Abstract: A method for detecting leakage from a disk drive enclosure includes providing a lubricating composition having a lubricating material and a tag material therein. The tag material has a volatility characteristic that is amenable to analysis. The method includes measuring a concentration of the tag material in the vapor phase. By measuring a concentration of the tag material, a leak rate of the lubricating material can be determined. The lubricating composition may include a perfluoropolyether lubricating material and a halogenated sulfur tag material such as SF6 and/or S2F10.

Abstract: A data storage system is described with a system for controlling the amount of lubricant being dispensed from the reservoir using a feedback loop that includes at least one sensor output for a physical parameter inside device such as temperature, humidity and fly-height. In one embodiment the lubricant reservoir housing is equipped with a movable shutter over an aperture in the lubricant reservoir housing. The area of the aperture through which the lubricant vapor can pass is controlled by moving the shutter. In another embodiment the lubricant reservoir housing is supplied with a lubricant diffusion packet such as an effusion cell or diffusion tube containing liquid lubricant. An energy source for the lubricant diffusion packet allows the temperature of the lubricant and, therefore, its vapor pressure, to be increased when the need for additional lubricant is sensed.

Abstract: A data storage system is described with a system for controlling the amount of lubricant being dispensed from the reservoir using a feedback loop that includes at least one sensor output for a physical parameter inside device such as temperature, humidity and fly-height. In one embodiment the lubricant reservoir housing is equipped with a movable shutter over an aperture in the lubricant reservoir housing. The area of the aperture through which the lubricant vapor can pass is controlled by moving the shutter. In another embodiment the lubricant reservoir housing is supplied with a lubricant diffusion packet such as an effusion cell or diffusion tube containing liquid lubricant. An energy source for the lubricant diffusion packet allows the temperature of the lubricant and, therefore, its vapor pressure, to be increased when the need for additional lubricant is sensed.

Abstract: A lubricating perfluoropolyether (PFPE) composition for lubricating one or more disks in a disk drive system may be formed by providing a first component of PFPE molecules having an aggregate vapor pressure in the range of 1×10−6 to 1×10−11 atm and a second component of PFPE molecules comprising at least 5% of the total number of molecules of the first component, wherein the second component includes an aggregate vapor pressure lower than that of the first component. The first and second components are mixed together to form a homogeneous composition, which may be in the liquid form. The composition may be introduced into a reservoir in a vapor phase lubricant reservoir system in a disk drive enclosure.

Abstract: A device for monitoring lubricant within a disk drive includes a reservoir packet impregnated with lubricant. The reservoir packet is disposed between a first metal screen and a second metal screen such that a lubricant reservoir transducer is created. The capacitance of the lubricant reservoir packet is monitored and when it falls below a predetermined percentage of the initial capacitance, a user is warned to back up the files contained in the disk drive before failure due to lack of lubricant occurs.

Abstract: The present invention is a magnetic disk drive for reading or writing magnetically, comprising: (i) a base plate; (ii) one or more of magnetic disks; (iii) a hub fixedly attached to the disks for supporting the disks; (iv) a motor operable to rotate the hub; (v) one or more of magnetic read/write heads, each associated with the surface of a disk; (vi) an actuator for supporting the heads and moving the heads across the disks; (vii) a support shaft attached to the base plate; and (viii) a load/unload structure for displacing the heads from the disk comprising an elongated body, a base portion fixedly attached to the base plate and a plurality of ramps extending outwardly from the body. The body of the structure is mounted through one or more holes in the body onto the support shaft so that the support shaft extends along the length of the body to support the structure.

Abstract: A method for detecting leakage from a disk drive enclosure includes providing a lubricating composition having a lubricating material and a tag material therein. The tag material has a volatility characteristic that is amenable to analysis. The method includes measuring a concentration of the tag material in the vapor phase. By measuring a concentration of the tag material, a leak rate of the lubricating material can be determined. The lubricating composition may include a perfluoropolyether lubricating material and a halogenated sulfur tag material such as SF6 and/or S2F10.

Abstract: A lubricating perfluoropolyether (PFPE) composition for lubricating one or more disks in a disk drive system may be formed by providing a first component of PFPE molecules having an aggregate vapor pressure in the range of 1×10−6 to 1×10−11 atm and a second component of PFPE molecules comprising at least 5% of the total number of molecules of the first component, wherein the second component includes an aggregate vapor pressure lower than that of the first component. The first and second components are mixed together to form a homogeneous composition, which may be in the liquid form. The composition may be introduced into a reservoir in a vapor phase lubricant reservoir system in a disk drive enclosure.

Abstract: The present invention is a magnetic disk drive for reading or writing magnetically, comprising: (i) a base plate; (ii) one or more of magnetic disks; (iii) a hub fixedly attached to the disks for supporting the disks; (iv) a motor operable to rotate the hub; (v) one or more of magnetic read/write heads, each associated with the surface of a disk; (vi) an actuator for supporting the heads and moving the heads across the disks; (vii) a support shaft attached to the base plate; and (viii) a load/unload structure for displacing the heads from the disk comprising an elongated body, a base portion fixedly attached to the base plate and a plurality of ramps extending outwardly from the body. The body of the structure is mounted through one or more holes in the body onto the support shaft so that the support shaft extends along the length of the body to support the structure.

Abstract: A device for monitoring lubricant within a disk drive includes a reservoir packet impregnated with lubricant. The reservoir packet is disposed between a first metal screen and a second metal screen such that a lubricant reservoir transducer is created. The capacitance of the lubricant reservoir packet is monitored and when it falls below a predetermined percentage of the initial capacitance, a user is warned to back up the files contained in the disk drive before failure due to lack of lubricant occurs.

