Enhanced airflow conditioning system for removable data storage cartridge
View Patent ↗A removable storage cartridge includes an air transport unit for processing airflow while the cartridge is installed in a disk drive, with the air transport unit recirculating air without interfering with the rotation of a storage disk in the cartridge or interfering with the movement of a read/write head actuator into close proximity with the storage medium on the disk.
1. A data storage apparatus comprising:
a drive with an actuator carrying a head for reading or writing data from a storage medium and a storage medium rotator for rotating a storage medium;
a removable cartridge containing the storage medium, the removable cartridge having an access path to allow the head of the actuator to be moved back and forth into proximity with the storage medium while the storage medium is rotated by the storage medium rotator when the removable cartridge is mounted in the drive,
where rotation of the storage medium by the rotator induces an air flow over the storage medium,
where the location of the actuator in the air flow creates a high pressure zone in an upstream direction from the actuator and a low pressure zone in a downstream direction from the actuator,
an induction vent disposed in the high pressure zone,
an exhaust vent disposed in the low pressure zone,
a passage extending between the induction vent and the exhaust vent, and
an air processing unit disposed in the passage such that air passing through the passage between the induction vent and the exhaust vent is processed by the air processing unit.
2. A data storage apparatus comprising:
a drive with an actuator carrying a head for reading or writing data from a storage medium and storage medium rotator for rotating the storage medium:
a removable cartridge having
a circular storage media with a center, a periphery, and a data storage surface; and
a housing,
the housing structured to provide an access path to allow the head of the actuator to be moved back and forth into proximity with the data storage surface of the media and allow the storage medium to be rotated by the storage medium rotator around the center when the removable cartridge is mounted in the drive,
the housing having a housing wall that is generally parallel to the data storage surface,
where the rotation of the storage medium induces an air flow over the data storage surface;
where the location of the actuator in the air flow creates a high pressure zone in an upstream direction from the actuator and a low pressure zone in a downstream direction from the actuator;
an air processing unit located across the air flow in at least part of the region between the center and the periphery of the rotating medium and between the data storage surface of the medium and the parallel housing wall.
3. A data storage apparatus as in claim 2 wherein the air processing unit extends between a location near the center and a location adjacent the periphery of the rotating medium and extends between a location adjacent to the data storage surface of the medium and a location adjacent to the cartridge wall.
4. A data storage apparatus as in claim 2 wherein the air processing unit is structured with a leading edge directed in the direction into the air flow at the location adjacent the surface of the medium.
5. A data storage apparatus as in claim 2 wherein the air processing unit is angled relative to the air flow to increase particle capturing surface area that is extending across the air flow.