Patent · US Expired

Method and apparatus for lubricating a magnetic disk continuously in a recording file

US4789913A · kind A · utility

42Cited by
1References
39Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateAug 3, 1987
Grant dateDec 6, 1988
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 3, 2007

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG11B33/148
  • WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

In a magnetic disk file having a plurality of disks and a source of organic lubricant mounted within a housing, an air flow stream recirculates within the housing. The vapor pressure of the lubricant source is controlled to provide vapor phase transport of lubricant molecules between the source and the disks' recording surfaces. The lubricant molecules bidirectionally transfer between the air stream and the source, and between the air stream and the surface of the disks, as is needed to maintain a mono-molecular lubricant film, in the range of about 3 to 15 angstroms, on the disks in accordance with the principle of Langmuir kinetics. The disks are rigid disks and their recording surface includes a carbon overcoat. This overcoat has an affinity for the airborne organic lubricant molecules. In a first embodiment, the vapor pressure of the lubricant is controlled by mounting the material at the coolest location within the housing. In a second embodiment, the lubricant is carried as a mono-molecular layer of lubricant on granular carbon particles which have a surface area that is many times greater than the surface area of the disks. In a third embodiment, the vapor pressure is contro…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.