Patent · US Expired

Disc drive servo track writer gas leak detector and method

US6819517B2 · kind B2 · utility

26Cited by
10References
20Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMay 20, 2002
Grant dateNov 16, 2004
Priority date
Expiry dateApr 9, 2023

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG11B33/1486
  • WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A method of detecting a leak of low-density gas from an enclosure containing a rotating storage disc includes monitoring a signal which varies in response to variations in the concentration of the low-density gas in the enclosure. Additional quantities of the low-density gas are added to the enclosure when the monitored signal indicates that the concentration has dropped below a predetermined level. Monitoring the concentration of the low-density gas may include monitoring actual concentration levels of the gas using a pressure sensor located within the enclosure or monitoring disc mode vibration amplitudes using an accelerometer attached to the enclosure. Indirect monitoring of the vibration amplitudes may also be accomplished using sensors such as a laser Doppler vibrometer, a capacitance probe or the servo head position feedback circuitry found within a disc drive or a dedicated servo track writer.

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