Method and apparatus controlling dual heat transfers for internal thermal zone of a hard disk drive

Abstract

Method and apparatus (thermal controller) for controlling a thermoelectric device to affect the temperature of an internal thermal zone in a hard disk drive to enable a first heat transfer from an internal heat transfer interface included in a thermal interface to an exterior heat transfer interface thermally coupling to the exterior of said hard disk drive, and applying to enable a second heat transfer from the exterior heat transfer interface to the internal heat transfer interface. The thermoelectric device may include the thermal controller. An external cover may include the thermal controller. The hard disk drive includes the thermal controller directing the thermoelectric device. Systems including at least one of the hard disk drives. Manufacturing these apparatus and these apparatus as products of these processes are part of the invention.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1 to 3 shows controlling the internal thermal zone of a hard disk drive by moving heat into or out of its internal thermal zone;

FIG. 4 shows some of the various aspects of the internal thermal zone of FIGS. 1 to 3;

FIGS. 5 to 8C show various aspects of the external cover with the transfer interface of FIGS. 1 to 3 with regards to the hard disk drive;

FIGS. 9A, 11A and 11E show details of the external cover and/or the thermoelectric device of the previous Figures including a thermal controller;

FIGS. 9B to 10A show various aspects of the thermal controller;

FIGS. 10B, 10C, 11B, 11C, 11D, and 12A to 12F show flowcharts discussing some of the operational aspects of the external cover;

FIGS. 13A to 13I show various aspects of systems using the hard disk drives of the invention; and

FIGS. 14A and 14B show some alternative embodiments of the semiconductor device of the previous Figures;

FIGS. 15A to 17A show further aspects of the thermal controller; and

FIG. 17B show a further aspect of systems using the hard disk drives of the invention.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a thermoelectric device to affect the temperature of an internal thermal zone in a hard disk drive, comprising the steps: applying a first potential difference between an electrical contact pair to enable a first heat transfer from an internal heat transfer interface included in a thermal interface to an exterior heat transfer interface thermally coupling to the exterior of said hard disk drive; wherein said thermal interface is thermally coupled to said internal thermal zone of said hard disk drive; andapplying a second potential difference between said electrical contact pair to enable a second heat transfer from said exterior heat transfer interface to said internal heat transfer interface;wherein the sign of said first potential difference is the opposite of the sign of said second potential difference.

2. The first heat transfer and said second heat transfer, as products of the process of claim 1.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step applying said first potential difference, comprises the step:forcing a driving signal toward said first potential difference between said electrical contact pair; andwherein the step applying said second potential difference, comprises the step:forcing said driving signal toward said second potential difference between said electrical contact pair.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the step applying said first potential difference, further comprises the step:pulse-width-modulating said driving signal toward said first potential difference between said electrical contact pair; andwherein the step applying said second potential difference, further comprises the step:pulse-width-modulating said driving signal toward said second potential difference between said electrical contact pair.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising the step: receiving a temperature measure of said internal thermal zone;wherein step applying said first potential difference, further comprises the step:forcing said driving signal toward said first potential difference between said electrical contact pair, when said temperature measure is above a top operating temperature; andwherein step applying said second potential difference, further comprises the step:forcing said driving signal toward said second potential difference between said electrical contact pair, when said temperature measure is below a lower operating temperature.

6. A thermal controller implementing the method of claim 1, comprising: means for applying said first potential difference between said electrical contact pair to enable said first heat transfer from said internal heat transfer interface to said exterior heat transfer interface; andmeans for applying said second potential difference between said electrical contact pair to enable said second heat transfer from said exterior heat transfer interface to said internal heat transfer interface.

7. The thermal controller of claim 6, wherein said thermal controller receives a temperature measure of said internal thermal zone to create a driving signal; wherein the means for applying said first potential difference, comprises:first means for forcing said driving signal toward said first potential difference between said electrical contact pair, when said temperature measure is above a top operating temperature; andwherein the means for applying said second potential difference, comprises:second means for forcing said driving signal toward said second potential difference between said electrical contact pair, when said temperature measure is below a lower operating temperature.

8. The thermal controller of claim 6, comprising at least one member of the group consisting of: at least one finite state machine generating a digital version of said driving signal;at least one computer generating a second digital version of said driving signal;a neural network generating a third digital version of said driving signal;wherein said computer is accessibly coupled to a memory and directed by a program system including at least one program step residing in said memory;wherein said computer includes at least one instruction processor and at least one data processor; wherein for each of said data processors, said data processor is directed by at least one of said instruction processors.

