Abstract:
A hard disk drive filtering apparatus for filtering particles from flowing air generated while a hard disk installed within a housing rotates, the apparatus including a holder installed within the housing, and a filter supported by the holder, the filter having at least a pair of filter plates connected to be met at predetermined angles, wherein the flowing air is filtered while being entered into the space formed by the filter plates.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a filtering apparatus for hard disk drive, and more particularly, to a hard disk drive filtering apparatus for filtering particles within a housing in which a hard disk is installed. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of an example of a hard disk drive which is used as a memory device of computers. Referring to FIG. 1, a hard disk drive includes a housing  1  and a hard disk  4  and a filtering apparatus which are installed within the housing  1 . 
     The housing  1  includes a base  3  on which the hard disk  4  is rotatably installed, and a cover member  2  which is coupled to the base  3  to cover and protect the hard disk  4  and other members. The hard disk  4  typically has a multi-layered structure to record a large quantity of information. A head  6  installed at the end of an actuator arm  5  records information in the hard disk  4  which rotates at high speed, or reproduces recorded information. 
     The filtering apparatus filters particles such as dust which unnecessarily remain within the housing  1 . The filtering apparatus includes a filter  7  and a holder  8  for supporting the filter  7 . 
     For example, the filter  7 , which is for filtering particles, has a structure like that of a sponge. The holder  8  protrudes from the bottom surface  2   a  of the cover member  2 . A pair of holders  8  are formed to be separated a predetermined distance apart from each other to support both sides of the filter  7 . 
     In this structure, when the hard disk  4  rotates in a direction indicated by arrow A, particles within the housing  1  are moved by air flow due to the rotation of the hard disk  4 . The moving particles are mostly driven toward the side portion of the cover member  2  and filtered out by the filter  7 . 
     However, as shown in FIG. 2, in a conventional filtering apparatus, gaps G 1  and G 2  are formed between the filter  7  and the housing  1 . The gap G 1  is formed between the filter  7  and the bottom surface  2   a  of the cover member  2 , and the gap G 2  is formed between the filter  7  and the upper surface  3   a  of the base  3 . In this structure, some particles within the housing  1  pass through the gaps G 1  and G 2  without being filtered out by the filter  7 . Therefore, the filter  7  does not completely remove all of the particles. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An objective of the present invention is to provide a hard disk drive filtering apparatus having an improved holder and an improved filter to increase a filtering effect. 
     To achieve the above objective, the present invention provides a hard disk drive filtering apparatus for filtering particles from flowing air generated while a hard disk installed within a housing rotates, the apparatus including a holder installed within the housing; and a filter supported by the holder, the filter having at least a pair of filter plates connected to be met at predetermined angles, wherein the flowing air is filtered while being entered into the space formed by the filter plates. 
     The filter has a case-shaped structure in which one side is open to introduce the flowing air while the other side is closed. 
     The holder includes: protrusions which extend from the bottom or ceiling within the housing and form a receiving groove for shielding and supporting one side of the filter; and a supporting groove depressed from the bottom or ceiling within the housing to face the receiving groove, for receiving the other side of the filter. 
     The hard disk drive filtering apparatus further includes an air guider formed in a body with the holder so that its one surface faces the rim of the hard disk, wherein the air guider guides air to flow toward the entrance of the filter and guides air which has passed through the filter. 
     The filter is located within the range of a predetermined angle formed by a pair of straight lines from the rotation center of the hard disk to both ends of the air guider. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The above objective and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent by describing in detail preferred embodiments thereof with reference to the attached drawings in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a schematic exploded perspective view of a typical hard disk drive; 
     FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the essential portions of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a schematic partially cross-sectional view of a hard disk drive having a filtering apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line I—I of FIG. 3; 
     FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the filter of FIG. 3; 
     FIG. 6 is a schematic partially cross-sectional view of a hard disk drive having a filtering apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line II—II of FIG. 6; and 
     FIGS. 8 through 10 are views schematically illustrating the other embodiments of a filter in a filtering apparatus according to the present invention. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     FIG. 3 is a partial cross-sectional view of a housing  10  adopting a filtering apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line I—I of FIG.  3 . The housing  10  includes a base  12  and a cover  11  coupled to the base  12 . The base  12  has a hard disk D rotatably installed thereon. 
     The filtering apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a filter  20  for filtering particles, such as dust or the like, included within the housing  10 , and a holder  30  installed within the housing  10  to support the filter  20 . 
