Combined bulk thermal-assister and bulk eraser

1. A combined bulk thermal-assister and bulk eraser for erasing recorded information on a magnetic-recording disk, said combined bulk thermal-assister and bulk eraser comprising:

a bulk thermal-assister, said bulk thermal-assister configured to produce a temperature in a magnetic-recording disk in a hard-disk drive when said hard-disk drive is disposed in said bulk eraser, wherein said temperature is about equal to a second temperature greater than a first temperature of said magnetic-recording disk in said hard-disk drive;

a bulk eraser, said bulk eraser configured to erase recorded information from said magnetic-recording disk at said second temperature in said hard-disk drive;

wherein said second temperature lowers a coercivity of said magnetic-recording disk in said hard-disk drive so that, when recorded information is erased from said magnetic-recording disk in said hard-disk drive at said second temperature, recorded information on said magnetic-recording disk is erased from a second magnetic-recording track in closer proximity to an inside diameter of said magnetic-recording disk than a first magnetic-recording track from which recorded information on said magnetic-recording disk may be erased, if recorded information were erased from said magnetic-recording disk in said hard-disk drive at said first temperature; and

a chiller, said chiller configured to lower a temperature of an enclosure of said hard-disk drive to a third temperature less than said second temperature of said magnetic-recording disk.

2. The combined bulk thermal-assister and bulk eraser of claim 1 , wherein said bulk thermal-assister further comprises at least one thermal-assist means selected from the group consisting of an oven, a heater, a heat lamp, and a hot-air blower.

3. The combined bulk thermal-assister and bulk eraser of claim 1 , wherein said bulk thermal-assister is integrated with said bulk eraser.

4. The combined bulk thermal-assister and bulk eraser of claim 1 , wherein said bulk thermal-assister further comprises a heating station on an assembly line separate from said bulk eraser.

5. The combined bulk thermal-assister and bulk eraser of claim 1 , further comprising a chiller, said chiller configured to lower a temperature of a drive-motor magnet of said hard-disk drive to a fourth temperature less than said second temperature of said magnetic-recording disk.

6. The combined bulk thermal-assister and bulk eraser of claim 1 , wherein said chiller further comprises a chilling station on an assembly line separate from said bulk eraser.

7. The combined bulk thermal-assister and bulk eraser of claim 1 , wherein said chiller is integrated with said bulk eraser.

8. A bulk eraser, for erasing recorded information on a magnetic-recording disk, with thermal-assist means, said bulk eraser with thermal-assist means comprising:

a thermal-assist means, said thermal-assist means for producing a temperature in a magnetic-recording disk in a hard-disk drive when said hard-disk drive is disposed in said bulk eraser, wherein said temperature is about equal to a second temperature at least 20° C. above a first temperature of said magnetic-recording disk in said hard-disk drive;

a bulk eraser, said bulk eraser configured to erase recorded information from said magnetic-recording disk at said second temperature in said hard-disk drive; wherein said first temperature is an ambient temperature of said magnetic-recording disk in said hard-disk drive; and

a chiller, said chiller configured to lower a temperature of an enclosure of said hard-disk drive to a third temperature less than said second temperature of said magnetic-recording disk.

9. The bulk eraser with thermal-assist means of claim 8 , wherein thermal-assist means further comprises a drive motor of said hard-disk drive operated to raise said second temperature above said first temperature of said magnetic-recording disk in said hard-disk drive.

10. The bulk eraser with thermal-assist means of claim 8 , further comprising a chiller, said chiller configured to lower a temperature of a drive-motor magnet of said hard-disk drive to a fourth temperature less than said second temperature of said magnetic-recording disk.

11. The bulk eraser with thermal-assist means of claim 8 , wherein said chiller further comprises a chilling station on an assembly line separate from said bulk eraser.

12. The bulk eraser with thermal-assist means of claim 8 , wherein said chiller is integrated with said bulk eraser.

13. A combined bulk thermal-assister and bulk eraser for erasing recorded information on a magnetic-recording disk, said combined bulk thermal-assister and bulk eraser comprising:

a bulk thermal-assister, said bulk thermal-assister configured to produce a temperature in a magnetic-recording disk in a hard-disk drive when said hard-disk drive is disposed in said bulk eraser, wherein said temperature is about equal to a second temperature greater than a first temperature of said magnetic-recording disk in said hard-disk drive; and

a bulk eraser, said bulk eraser further comprising:

a plurality of magnets; and

a structure magnetically coupled with said plurality of magnets to produce magnetic-flux density in a gap, wherein said gap has a first portion, a second portion and a third portion and wherein two magnets are disposed with opposing polarity across said first portion of said gap;

wherein said plurality of magnets and said structure are configured to produce a magnetic-flux density in said second portion of said gap sufficient to erase recorded information from a portion of at least one magnetic-recording disk at said second temperature in a disk-stack of said hard-disk drive when said hard-disk drive is inserted into said second portion of said gap;

