Patent · US Expired

Disk drive disk stack clamp

US5548457A · kind A · utility

15Cited by
14References
23Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateSep 28, 1994
Grant dateAug 20, 1996
Priority date
Expiry dateSep 28, 2014

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG11B17/038
  • WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A clamp ring for clamping disks to a rotating hub includes a inner diameter leg portion, a cross member portion and a disk contacting portion. A cross sectional view of the clamp ring is N-shaped. The clamp ring is heated so that it thermally expands to a diameter that is larger than the outer diameter of the hub. A thermally expanded clamp ring is placed on the top of the disk stack which has at least one disk. An axial load is placed on the inner diameter leg portion as the clamp ring cools. The inner diameter grips the hub as it cools. The cross member is compressed as the clamp ring cools. The disk contacting portion moves slightly as the clamp ring cools. This movement counteracts the outward movement of the disk contacting portion of the clamp during loading resulting in little tendency to cone the disk. The result is a disk stack clamped without a resulting radial load on the disks.

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