Disk Drive Peripheral Foil Seal and Central Metal Cap

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing disk drive enclosure sealing methods are costly, difficult to integrate into high-volume manufacturing, and fail to retain helium effectively, leading to helium leakage that affects performance and reliability.

Innovation Solution

A hermetically sealed disk drive enclosure using a peripheral continuous metal foil seal with an adhesive layer and a central metal cap, where the foil seal covers the periphery and corners of the enclosure to reduce helium diffusion, and the central cap provides additional structural robustness after testing.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If hermetic sealing methods are used to prevent helium leakage, then reliability is improved, but manufacturing cost increases and manufacturing complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvehelium retentionVSAvoidmanufacturing cost

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The sealing system is divided into two functional segments: a peripheral foil seal that conforms to the enclosure geometry and provides primary sealing, and a central metal cap that seals the opening in the foil. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently and assembled through straightforward processes, reducing manufacturing complexity while maintaining hermetic sealing effectiveness for helium retention.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

An adhesive layer serves as an intermediary between the peripheral foil seal and the enclosure surface, enabling reliable bonding without complex mechanical fastening systems. This intermediary approach simplifies the manufacturing process by eliminating the need for precision mechanical attachments while ensuring effective sealing against helium leakage.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If hermetic sealing methods are used to prevent helium leakage, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvehelium retentionVSAvoidsealing structure complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

A flexible peripheral foil seal is used to conform to the enclosure's peripheral geometry, including corners and edges. This flexible film approach eliminates the need for complex rigid sealing structures with multiple components and adjustment mechanisms, thereby reducing device complexity while achieving effective hermetic sealing for helium retention.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of creating a complex internal sealing structure within the enclosure, the solution uses a peripheral foil seal that extends outward along the enclosure periphery and is adhered to the external surface. This inverted approach simplifies the internal device structure while maintaining effective helium retention through the external peripheral sealing system.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

3Ease of manufacture

If conventional sealing methods are used, then manufacturing is simpler, but helium leakage occurs affecting performance

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemanufacturing simplicityVSAvoidhelium retention

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The peripheral foil seal is pre-formed with adhesive layers before assembly, allowing it to be simply applied to the enclosure periphery in a straightforward manufacturing step. This preliminary preparation maintains manufacturing simplicity while the specialized foil seal design ensures effective helium retention that conventional sealing methods cannot achieve.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The solution effectively retains helium for a sufficient period, ensuring product reliability and allowing for rework, while being cost-effective and compatible with existing manufacturing processes.

Implementation Method 1

The peripheral foil seal includes a continuous metal foil and an adhesive layer underlying the continuous metal foil

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectAdhesive bonding: Adhesive

Implementation Method 2

the foil seal covers the periphery and corners of the enclosure to reduce helium diffusion

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectPhysical containment: Physical Containment

Data Source

PatentUS9208825B1Disk drive having a conformal peripheral foil seal having an opening covered by a central metal cap

Publication Date: 2015.12.08 WESTERN DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES INC

AI summary

A novel hermetically sealed disk drive comprises a disk drive enclosure that includes a disk drive base with a bottom face, four side faces, and a top cover. The disk drive also comprises a peripheral foil seal overlapping each of the four side faces and having a first opening therethrough that overlies the upper surface of the top cover. The peripheral foil seal conforms to the disk drive enclosure and is adhered to the top face and to each of the four side faces by a first continuous adhesive layer. The hermetically sealed disk drive also includes a central metal cap completely covering the first opening and being adhered to the upper surface of the top cover through the first opening by a second continuous adhesive layer. The central metal cap is thicker than the continuous metal foil, and the disk drive enclosure is helium-filled.