Iomega Corporation

Theodore D Hodapp

Yiping Ma

Ronald F Hales

Wayne Miller

Mark S Thayne

James Wold

A non-woven fabric liner comprising a plurality of bonded fibers is attached to the inner surface of one of the upper and lower shells of a disk cartridge. A main body of the fabric liner lies against the inner surface of the shell and is spaced a predetermined distance from a corresponding surface of the storage media within the cartridge. A region of the fabric liner is subjected to a fuzzing process in which the bonded fibers in that region are loosened to form a region of upstanding fibers that extend from the main body of the liner to the surface of the disk. The upstanding fibers wipe the surface of the disk while the main body of the liner remains spaced from the disk, thereby reducing drag.

Fuzzed fabric liner for a disk cartridge

Method for producing a fuzzed fabric liner for a disk cartridge

A disk cartridge comprises a rotatable disk having upper and lower surfaces and an outer casing for rotatably housing the disk. The casing comprises upper and lower shells that mate to form the casing. Each of the upper and lower shells has an inner surface disposed in facing relation to a respective surface of the disk. The cartridge has a head access opening on its front peripheral edge, and the upper and lower shells have grooves formed therein to provide sufficient space for the magnetic heads of a disk drive to move across the surface of the disk. A non-woven fabric liner comprising a plurality of bonded fibers is attached to the inner surface of one of the upper and lower shells. A main body of the fabric liner lies against the inner surface of the shell and is spaced a predetermined distance from the corresponding surface of the disk. A region of the fabric liner is subjected to a fuzzing process in which the bonded fibers in that region are loosened to form a region of upstanding fibers that extend from the main body of the liner to the surface of the disk. The upstanding fibers wipe the surface of the disk while the main body of the liner remains spaced from the disk thereby reducing drag.

Disk Cartridge with fuzzed liner

A disk drive has a head cleaner which cleans the heads each time the heads are moved from an operating position to a park position. The heads are slidably mounted to move into engagement with a disk when a cartridge containing the disk is inserted into the drive. When the heads are retracted to the park position, a wiper pad is inserted into the gap between the magnetic heads. This removes unwanted particulate matter from the heads.

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Manti, UT, United States of America

Theodore D Hodapp