Disk Drive Seal Piercing for Leak Inspection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing disk drive manufacturing methods require multiple gas filling operations and frequent attachment and detachment of seals, which increases manufacturing complexity and costs.
Innovation Solution
A disk drive design that includes a housing with a base, an inner cover, and an outer cover, where a seal with a hole allows communication between spaces, and a piercing member is used to form a hole in the seal, enabling gas to flow between spaces for leak inspection without the need for repeated gas filling or seal detachment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If gas filling is performed multiple times during manufacturing, then leak inspection reliability is improved, but manufacturing complexity and time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The seal is designed with a pre-formed through-hole that allows gas to pass through during leak inspection. This preliminary structural preparation enables single-stage gas filling and inspection, eliminating the need for multiple gas filling operations while maintaining inspection reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The through-hole in the seal acts as an intermediary pathway that allows gas to communicate between the internal and external environments during leak inspection. This mediator structure enables effective inspection without requiring repeated seal attachment and detachment
2Reliability
If seals are frequently attached and detached during manufacturing, then gas filling and leak inspection are improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The seal is pre-designed with a through-hole structure that facilitates gas passage during inspection. This preliminary design eliminates the need for complex repeated attachment and detachment operations, simplifying the manufacturing process while maintaining inspection effectiveness
Solution Approach 2:
The seal with through-hole serves multiple functions: it provides gas sealing during normal operation while simultaneously enabling leak inspection through the through-hole. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate inspection mechanisms and reduces manufacturing complexity
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
This design reduces the frequency of gas filling and seal operations, simplifying the manufacturing process, reducing costs, and ensuring effective helium leak inspection in disk drives.
Implementation Method 1
The piercing member includes an attachment part attached to the second cover in the second space, and a needle protruding from the attachment part toward the second hole
Data Source
AI summary
A disk drive according to an embodiment includes a housing, a seal, and a piercing member. The housing includes a base having a first space, a first cover with a first hole, attached to the base, and a second cover covering the first cover. The first cover closes the first space. The first cover and the second cover are placed with a second space in-between. The first hole allows communication between the first space and the second space. The seal with a second hole, is attached to the first cover, the second hole allowing communication between the first space or the second space and the first hole. The piercing member includes an attachment part attached to the second cover in the second space, and a needle protruding from the attachment part toward the second hole.