Claims
- 1. A cover for a disc drive assembly comprising:
first and second cover plates including at least one relatively rigid structural layer; and the first and second cover plates including vibration damping means for damping vibration of the first and second cover plates.
- 2. In combination:
first and second cover plates each including at least one relatively rigid structural layer; a first cover plate damped layer coupled to the at least one relatively rigid structural layer of the first cover plate; and a second cover plate damped layer coupled to the at least one relatively rigid structural layer of the second cover plate.
- 3. The combination of claim 2 wherein the first cover plate and the second cover plate are adhesively connected
- 4. The combination of claim 2 wherein the at least one relatively rigid structural layers of the first and second cover plates are formed of a stainless steel material.
- 5. The combination of claim 2 wherein the damped layers are formed of a viscoelastic damped material.
- 6. The combination of claim 2 wherein the at least one relatively rigid structural layer of the first cover plate comprises:
an inner layer formed of a relatively rigid material; an outer layer formed of a relatively rigid material; and the damped layer forming an intermediate layer between the inner and outer layers.
- 7. The combination of claim 2 wherein the at least one relatively rigid structural layer of the second cover plate comprises:
an inner layer formed of a relatively rigid material; an outer layer formed of a relatively rigid material; and the damped layer forming an intermediate layer between the inner and outer layers.
- 8. The combination of claim 2 wherein the at least one relatively rigid structural layers of the first and second cover plates comprise:
inner layers formed of a relatively rigid material; outer layers formed of a relatively rigid material; and the damped layers forming intermediate layers between the inner and outer layers.
- 9. The combination or claim 8 wherein the inner, outer and damped layers of the first and second cover plates are adhesively connected.
- 10. The combination of claim 2 wherein the first cover plate includes:
a fastener opening adapted to secure a spindle shaft of a spindle assembly relative to the cover; and a fastener opening adapted to secure an E-block shaft of an E-block assembly relative to the cover.
- 11. The combination of claim 10 wherein the second cover plate includes cut-out contoured about the fastener openings on the first cover plate adapted to secure the spindle shaft and E-block shaft to the cover.
- 12. The combination of claim 2 wherein the first cover plate includes a plurality of fastener openings adapted to connect the first cover plate relative to a base chassis of a disc drive assembly and the second cover plate includes notches contoured about the fastener openings on the first cover plate adapted to connect the first cover plate to the base chassis of the disc drive assembly.
- 13. The combination of claim of 2 and further comprising a disc drive base chassis and the first cover plate is connected to the base chassis to form an inner cover plate and the second cover plate is connected to the first cover plate to form an outer cover plate.
- 14. The combination of claim 13 wherein the second cover plate is adhesively connected to the first cover plate.
- 15. The combination of claim 10 wherein the first cover plate includes a rim portion and a raised portion elevated for clearance and the second cover plate is supported on the rim portion of the first cover plate and includes a cut-out portion to surround the raised portion to form a composite plate structure with the rim portion of the first cover plate.
- 16. The combination of claim 15 wherein the fastener openings adapted to secure the spindle shaft and E-block shaft are on the raised portion and a dimension of a step between the rim portion and the raised portion is sized relative to a thickness of the second cover plate so that an upper surface of the second cover plate is flush with a stepped surface of the raised portion of the first cover plate.
- 17. The combination of claim 2 and further comprising:
a base chassis and the first cover plate is connected to the base chassis; a spindle assembly including a spindle hub supporting a plurality of discs and rotatable about a spindle shaft and the spindle shaft is fixedly connected to the first cover plate and the base chassis of a disc drive assembly; and the second cover plate is floatably connected to the first cover plate.
- 18. The combination of claim 2 and further comprising:
a base chassis and the first cover plate is connected to the base chassis; an E-block assembly including an E-block rotatable about an E-block shaft fixedly connected to the first cover plate and the base chassis; and the second cover plate is floatably connected to the first cover plate.
- 19. A method for damping vibration of operating components of a disc drive assembly comprising steps of:
connecting the operating components of the disc drive to a cover including a first cover plate having a first damped layer and a second cover plate having a second damped layer; and damping vibration transmitted to the first cover plate by the first damped layer on the first cover plate and the second damped layer on the second cover plate.
- 20. The method of 19 wherein vibration from the operating components of the disc drive is transmitted to the second cover plate through the first cover plate and the damped layer on the second cover plate damps vibration of the first cover plate.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] The present application claims priority to Provisional Application Serial No 60/193,672 filed Mar. 31, 2000 and entitled “FOUR LAYER DAMPED COVER”.
Provisional Applications (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
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60193672 |
Mar 2000 |
US |