Western Digital Technologies, Inc.

Maxtor Corporation

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

Shuo-Hao Chen

Lin Yang

Jin Hui Ou-Yang

Chiao-Ping (Roger) Ku

Jen-Tai Lin

Raffi Codilian

Robert J McNab

Keung Youn Cho

Carl Xiaodong Che

James Harold Bodmer

Shan-Shuong Chiou

Shane Walker

Soo-Youl Hong

Jim Bodmer

A method for erasing a disk of a hard disk drive. The method includes moving the hard disk drive adjacent to an erasure head that emanates a magnetic field. The magnetic field and moving hard disk drive cause a disk of the hard disk drive to spin under a Lorentz force created by the magnetic field and moving disk. The magnetic field is applied by the erasure head for a duration that causes erasure of the entire disk. The spindle motor is not activated during the entire process. Not activating the spindle motor eliminates any Faraday coupling from the erasure head into the motor.

Self-spinning disk bulk erasure for hard disk assembly

A spindle motor includes a shaft defining a longitudinal axis, a hub, a bearing assembly disposed between the hub and the shaft for allowing the hub to rotate, and a stator. The stator includes an inner diameter, an outer diameter, a stator tooth having a distal end, and a coil wound around the stator tooth. The stator tooth has a lower surface extending between the coil and the distal end of the stator tooth. The spindle motor includes a stator support structure supporting one of the inner and outer diameters, the stator support structure having an upper surface facing the lower surface, wherein at least one of the upper surface of the stator support structure and the lower surface of the stator tooth defines a cavity.

Disk drive spindle motor having a cavity defined by one of an upper surface of a stator support structure and a lower surface of a stator tooth

A disk drive includes a disk drive base, a disk, and a head stack assembly rotatably coupled to the base adjacent the disk surface of the disk. The disk drive includes an airflow channeling enclosure. The enclosure includes an airflow inlet disposed downstream of the head stack assembly and configured to receive the disk rotation induced airflow therethrough. The enclosure further includes an airflow channel extending along the disk surface from the airflow inlet. The enclosure further includes an outer wall extending along the disk surface from the airflow inlet and defining the airflow channel radially interior to the outer wall. The enclosure further includes an airflow outlet disposed upstream of the head stack assembly extending from the outer wall and the channel opposite the airflow inlet for modifying the disk rotation induced airflow passing from the channel.

Disk drive with airflow channeling enclosure

A disk drive including a disk drive base, a disk coupled to the disk drive base, and a head stack assembly coupled to the disk drive base. The disk drive further includes an airflow diverter filter component disposed upstream of the head stack assembly with respect to disk rotation induced airflow for modifying the disk rotation induced airflow adjacent the head stack assembly. The filter component includes a first filter element disposed adjacent the disk surface, a second filter element disposed between the first filter element and the head stack assembly, and a third filter element having a porosity finer than the first and second filter elements. The third filter element is generally radially further than the second filter element from the axis of rotation. The disk rotation induced airflow generally enters the filter component through the first filter element and exits through the second and third filter elements.

Disk drive with airflow diverter filter component

A disk drive spindle air bearing includes an air bearing gap between a pair of air bearing surfaces that varies as a function of radial distance from an axis of rotation. This non-uniform air bearing gap effectively minimizes contact between the air bearing surfaces of the bearing when the disk drive hub is at rest or spinning below a threshold speed. This reduced contact significantly reduces the stiction forces that must be overcome during disk drive spin up operations and also reduces the generation of wear particles within the bearing. Air bearing surface shaping techniques are provided for achieving the non-uniform gap dimension, including techniques involving crowned, stepped, and sloped surfaces. In an alternative approach, sacrificial plating is employed to achieve a non-uniform gap dimension within the air bearing.

Disk drive spindle air bearing with features to improve start-stop performance

A disk drive spindle air bearing is disclosed having increased bearing stiffness, while being capable of manufacture using conventional tolerances. The invention therefore allows the construction of a disk drive spindle bearing without the need for oil or grease that may potentially contaminate the storage disks. The disclosed disk drive spindle air bearing also provides an air bearing having low acoustical noise and power consumption characteristics.

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Cupertino, CA, United States of America

Shuo-Hao Chen