Encapsulated miniature hard disc drive

Abstract

A miniature hard disc drive has a metal base plate, an actuator assembly wherein the actuator assembly comprises a plurality of bearings, a shaft, and a housing; a spindle motor assembly comprising a stator with conductors, a shaft, a plurality of bearings, and a rotor; and a monolithic body of phase change material unitizing the actuator assembly housing and stator to the base plate. Methods of developing and constructing the hard disc drive are also disclosed.

1 . A disk drive, comprising: a molded enclosure including a base, a cover, and a coupling mechanism to couple the base to the cover; a pivot insert molded into the base; a spindle motor including a first portion and a second portion, the first portion of the spindle motor insert molded into the base, the second portion of the spindle motor attached to the first portion to form the spindle motor; a disk mounted to the spindle motor; and a head stack assembly having a coil portion pivotally coupled to the pivot.  
   
   
       2 . The disk drive of  claim 1 , further comprising a base voice coil motor plate insert molded into the base.  
   
   
       3 . The disk drive of  claim 2 , further comprising a cover voice coil motor plate insert molded into the cover, wherein, when the cover is coupled to the base, the coil portion of the head stack assembly is disposed between the cover voice coil motor plate and the base voice coil motor plate.  
   
   
       4 . The disk drive of  claim 1 , wherein, the pivot is a pivot shaft that is insert molded into the base and the head stack assembly is pivotally coupled to the pivot shaft.  
   
   
       5 . The disk drive of  claim 1 , wherein, the pivot is a pivot receptacle that is insert molded into the base, the pivot receptacle to receive a centering pin of the head stack assembly such that when the centering pin is coupled to the pivot receptacle the head stack assembly is pivotally coupled to the base.  
   
   
       6 . The disk drive of  claim 1 , wherein, the first portion of the spindle motor that is insert molded into the base includes a mounting bracket, a stator, and a bearing cartridge.  
   
   
       7 . The disk drive of  claim 6 , wherein, the second portion of the spindle motor attached to the first portion of the spindle motor to form the spindle motor includes a rotating hub and a spindle shaft.  
   
   
       8 . The disk drive of  claim 1 , further comprising a ramp for the head stack assembly molded into the base.  
   
   
       9 . The disk drive of  claim 1 , further comprising a crash stop for the head stack assembly molded into the cover.  
   
   
       10 . The disk drive of  claim 1 , further comprising a crash stop latch molded into the cover.  
   
   
       11 . The disk drive of  claim 1 , wherein, the coupling mechanism includes a hinge.  
   
   
       12 . The disk drive of  claim 11 , wherein, the base, the cover, and the hinge of the molded enclosure are molded together to form a single-piece enclosure.  
   
   
       13 . The disk drive of  claim 11 , wherein, the base, the cover, and the hinge of the molded enclosure are injection molded together.  
   
   
       14 . The disk drive of  claim 1 , wherein the molded enclosure is formed of a plastic material.  
   
   
       15 . The disk drive of  claim 14 , wherein the plastic material includes a non-plastic filler.  
   
   
       16 . The disk drive of  claim 15 , wherein the non-plastic filler includes a metallic material.  
   
   
       17 . The disk drive of  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the base includes a metal.  
   
   
       18 . A disk drive, comprising: a molded enclosure including a base, a cover, and a coupling mechanism to couple the base to the cover, the base including an insert molded mounting skeleton; a pivot attached to the mounting skeleton; a spindle motor including a first portion and a second portion, the first portion of the spindle motor attached to the mounting skeleton, the second portion of the spindle motor mounted to the first portion to form the spindle motor; a disk mounted to the spindle motor; and a head stack assembly having a coil portion pivotally coupled to the pivot.  
   
   
       19 . The disk drive of  claim 18 , further comprising a base voice coil motor plate attached to the mounting skeleton.  
   
   
       20 . The disk drive of  claim 19 , further comprising a cover voice coil motor plate insert molded into the cover, wherein, when the cover is coupled to the base, the coil portion of the head stack assembly is disposed between the cover voice coil motor plate and the base voice coil motor plate.  
   
   
       21 . The disk drive of  claim 18 , wherein, the pivot is a pivot shaft that is attached to the mounting skeleton and the head stack assembly is pivotally coupled to the pivot shaft.  
   
   
       22 . The disk drive of  claim 18 , wherein, the pivot is a pivot receptacle that is attached to the mounting skeleton, the pivot receptacle to receive a centering pin of the head stack assembly such that when the centering pin is coupled to the pivot receptacle the head stack assembly is pivotally coupled to the base.  
   
   
       23 . The disk drive of  claim 18 , wherein, the first portion of the spindle motor that is attached to the mounting skeleton includes a mounting bracket, a stator, and a bearing cartridge.  
   
   
       24 . The disk drive of  claim 23 , wherein, the second portion of the spindle motor mounted to the first portion of the spindle motor to form the spindle motor includes a rotating hub and a spindle shaft.  
   
   
       25 . The disk drive of  claim 18 , further comprising a ramp for the head stack assembly molded into the base.  
   
   
       26 . The disk drive of  claim 18 , further comprising a crash stop for the head stack assembly molded into the cover.  
   
   
       27 . The disk drive of  claim 18 , further comprising a crash stop latch molded into the cover.  
   
   
       28 . The disk drive of  claim 18 , wherein, the coupling mechanism includes a hinge.  
   
   
       29 . The disk drive of  claim 28 , wherein, the base, the cover, and the hinge of the molded enclosure are molded together to form a single-piece enclosure, the base being molded around the mounting skeleton.  
   
   
       30 . The disk drive of  claim 28 , wherein, the base, the cover, and the hinge of the molded enclosure are injection molded together, the base being injected molded around the mounting skeleton.  
   
   
       31 . The disk drive of  claim 18 , wherein, the molded enclosure is formed of a plastic material.  
   
   
       32 . The disk drive of  claim 31 , wherein, the plastic material includes a non-plastic filler.  
   
   
       33 . The disk drive of  claim 18 , wherein, the mounting skeleton includes a metallic material.  
   
   
       34 . The disk drive of  claim 18 , wherein, the mounting skeleton is metal.