Adhesive cover seal for hermetically-sealed data storage device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10170159-B2
Application number	US-201715849598-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 20, 2017
Priority date	Aug 20, 2015
Publication date	Jan 1, 2019
Grant date	Jan 1, 2019

Abstract

A data storage device involves a plurality of continuous sidewalls and corner portions of a tub cover overlapping with and hermetically sealed with a corresponding plurality of sidewalls and corners of an enclosure base using an epoxy adhesive. Base protrusions and/or cover dimples may be used to set a suitable gap between the parts. A robust hermetic seal provides for filling the HDD with a lighter-than-air gas. A tub cover may include pleated corners, and a base may include corners having a constant-radius outer surface and sidewalls having a sloped upper surface, whereby an assembly interference fit between the base and the tub cover is formed by forcing outward each sidewall of the tub cover while forcing inward at least a portion of each corner of the tub cover.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A data storage device comprising:
an enclosure base comprising a plurality of sidewalls and corner portions;
a tub cover comprising continuous sidewalls extending from a top portion and including corner portions, wherein each said sidewall and said corner portion of said tub cover overlaps at least in part with a corresponding said sidewall and a corresponding said corner portion of said base, wherein each said corner portion of said tub cover comprises a pleated corner; and
a hermetic seal among said base and said tub cover, comprising:
an epoxy adhesive at:
an interface of each said sidewall of said tub cover and each said corresponding sidewall of said base, and
an interface of each said corner portion of said tub cover and each said corresponding corner portion of said base.

2. The data storage device of claim 1 , wherein each said sidewall of said base has an outer surface and each said sidewall of said tub cover has an inner surface, and wherein said base comprises a plurality of protrusions extending outward from said outer surface of each said sidewall and positioned to set a particular gap between said inner surface and said outer surface.

3. The data storage device of claim 1 , wherein each said sidewall of said base has an outer surface and each said sidewall of said tub cover has an inner surface, and wherein said tub cover comprises a plurality of dimples extending a distance inward from said inner surface of each said sidewall and positioned to set a particular gap between said inner surface and said outer surface.

4. The data storage device of claim 1 , wherein each said sidewall of said base has an outer surface and each said sidewall of said tub cover has an inner surface, and wherein at least one of said outer and inner surfaces is an abrasive blasted, chemical etched, feature formed, and cut feature formed surface.

5. The data storage device of claim 1 , wherein said tub cover comprises one or more inspection holes through each said sidewall.

6. The data storage device of claim 1 , wherein each said sidewall of said tub cover extends from said top portion at an angle greater than 90 degrees.

7. The data storage device of claim 1 , wherein at least one said sidewall of said base comprises a chamfer at its top.

8. The data storage device of claim 1 , wherein said base comprises a plurality of adhesive filling slots spaced around its perimeter.

9. The data storage device of claim 1 , wherein each said sidewall of said tub cover comprises a sloped section followed by a substantially vertical alignment skirt extending in the direction of a bottom edge, and wherein each said sidewall of said base comprises a chamfer, and wherein said hermetic seal is positioned in an adhesive area where said sloped section of said tub cover and said chamfer of said base mate.

10. The data storage device of claim 9 , wherein said epoxy adhesive is applied to said sloped section of each said sidewall and to each said corner portion of said tub cover as a substantially continuous epoxy bead.

11. The data storage device of claim 1 , wherein each said sidewall of said tub cover is substantially vertical along a majority of its length.

12. The data storage device of claim 11 , wherein each said sidewall of said base comprises an inwardly sloped upper portion corresponding to an area at which each said sidewall of said tub cover overlaps.

13. The data storage device of claim 1 ,
wherein each said sidewall of said tub cover is outwardly sloped at a first angle;
wherein each said sidewall of said base comprises an upper portion that is inwardly sloped at a second angle;
wherein said first angle is less than said second angle, such that an interference fit occurs between a bottom edge of said tub cover and a bottom portion of said upper portion of said base.

14. A method of assembling a data storage device,
the method comprising:
providing an enclosure base comprising a plurality of sidewalls, wherein each said sidewall of said base is interposed between two corner portions;
positioning each of a plurality of continuous sidewalls extending from a top portion of a tub cover and each of a plurality of corner portions of said tub cover to overlap at least in part with a corresponding said sidewall and corresponding said corner portion of said base, wherein each of the plurality of corner portions of said tub cover comprises a pleated corner, wherein said positioning includes forming an interference fit between said base and said tub cover where said corner portions of said base and said tub cover mate; and
applying an epoxy adhesive at an interface of each said sidewall and each said corner portion of said tub cover and each said corresponding sidewall and each said corresponding corner portion of said base to form a hermetic seal among said tub cover and said base.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein positioning includes setting a gap, based on a plurality of protrusions extending outward from an outer surface of each said sidewall of said base, between each said sidewall of said tub cover and said corresponding sidewall of said base.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein positioning includes setting a gap, based on a plurality of dimples extending inward from an inner surface of each said sidewall of said tub cover, between each said sidewall of said tub cover and said corresponding sidewall of said base.

17. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
prior to applying said epoxy adhesive, treating at least one inner surface of said tub cover or one outer surface of said base using one or more surface treatment techniques from a group consisting of abrasive blasting, chemical etching, feature forming, and cut feature forming.

18. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
inspecting said epoxy adhesive through one or more inspection holes through each said sidewall of said tub cover.

19. The method of claim 14 , wherein said base comprises a plurality of adhesive filling slots spaced around its perimeter, and wherein applying said epoxy adhesive includes applying a liquid epoxy via said plurality of adhesive filling slots.

20. The method of claim 14 , wherein each said sidewall of said tub cover comprises a sloped section followed by a substantially vertical alignment skirt extending in a direction of a bottom edge, and wherein each said sidewall of said base comprises a chamfer at its top, and wherein applying includes, prior to said positioning, applying said epoxy adhesive to said sloped section of each said sidewall and to each corner of said tub cover as a substantially continuous epoxy bead such that said hermetic seal is positioned where said sloped section of said tub cover and said chamfer of said base mate.

21. The method of claim 14 , wherein each said sidewall of said tub cover is outwardly sloped at a first angle, and wherein each said sidewall of said base comprises an upper portion that is inwardly sloped at a second angle, and wherein said first angle is less than said second angle, and wherein forming said interference fit includes creating interference between a bottom edge of said tub cover and a bottom portion of said upper portion of said base.

Assignees

• Western Digital Tech Inc

Inventors

• Albrecht Thomas R
• Amin-Shahidi Darya
• Hirano Toshiki
• Price Kirk B

Classifications

• G11B33/022

  Cases · CPC title

• G11B33/1486

  Control/regulation of the pressure, e.g. the pressure inside the housing of a drive · CPC title

• G11B33/1446

  Reducing contamination, e.g. by dust, debris · CPC title

• G11B33/148

  Reducing friction, adhesion, drag · CPC title

• G11B33/1466 Primary

  sealing gaskets, (gasket in general F16J) · CPC title