Hard Disk Drive Two-Piece Deck Stiffness
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Solution Overview
Problem
The limited space in hard disk drive form factors necessitates thinner components, which can compromise the stiffness of the base-deck section, affecting the performance of attached components due to shock, vibration, and acoustics.
Innovation Solution
A two-piece deck design comprising a base-deck floor and frame, with the frame overlying the floor and a top cover, using materials like cast aluminum or stainless steel, and affixing means such as fasteners, gaskets, or epoxy to provide a robust housing for the hard disk drive, allowing for additional data storage disks while maintaining structural integrity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If the base-deck section is made thinner to accommodate additional data-storage disks, then the data-storage capacity increases, but the stiffness of the base-deck deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The base-deck is divided into multiple sections with different thicknesses. The first base-deck section has a first thickness while the second base-deck section has a second thickness greater than the first thickness, allowing the overall structure to be thinner for increased capacity while specific regions maintain sufficient stiffness for component support.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the base-deck are assigned different thickness properties based on their functional requirements. The first base-deck section is thinner to maximize storage capacity, while the second base-deck section is thicker to provide the necessary stiffness and support for components attached to it.
2Volume of moving object
If thinner components are used to fit more disks in the form factor, then the space utilization improves, but the performance under shock and vibration deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The base-deck is segmented into regions of varying thickness to balance space utilization and structural reliability. This allows the overall footprint to remain compact for high density while specific areas maintain the thickness needed to withstand shock and vibration forces.
Solution Approach 2:
The base-deck employs a composite structure with varying thicknesses, effectively creating a heterogeneous material distribution where thinner regions optimize space and thicker regions provide mechanical strength and vibration resistance, similar to composite material behavior.
3Strength
If a single thick base-deck is used to maintain stiffness, then the structural integrity is preserved, but the ability to accommodate additional disks is limited
Solution Approach 1:
Rather than using a uniformly thick base-deck, the structure is segmented into first and second base-deck sections with different thicknesses. This segmentation allows the overall structure to be optimized for both strength and capacity by strategically placing thicker sections only where structurally necessary.
Solution Approach 2:
The base-deck implements local quality by making the second base-deck section thicker than the first base-deck section, providing enhanced structural integrity in specific areas while maintaining overall thinness to accommodate additional data-storage disks.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus is provided, including a base-deck floor; a base-deck frame, overlying the base-deck floor; a top cover, overlying the base-deck frame; and an affixing means operable to attach the base-deck frame to the base-deck floor, wherein the base-deck frame is operable to be fastened to both the base-deck floor and the top cover to provide a housing for a hard disk drive. A method is also provided, including assembling at least a portion of a hard disk drive assembly on a base-deck floor; affixing a base-deck frame to the base-deck floor; and securing a top cover to the base-deck frame.