Western Digital Technologies, Inc.

Bikash Sukla

David K Myers

Diep Nguyen

Jon M Garbarino

Garold W Plonczak

An approach to a reduced-head hard disk drive (HDD) involves an actuator elevator subsystem that includes a ball screw cam assembly with an axial flux permanent magnet (AFPM) motor affixed to a cam screw to drive rotation of the screw, which drives translation of an actuator arm assembly so that a corresponding pair of read-write heads can access different magnetic-recording disks of a multiple-disk stack.

Axial flux permanent magnet motor for ball screw cam elevator mechanism for reduced-head hard disk drive

An approach to a reduced-head hard disk drive (HDD) involves an actuator elevator subsystem that includes a ball screw cam assembly with a hybrid permanent magnet (PM)-variable reluctance (VR) stepper motor disposed therein, to rotate the cam screw, which vertically translates an actuator arm assembly so that a corresponding pair of read-write heads can access different magnetic-recording disks of a multiple-disk stack. A suitably configured hybrid stepper motor can provide 200 full steps/rev for a 3.8 mm translation. Thus, to meet or surpass a step resolution of 6 &#x3bc;m/&#x3bc;step or 0.5625&#xb0;/&#x3bc;step, the hybrid stepper motor would only need to be operated at 4 micro-step mode in order to achieve a 0.45&#xb0;/&#x3bc;step or 0.00475 mm/&#x3bc;step, which enables a smoother motion since the available holding torque at the 4micro-step provides sufficient torque margin to overcome load torque, frictional torque, and detent torque.

In-pivot hybrid stepper motor for ball screw cam elevator mechanism for reduced-head hard disk drive

An approach to a reduced-head hard disk drive (HDD) involves an actuator elevator assembly for moving an actuator assembly along at least one support feature to provide a head slider access to at least two different disk media of a disk stack. The HDD includes a piezoelectric-based locking mechanism, including at least one piezoelectric actuator, movably coupled with the support feature, such that actuation of the actuator either locks or unlocks the locking mechanism relative to the support feature. When unlocked, the actuator assembly can be translated along the length of the disk stack via the actuator elevator assembly.

Piezoelectric-based locking of actuator elevator mechanism for cold storage data storage device

An approach to a reduced-head hard disk drive (HDD) involves an actuator subsystem that includes a ball screw cam assembly wherein the number of starts of a multi-start screw equals the number of balls riding in a corresponding start. A stepper motor may be disposed within the screw, to drive rotation of the screw, which drives translation of an actuator arm assembly so that a corresponding pair of read-write heads can access different magnetic-recording disks of a multiple-disk stack. The actuator subsystem may further include a cam locking mechanism for coupling and decoupling the actuator arm with a coil support structure and corresponding voice coil, so that the cam mechanism is able to move under the control of a voice coil motor when input/output operations are performed and is able to move the actuator arm assembly during translation operations.

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Sunnyvale, CA, United States of America

Bikash Sukla