9. The thermal controller of claim 8, wherein said finite state machine, further comprises: said finite state machine generating said digital version of said driving signal based upon a temperature measure of said internal thermal zone;wherein said computer, further comprises: said computer generating said second of said digital versions of said driving signal based upon said temperature measure; andwherein said neural network, further comprises: said neural network generating said third of said digital versions of said driving signal based upon said temperature measure.

10. The thermal controller of claim 8, wherein said program system includes at least one of the program steps: forcing said second digital version of said driving signal toward said first potential difference; andforcing said second digital version of said driving signal toward said second potential difference.

11. The thermal controller of claim 10, wherein the program step forcing said second digital version of said driving signal toward said first potential difference, further comprises the program step:pulse-width-modulating said second digital version of said driving signal toward said first potential difference; andwherein the program step forcing said second digital version of said driving signal toward said second potential difference, further comprises the program step:pulse-width-modulating said second digital version of said driving signal toward said second potential difference.

12. The thermal controller of claim 9, further comprising: an analog circuit receiving at least one member of the analog input group to create said driving signal;wherein said analog input group, consists of: said temperature measure, said digital version of said driving signal, said second digital version of said driving signal, and said third digital version of said driving signal.

13. The thermal controller of claim 7, further comprising: an analog circuit receiving a temperature measure to create said driving signal, comprising:means for forcing said driving signal toward said first potential difference between said electrical contact pair, when said temperature measure is above said top operating temperature; andmeans for forcing said driving signal toward said second potential difference between said electrical contact pair, when said temperature measure is below said lower operating temperature.

14. The thermal controller of claim 13, wherein said analog circuit, further comprising at least one instance of the group consisting of: a Digital to Analog Converter (DAC);an amplifier; anda voltage switcher.

15. A method of manufacturing said thermal controller of claim 6, comprising at least one step of the group consisting of the steps: providing said means for applying said first potential difference and said means for applying said second potential difference to at least partly create said thermal controller;providing a means for forcing a driving signal toward said first potential difference between said electrical contact pair, when a temperature measure is above a top operating temperature,a means for forcing said driving signal toward said second potential difference between said electrical contact pair, when said temperature measure is below a lower operating temperatureto at least partly create said thermal controller;providing at least one finite state machine generating a digital version of said driving signal to at least partly create said thermal controller;providing at least one computer generating a second digital version of said driving signal to at least partly create said thermal controller;providing a neural network generating a third digital version of said driving signal to at least partly create said thermal controller;wherein said computer is accessibly coupled to a memory and directed by a program system including at least one program step residing in said memory;providing said program system in said memory to at least partly create said thermal controller;providing an analog circuit to at least partly create said thermal controller.wherein said analog circuit receives at least one member of the analog input group to create said driving signal;wherein said analog input group, consists of: said temperature measure, said digital version of said driving signal, said second digital version of said driving signal, and said third digital version of said driving signal.

16. The thermal controller as a product of the process of claim 15.

17. A thermoelectric device electrically coupling through said electrical contact pair to said thermal controller of claim 6 to enable said first heat transfer and said second heat transfer, and comprising: said internal heat transfer interface;said exterior heat transfer interface; andmeans for enabling power from said electrical contact pair for said first thermal transfer and for said second thermal transfer.

18. An external cover for said hard disk drive of claim 6, comprising: said thermal controller providing said driving signal to said electrical contact pair to direct a thermoelectric device in said first heat transfer and in said second heat transfer;wherein said thermoelectric device, comprises: said internal heat transfer interface included in said thermal interface for thermal-coupling to said internal thermal zone; andsaid exterior heat transfer interface for thermal-coupling to said exterior of said hard disk drive.

19. The hard disk drive of claim 6, comprising: said thermal controller providing said driving signal to said electrical contact pair to direct a thermoelectric device in said first heat transfer and in said second heat transfer;wherein said thermoelectric device, comprises: said internal heat transfer interface included in said thermal interface thermal-coupling to said internal thermal zone; andsaid exterior heat transfer interface thermal-coupling to said exterior of said hard disk drive.

20. A system, comprising: at least one of said hard disk drives of claim 19.

21. The system of claim 20, further comprising: a thermal conduit thermal-coupling to said exterior of said hard disk drive.

22. The system of claim 20, wherein said system acts as at least one of a Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks (RAID), a server computer, a desktop computer, and a notebook computer.