Electrical feedthrough assembly with elastic ring interface
Apparatus for providing a low permeable interface in a hermetically sealed housing. The housing includes a substantially planar housing member with an aperture extending therethrough. An electrical feedthrough assembly extends adjacent the aperture to provide one or more electrical signal transmission paths. An elastic ring couples a peripheral edge of the electrical feedthrough assembly to the housing member to form a low permeable interface therebetween. The ring preferably operates to compensate for the differential between the coefficients of thermal expansion of the feedthrough assembly and the housing member. The ring is preferably provided with an elongated cross-sectional shape with a segment that extends in a direction non-parallel to a longitudinal axis of the feedthrough assembly, thereby enhancing the spring characteristics of the ring. The housing is preferably characterized as a housing of a data storage device, and retains an inert gas atmosphere, such as at least 95% (w/w) helium.
1. An apparatus comprising:
a substantially planar housing member having an aperture, the housing member forming at least a portion of a hermetically sealed housing;
an electrical feedthrough assembly extending adjacent the aperture; and
an elastic ring which couples a peripheral edge of the electrical feedthrough assembly to the housing member to form a low permeable interface between said assembly and said member, wherein the housing member has a first coefficient of thermal expansion, wherein the electrical feedthrough assembly has a second coefficient of thermal expansion lower than said first coefficient, and wherein the elastic ring is configured to compensate for the difference between said first and second coefficients.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the housing member comprises opposing top and bottom surfaces, wherein the aperture is defined by an annular sidewall that extends between said top and bottom surfaces, and wherein the elastic ring is disposed in said aperture adjacent the sidewall.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the elastic ring has a third coefficient of thermal expansion between said first and second coefficients.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the elastic ring is formed to have an elongated cross-sectional shape at least one segment of which extends non-parallel with a longitudinal axis of the electrical feedthrough assembly.
5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the elastic ring is soldered to the housing member and to the electrical feedthrough assembly.
6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the elastic ring comprises an iron based alloy comprising nickel and cobalt.
7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the elastic ring comprises an inwardly directed flange of the housing member, wherein both the ring and the housing member are formed of a common material, wherein the housing member has a first thickness adjacent the aperture, and wherein the ring has a second thickness less than the first thickness.
8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the electrical feedthrough assembly fully spans the aperture and the elastic ring surrounds the aperture.
9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus retains a helium atmosphere of at least 95% concentration (w/w).
10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the housing is characterized as a housing of a data storage device comprising an internally supported data storage medium, and wherein the electrical feedthrough assembly facilitates electrical communication between said medium and an external device.
11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the elastic ring has a substantially S-shaped cross-sectional shape.
12. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the elastic ring has a substantially C-shaped cross-sectional shape.
13. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the elastic ring has a substantially Z-shaped cross-sectional shape.
14. An apparatus comprising an electrical feedthrough assembly configured to extend adjacent an aperture extending through a housing member of a hermetically sealed housing, and first means for coupling a peripheral edge of the electrical feedthrough assembly to the housing member and for accommodating a difference in the respective coefficients of thermal expansion of the housing member and the electrical feedthrough assembly.
15. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the first means is characterized as an elastic ring which couples a peripheral edge of the electrical feedthrough assembly to the housing member.
16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the electrical feedthrough assembly has a second coefficient of thermal expansion lower than said first coefficient, and wherein the elastic ring has a third coefficient of thermal expansion between said first and second coefficients.
17. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the elastic ring is soldered to the housing member and to the electrical feedthrough assembly.
18. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the elastic ring comprises an iron based alloy comprising nickel and cobalt.
19. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the first means comprises an inwardly directed flange of the housing member, wherein both the flange and the housing member are formed of a common material, wherein the housing member has a first thickness adjacent the aperture, and wherein the flange has a second thickness less than the first thickness.
20. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the electrical feedthrough assembly fully spans the aperture and the first means extends about the aperture.
21. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the electrical feedthrough assembly establishes a plurality of individual electrical signal transmission paths therethrough.
22. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the apparatus retains a helium atmosphere of at least 95% concentration (w/w).
23. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the housing is characterized as a housing of a data storage device comprising an internally supported data storage medium, and wherein the electrical feedthrough assembly facilitates electrical communication between said medium and an external device.