Hermetic Seal for Hard Disk Drive Electrical Interposer
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Solution Overview
Problem
Hard-disk drives face inefficiencies due to air presence, leading to load losses, and existing solutions fail to effectively hermetically seal the disk drive chamber to minimize gas leakage.
Innovation Solution
An interposer with a substrate and seal member is used to hermetically seal the interface between the hard disk drive case and electrical subassembly, employing a polyimide or FR4 material substrate with conductive vias and connectors to establish electrical communication while preventing gas leakage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the disk drive chamber is hermetically sealed to prevent gas leakage, then gas retention is improved, but the complexity of the sealing structure increases
Solution Approach 1:
The seal member is integrated within the electrical connector assembly, nesting the sealing function inside the existing connector structure. The seal member surrounds the electrical contacts and is contained within the connector housing, eliminating the need for separate external sealing components and reducing overall structural complexity while maintaining hermetic sealing.
Solution Approach 2:
The electrical connector assembly serves multiple functions: it provides electrical connection between components and simultaneously provides hermetic sealing for the disk drive chamber. The seal member integrated into the connector performs both sealing and structural support functions, reducing the need for separate dedicated sealing components and simplifying the overall structure.
2Ease of operation
If electrical connectors are exposed at the interface between the drive case and electrical subassembly, then electrical connection is achieved, but gas leakage occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The seal member is constructed as a flexible elastomeric component that can deform to accommodate the electrical contacts while maintaining a continuous sealing barrier. This flexible seal surrounds the electrical contacts and fills the gaps between the connector components and the drive case, preventing gas leakage while allowing electrical signals to pass through the sealed interface.
Solution Approach 2:
The seal member acts as an intermediary element between the electrical connector and the drive case, providing a gas-tight barrier while allowing electrical contact. The seal material is positioned to surround the electrical contacts, creating a sealed pathway for electrical signals while blocking gas molecules from leaking through the interface.
Data Source
AI summary
The interposer can include a substrate and first and second electrical connectors mounted to the substrate. The first electrical connector is configured to mate with a hard disk drive subassembly, and the second electrical connector is configured to mate with a flat flex circuit subassembly. The hard disk drive subassembly includes a hard disk drive case, a printed circuit board, and a third electrical connector mounted to the printed circuit board. The first and third electrical connectors are configured to mate with each other through the hard disk drive case so as to mate the interposer to the hard disk drive subassembly. The hard disk drive case can be hermetically sealed to the substrate of the interposer to prevent gas leakage