Top cover having a patterned gasket fixing region, disk drive apparatus, and method of manufacturing top cover

Claim 2

A top cover for use in a disk drive apparatus, the top cover comprising: a plate made of a metal; and a gasket made of an elastomer, and fixed to the plate; wherein a surface of the plate includes a fixing region to which the gasket is fixed; and in plan view, the fixing region includes a plurality of ridges and a plurality of filamentous projections extending from each of the plurality of ridges.

Claim 3

The top cover according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of ridges is annular or substantially annular in shape.

Claim 4

The top cover according to claim 1 , wherein at least some of the plurality of ridges overlap with one another.

Claim 5

The top cover according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of ridges included in the fixing region include a first row of ridges overlap with one another; and the first row extends in a first direction.

Claim 6

The top cover according to claim 4 , wherein the plurality of ridges included in the fixing region further include a second row of ridges overlap with one another; the second row extends in a second direction different from the first direction; and the first row and the second row cross each other.

Claim 7

The top cover according to claim 4 , wherein the fixing region has a width greater than that of the gasket.

Claim 8

The top cover according to claim 4 , wherein the fixing region has a width smaller than that of the gasket.

Claim 9

The top cover according to claim 1 , wherein the top cover is square, substantially square, rectangular or substantially rectangular; the gasket extends along an outer edge of the top cover; the gasket includes: a body portion with a uniform or substantially uniform width; and a projecting portion projecting from a side surface of the body portion toward an outer circumference of the plate along the surface of the plate; and each of the body portion and the projecting portion is in contact with the fixing region.

Claim 10

The top cover according to claim 8 , wherein the gasket includes a gate mark; and the gate mark is located in the projecting portion.

Claim 11

The top cover according to claim 1 , wherein the fixing region includes: a first rugged portion in which a distribution density of the ridges is a first density; and a second rugged portion in which the distribution density of the ridges is a second density greater than the first density.

Claim 12

A disk drive apparatus comprising: a base plate including a bottom portion and a wall portion extends upward from an outer circumferential portion of the bottom portion, and surrounds the bottom portion; the top cover of claim 1 arranged to close an upper side of the base plate to define a case together with the base plate; a spindle motor; and an access portion configured to perform at least one of reading and writing of information from or to a disk supported by the spindle motor; wherein the gasket is in contact with an upper end portion of the wall portion; and a rotating portion of the spindle motor and the access portion are accommodated in an interior of the case defined by the base plate and the top cover.

Claim 13

A disk drive apparatus comprising: a base plate including a bottom portion and a wall portion extending upward from an outer circumferential portion of the bottom portion, and surrounding the bottom portion; a top cover made of a metal, and arranged to close an upper side of the base plate to define a case together with the base plate; a gasket made of an elastomer, fixed to an upper end surface of the wall portion, and in contact with a lower surface of the top cover; a spindle motor; and an access portion configured to perform at least one of reading and writing of information from or to a disk supported by the spindle motor; wherein a rotating portion of the spindle motor and the access portion are accommodated in an interior of the case defined by the base plate and the top cover; the base plate includes, in the upper end surface of the wall portion, a fixing region to which the gasket is fixed; and in plan view, the fixing region includes a plurality of ridges and a plurality of filamentous projections extending from each of the plurality of ridges.

Claim 14

A disk drive apparatus comprising: a base plate including a bottom portion and a wall portion extending upward from an outer circumferential portion of the bottom portion, and surrounding the bottom portion; a top cover made of a metal, and arranged to close an upper side of the base plate to define a case together with the base plate; a gasket made of an elastomer, fixed to an upper end surface of the wall portion, and in contact with a lower surface of the top cover; a spindle motor; and an access portion configured to perform at least one of reading and writing of information from or to a disk supported by the spindle motor; wherein a rotating portion of the spindle motor and the access portion are accommodated in an interior of the case defined by the base plate and the top cover; the base plate includes, in the upper end surface of the wall portion, a fixing region to which the gasket is fixed; and in plan view, the fixing region includes a plurality of ridges and a plurality of filamentous projections extending from each of the plurality of ridges.

Claim 15

The base plate of the disk drive apparatus of claim 12 , wherein at least one of the ridges is annular or substantially annular in shape.

Claim 16

The base plate of the disk drive apparatus of claim 12 , wherein at least some of the plurality of ridges overlap with one another.

Claim 17

The base plate of the disk drive apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the plurality of ridges included in the fixing region include a first row of ridges overlap with one another; and the first row extends in a first direction.

Claim 18

The base plate according to claim 15 , wherein the plurality of ridges included in the fixing region further include a second row of ridges overlap with one another; the second row extends in a second direction different from the first direction; and the first row and the second row cross each other.

Claim 19

The base plate according to claim 15 , wherein the fixing region has a width greater than that of the gasket.

Claim 20

The base plate according to claim 15 , wherein the fixing region has a width smaller than that of the gasket.

Claim 21

The disk drive apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein the gasket includes: a body portion with a uniform or substantially uniform width; and a projecting portion projecting from a side surface of the body portion toward an outer circumference of the wall portion along an upper surface of the wall portion; and each of the body portion and the projecting portion is in contact with the fixing region.

Claim 22

The disk drive apparatus according to claim 19 , wherein the gasket includes a gate mark; and the gate mark is located in the projecting portion.

Claim 23

The disk drive apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein the fixing region includes: a first rugged portion in which a distribution density of the plurality of ridges is a first density; and a second rugged portion in which the distribution density of the plurality of ridges is a second density greater than the first density.