Establishing a housing seal using a flex assembly

Abstract

Method and apparatus for sealing a housing, and a housing sealed using the same. A peripherally extending flex seal assembly includes a heating member formed of an elongated conductor embedded within a flexible, thin-film dielectric ribbon. The flex seal assembly is placed on a first housing member and a second, mating housing member is placed on the flex seal assembly. Preferably, fasteners are used to affix the first and second housing members to compress the flex seal assembly therebetween. Current is applied to the heating member to fuse at least one ring of sealing material and form a corresponding number of hardened seal joints. The seal joints can be discrete rings to allow the formation of a hermetic housing seal. The seal joints can alternatively be arranged in a continuous spiral to form an elongated diffusion path between the interior of the housing and the exterior environment.

1 . A sealed housing comprising: 
 opposing, substantially planar first and second housing members; and    a peripherally extending flex seal assembly interposed between the first and second housing members and comprising a flexible, thin-film heating member and at least one ring of sealing material disposed adjacent the heating member, wherein dissipation of heat from current applied to the heating member causes the at least one ring of sealing material to fuse to at least the first housing member to form a corresponding number of hardened seal joints.    
   
   
       2 . The housing of  claim 1 , wherein the heating member comprises an elongated conductor embedded within a dielectric ribbon.  
   
   
       3 . The housing of  claim 2 , wherein the dielectric ribbon comprises at least one layer of thin-film polyimide.  
   
   
       4 . The housing of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one fastener which affixes the first housing member to the second housing member to compress the flex seal assembly therebetween.  
   
   
       5 . The housing of  claim 1 , wherein the number of hardened seal joints comprises a plurality of seal joints arranged into nested, discrete rings each in a noncontacting relationship with each remaining ring.  
   
   
       6 . The housing of  claim 1 , wherein the number of hardened, seal joints are arranged as a continuously extending spiral.  
   
   
       7 . The housing of  claim 1 , wherein the number of hardened seal joints are configured to form a nominally hermetic seal between an interior of the housing and an exterior environment.  
   
   
       8 . The housing of  claim 7 , further comprising a low density inert gas atmosphere contained within the sealed housing.  
   
   
       9 . The housing of  claim 1 , wherein each of the at least one ring of sealing material is formed of solder.  
   
   
       10 . The housing of  claim 1 , wherein each of the at least one ring of sealing material is formed of a low permeable, thermoset adhesive.  
   
   
       11 . The housing of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one ring of sealing material comprises a first set of rings disposed on a first side of the heating member to fuse with the first housing member and a second set of rings disposed on an opposing, second side of the heating member to fuse with the second housing member.  
   
   
       12 . The housing of  claim 1 , characterized as a housing of a data storage device in which a data storage medium is supported.  
   
   
       13 . A sealed housing, comprising: 
 opposing, substantially planar first and second housing members; and    means for sealing the first and second housing members.    
   
   
       14 . The sealed housing of  claim 13 , wherein the means for sealing further establishes an elongated diffusion path between an interior of the housing and an exterior environment.  
   
   
       15 . The sealed housing of  claim 13 , further comprising at least one fastener which affixes the first housing member to the second housing member.  
   
   
       16 . A flex seal assembly for establishing a seal between opposing, substantially planar first and second housing members, comprising: 
 a heating member comprising an elongated conductive trace embedded within a flexible, thin-film dielectric ribbon; and    at least one ring of sealing material disposed adjacent the heating member, wherein dissipation of heat from current applied to the heating member causes the at least one ring of sealing material to fuse to at least the first housing member to form a corresponding number of hardened seal joints.    
   
   
       17 . The flex seal assembly of  claim 16 , wherein the at least one ring of sealing material is arranged so that the resulting number of hardened, concentric seal joints nominally form a plurality of nested, discrete rings each in a noncontacting relationship with each remaining ring.  
   
   
       18 . The flex seal assembly of  claim 16 , wherein the number of hardened seal joints are configured to form a nominally hermetic seal between an interior of the housing and an exterior environment.  
   
   
       19 . The flex seal assembly of  claim 16 , wherein the hardened seal joints are configured to form an elongated diffusion path along gaps between adjacent seal joints from an interior of the housing to an exterior environment.  
   
   
       20 . The flex seal assembly of  claim 16 , wherein the at least one ring of sealing material comprises a first set of rings disposed on a first side of the heating member to fuse with the first housing member and a second set of rings disposed on an opposing, second side of the heating member to fuse with the second housing member.  
   
   
       21 . A method for sealing a housing, comprising: 
 providing opposing, substantially planar first and second housing members;    placing a flex seal assembly between the first and second housing members, the flex seal assembly comprising a flexible, thin-film heating member; and    applying current to the heating member to fuse at least one ring of sealing material to at least the first housing member to form a corresponding number of hardened seal joints.    
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the heating member of the placing step comprises an elongated conductor embedded within a dielectric ribbon.  
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising a step of installing at least one fastener to affix the first housing member to the second housing member to compress the flex seal assembly therebetween prior to the applying current step.  
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the number of hardened seal joints of the applying current step are arranged into a plurality of nested, discrete rings each in a noncontacting relationship with each remaining ring.  
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the number of hardened seal joints of the applying current step are configured to form a nominally hermetic seal between an interior of the housing and an exterior environment, and wherein the method further comprises steps of evacuating an existing fluid within the interior of the housing and filling the interior of the housing with an inert fluid.  
   
   
       26 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the number of hardened seal joints of the applying current step form an elongated diffusion path along gaps between adjacent seal joints from an interior of the housing to an exterior environment.  
   
   
       27 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein each of the at least one rings of sealing material of the placing step are formed of solder.  
   
   
       28 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein each of the at least one rings of sealing material of the placing step are formed of adhesive.  
   
   
       29 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the concentric rings of sealing material of the applying step comprise a first set of rings disposed on a first side of the heating member and a second set of rings disposed on an opposing, second side of the heating member to fuse with the second housing member so that the applying current step comprises forming the hardened, concentric seal joints between the flex seal assembly and the first housing member and between the flex seal assembly and the second housing member.  
   
   
       30 . The method of  claim 21 , further in combination with a method for subsequently unsealing the housing comprising: 
 subsequently applying current to the heating member to loosen the sealing material; and    removing the second housing member from the first housing member.    
   
   
       31 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the housing is characterized as a housing of a data storage device in which a data storage medium is supported.  
   
   
       32 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the providing step further comprises providing the at least one ring of sealing material on the first housing member prior to the placing step.  
   
   
       33 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising providing the at least one ring of sealing material on the flex seal assembly prior to the placing step.  
   
   
       34 . A sealed housing comprising opposing, substantially planar first and second housing members and a peripherally extending flex seal assembly interposed between the first and second housing members and forming a seal between the first and second housing members by steps for sealing the housing.