Seagate Technology Incorporated

ChorShan Cheng

YiRen Hong

Yongjie Tang

Takkoon Ooi

Mo Xu

Tak Koon Ooi

Xiong Liu

Niroot Jierapipatanakul

ChoonKiat Lim

PohLye Lim

Michael Joo Chiang Toh

CheeWai Seetoh

Andre Y Liem

Shri Hari Narayan

Joseph HengTung Lau

SiewMing Ng

Terang KongBeng Thia

Apparatus for latching an actuator, such as used in a data storage device. A moveable electrical coil is disposed adjacent a magnetically permeable structure. The coil is latched by magnetic flux passing across a gap extending into the structure which establishes a retention force upon the coil. The coil is subsequently unlatched by application of current to the coil which reduces the magnetic flux across the gap and hence, the magnitude of the retention force upon the coil. The current also concurrently induces movement of the coil away from the gap. The structure preferably comprises a unitary, c-shaped structure comprising a base member, a support member and a pole member, with the coil configured to surround and travel along a lateral extent of the pole member. A permanent magnet is nested on the base member. A plate is preferably coupled to the coil for abutment across the gap.

Actuator latch with variable retention force

A voice coil motor pole assembly for supporting a latch is disclosed. The pole assembly includes a pin serving as an axle for the latch. The pole assembly also includes a protrusion that extends over a portion of the latch when the latch is mounted on the pin to thereby prevent the latch from being dislodged from the pin.

Assembly for facilitating latch installation

In a disc drive, a voice coil motor is configured to drive an actuator with mainly torque, thereby reducing unwanted vibration of the actuator. The voice coil motor includes a moving coil vertically disposed with respect to a horizontal radial magnetic field provided by a stationary unipolar magnet such that the active portions of the coil are of different radial separation from the actuator pivot. A yoke facilitates closure of the magnetic flux paths.

Pure torque voice coil motor

A dual plane single-stage actuator is disclosed. The actuator includes a step portion between the coil and head support portions, which increases its stiffness while permitting the coil support portion and head support portion of the actuator to lie in different planes. This allows the actuator to be installed in low-profile drives.

Dual plane actuator

A printed circuit cable (PCC) connector attachment assembly is provided for a disc drive. The PCC connector attachment assembly includes alignment pins and a compressive member. The alignment pins help to align a PCC connector for assembly and help to prevent lateral movement of the PCC connector with respect to the base deck after assembly. In one embodiment, the alignment pins are located on the PCC connector and align with pinholes provided in a base deck of the disc drive. The compressive member has a height selected such that the compressive member pressingly engages the PCC connector when a cover is attached to the base deck with cover screws. Grounding pads are located between the PCC connector and the base deck, so that the grounding pads provide a grounding path from the PCC connector to the base deck.

Printed circuit cable connector attachment assembly

An actuator having a relatively low mass for supporting flexible head suspension assemblies to read data from or write data to discs. The actuator includes an actuator body adapted to rotationally coupled to a base chassis of the disc drive and a yoke assembly including yoke arms extending from the actuator body. The actuator includes at least one rigid actuator arm rigidly supporting the flexible head suspension assemblies. The rigid actuator arm includes multiple arm plates supported in spaced relation to provide a thickness of the actuator arm for lateral stiffness.

Head actuator for a data storage head having a low mass with lateral stiffness

A crash stop assembly limits pivotal movement of an actuator assembly mounted on a base plate of a disc drive. The disc drive includes a signal channel extending from the actuator assembly to a disc drive circuit board, and the crash stop assembly includes a connector bracket secured to the base plate and supporting the signal channel. The crash stop assembly further includes a crash stop secured to the connector bracket and extending therefrom, and the crash stop includes a contact surface that contacts the actuator assembly to limit pivotal movement of the actuator assembly.

Growing community of inventors

Singapore, Singapore

ChorShan Cheng