Sealing Substrate and Two-Piece Connector for Disk Drive
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Solution Overview
Problem
In magnetic disk drives filled with low-density gases like helium, maintaining airtightness while reducing the height of the connector connection portion is challenging, affecting the housing's internal volume and connection reliability.
Innovation Solution
A two-piece connector system is used, where a female connector is mounted on a sealing substrate within the housing and a male connector on the control circuit board, reducing the connector's height and maintaining airtightness by using a sealing substrate with a conductive path and positioning pins, allowing for a more compact design without external force on the control circuit board.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a hermetic connector is used to maintain airtightness, then sealing reliability is improved, but the connector height increases reducing internal volume
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing function is moved from the vertical dimension (high connector profile) to the horizontal dimension (sealing substrate plane). The sealing substrate provides sealing capability in its own plane rather than requiring vertical height, thus reducing the vertical space occupation while maintaining sealing reliability
2Volume of moving object
If the connector height is reduced for compact design, then internal volume increases, but sealing reliability may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing substrate acts as a mediator that decouples the connector height from the sealing function. Even with reduced connector height, the sealing substrate maintains sealing reliability through its sealing structure that interfaces with the housing bottom wall
3Reliability
If external force is applied to the control circuit board for connector connection, then connection is achieved, but the control circuit board may be damaged
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of applying force to the control circuit board side, the connector configuration is inverted so that the male connector on the sealing substrate engages with the female connector on the control circuit board. This reverses the force application direction, allowing the sealing substrate side to bear the connection load rather than the control circuit board
Data Source
AI summary
A disk device includes a housing that includes a base with a through hole formed therein and a cover fixed to the base, wherein the housing contains a low density gas; a plurality of heads and a wiring member disposed within the housing that includes conductors that are electrically connected to the heads; a sealing substrate that is fixed to the base and covers the through hole; a control circuit board that is disposed outside the housing and adjacent to a back surface of the base; a first two-piece connector that is disposed within the housing and connects the sealing substrate and the wiring member; and a second two-piece connector that connects the sealing substrate and the control circuit board. The second two-piece connector includes a first connector mounted on the sealing substrate and a second connector that is mounted on the control circuit board.