is influenced by the shape and arrangement of equipment types A and B, and is therefore not limited to the direction shown in the figure.

[0046] In this embodiment, arm 14 is subjected to flows 102c-102d, 103, and flows 108a-108b. However, in this embodiment, as described above, flow 102d is rectified by damper 17, resulting in less turbulence, and flows 102c and 108a-108c are slowed down by damper 17. Therefore, the impact of these airflows on arm 14 is reduced, and the vibration of the magnetic head 13 is suppressed. Figure 5 This shows the time-varying force exerted on arm 14 by airflow. The case where a damper 17 is installed inside the disk drive 1 (equivalent to...) Figure 1 The vibration of the read / write head 13 under the condition of (the state of the read / write head 13) is represented by a solid line, while the vibration of the read / write head 13 when the damper 17 is not installed inside the disk device 1 is represented by a dashed line. When comparing the solid and dashed lines, it can be seen that the vibration of the read / write head 13 is significantly reduced by installing the damper 17.

[0047] In addition, the pressure difference between the disk-side region 2 and the equipment-side region 3 is mitigated by the less turbulent flow 102d after being rectified by the damper 17, the flow 102c after being decelerated by the damper 17, and the flows 108a to 108c, which can reduce the amount of particles flowing from the equipment-side region 3 into the disk-side region 2.

[0048] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the flow from the disk-side region 2 toward the equipment-side region 3 is further reduced by the guide vanes 15. As a result, the flow 104 returning from the equipment-side region 3 to the disk-side region 2 is also reduced, and consequently, the inflow of particles from the equipment-side region 3 to the disk-side region 2 is reduced, and the amount of particles adhering to the surface of the disk 11 is reduced.

[0049] Thus, according to this embodiment, by slowing down the flow and reducing turbulence through the damper 17, the forces exerted on the arm 14 and the magnetic head 13 by the flows 102c, 102d, and 103 can be reduced, as well as the vibration caused by the flow. As a result, by reducing the vibration of the arm 14 caused by the flow, the positioning accuracy of the actuator on the magnetic head 13 can be improved, or positioning can be made easier. In addition, there is a problem that the flow after the device side region 3 carries particles with a particle size of tens to hundreds of nm present in the device side region 3 and flows back into the disk side region 2. As a result, when the particles transported to the disk side region 2 adhere to the surface of the disk 11, it can cause various problems such as damage to the disk surface and data read / write errors. However, according to this embodiment, by using the damper 17 to slow down and rectify the downstream flow, the pressure difference between the disk side region 2 and the device side region 3 is mitigated. Therefore, while reducing the vibration of the arm 14, the intrusion of particles into the disk side region 2 can be reduced.

[0050] (Second Implementation)

[0051] The second embodiment will be described below. Common components shared with the above embodiments will be labeled with common names and reference numerals, and repeated content will be omitted. The differences between this embodiment and the above embodiments will be explained in detail.

[0052] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the interior of the disk drive 1 in this embodiment. The difference between this embodiment and the first embodiment is that the guide vane 15 is not provided, and the trapping member 16 is provided. The trapping member 16 is provided in the region between the downstream end of the guide vane 15 and the portion of the damper 17 that intersects with the flow between the disks 11 induced by rotation of the disks 11. The trapping member 16 is a filter-like member capable of trapping particles such as dust transported by the flow 102b shown in the figure induced by the damper 17. Alternatively, a filter constructed to trap particles other than those transported by the flow from the disk-side region 2 toward the device-side region 3, as in flow 102b, may be used, or the trapping member 16 may be configured in a manner capable of trapping these particles. For example, the trapping member 16 can trap particles transported by the flow from the device-side region 3 toward the disk-side region 2.

[0053] The airflow generated inside the disk drive 1 will now be described. The thick arrows in the figure indicate the direction of airflow within the disk drive 1. Furthermore, the position and shape of the thick arrows are marked for ease of explanation; the length and thickness of the thick arrows do not quantitatively represent the airflow velocity or flow rate. Airflow 101a to 101d is induced by the rotation of the disk 11 and is generated near the surface of the disk 11. In this specification, flows 101a to 101d are sometimes collectively referred to as flow 101.

[0054] Flow 101d is slowed down by damper 17. As a portion of flow 101d is intercepted by damper 17, flow 102a is generated circulating inside damper 17. A portion of flow 102a is split into flow 102b toward the trapping member 16 and flow 102c toward the downstream side of damper 17. Particles transported to flow 102b are captured by a filter provided on the trapping member 16. Flow 102c is slowed down more than flow 101d by damper 17.

[0055] A portion of the flow in flow 101d that is not intercepted by damper 17 is rectified by the second part 172 of damper 17 and becomes flow 102d. Since flow 102d is rectified by damper 17, it becomes a flow with less turbulence along the rotation direction of disk 11.

[0056] Flow 103 is the downstream flow of flows 102c and 102d. Flow 102c is a flow slowed down by damper 17, and flow 102d is a flow rectified by damper 17. Therefore, flow 103 is a flow with less turbulence and is slowed down. Due to the low turbulence in flow 103, it is possible to prevent the entrainment of particles located near the outer edge of the disk-side region 2. In addition, as the flow is slowed down by flow 103, the pressure in the region of disk-side region 2 near the equipment-side region 3 increases, and the pressure difference between disk-side region 2 and equipment-side region 3 is mitigated. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the flow 104 induced by this pressure difference from equipment-side region 3 to disk-side region 2, and to prevent the flow including particles from flowing into disk-side region 2.

