Patent Application
20060171108
Embodiments of the present invention relates to disk drives. More specifically, embodiments of the present invention relate to coupling a disk drive to a chassis of a computer.
In computer systems, disk drives are typically used to store data. Data can be read from and written to the disk drive.
A disk drive 100 is typically comprised of a disk enclosure 102 having a base and cover and includes one or more platters 106 (also commonly known as “magnetic disks”), an arm 104, and a read/write head 110 that is attached to the arm 104, among other things. The platter 106 rotates around a central drive hub 108 while the arm 104 is used to position the read/write head 110 on the desired location for reading data from or writing data to the platter 106. Once the arm 104 has positioned the read/write head 110 on the correct position, the read/write head 110 reads data from or writes data to the platter 106.
Disk drives 100 have to be designed to withstand shocks resulting from being dropped or moved quickly from side to side. For example, usually after a disk drive 100 has been inserted into a computer, the computer and the associated disk drive 100 remain in a relatively stable position. However, before the disk drive 100 has been inserted into the computer, for example, while the disk drive 100 is being transported from the manufacturers to a customer, or while the disk drive 100 is being installed into a computer, the disk drive 100 is prone to being dropped, moved quickly from side to side, rotated, tilted, etc. If a disk drive 100 is subjected to shocks in non-operating state, it will cause motor bearing damage and/or cause the platter 106 to slip along the X-Y plane, or cause damage to the platter 106 if the read/write head 110 comes in contact with the platter 106. Such shocks can also degrade the disk drive 100's performance. And if the shock level is big enough, it results in loss of data on the platter 106.
Therefore, various mechanisms have been devised for protecting the disk drive 100 from damage resulting from shocks. One mechanism that has been devised for protecting a disk drive 100 from being damaged involves using shock absorbers 104, such as springs or dampening material, to couple the disk drive 100 to the enclosure 102 surrounding the disk drive.
However, once the disk drive 100 supported within the enclosure 102 is installed, the shock absorbers can reduce the disk drive 100's performance. For example, when read or write operations are being performed, the arm 104 moves back and forth over the platter 106 of the disk drive 100 resulting in a certain amount of vibration with in the disk drive 100. In this case, the shock absorbers can accentuate the vibration thus increasing the amount of time the arm 104 needs for seeking the requested data from the platter 106. The shock absorbers can amplify the environmental vibration around its fundamental frequency range (such as 300 Hz to 400 Hz). If there is a strong environmental vibration in this frequency range, the shock absorber can degrade the drive performance, for example.
For these and other reasons, there is a need for an apparatus that minimize the possibility of damage to the disk drive while the disk drive is being transported or being installed but at the same time does not reduce the disk drive's performance.
Embodiments of the present invention pertain to a disk drive coupling apparatus for rigidly coupling a disk drive to a chassis of a computer. In one embodiment, the disk drive coupling apparatus includes a disk drive to chassis coupler and a disk drive to chassis coupler engaging mechanism. One end of the disk drive to chassis coupler can be coupled to the chassis of the computer. The disk drive to chassis coupler engaging mechanism is capable of causing the other end of the disk drive to chassis coupler to apply pressure to the disk drive, thus, the disk drive can be rigidly coupled to the chassis.
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention:
The drawings referred to in this description should not be understood as being drawn to scale except if specifically noted.
Reference will now be made in detail to various embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. While the invention will be described in conjunction with these embodiments, it will be understood that they are not intended to limit the invention to these embodiments. On the contrary, the invention is intended to cover alternatives, modifications and equivalents, which may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. Furthermore, in the following description of the present invention, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. In other instances, well-known methods, procedures, components, and circuits have not been described in detail as not to unnecessarily obscure aspects of the present invention.
