US5612830A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method and apparatus for cleaning disks upon reaching a disk drive start-stop cycle threshold
Assignee: HGST Netherlands BV
•
Filing: 1994-09-14
•
Granted: 1997-03-18
•
Expires: 2014-09-14
Abstract
Abstract The back edge of a disk drive slider is used to remove debris from disk media by slowly sweeping it from the inner diameter of the disk to the outer diameter of the disk while the disk is rotating backwards from normal. The sweeping operation is completed while the disks are still gaining rotational speed so that liftoff velocity is not achieved. Material accumulated on the back edge of the slider is either dumped at the outer diameter of the disk, or remains on the back edge of the slider as normal operation is commenced.
Inventors
- 👤 Thomas A. Gregory
- 👤 Christopher G. Keller
- 👤 James M. Severson
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-30 15:32
CPC Classifications
G; G11; G11B; G11B33/00; G11B33/14; G11B33/1446; G11B23/00; G11B23/50; G11B23/505; G11B25/00; G11B25/04; G11B25/043
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 7
Claim 1
Independent Claim
148 words
A method of cleaning a disk surface in a disk drive having a movable slider with a plowing surface on the back end of the slider, said slider attached to a suspension which biases the slider toward the disk surface, said method comprising the steps of: rotating the disk toward the plowing surface of the slider at a rotational velocity less than a desired rotational velocity at which the slider is lifted up from the surface of the disk; moving the slider from the inner diameter of the disk to the outer diameter of the disk during said rotation; controlling said slider movement so that substantially the entire disk surface has been cleared of debris when the slider reaches the outer diameter of the disk; monitoring the number of start-stop cycles of the disk drive; and initiating the cleaning steps when said number of cycles reaches a threshold.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
148 words
A method of cleaning a disk surface in a disk drive having a movable slider with a plowing surface on the back end of the slider, said slider attached to a suspension which biases the slider toward the disk surface, said method comprising the steps of: rotating the disk toward the plowing surface of the slider at a rotational velocity less than a desired rotational velocity at which the slider is lifted up from the surface of the disk; moving the slider from the inner diameter of the disk to the outer diameter of the disk during said rotation; controlling said slider movement so that substantially the entire disk surface has been cleared of debris when the slider reaches the outer diameter of the disk; monitoring the number of start-stop cycles of the disk drive; and initiating the cleaning steps when said number of cycles reaches a threshold.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method of claim 1 and further comprising the steps of: monitoring error rates of the disk drive; and initiating the cleaning steps when said error rates reach a threshold.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
14 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the slider is moved in a continuous manner.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
11 words
The method of claim 3 wherein the slider is moved incrementally.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the slider is moved a distance between about 0.1 to 0.9 times the width of one plowing surface each rotation of the disk.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
46 words
The method of claim 1 and further comprising the steps of: stopping rotation of the disk into the plowing surfaces after the disk surface has been plowed; and rotating said plowed disk in the other direction so that normal operation of the disk drive may commence.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3366390A
Cited
US3609721A
Cited
US4001892A
Cited
US4263634A
Cited
EP0089451A1
Cited
US4594617A
Cited
JPH01189017A
Cited
EP0395195A2
Cited
JPH0366017A
Cited
EP0429079A2
Cited
JPH03165386A
Cited
US5424884A
Cited
JPH03212879A
Cited
US5196974A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2000-03-17 | 2000-09-16 | 2001-03-18 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2004-03-17 | 2004-09-16 | 2005-03-18 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2008-03-17 | 2008-09-16 | 2009-03-18 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |