International Business Machines Corporation

Daniel C Stucky

John Beck

Charles Allan Brown

Herman Russell Wendt

Luke A Cossette

Michael Scott Good

James M Rigotti

Jeffrey Fred Boigenzahn

Richard Edward Lagergren

Brian Lee Rappel

Lyle R Tufty

Dale E Goodman

Todd Phillip Fracek

Darrell Eugene Bratvold

Gregory Allen Lyons

Dale C Goeke

Nigel F Misso

A data storage disk drive is provided with a spindle which supports a plurality of disks having at least one magnetic disk surface to form a spindle assembly for rotation of the disk surfaces about a common axis and a rotary actuator which supports magnetic transducers for movement in unison about respective disk surfaces. The disk drive includes a disk drive enclosure having die-cast generated predetermined zero draft geometries for mounting the spindle motor shaft and the actuator bearing shaft. The enclosure includes a base casting and a cover casting, each casting including structure for locating and retaining electrical connectors used for connecting to a planar electronics card located outside the drive enclosure. The disk drive includes an effective and easily manufacturable electrical path from a flex circuit to an actuator comb. The disk drive includes a tubular chemical breather filter arranged with integral housing and diffusion channels formed in the cover casting.

Structure and enclosure assembly for a disk drive

A data storage disk drive is provided with a spindle which supports a plurality of disks having at least one magnetic disk surface to form a spindle assembly for rotation of the disk surfaces about a common axis and a rotary actuator which supports magnetic transducers for movement in unison about respective disk surfaces. The disk drive includes a voltage reference tab provided for quick assembly and removal from an actuator comb. The voltage reference tab maintains the magneto-resistive transducers and the magnetic disks at the same reference voltage potential thus minimizing electrical discharge from the transducer to the disk. The voltage reference tab is a copper tab having symmetrical slots about a fastening hole to facilitate the bending operation and to reduce the rate at which heat is conducted during the soldering process. The tab maintains the voltage reference potential between the head and disk through an extension of the flex cable attached to the actuator.

A lubricant reservoir for a vapor transport type rigid magnetic disk drive lubricant system includes a metal heat sink that presents a finned surface at the side exposed to the outside environment. A second surface within the sealed head-disk enclosure cooperates with a thermal heat transfer resisting wall portion to form a duct. A lubricant reservoir is retained against the heat sink surface within the duct. The reservoir assembly is secured to the head-disk enclosure wall by mounting tape that not only seals the enclosure, but thermally isolates the reservoir assembly from the enclosure wall. The reservoir assembly is further positioned adjacent the disk assembly of the drive such that disk rotation induces an air flow through the reservoir duct and in contact with the lubricant reservoir to effect vapor transport between said reservoir and disks to maintain a proper molecular layer of lubricant on the disk surfaces which are always maintained at a temperature greater than the reservoir during disk drive operation.

Disk drive lubricant reservoir

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Pine Island, MN, United States of America

Daniel C Stucky