The following discussion will begin with a description of the physical structures of disk drive coupling apparatuses for rigidly coupling a disk drive to a chassis of a computer, according to embodiments of the present invention. This discussion will then be followed with a description of a method of manufacturing disk drive coupling apparatuses and a method of using disk drive coupling apparatuses for rigidly coupling a disk drive to a chassis of a computer, according to embodiments of the present invention
In the embodiment shown, each arm 725 has extending from it at least one cantilevered head gimbal assembly (HGA) 727 comprised of a mountplate, loadbeam, hinge, flexure, slider 729 and wiring to connect to the read/write transducer on the slider. A magnetic read/write transducer or head is mounted on a slider 729 and the slider is secured usually by bonding to a flexure that is flexibly mounted to the loadbeam of HGA 727. The read/write heads magnetically read data from and/or magnetically write data to platter 715.
The loadbeam and hinge of HGA 727 has a spring-like quality, which biases or presses the air-bearing surface of the slider 729 against the platter 715 to cause the slider 729 to fly at a precise distance from the disk. A voice coil 733, free to move within a conventional voice coil motor magnet assembly 734 (top pole not shown), is also mounted to arms 725 opposite the head gimbal assemblies. Movement of the actuator 721 (indicated by arrow 735) by controller 719 causes the head gimbal assemblies to move along radial arcs across tracks on the platter 715 until the heads settle on their set target tracks. The head gimbal assemblies operate in a conventional manner and always move in unison with one another, unless file 200 uses multiple independent actuators (not shown) wherein the arms can move independently of one another.
The chassis 314, according to one embodiment, is the chassis 314 of a computer. The chassis 314 can be the housing of a redundant array of independent devices (RAID), according to another embodiment. The top plate 312A and the bottom plate 312B can be a part of the chassis 314.
According to one embodiment, the disk drive enclosure 202 has holes 208. For example,
According to one embodiment, the enclosure 202 is not required. For example,
Referring to
The disk drive to chassis couplers 310, 410, 810, 850, 860 can be an integral part of, among other things, the chassis 314, the disk drive 200, etc. For example, one end 838 of a coupler 310, 410, 810, 850, 860 can be coupled to the chassis 314 and the engaging mechanism can cause the other end 840 of the coupler 310, 410, 810, 850, 860 to apply pressure to the disk drive 200.
A disk drive to chassis coupler 310, 410, 810, 850, 860 can be used as a heat sink that transfers heat away from the disk drive 200. For example, a coupler 310 can be made of a thermally conductive material, such as metal.
The disk drive to chassis coupler engaging mechanism can be used to cause the end 840 of a disk drive to chassis coupler 310, 410, 810, 850, 860 to apply pressure to a disk drive 200. For example, the engaging mechanism can cause disk drive to chassis couplers 310, 410, 810, 850, 860 to be pressed (e.g., squeezed), for example in a vertical direction, at end 840 against disk drive 200. How rigidly the disk drive 200 is coupled to the chassis 314 can be controlled, at least in part, by the amount of pressure that the engaging mechanism causes the disk drive to chassis couplers 310, 410, 810, 850, 860 to apply to the disk drive 200 at the end 840 of the coupler 310, 410, 810, 850, 860, for example. A constraint 416 (
According to one embodiment, the disk drive to chassis coupler engaging mechanism can be engaged or disengaged using mechanical, electrical, and/or magnetic mechanisms, or any combination thereof. For example, while a computer that includes a disk drive 200 is performing read and/or write operations, the disk drive to chassis coupler engaging mechanism can be engaged, thus, rigidly coupling the disk drive 200 to the chassis 314 of the computer. In so doing, the vibrations resulting from the arm moving or vibrations from environment that is usually amplified by shock absorber 204 in the certain frequency range will not interfere with the disk drive 200's performance, as already described herein. Other times when the engaging mechanism can be engaged include, but are not limited to, when the disk drive 200 is inserted into a computer and when the computer is powered on. However, in situations when it may be advantageous to use the shock absorbers 204 to protect the disk drive 200 from damage, for example, while a computer is being transported or handled outside of a computer, the disk drive to chassis coupler 310 could be disengaged, thus, the shock absorbers 204 can absorb shocks that result from the computer being moved around. Times when the engaging mechanism can be disengaged include, but are not limited to, when the disk drive 200 is outside of a computer, when the computer is off, when the computer is not performing read and/or write operations, when the read/write head is not on the rotating platter 715, or when a button or a lever is pressed, for example.
