Electricity: electrical systems and devices – Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical... – For electronic systems and devices
Reexamination Certificate
2000-07-31
2002-11-26
Schuberg, Darren (Department: 2835)
Electricity: electrical systems and devices
Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical...
For electronic systems and devices
C360S099040, C360S137000, C248S638000, C235S487000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06487071
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A typical data storage system includes a cabinet that holds a configuration of disk drive mechanisms. Each disk drive mechanism generally includes a disk drive capable of storing and retrieving computerized data, and some form of housing or frame for supporting that disk drive within a support structure of the cabinet.
One conventional disk drive mechanism (hereinafter referred to as the “plastic housing disk drive mechanism”) includes a plastic housing, a disk drive, and an interface card. The plastic housing surrounds and supports both the disk drive and the interface card. The plastic housing includes ventilation channels along its vertical sides to allow air to pass over portions of the disk drive in order to cool the disk drive. A support structure for the conventional plastic housing disk drive mechanism typically holds several of such disk drive mechanisms in a two dimensional array (i.e., multiple rows and columns).
FIG. 1
shows another conventional disk drive mechanism
20
(hereinafter referred to as the “metal frame disk drive mechanism
20
”). The metal frame disk drive mechanism
20
includes a chassis
22
, disk drive
24
, and a disk drive connector
26
. The chassis
22
supports both the disk drive
24
and the disk drive connector
26
. The chassis
22
includes a metal frame
28
, a plastic actuator
30
and two compressible disk shaped members
32
-
1
,
32
-
2
(collectively, disk shaped members
32
). The metal frame
28
includes a main section
34
, and a secondary section
36
which is riveted to the main section
34
. Each section
34
,
36
is made of thin galvanized metal, which is stamped and bent to generally conform to the shape of the disk drive
24
. As such, when the disk drive
24
attaches to the chassis
22
, the main section
34
extends along a side of the disk drive
24
in a parallel manner. The plastic actuator
30
fastens to a central area of the main section
34
. The two disk shaped members
32
attach to corners of the secondary section
36
which are farthest from the main section
34
, as shown in FIG.
1
.
A support structure (not shown) for the conventional metal frame disk drive mechanism
20
holds a row of such mechanisms
20
. Multiple support structures can be stacked on top of each other within a cabinet to form a two dimensional array of metal frame disk drive mechanisms
20
(i.e., multiple rows and columns).
When a user installs a conventional metal frame disk drive mechanism
20
into a support structure, the user slides edges
38
of the main section
34
into slots of the support structure, and then actuates the plastic actuator
30
. In response, the disk drive connector
26
engages a corresponding connector of the support structure, and the disk shaped members
32
compress tightly against the support structure to firmly hold the metal frame disk drive mechanism
20
within the support structure.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Unfortunately, there are deficiencies with data storage systems using the above-described conventional disk drive mechanisms. In particular, these mechanisms are susceptible to vibration caused by mechanical component movement (e.g., disk drive head movement) during operation. It has been observed that such vibration can be up to 10 times greater along a vertical plane in which the magnetic platters and the disk drive head move, relative to other directions (e.g., horizontally, side-to-side, etc.). Random seek operations have been determined to provide particularly high vibration (e.g., rotational vibration in the plane of the platter and head movement). Such vibration can prevent the head from positioning itself properly relative to a magnetic platter of the disk drive. As a result, the platter must continue turning to enable the head to re-attempt to properly position itself (e.g., in order to read or write properly), thus lowering performance (e.g., access speeds).
Poor seek times due to disk drive vibration problems are, at least in part, a result of inadequacies in the supporting structure of the disk drive mechanism. For example, in connection with the conventional plastic housing disk drive mechanism, the plastic housing tends to stress and distort based on movement of the disk drive. Such movements (e.g., disk drive vibration due to head movement) are difficult to control using the plastic housing due to low modulus of elasticity in the plastic itself (e.g., uncontrolled energy absorption).
As another example, in connection with the metal frame disk drive mechanism
20
, the metal section
34
in combination with the two disk shaped members
32
attempt to counteract the disk drive vibration. However, such vibration dampening is difficult to achieve due to the different approaches to supporting the disk drive mechanism
20
within the support structure used by the metal frame disk drive mechanism
20
, i.e., a vertical metal section
34
on one side, and rubber disk shaped dampening members
32
on the other side.
Moreover, these conventional disk drive mechanisms have become more susceptible to vibration in recent years due to increases in disk drive rotation speeds (e.g., faster movement of internal mechanism components such as heads moving along magnetic platters spinning at faster rotations per minute or RPMs) and increases in disk drive densities (e.g., no longer using a dedicated platter for location tracking but instead using stripes/spokes to increase storage capacity). When used with conventional disk drive mounting mechanisms, such advances in disk drive technology have reduced the ability of disk drive heads to properly position themselves (i.e., read markings on the magnetic platters), and thus have made disk drives more susceptible to vibration problems.
In contrast to the above-described conventional disk drive mechanisms, the invention is directed to techniques for dampening vibration of a disk drive using a dampening member which is co-planar with a mid-plane of the disk drive, and which has at least a portion extending from a carrier toward a main assembly when the carrier is installed within the main assembly in order to dampen vibration of the disk drive when the disk drive is in operation. The use of the dampening member in this location results in vibration dampening which is superior to conventional disk drive mechanisms. Accordingly, disk drives configured in accordance with the invention provide high performance even in high rotation speed (i.e., high RPM) and high density configurations.
One arrangement of the invention is directed to a data storage system having a main assembly for holding multiple disk drive assemblies, and a disk drive assembly. The disk drive assembly includes a disk drive that stores and retrieves computerized data and a carrier coupled to the disk drive. The carrier supports the disk drive within the main assembly. The disk drive assembly further includes a dampening member coupled to the carrier at a location of the carrier which is co-planar with a mid-plane of the disk drive. At least a portion of the dampening member extends from the carrier toward the main assembly when the carrier is installed within the main assembly in order to dampen vibration of the disk drive when the disk drive is in operation. Since the dampening member is co-planar with the mid-plane of the disk drive, the dampening member dampens vibration along a critical direction providing substantial vibration isolation.
In one arrangement, the disk drive assembly further includes a lever that selectively (i) engages the disk drive assembly with the main assembly, and (ii) disengages the disk drive assembly from the main assembly. In this arrangement, the disk drive assembly further includes hardware which pivotably couples the lever to the carrier, and a dampening bushing which is positioned between the lever and the carrier by the hardware, in order to dampen vibration between the lever and the carrier. Here, the dampening bushing provides additional vibration isolation thus improving disk drive performance.
In one arrangement, the lever op
Noret Ronald
Rienzo Frank
Tata Scot
Chapin & Huang , L.L.C.
Duong Hung Van
EMC Corporation
Huang, Esq. David E.
Schuberg Darren
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