Magnetic hard disk transportation system and method
US6116416A · kind A · utility
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 12, 1999 |
| Grant date | Sep 12, 2000 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 12, 2019 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01L21/67386
- WIPO fieldSemiconductors
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
The present invention provides a supporting spindle and shipping system for shipping hard magnetic disks from the point of manufacture to the final assembly point where those disks are incorporated into a hard disk drive for computer use. The spindle is designed to be outwardly expanding to capture and hold the hard disks only by the central hole of each disks such that no disk comes into contact with any other disk. The loaded spindle is then inserted into a shipping tube that has end openings and an interior region where the smallest dimension is considerably larger than the diameter of the disks to be housed within the shipping tube. The spindle is supported within the closed shipping tube by the end caps of the shipping tube so that none of the disks on the spindle come into contact with the interior of the shipping tube. The shipping tube can also be formed to have an exterior shape that facilitates stacking of the shipping tubes. The shipping tube and the end pieces are each made of the same material to minimize the possibility of the creation of contamination within the shipping tube during closure and shipment of the loaded tube. Additionally, an air tight fitting can be pr…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.