[0057] When flow 102b passes through the trapping member 16, it becomes an airflow flowing between equipment classes in the equipment-side region 3. According to Figure 6 In the example shown, the airflow flows in a manner that surrounds device type A, including actuators, etc. This flow is designated as flow 105a to 105d. Additionally, in device-side region 3, there is also an airflow that surrounds device type B, which is different from device type A. This flow is designated as flow 106a to 106c.

[0058] Flow 104 includes downstream flows such as flows 106b to 106c, which pass through the equipment-side region 3 and flow back into the panel-side region 2. Flows 108a to 108b are flows in flow 103a that are directed toward the panel-side region 2.

[0059] Thus, in this embodiment, similar to the first embodiment, by slowing down the flow and reducing turbulence through the damper 17, the forces exerted on the arm 14 and the magnetic head 13 by the flows 102c, 102d, and 103 can be reduced, as can the vibration caused by the flow. As a result, by reducing the vibration of the arm 14 caused by the flow, the positioning accuracy of the actuator on the magnetic head 13 can be improved, or positioning can be made easier. In addition, there is a problem that the flow after the device side region 3 carries particles with a particle size of tens to hundreds of nm present in the device side region 3 and flows back into the disk side region 2. However, according to this embodiment, by circulating a portion of the flow inside the damper 17 to form a flow toward the trapping member 16, the vibration of the arm 14 can be reduced while the intrusion of particles into the disk side region 2 can be reduced.

[0060] By configuring the disk device as described above, it is possible to configure a disk device that can suppress the force and vibration on the arm caused by flow, reduce the amount of particles adhering to the disk, and prevent damage to the disk surface and data read / write errors.

[0061] Embodiments of the present invention have been described, but these embodiments are provided by way of example and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These embodiments can be implemented in a variety of other ways, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, the damper 17 need only be able to decelerate or rectify the flow, and need not be limited to the damper shape shown in the first and second embodiments. These embodiments and / or variations thereof are included within the scope and spirit of the invention, and are also included within the scope of the invention as described in the claims and its equivalents.

[0062] Furthermore, this disclosure includes examples of the following notes.

[0063] [Postscript 1]

[0064] A disk drive, comprising:

[0065] A rotating shaft that causes multiple disks to rotate;

[0066] A protective cover that surrounds at least a portion of the disk in a manner spaced apart from and along the outer edge of the disk; and

[0067] A damper, located downstream of the shroud relative to the flow between the disks induced by the rotation of the disks.

[0068] The damper has a portion that intersects with the flow and a portion that runs along the flow.

[0069] [Postscript 2]

[0070] According to the disk drive described in Appendix 1

[0071] When the portion of the damper that intersects with the flow is designated as the first portion, and the portion of the damper from the downstream to the upstream side of the flow is designated as the second portion,

[0072] The first part and the second part are connected by a curve.

[0073] [Postscript 3]

[0074] The disk drive according to Appendix 1 or 2

[0075] Downstream of the flow between the disk and the shield induced by the rotation of the disk, guide vanes are provided between the end of the shield and the damper along the disk.

[0076] One end of the guide vane is connected to the end of the protective cover.

[0077] [Postscript 4]

[0078] The disk drive according to any one of Appendices 1 to 3,

[0079] A trapping member is provided in the area between the downstream end of the shield relative to the flow and the portion of the damper that intersects with the flow.

[0080] [Postscript 5]

[0081] The disk drive according to any one of Appendices 1 to 4 comprises:

[0082] The magnetic head reads data from the disk and writes data to the disk;

[0083] An arm having the magnetic head at its front end; and

[0084] An actuator that controls the position of the head.

[0085] The housing contains the rotating shaft, the disk, the shield, the guide vanes, the damper, the magnetic head, the arm, and the actuator.

Claims

1. A disk drive, comprising: A rotating shaft that causes multiple disks to rotate; A protective cover that surrounds at least a portion of the disk in a manner spaced apart from and along the outer edge of the disk; and A damper, located downstream of the shroud relative to the flow between the disks induced by the rotation of the disks. The damper has a portion that intersects with the flow and a portion that runs along the flow.

2. The disk drive according to claim 1, When the portion of the damper that intersects with the flow is designated as the first portion, and the portion of the damper from the downstream to the upstream side of the flow is designated as the second portion, The first part and the second part are connected by a curve.

3. The disk drive according to claim 1, Downstream of the flow between the disk and the shield induced by the rotation of the disk, guide vanes are provided between the end of the shield and the damper along the disk. One end of the guide vane is connected to the end of the protective cover.

4. The disk drive according to claim 1, A trapping member is provided in the area between the downstream end of the shield relative to the flow and the portion of the damper that intersects with the flow.

5. The disk drive according to any one of claims 1 to 4, comprising: The magnetic head reads data from the disk and writes data to the disk; An arm having the magnetic head at its front end; and An actuator that controls the position of the head. The housing contains the rotating shaft, the disk, the shield, the guide vanes, the damper, the magnetic head, the arm, and the actuator.

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