wherein said plurality of magnets and said structure are configured to direct said magnetic-flux density in a substantially radial direction of said portion of said magnetic-recording disk in said hard-disk drive in said second portion of said gap; and

wherein said second temperature lowers a coercivity of said magnetic-recording disk in said hard-disk drive so that, when recorded information is erased from said magnetic-recording disk in said hard-disk drive at said second temperature, recorded information on said magnetic-recording disk is erased from a second magnetic-recording track in closer proximity to an inside diameter of said magnetic-recording disk than a first magnetic-recording track from which recorded information on said magnetic-recording disk may be erased, if recorded information were erased from said magnetic-recording disk in said hard-disk drive at said first temperature; and

a chiller, said chiller configured to lower a temperature of an enclosure of said hard-disk drive to a third temperature less than said second temperature of said magnetic-recording disk.

14. The combined bulk thermal-assister and bulk eraser of claim 13 , wherein said magnetic-flux density produced by said plurality of magnets and said structure is configured to erase recorded information from said magnetic-recording disk disposed in said second portion of said gap without degrading magnetization of a drive-motor magnet in a drive motor disposed in said third portion of said gap.

15. The combined bulk thermal-assister and bulk eraser of claim 13 , wherein said plurality of magnets are configured to produce a magnetic-flux density sufficient to erase recorded information from a portion of at least one magnetic-recording disk containing servo information in a disk-stack of said hard-disk drive.

16. The combined bulk thermal-assister and bulk eraser of claim 13 , wherein said plurality of magnets are configured to produce a magnetic-flux density sufficient to erase recorded data from a portion of at least one magnetic-recording disk containing recorded data in a disk-stack of said hard-disk drive to preserve security of said recorded data.

17. A combined bulk thermal-assister and bulk eraser for erasing recorded information on a magnetic-recording disk, said combined bulk thermal-assister and bulk eraser comprising:

a bulk thermal-assister, said bulk thermal-assister configured to produce a temperature in a magnetic-recording disk in a hard-disk drive when said hard-disk drive is disposed in said bulk eraser, wherein said temperature is about equal to a second temperature greater than a first temperature of said magnetic-recording disk in said hard-disk drive; and

a bulk eraser, said bulk eraser further comprising:

at least three magnets; and

a structure magnetically coupled with said at least three magnets to produce magnetic-flux density in a gap, wherein said gap has a first portion, a second portion and a third portion, wherein a first magnet and a second magnet are disposed with opposing end poles of same polarity across said first portion of said gap;

wherein said at least three magnets and said structure are configured to produce a magnetic-flux density in said second portion of said gap sufficient to erase recorded information from a portion of at least one magnetic-recording disk at said second temperature in a disk-stack of said hard-disk drive when said hard-disk drive is inserted into said second portion of said gap;

wherein said at least three magnets and said structure are configured to direct said magnetic-flux density in a substantially radial direction of said portion of said magnetic-recording disk in said hard-disk drive in said second portion of said gap; and

wherein said second temperature lowers a coercivity of said magnetic-recording disk in said hard-disk drive so that, when recorded information is erased from said magnetic-recording disk in said hard-disk drive at said second temperature, recorded information on said magnetic-recording disk is erased from a second magnetic-recording track in closer proximity to an inside diameter of said magnetic-recording disk than a first magnetic-recording track from which recorded information on said magnetic-recording disk may be erased, if recorded information were erased from said magnetic-recording disk in said hard-disk drive at said first temperature; and

a chiller, said chiller configured to lower a temperature of an enclosure of said hard-disk drive to a third temperature less than said second temperature of said magnetic-recording disk.

18. The combined bulk thermal-assister and bulk eraser of claim 17 , wherein said at least three magnets and said structure are configured to produce said magnetic-flux density such that said magnetic-flux density is applied to a localized portion of said magnetic-recording disk to suppress eddy currents in said magnetic-recording disk of said hard-disk drive.

19. The combined bulk thermal-assister and bulk eraser of claim 17 , wherein said magnetic-flux density produced by said at least three magnets and said structure is configured to erase recorded information from said magnetic-recording disk disposed in said second portion of said gap without degrading magnetization of a drive-motor magnet in a drive motor disposed in said third portion of said gap.

20. The combined bulk thermal-assister and bulk eraser of claim 19 , wherein intensity of a field component of said magnetic-flux density directed along said radial direction in said plane of said magnetic-recording disk produced by said at least three magnets and said structure has a gradient as a function of distance along said radial direction at a transition region between said second portion of said gap and said third portion of said gap such that said gradient allows erasing recorded information from said magnetic-recording disk in close proximity to said drive-motor magnet in said drive motor without degrading magnetization of said drive-motor magnet in said drive motor.