Seagate Technology Incorporated

Storage Technology Corporation

Seagate Technologies, Inc.

Bruce Lynn Blakeslee

Ryan Andrew Sievers

Alexander Wei Chang

Todd Warren Kube

Frederick Frank Kazmierczak

William Leon Rugg

Jeffrey G Barina

Ted Randal McDonald

Robert D Stroud

Robert Terry Haas

Kim Von Brandt

Ernest Paul Lee

Russel Edward Rock

Jeff Gerard Barina

John Keil, Jr

An actuator assembly includes a rotatable actuator arm mounted on the base of a disc drive. The actuator arm includes a metallic member seated on a non-metallic body. A proximal end of a load beam is mounted on the actuator arm and a distal end of the load beam supports a head. The actuator assembly also includes a connection between the metallic member and the load beam that secures the load beam to the actuator arm.

Load beam attachment to actuator arm

The sleeve of an actuator bearing cartridge is provided with an inclined surface on its outer surface. A tolerance ring is placed around the sleeve, and the cartridge and ring are then press-fit into the actuator bore together. Axial slippage of the ring and actuator relative to the cartridge is prevented as the ring is effectively wedged between the inclined surface and the inner surface of the actuator bore.

Increased slip force pivot bearing

Method and apparatus for forming a disc drive actuator assembly. A rigid actuator arm formed of printed circuit board (PCB) material is configured for placement over a rotatable disc. A head-gimbal assembly (HGA) is provided comprising a data transducing head, a flexible suspension assembly and a conductor which is connected to the head and routed along the flexible suspension assembly. A Z-axis conductive adhesive film is used to mechanically and electrically connect the HGA with a distal end of the PCB actuator arm. The Z-axis conductive adhesive film is substantially conductive across the thickness of the film and is substantially nonconductive along the length and width of the film. In a preferred embodiment, the film establishes a grounding path to dissipate electrostatic charge in the HGA. In another embodiment, the film establishes a data signal path for the head.

Attachment of a head-gimbal assembly to a printed circuit board actuator arm using Z-axis conductive adhesive film

An apparatus and method for reducing deflection of an actuator assembly within a head disc assembly in a disc drive during a mechanical shock event. A snubber is fastened to a stationary portion of the head disc assembly and has a snubber body and two or more snubber arms connected to the snubber body. The adjacent snubber arms form slots therebetween. A portion of the actuator assembly may be inserted into each of the slots whereby the snubber arms will reduce the deflective movement of the actuator assembly during a mechanical shock event.

Actuator shock snubber

A method and apparatus for positioning a magnetic read/write head with precision orientation on a suspension assembly arm. The arm contains a plurality of mounting indicia. Computer controlled apparatus, including an optics system, scans the mounting indicia and the head and mounts the head on a predetermined desired location on the arm and with the desired orientation.

Apparatus for mounting a magnetic head on a suspension arm

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Golden, CO, United States of America

Bruce Lynn Blakeslee