Xyratex Technology Limited

Seagate Technology Incorporated

Alexander Stephen Kay

David John Orriss

Matthew Roy Hill

Andrew William Atkins

Graham Collins

David Ronald Bain Farquhar

Ian Stanley Warn

Timothy John Muncaster

Simon Yorick Pettman

Andrew J Nineham

Philip Edward Long

There is disclosed an apparatus and method for supporting storage devices during manufacture. The apparatus includes structural members and plural slot carriers received in bays in the apparatus. Each slot carrier carries at least one slot arranged to receive a storage device, wherein the slot carriers are insertable and/or removable from the bays through apertures at the front of the apparatus. Clamp assemblies are arranged to releasably clamp the slot carrier to one or more structural members at the sides of the slot carrier.

Apparatus and method for supporting storage devices during manufacture

There is disclosed apparatus for supporting a disk drive, disk drive test apparatus and a method of testing a disk drive. The apparatus for supporting a disk drive includes: a housing, a slot for receiving a disk drive, and a plurality of isolators. The slot is received in the housing and has a longitudinal axis. The isolators are disposed between the slot and the housing for isolating the slot from the housing. The isolators are arranged with respect to the longitudinal axis such that the slot has a low rotational stiffness in the direction of the longitudinal axis relative to the rotational stiffness in at least one other direction.

Apparatus for supporting a disk drive, disk drive test apparatus and method of testing a disk drive

An apparatus for controlling the temperature of a disk drive during manufacture of the disk drive has a cell having a mounting arrangement to which a disk drive can be mounted and having walls defining a volume in which the disk drive is received when mounted to the mounting arrangement during manufacture of the disk drive. At least one wall of the cell adjacent said volume is heat conductive and is arranged such that a disk drive when received in the volume does not touch said at least one wall. An air-agitating device agitates air between the at least one wall and a disk drive when received in the volume to encourage heat transfer between said at least one wall and a disk drive when inserted into the volume. The air-agitating device is mounted so as to be vibrationally isolated from a said disk drive when mounted in the cell.

Method and apparatus for controlling the temperature of a disk drive during manufacture

Apparatus for supporting a disk drive with a rotating disk about a disk axis and an arm which pivots over the disk about an arm axis. The disk axis and the arm axis are perpendicular to the plane of the disk. The apparatus includes a disk drive carrier having a disk drive receiving portion where disk drive can be received, and a housing in which the carrier can be received. A mounting arrangement is provided for supporting the carrier within the housing such that the center of rotation of the carrier is outside the disk drive receiving portion of the carrier. Additionally, a mounting arrangement is provided for supporting the carrier within the housing, comprising a forced pivot at or towards the opposite end of the disk drive carrier, and about which the carrier is fixed for pivotal movement in the housing.

Apparatus for supporting a disk drive about a rotation centre which is outside a disk drive receiving portion for reducing vibrations and a disk drive test apparatus using same

Apparatus for attaching a disk to a spindle of a spinstand includes a spindle having a fluid pressure port therethrough for delivery of fluid pressure. A spindle adapter is adapted to be attached to the spindle and for holding a disk. The spindle adapter has a piston movable therein to clamp a disk between the piston and an opposing surface in response to fluid pressure applied through the spindle fluid pressure port. A disk can be attached to the spindle by offering the disk up to the spindle adapter, and applying fluid pressure to the spindle fluid pressure port to cause the piston to clamp the disk against the opposing surface. The disk can then be spun up on the spindle.

Apparatus and method for attaching a disk to a spindle of a spinstand

A disk drive support assembly has a clamp arrangement for releasably clamping a disk drive to a massive block. The clamp arrangement may be an inflatable actuator that is operable to clamp the disk drive to the block via a disk drive carrier. Various clamp assemblies for clamping a disk drive to a substrate, such as a disk drive carrier, are also disclosed. A disk drive carrier that can be adapted for use with different types of disk drive is also disclosed. Such disk drives include those that provide for electrical and/or data connections under the disk drive, those that provide for electrical and/or data connections at the rear of the disk drive, and those that have their own so-called product card associated therewith.

Growing community of inventors

Portsmouth, United Kingdom

Alexander Stephen Kay