The disk drive to chassis engaging mechanism can be integral with any one or more parts associated with the computer, such as the disk drive 200, the chassis 314, etc. For example, mechanical, electrical, and/or magnetic mechanisms that are a part of the engaging mechanism can be an integral part of the computer. More specifically, in a first example, pressing a button or a lever can cause electrical and/or mechanical parts, among other things, that are a part of the computer to engage or disengage the disk drive to chassis engaging mechanism. In a second example, a pin can be associated with the chassis 314 of the computer. The disk drive 200 can trigger the pin, for example, when the disk drive 200 is associated with the chassis 314, for example, by inserting or removing the disk drive 200 into the computer. In a third example, the disk drive to chassis engaging mechanism can be an electrical mechanism that is triggered when the computer is turned on or off, or when a read or write operation is performed, or the read/write head is on or out of the rotating platter 715, or when a button or lever is pressed. In a fourth example, a computer can include a magnetic mechanism that detects the presence or the absence of the disk drive 200 in the computer.
According to one embodiment, a single action can trigger the engaging mechanism to cause a disk drive to chassis coupler 310, 410, 810, 850, 860 be to rigidly couple (e.g., engage) the disk drive 200 to the chassis 314. Examples of a single action in this case include, but are not limited to, pushing a button, pressing a lever, inserting the disk drive 200 into the computer, detecting a read and/or write operation, detecting the read/write head is on the rotating platter 715, turning the computer on. A mechanical, an electrical, and/or a magnetic mechanism, among other things, can be used for detecting the single action.
According to one embodiment, a single action can trigger the engaging mechanism to discontinue rigidly couple (e.g., disengaging) the disk drive 200 to the chassis 314. Examples of a single action in this case include, but are not limited to, pushing a button, pressing a lever, removing the disk drive 200 from the computer, detecting that the disk drive 200 has stopped reading and/or writing operations, detecting that the read/write head is not on the rotating platter 715, turning the computer off. A mechanical, an electrical, and/or a magnetic mechanism, among other things, can be used for detecting the single action.
Referring to
Referring to
In step 910, a disk drive to chassis coupler is formed where a first end of the disk drive to chassis coupler is capable of being coupled to the chassis, according to one embodiment. For example, one end 838 of a disk drive to chassis coupler 310, 410, 810, 850, 860 (also known as a “coupling means”) is capable of being coupled to a chassis 314 of a computer. For example, when the disk drive 200 is inserted into the computer, the end 838 of a disk drive to chassis coupler 310 can be coupled to the chassis 314. Additionally, any method of coupling, such as bolting, welding, riveting, screwing, groove and joint, clamping, etc., can be used to couple the end 838 of a disk drive to chassis coupler 310, 410, 810, 850, 860 to the chassis 314.
Referring to
According to one embodiment, a disk drive to chassis coupler 850, 860 can have a special shape to enable the disk drive to chassis coupler 850, 860 to have a strong non-linear property (e.g., enables the disk drive to chassis coupler to become stiff when it is squeezed to various degrees), as will become more evident. For example, disk drive to chassis couplers 850, 860 have holes 852, 862 respectively. The couplers 850, 860 can be made of a pliable material. Examples of pliable materials include, but are not limited to, gels, foams, rubbers, dampening materials, and springs.
