Patent ID: 6850387
Filing Date: 2005-02-01
Classification: G11B

Abstract:
1. A method of forming a top cover assembly for a disc drive comprising steps of: (a) providing a top cover to a gasket-dispensing device used in dispensing an uncured gasket material onto the top cover to form an uncured gasket; (b) accelerating a gasket material dispensing head of the gasket-dispensing device at a predetermined rate of acceleration to move the gasket material dispensing head adjacent a staging portion of a gasket support surface of the top cover prior to supplying the uncured gasket material to the gasket material dispensing head to control a length of a lead-in portion of the uncured gasket; (c) supplying the uncured gasket material to the accelerating gasket material dispensing head at an increasing rate to control a thickness of the lead-in portion of the uncured gasket; (d) dispensing a substantially constant increasing thickness gradient of the uncured gasket material adjacent the staging portion of the top cover to form the lead-in portion of the uncured gasket; (e) discharging a cross sectional substantially uniform bead of the uncured gasket material adjacent the gasket support surface of the top cover to form a main portion of the uncured gasket; (f) applying a substantially constant decreasing thickness gradient of the uncured gasket material adjacent the lead-in portion of the uncured gasket to form an exit portion of the uncured gasket wherein the constant decreasing thickness gradient extends along an entire length of said exit portion; and (g) curing the uncured gasket to form the top cover assembly with a formed-in-place gasket.