Abstract: A method to test for leakage of an enclosure of a hermetically sealed disk drive is disclosed. The method includes filling the disk drive enclosure with a gas mixture that includes a tracer gas. The tracer gas may comprise helium gas or hydrogen gas, and constitute between 1% and 10% of the gas mixture. The method includes hermetically sealing the disk drive enclosure. The method also includes testing for the presence of the tracer gas outside of the disk drive enclosure.

Abstract: A novel hermetically sealed disk drive comprises a disk drive enclosure that includes a disk drive base with a bottom face, four side faces, and a top cover. The disk drive also comprises a peripheral foil seal overlapping each of the four side faces and having a first opening therethrough that overlies the upper surface of the top cover. The peripheral foil seal conforms to the disk drive enclosure and is adhered to the top face and to each of the four side faces by a first continuous adhesive layer. The hermetically sealed disk drive also includes a central metal cap completely covering the first opening and being adhered to the upper surface of the top cover through the first opening by a second continuous adhesive layer. The central metal cap is thicker than the continuous metal foil, and the disk drive enclosure is helium-filled.

Abstract: A disk drive includes a disk drive enclosure and a disk rotatably mounted to and within the disk drive enclosure. A desiccant canister is in fluid communication with the disk drive enclosure. The desiccant canister includes a canister housing and a desiccant material within the canister housing. The desiccant canister includes a water absorption restriction that limits a steady-state hourly water absorption rate of the desiccant to not exceed 2% of the desiccant's total capacity for water absorption.

Abstract: A disk drive includes a disk drive enclosure having a canister opening, and a disk rotably mounted to and within the disk drive enclosure. A canister containing a desiccant or adsorptive material is removably externally fixed within the canister opening. An external surface of the canister is external to and facing away from the enclosure. A hermetic seal covers the external surface of the canister and is externally adhered to the disk drive enclosure.

Abstract: A novel hermetically sealed disk drive comprises a disk drive enclosure that includes a disk drive base with a bottom face, four side faces, and a top cover. The disk drive also comprises a peripheral foil seal overlapping each of the four side faces and having a first opening therethrough that overlies the upper surface of the top cover. The peripheral foil seal conforms to the disk drive enclosure and is adhered to the top face and to each of the four side faces by a first continuous adhesive layer. The hermetically sealed disk drive also includes a central metal cap completely covering the first opening and being adhered to the upper surface of the top cover through the first opening by a second continuous adhesive layer. The central metal cap is thicker than the continuous metal foil, and the disk drive enclosure is helium-filled.

Abstract: Systems and methods for providing adsorptive surface coatings on internal components of a storage drive to adsorb contaminants are provided. One such system relates to a storage device including a magnetic media configured to store information, a head configured to read information from the media and to write information to the media, and at least one internal component selected from the group consisting of an internal surface of a housing of the storage device, a recirculation filter, an anti-disk, an actuator arm for moving the head, and a voice coil motor, where a contaminant adsorptive coating is disposed on a portion of the at least one internal component, where the contaminant adsorptive coating is configured to bond with preselected contaminants.

Abstract: A disk drive includes an enclosure that has a breather port therethrough. A first labyrinth path may be disposed inside the disk drive enclosure, in fluid connection with the breather port. A second labyrinth path may be temporarily disposed outside the disk drive enclosure, in fluid connection with the breather port. An alternative gas such as helium may be allowed to bleed out through the second labyrinth path during a period of servo track writing. The second labyrinth path may be removed after servo track writing.

Abstract: A faucet includes a body with a first fluid inlet, a second fluid inlet, an outlet and a neck portion with a central cavity defined therein, a mixing chamber positioned within the central cavity of the neck portion of the body, a timing mechanism coupled to the mixing chamber and an operating handle coupled to the timing mechanism that is movable along a longitudinal axis from a closed position to an open position. The mixing chamber is rotatable about the longitudinal axis and includes a first inlet port and a second inlet port in fluid communication with the first and second fluid inlets of the body, respectively, and an outlet port in fluid communication with the outlet of the body.

Abstract: A vandal resistant adjustable metered handle assembly for a faucet is disclosed. The handle assembly includes a body having a base adapted for attachment to a sink and a sidewall extending in an upward direction with respect to the base. The base is attached to a push button handle via a stem. A spring is associated with the body and the push button handle for metering an amount of water emitting from the faucet and a sleeve is positioned between the body and the push button handle. The sleeve cooperates with the sidewall of the body to adjust the shut-off time of the metered handle assembly. The sleeve may be color-coded to indicate water temperature. The handle assembly can be made vandal resistant by adhesively securing various components together and providing an unconventional attachment member for securing the handle assembly to a sink.

Abstract: A method to at least temporarily replace air with an alternative gas in a first disk drive having a breather filter port is disclosed. A first disk drive is placed in a chamber, which is then evacuated to establish a sub-ambient chamber air pressure. Air bleeds out of the first disk drive through its breather filter port during a first period, until an internal pressure within the first disk drive reaches a reduced internal air pressure that is less than one third the first disk drive's initial internal air pressure. The chamber is then filled with the alternative gas. The alternative gas bleeds into the first disk drive through the breather filter port during a second period, until the internal pressure within the first disk drive reaches a restored internal gas pressure that is in the range 0.5 to 1.25 times the initial internal air pressure.