Referring to
In step 920, a disk drive to chassis coupler engaging mechanism is created that is capable of causing a second end of the disk drive to chassis coupler to apply pressure to the disk drive so that the disk drive is rigidly coupled to the chassis, according to one embodiment. For example, a disk drive to chassis coupler engaging mechanism can be created so that it can cause the end 840 of a disk drive to chassis coupler 310, 410, 810, 850, 860 to apply pressure to a disk drive 200. For example, the engaging mechanism can be created to cause disk drive to chassis couplers 310, 410, 810, 850, 860 to be pressed (e.g., squeezed), for example in a vertical direction, at end 840 against a disk drive 200. How rigidly the disk drive 200 is coupled to the chassis 314 can be controlled, at least in part, by the amount of pressure that the engaging mechanism causes the disk drive to chassis couplers 310, 410, 810, 850, 860 to apply to the disk drive 200 at the end 840, for example. The degree of how rigidly a disk drive to chassis engaging mechanism couples a disk drive 200 to a chassis 314 can be controlled, for example, by the stiffness of the spring (
According to one embodiment, the disk drive to chassis coupler engaging mechanism can be engaged or disengaged using mechanical, electrical, and/or magnetic mechanisms, or any combination thereof, as already described herein. The disk drive to chassis engaging mechanism can be integral with any one or more parts associated with the computer, such as the disk drive 200, the chassis 314, etc., as described herein.
The shutter 518 can cover the holes 208 (as depicted in
In step 1010, a disk drive is coupled with the computer, according to an embodiment. For example, a disk drive 200 can be inserted into the computer from one end (
The end 838 of a disk drive to chassis coupler 310, 410, 810, 850, 860 is capable of being coupled to a chassis 314 of a computer, according to one embodiment. For example, when the disk drive 200 is inserted into one end 632 (
The shutter 518 can be moved backwards, for example by inserting the disk drive 200 into the computer, thus, uncovering the holes 208. The holes 208 can be uncovered, for example, when the edges 634 of the guide rails 628 come into contact with the shutter guides 526 which causes the shutter 518 to be moved backwards, thus, uncovering the holes 208. The system connector 630 can connect the disk drive 200 to the computer at the other end, for example, by connecting to a shock absorber 204. The uncovered holes 208 can be used for dissipating heat caused, for example, by the operation of the disk drive 200.
In step 1020, a disk drive to chassis coupler engaging mechanism is used to cause a second end of a disk drive to chassis coupler to apply pressure to the disk drive so that the disk drive is rigidly coupled to the chassis. For example, according to one embodiment, a single action can trigger the engaging mechanism to cause a disk drive to chassis coupler 310, 410, 810, 850, 860 to begin rigidly coupling (e.g., engaging) the disk drive 200 to the chassis 314. Examples of a single action in this case include, but are not limited to, pushing a button, pressing a lever, inserting the disk drive 200 into the computer, detecting a read and/or write operation, detecting the read/write head on the rotating platter, turning the computer on. A mechanical, an electrical, and/or a magnetic mechanism, among other things, or any combination thereof, can be used for detecting the single action.
According to one embodiment, a single action can trigger the engaging mechanism to discontinue rigidly couple (e.g., disengaging) the disk drive 200 to the chassis 314. Examples of a single action in this case include, but are not limited to, pushing a button, pressing a lever, removing the disk drive 200 from the computer, detecting that the disk drive 200 has stopped a read and/or write operation, detecting that the read/write head is not on the rotating platter, turning the computer off. A mechanical, an electrical, and/or a magnetic mechanism, among other things, or any combination thereof, can be used for detecting the single action.
Referring to
Further, in the case of a disk drive to chassis coupler 410 that includes a constraint 416 made of relatively rigid material and surrounded by relatively pliable material (as depicted in
When the disk drive to chassis couplers 310, 410, 810, 850, 860 come into contact with the disk drive 200, they can be used as heat sinks, for example, by transferring heat away from the disk drive 200.
Although many of the embodiments have been described with one end 838 being coupled to the chassis 314 and an engaging mechanism causing the other end 840 to apply pressure to the disk drive 200, instead embodiments of the invention could instead have end 840 being coupled to the disk drive 200 and the engaging mechanism causing the other end 838 to apply pressure to the chassis 314.
Although many of the embodiments have been described with end 838 being capable of being coupled to a chassis 314 and end 840 as being pressed against a disk drive 200, according to embodiments of the present invention, either end 838 or end 840 can be a first end that is capable of being coupled to either the chassis 314 or the disk drive 200. Similarly, either end 838 or end 840 can be a second end that is capable of being pressed against to either the chassis or the disk drive 200.
