Disk drive including a disk plate overlapping a disk spacer in a circumferential disk spacer opening
There is provided a disk drive including a disk drive base and a spindle motor hub. The disk drive further includes first and second disks disposed about the spindle motor hub. The disk drive further includes a disk spacer disposed about the spindle motor hub between the first and second disks. The disk spacer includes a circumferential disk spacer opening. The disk drive including a plate body extending between the first and second disks for modifying air flow adjacent the first and second disks during operation of the disk drive, and an inner edge extending from the plate body and disposed towards the hub, the inner edge being disposed within the disk spacer opening overlapping the disk spacer in a direction parallel to the axis of rotation for mitigating against contact between the inner edge and the first and second disks.
1. A disk drive comprising:
a disk drive base;
a spindle motor hub rotatably coupled to the disk drive base and configured to rotate about an axis of rotation;
first and second disks disposed about the spindle motor hub; and
a disk spacer disposed about the spindle motor hub between the first and second disks, the disk spacer including a circumferential disk spacer opening; and
a disk plate coupled to the disk drive base, the disk plate including:
a plate body extending between the first and second disks for modifying air flow adjacent the first and second disks during operation of the disk drive; and
an inner edge extending from the plate body and disposed towards the hub, the inner edge being disposed within the disk spacer opening overlapping the disk spacer in a direction parallel to the axis of rotation for mitigating against contact between the inner edge and the first and second disks.
2. The disk drive of claim 1 wherein the disk spacer includes a disk spacer body, the disk spacer opening is formed in the disk spacer body, the disk spacer opening is groove-shaped.
3. The disk drive of claim 1 wherein the disk spacer includes a disk spacer body and a pair of flanges radially extending from the disk spacer body, the disk spacer opening defined by the disk spacer body and the flanges.
4. The disk drive of claim 1 wherein the disk plate includes an inner section, the inner section extends from the plate body towards the hub, the inner section includes the inner edge.
5. The disk drive of claim 4 wherein the inner section is tapered from the plate body to the inner edge.
6. The disk drive of claim 4 wherein the inner section has a substantially uniform thickness of the inner edge thickness.
7. The disk drive of claim 4 wherein the inner section is step-shaped in relation to the plate body.
8. The disk drive of claim 4 wherein the inner section is formed of a material different than the plate body.
9. The disk drive of claim 8 wherein the inner section is formed of a substantially electrically non-conductive material.
10. The disk drive of claim 1 wherein the disk spacer further includes a disk spacer opening liner disposed within the disk spacer opening, the disk spacer opening liner is formed of a material different than a remainder of the disk spacer.
11. The disk drive of claim 10 wherein the disk spacer opening liner is formed of a substantially electrically non-conductive material.
12. The disk drive of claim 1 wherein the plate body thickness is substantially uniform between the first and second disks.
13. The disk drive of claim 1 wherein the disk plate is a first disk plate, the disk drive further includes a second disk plate, the first disk is disposed between the first and second disk plates.