     As shown in FIG. 4, the holder  30  includes a protrusion  13  extending from the ceiling  11   a  within the housing  10 , and a supporting groove  14  depressed from the bottom  12   a  within the housing  10 . The protrusion  13  is formed to be incorporated in the body of the cover  11 , and has a receiving groove  13   a  for receiving and supporting the upper portion of the filter  20 . The supporting groove  14  shields and supports the lower portion of the filter  20 , and has a depth corresponding to the thickness of the filter  20  to prevent a gap from being formed between the filter  20  and the bottom  12   a . Likewise, it is preferable that the receiving groove  13   a  is formed to have a depth corresponding to the thickness of the filter  20 . 
     As shown in FIG. 5, the filter  20  has a case-shaped structure in which its one side is open to receive flowing air within the housing  10  while the other side is closed to filter entered air. That is, the filter  20  according to the first embodiment of the present invention is shaped of a three-dimensional square pillar. Thus, the filter  20  is designed by connecting five filter plates  21  in the direction of the inflow of air so that they face each other. The upper and lower plates of the filter  20  having such a structure are entered in and supported by the supporting groove  14  and the receiving groove  13   a , respectively, such that no gap is formed between the filter  20  and the ceiling  11   a  and between the filter  20  and the bottom  12   a . Hence, most of the air flowing toward the filter  20  is filtered by the filter  20 . Further, the filter  20  has a plurality of facets in contrast to the prior art, so that the area contacting flowing air becomes wider, thus increasing the filtering effect. 
     An air guider  40  is further installed within the housing  10 . The air guider  40  guides flowing air toward the entrance of the filter  20  and guides air, which has passed through the filter  20  and output to the outlet. The air guider  40  is formed to be incorporated in the body of the holder  30  so that its one surface face the rim of a hard disk D, and is formed over the holder  30  to increase the guiding effect of air. Also, it is preferable that the air guider  40  has a sufficient length so that the filter  20  is located within the range of a predetermined angle formed by first and second straight lines L 1  and L 2 . Here, the first and second straight lines L 1  and L 2  denote virtual lines from the rotation center of the hard disk D to both ends of the air guider  40 , respectively. As described above, if the air guider  40  has a sufficient length, it can block flowing air which flows back toward the outlet of the filter  20 . Further, the filter  20  filters only air flowing toward the entrance of the filter  20  and air flowing from the outlet of the filter  20 , thereby increasing the filtering efficiency. 
     FIG. 6 is a partially cross-sectional view showing the rear surface of a hard disk drive having a filtering apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II—II of FIG.  6 . Here, the same reference numerals as those in FIGS. 3 and 4 denote the same elements. 
     Referring to FIGS. 6 and 7, a filter  50  installed within the housing  10  has a U-shaped structure. The filter  50  has three filter plates connected to meet at predetermined angles. The leading ends  51  of the filter  50  are clamped by fixing grooves  13   b  and  14   a  respectively formed on the protrusion  13  and the supporting groove  14 . Accordingly, the leading ends  51  of the filter  50  is prevented from being shaken by flowing air. Thus, the entrance of the filter  50  is prevented from being trembled and narrowed, and generation of a gap between the filter  50  and the housing  10  is also prevented. 
     FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view schematically illustrating a filtering apparatus according to still another embodiment of the present invention. Here, the same reference numerals as those in FIGS. 3 and 4 denote the same elements. 
     A filter  60  shown in FIG. 8 has a pair of filter plates  61  connected to be met at a right angle. That is, for example, the filter  60  has a L-shaped structure. A holder  30 ′ for supporting the filter  60  includes a pair of protrusions  13  which extend from the ceiling  11   a  and the bottom  12   a  of the housing  10  to face each other. Two protrusions  13  on the ceiling  11   a  forms a receiving groove  13   a  for shielding and supporting the lower portion of the filter  60 , and two protrusions  13  on the bottom  12   a  forms a receiving groove  13   a  for shielding and supporting the upper portion of the filter  60 . 
     A filter  70  shown in FIG. 9 has three filter plates  71  connected at approximately right angles. Preferably, the three filter plates  71  can be formed in a body. 
     A filter  80  shown in FIG. 10 has four filter plates  81  connected at predetermined angles. Alternatively, the four filter plates  81  can be formed in a body. 
     In the hard disk drive filtering apparatuses according to the present invention described above, a gap is not formed between the filter and the housing. Therefore, the filtering apparatuses according to the present invention can increase the filtering efficiency compared to a conventional filtering apparatus. 
     Further, the filters of the filtering apparatuses according to the present invention have a three-dimensional structure, so that the area contacting flowing air becomes wider, thereby increasing the filtering effect. 
     Therefore, particles can be eliminated from a housing within a short time, and pollution of component parts of hard disk drives and malfunction of hard disk drives, which are caused by particles, can be minimized.