Head-slap mitigation in a data storage device
View Patent ↗A data storage device comprises a housing, a data storage medium within the housing and a head gimbal assembly including a suspension supporting a read/write head. The read/write head is configured to store and retrieve data on the data storage medium. The read/write head is operably positioned between the data storage medium and the housing. The device further includes a head-lift limiter protruding from the housing that limits a movement of the read/write head in a direction that is substantially orthogonal to the data storage medium.
1. A data storage device comprising:
a housing;
a data storage medium within the housing;
a head gimbal assembly including a suspension supporting a read/write head, wherein the read/write head is configured to store and retrieve data on the data storage medium, wherein the read/write head is operably positioned between the data storage medium and the housing; and
a head-lift limiter protruding from the housing that limits a movement of the read/write head in a direction that is substantially orthogonal to the data storage medium.
2. The data storage device of claim 1 , wherein the head-lift limiter is sized to limit the orthogonal movement of the read/write head to no greater than about 1.3 millimeters (0.05 inches).
3. The data storage device of claim 1 , wherein the head-lift limiter is sized to limit the orthogonal movement of the read/write head to no greater than about 0.5 millimeters (0.02 inches).
4. The data storage device of claim 1 , wherein the head-lift limiter has thickness of no greater than about 2.5 millimeters (0.10 inches).
5. The data storage device of claim 1 , wherein the head-lift limiter comprises a polymer.
6. The data storage device of claim 1 , wherein the head-lift limiter comprises a form-in place gasket (FIPG) material.
7. The data storage device of claim 1 , wherein the head-lift limiter and the housing are unitarily constructed of a common material.
8. The data storage device of claim 1 , wherein the head-lift limiter is a first head-lift limiter, the data storage device further comprising a second head-lift limiter, wherein the first and second head-lift limiters operably positioned adjacent respective outermost surfaces of one or more data storage mediums.
9. The data storage device of claim 8 , wherein the first head-lift limiter protrudes from a base member and wherein the second head-lift limiter protrudes from a cover member.
10. The data storage device of claim 8 , wherein the first and second head-lift limiters are sized to limit orthogonal movement relative to the data storage medium of the read/write heads to no greater than about 0.5 millimeters (0.02 inches).
11. The data storage device of claim 1 , wherein the data storage medium is selected from a group consisting of:
a rewriteable medium;
a write-once-read-many (WORM) medium;
a magnetic medium;
a rewriteable magnetic medium;
one or more data storage discs;
one or more magnetic discs; and
one or more rewriteable magnetic data storage discs.
12. A method comprising:
selecting a plurality of head-lift clearance values;
providing a plurality of devices, each of the plurality of devices comprising:
a housing;
a data storage medium within the housing; and
a head gimbal assembly including a suspension supporting a read/write head, wherein the read/write head is operably positioned between the data storage medium and the housing, wherein the head-lift clearance values each correspond to an extent to which the read/write head can be displaced in a direction that is substantially orthogonal to the data storage medium; and
evaluating a mechanical shock performance of each of the plurality of devices by correlating head-lift clearance values to observed damage to the data storage mediums.
13. The method of claim 12 , wherein evaluating the mechanical shock performance includes:
delivering one or more mechanical shocks to each of the plurality of devices; and
measuring respective head-slap damage area in each of the plurality of devices.
14. The method of claim 12 , wherein evaluating the mechanical shock performance includes:
delivering one or more mechanical shocks to each of the plurality of devices;
operating the plurality of devices after delivering the mechanical shocks; and
performing at least one step selected from a group consisting of:
searching for bad sectors on the data storage medium; and
determining a bit error rate during a data transfer operation.
15. The method of claim 12 , wherein at least some of the data storage devices include a head-lift limiter protruding from an interior surface of the housing limiting the orthogonal movement of at least a portion of the head gimbal assembly to define the head-lift clearance for the read/write head.
16. The method of claim 15 , wherein selecting the set of head-lift clearance values includes selecting a set of head-lift limiter thicknesses.
17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the head-lift limiters have thickness within a range of about 0.8 millimeters (0.03 inches) to about 2.5 millimeters (0.10 inches).
18. The method of claim 12 , wherein evaluating the mechanical shock performance includes delivering one or more mechanical shocks to each of the plurality of devices, wherein the shocks are applied in a direction that is about perpendicular to the outermost data storage surface.