Abstract: Method, with structure, of production of precision head/disk interfaces for near contact recording in a low viscosity liquid lubricant film. Triangular shaped bearing pads in an assembled hard drive are brought to bear upon a rotating lubricated disk to dislodge, smooth and polish any residing asperity. The triangular shape of the bearing pads sweeps away and directs to the outer edge of the disk any of the remaining fine carbon sputtering debris which is loosened as the bearing pads are drawn from the inner dimension to the outer dimension of the disk.

Abstract: The back edge of a disk drive slider is used to remove debris from disk media by slowly sweeping it from the inner diameter of the disk to the outer diameter of the disk while the disk is rotating backwards from normal. The sweeping operation is completed while the disks are still gaining rotational speed so that liftoff velocity is not achieved. Material accumulated on the back edge of the slider is either dumped at the outer diameter of the disk, or remains on the back edge of the slider as normal operation is commenced.

Abstract: The lubricant film for a near contact magnetic recording device is maintained by a closed loop servo control for a recirculating lubricant supply system. A reservoir closely overlies the disk data surface and includes a heater for controlling the temperature difference between the reservoir and the disk surface. Decreasing the heater current reduces the film thickness and increasing the heater current increases the film thickness. A wick system gathers lubricant from within the disk enclosure, which may have been spun off the disk or condensed from the lubricant laden atmosphere and returns the lubricant by capillary action to the reservoir. Further, the reservoir includes two portions which are independently controllable. The first overlies the data band of the disk and the second overlies the start/stop zone and the head when the latter is not operational and parked at the nonoperating location.

Abstract: A bearing seal assembly for an oscillating actuator, comprises an outer bearing raceway, an inner bearing raceway mounted concentric with the outer raceway, and an annular deformable liquid impermeable membrane having an axial length of not more than one tenth the radius thereof, an inner peripheral edge sealingly secured to the inner bearing raceway, and an outer peripheral edge sealingly secured to the outer raceway for enabling limited relative rotation between the inner raceway and the outer raceway with minimum axial distortion of said membrane. In one embodiment, the membrane is stretched to eliminate surface distortion under torsional stress. Another embodiment illustrates waves molded into the membrane for reducing torsional forces.

Abstract: An integrated head-suspension-wick system having lubrication, including a bearing area at one end that holds a magnetic transducer against the disk. The invention provides wicking grooves in the integrated head-suspension-wick arm. The grooves are shaped to cause capillary forces to pull the lubricant from the supply wick on the arm, along the suspension of the bearing area. This ensures that the disk area under the head will not go dry regardless of storage duration or conditions. When the disk is running, the wick continues to conduct lubricant to the disk surface.

Abstract: A lubricant reservoir system for a magnetic disk near contact data storage device, which rotates in unison with the disk assembly to replace lubricant depleted from the disk surface over the life of the device, includes reservoir chambers in disk spacers with lubricant metering provided by restricted passages or textured surfaces extending radially outward from the reservoir chamber while replacement air passages extend radially inward to replace dispensed lubricant. The metered lubricant is delivered to the disk surface at a location where the surface confronting the disk is made compliant with the disk surface and the adjoining surface is beveled to form an angle of more than 90 degrees with the disk surface thereby preventing migration of lubricant away from the disk. Nonwettable surfaces may be used in metering passages, air passages, and on some beveled surfaces to further control lubricant metering.

Abstract: The back edge of a disk drive slider is used to remove debris from disk media by slowly sweeping it from the inner diameter of the disk to the outer diameter of the disk while the disk is rotating backwards from normal. The sweeping operation is completed while the disks are still gaining rotational speed so that liftoff velocity is not achieved. Material accumulated on the back edge of the slider is either dumped at the outer diameter of the disk, or remains on the back edge of the slider as normal operation is commenced.

Abstract: A thin film magnetic recording disk that has a layer of lubricant bonded thereto is enclosed within a vapor phase lubricant system that operates to continuously apply lubricant vapors to the disk's bonded lubricant layer by operation of Langmuir kinetics. Lubricant vapors are selectively adsorbed on the disk, including regions of the disk where the bonded lubricant is either too thin or is entirely absent, thus minimizing failures that might be caused by such imperfections in the bonded lubricant layer. A reactive perfluoropolyether (PFPE) lubricant containing chemically active functional groups is substantially bonded onto the recording surface of the disk, for example by the application of heat. The mobile residue of this bonded lubricant layer may be left on the disk, to thereafter function as a non-bonded, mobile, lubricant layer covering the surface of the bonded lubricant layer.

Abstract: The lubricant film for a near contact magnetic recording device is maintained by a closed loop servo control for a recirculating lubricant supply system. A reservoir closely overlies the disk data surface and includes a heater for controlling the temperature difference between the reservoir and the disk surface. Decreasing the heater current reduces the film thickness and increasing the heater current increases the film thickness. A wick system gathers lubricant from within the disk enclosure, which may have been spun off the disk or condensed from the lubricant laden atmosphere and returns the lubricant by capillary action to the reservoir. Further, the reservoir includes two portions which are independently controllable. The first overlies the data band of the disk and the second overlies the start/stop zone and the head when the latter is not operational and parked at the nonoperating location.

Abstract: A rotating magnetic storage device is shown wherein the transducer and media are separated during operation by a thin film of low viscosity liquid lubricant that is recirculated from a reservoir within the head-media enclosure. Lubricant recirculation can be effected by capillary action using a wick, mechanical pumping and metering or distillation techniques. As compared to devices using air bearing separation, the transducer carrying slider has very small bearing surfaces which may be in the form of narrow rails or small depending foot elements. This enables fly heights of 2 microinches using a film of one micron thickness.