Plastic spacer and disk clamp assembly
View Patent ↗An assembly for coupling a disk to a spindle includes an annular spacer ring adapted to engage the disk and an annular clamp. The spacer ring is constructed at least in part of a plastic material. The clamp is constructed of a material having a modulus and stiffness greater than that of the spacer ring.
1. An assembly for coupling a disk to a spindle or for spacing disks apart, comprising:
an annular spacer ring adapted to engage the disk, the spacer ring adapted for forming a substantially continuous annular engagement with the disk, the spacer ring including a plastic material; and
an annular clamp constructed of a material having a Young's modulus greater than that of the spacer ring.
2. An assembly as recited in claim 1 , wherein the disk includes a plastic material.
3. An assembly as recited in claim 1 , wherein the spacer ring has material strengthening elements embedded therein.
4. An assembly as recited in claim 1 , wherein the spacer ring is a unitary structure formed of a single piece of plastic.
5. An assembly as recited in claim 1 , wherein the spacer ring has a density gradient that decreases from a clamp end of the spacer ring to a disk end of the spacer ring.
6. An assembly as recited in claim 1 , wherein at least one of the clamp and spacer ring has protrusions extending therefrom for mating with the other piece.
7. An assembly as recited in claim 6 , wherein the protrusions taper to a point.
8. An assembly as recited in claim 6 , wherein the protrusions have a generally rectangular cross section.
9. An assembly as recited in claim 6 , wherein the protrusions taper apart towards free ends thereof.
10. An assembly as recited in claim 6 , wherein the protrusions are elongated and have bulbous portions towards free ends thereof.
11. An assembly as recited in claim 1 , wherein the clamp includes a plastic material.
12. An assembly as recited in claim 1 , wherein the clamp has a hardness at least as hard as a primary material of the disk.
13. An assembly as recited in claim 1 , wherein the spacer ring and clamp are separate pieces.
14. An assembly as recited in claim 1 , wherein the spacer ring and clamp are fixedly coupled together.
15. An assembly as recited in claim 1 , wherein the spacer ring and clamp are coupled together via at least one of mechanical bonding, an adhesive and a coupling at a molecular level.
16. An assembly for coupling a disk to a spindle or for spacing the disk from another disk, wherein the disk includes a plastic material, the assembly comprising:
an annular spacer ring adapted to engage the disk, the spacer ring including a plastic material that directly engages the disk for forming a substantially continuous annular engagement therewith; and
an annular clamp constructed of a material having a Young's modulus greater than that of the spacer ring.
17. An assembly as recited in claim 16 , wherein the spacer ring is a unitary structure formed of a single piece of plastic.
18. An assembly as recited in claim 16 , wherein at least one of the clamp and spacer ring has protrusions extending therefrom for mating with the other piece.
19. An assembly as recited in claim 16 , wherein the clamp includes a plastic material.
20. An assembly as recited in claim 16 , wherein the clamp has a Young's modulus at least as equal to or greater than the primary material of the disk.
21. An assembly as recited in claim 16 , wherein the spacer ring and clamp are separate pieces.
22. An assembly as recited in claim 16 , wherein the spacer ring and clamp are fixedly coupled together.
23. A magnetic storage system, comprising:
magnetic media coupled to a spindle using the assembly of claim 1 ;
at least one head for reading from and writing to the magnetic media, each head having:
a sensor;
a write element coupled to the sensor;
a slider for supporting the head; and
a control unit coupled to the head for controlling operation of the head.
24. A magnetic storage system, comprising:
a magnetic media disk constructed in part of a plastic material;
an annular spacer ring adapted to engage the disk, the spacer ring including a plastic material;
an annular clamp constructed of a material having a Young's modulus greater than that of the spacer ring;
at least one head for reading from and writing to the disk;
a slider for supporting the head; and
a control unit coupled to the head for controlling operation of the head.