Abstract: A novel disk drive includes a hermetically sealed helium-filled enclosure that has an opening extending through the disk drive base. A laminated electrical connector is disposed inside the enclosure, spans the opening, and is accessible from outside the disk drive base via the opening. The laminated electrical connector has an adhesive layer that is adhered to the disk drive base continuously around the opening, and that has a hole therethrough that is aligned with the opening. The laminated electrical connector includes electrically conductive traces that are electrically connected to the actuator flex cable, and a first insulative layer that is disposed on the trace layer. The laminated electrical connector has a metal foil sealing layer that continuously spans and completely covers the opening, and that has no holes therethrough that are aligned with the opening. The metal foil sealing layer overlaps the adhesive layer continuously around the opening.

Abstract: A novel disk drive includes a hermetically sealed helium-filled enclosure that has an opening extending through the disk drive base. A laminated electrical connector is disposed inside the enclosure, spans the opening, and is accessible from outside the disk drive base via the opening. The laminated electrical connector has an adhesive layer that is adhered to the disk drive base continuously around the opening, and that has a hole therethrough that is aligned with the opening. The laminated electrical connector includes electrically conductive traces that are electrically connected to the actuator flex cable, and a first insulative layer that is disposed on the trace layer. The laminated electrical connector has a metal foil sealing layer that continuously spans and completely covers the opening, and that has no holes therethrough that are aligned with the opening. The metal foil sealing layer overlaps the adhesive layer continuously around the opening.

Abstract: A novel hermetically sealed disk drive comprises a disk drive enclosure that includes a disk drive base with a bottom face, four side faces, and a top cover, the enclosure having a top face. The hermetically sealed disk drive also comprises a laminated cover seal that includes a continuous metal foil, and a continuous adhesive layer coating the continuous metal foil. The laminated cover seal conforms to the disk drive enclosure and is adhered to the top face and to each of the four side faces by the continuous adhesive layer. The disk drive enclosure is helium-filled. The continuous metal foil of the laminated cover seal overlaps each of the four side faces by at least 5 mm.

Abstract: A disk drive includes an opaque cover secured to a base, where the opaque cover has an opening. A see-through insert, which includes an electrically conductive material, is affixed to the opaque cover over the opening. The electrically conductive material may be a coating applied to the see-through insert which, in one embodiment is a polymer coating having a certain surface resistivity. Alternatively, the coating's ESD-dissipative properties may be due to the presence of sputtered gold, sputtered indium tin oxide or a metal film. The electrically conductive material may alternatively be embedded in the see-through insert.

Abstract: A faucet includes a body with a first fluid inlet, a second fluid inlet, an outlet and a neck portion with a central cavity defined therein, a mixing chamber positioned within the central cavity of the neck portion of the body, a timing mechanism coupled to the mixing chamber and an operating handle coupled to the timing mechanism that is movable along a longitudinal axis from a closed position to an open position. The mixing chamber is rotatable about the longitudinal axis and includes a first inlet port and a second inlet port in fluid communication with the first and second fluid inlets of the body, respectively, and an outlet port in fluid communication with the outlet of the body.

Abstract: A vandal resistant adjustable metered handle assembly for a faucet is disclosed. The handle assembly includes a body having a base adapted for attachment to a sink and a sidewall extending in an upward direction with respect to the base. The base is attached to a push button handle via a stem. A spring is associated with the body and the push button handle for metering an amount of water emitting from the faucet and a sleeve is positioned between the body and the push button handle. The sleeve cooperates with the sidewall of the body to adjust the shut-off time of the metered handle assembly. The sleeve may be color-coded to indicate water temperature. The handle assembly can be made vandal resistant by adhesively securing various components together and providing an unconventional attachment member for securing the handle assembly to a sink.

Abstract: A method to detect helium leakage from a disk drive enclosure is disclosed and claimed. A measurement electrical current is passed through a temperature sensor disposed within the disk drive enclosure. A reference electrical resistance corresponds to a reference temperature of the temperature sensor. A heating electrical current is passed through the temperature sensor. A heated electrical resistance of the temperature sensor, corresponding to a heated temperature of the temperature sensor that exceeds the reference temperature by at least 5° C., is determined. A value that corresponds to a quantity of helium within the disk drive enclosure is determined based on the reference electrical resistance and heated electrical resistance.

Abstract: A disk drive includes a disk drive housing having a breather hole and a separate leak testing hole, both the breather hole and the leak testing hole being formed through the disk drive housing, and a drive sub-component attached to a surface of the disk drive housing so as to form an interface between the sub-component and the surface of the housing. The interface defines an interface outer perimeter and a sealed airflow testing channel in fluid communication only with the leak testing hole to enable a non-destructive detection of leaks at the interface. The airflow testing channel may be disposed within the interface outer perimeter.

Abstract: A spindle motor for use in a disk drive having a rotatable head stack assembly. The spindle motor has a spindle motor hub. The spindle motor further has a magnet radially attached about the spindle motor hub. The spindle motor further has a spindle motor stator. The spindle motor has a stator rim. The spindle motor stator further has a plurality of stator teeth arrayed about and internally extending from the stator rim. The stator teeth are sized to fit about the magnet in operable communication therewith for rotating the spindle motor hub. The stator teeth have laminate layers. The stator teeth have a least one reduced height stator tooth having fewer laminate layers than a remainder of the stator teeth. The reduced height stator tooth is positionable adjacent the head stack assembly for allowing the head stack assembly to pivot over the reduced height stator tooth.