Hard disk drive
View Patent ↗A hard disk drive is disclosed which is highly reliable against environmental changes. A breather hole is formed in an enclosure which houses therein a magnetic disk and a magnetic head. An opening/closing control mechanism is provided in the breather hole. The opening/closing control mechanism is made up of a valve member for opening and closing the breather hole, a lever which supports the valve member at a fulcrum, a spring which urges the valve member in a closing direction through the lever, and a solenoid which causes the valve member to be displaced in an opening direction against the biasing force of the spring. When the hard disk drive is not operating, the breather hole formed in the enclosure 1 is closed to seal the enclosure hermetically. The breather hole is opened only in an operating condition of the hard disk drive in which the internal temperature of the enclosure rises, thereby minimizing an environmental deterioration in the interior of the enclosure caused by moisture, gases and particles entering from the exterior and preventing a lowering of reliability caused by corrosion of the magnetic disk and the magnetic head.
1. A hard disk drive comprising:
a medium recording information;
a head reading and writing of information with respect to said medium;
a mechanism positioning said head on said medium;
an enclosure housing these components therein;
a hole formed in said enclosure passing air between the interior and the exterior of said enclosure;
a solenoid operated valve capable of maintaining an open state or a closed state without electrical power being supplied thereto; and
a controller controlling opening and closing of said hole in accordance with an operating condition of said medium by supplying electric power to said solenoid operated valve for switching between said open state and said closed state, wherein said open state and said closed state correspond to opening and closing of said hole, respectively.
2. A hard disk drive according to claim 1 , wherein said controller supplies power to said solenoid operated valve for switching from a closed state to an open state when said mechanism rotates said medium, and wherein said controller supplies power generated from counter electromotive force to said solenoid operated valve for switching from an open state to a closed state when said mechanism stops rotating said medium.
3. A hard disk drive according to claim 1 , further comprising a mechanism rotating said medium, wherein said controller closes said hole when said medium stops rotation.
4. A hard disk drive according to claim 1 , wherein said controller opens said hole when the hard disk drive is supplied with electric power.
5. A hard disk drive according to claim 1 , further comprising a mechanism rotating said medium, wherein said controller opens said hole upon rotation of said medium.
6. A hard disk drive according to claim 2 , wherein said controller opens said hole when the hard disk drive is supplied with electric power.
7. A hard disk drive according to claim 3 , wherein said controller opens said hole when the hard disk drive is supplied with electric power.
8. A hard disk drive according to claim 2 , further comprising a mechanism rotating said medium, wherein said controller opens said hole upon rotation of said medium.
9. A hard disk drive according to claim 3 , further comprising mechanism rotating said medium, wherein said controller opens said hole upon rotation of said medium.
10. A hard disk drive comprising:
means for recording information;
means for read and write of information with respect to said recording means;
means positioning said means for read and write on said recording means;
means for housing these means therein;
means for passing air between the inside and outside of said housing means; and
means for controlling a solenoid operated valve to open and close said passing means in accordance with an operating condition of said recording means;
wherein said solenoid operated valve is capable of maintaining an open state or a closed state without electrical power being supplied thereto.
11. A hard disk drive according to claim 10 , further comprising:
means for rotating said recording means, wherein
said controlling means closes said passing means when said recording means stops its rotation.
12. A hard disk drive according to claim 10 , further comprising:
means for rotating said recording means, wherein
said controlling means opens said passing means when said recording means begins rotating.
13. A hard disk drive according to claim 10 , further comprising:
means for rotating said recording means; and
wherein said means for controlling operates by counter electromotive force generated by rotation of said rotating means, when electric power to the hard disk drive is cut off.