Maxtor Corporation

Seagate Technology Incorporated

David Chew

Pantelis Alexopoulos

Erhard Theodor Schreck

Michael M Lee

Don Brunnett

Frank Ivan Morris

John Edward Scura

Bernhard Hiller

Bruce C Schardt

Maurice L Schlumberger

Chandra Shaker Buddhavaram

Samuel Richard Duell

Wendy Lorimer

Babu S Rahman

Leroy L Leach

John Beley

Eric Kvamme

Richard Sonnenfeld

Robert L Kimball

Thierry Chatard

Jeff Griffiths

Johanna Hernandez

James McGrath

Kathleen Fitzgerald, Legal Representative

Robert Milby

A RAID system is provided which can be implemented as a hardware RAID system while avoiding certain shortcomings of previous RAID systems. The RAID system makes it possible to avoid or reduce the number of buffers or processors and can take advantage of drive logic to achieve RAID functions or enhancements. RAID functionality can be provided in a manner to accommodate one or more ATA drive interfaces. To avoid drive replacement problems, host requests for drive serial numbers are responded to with a mirror serial number. In one embodiment, the read address is used to select which drive will perform a read operation.

RAID system and method compatible with improved drive select

A rotary actuator motor is provided including a stationary coil section and a rotating magnet. The magnet is incorporated with the pivot bearing assembly, and the coil section is aligned with the magnet along an axis of rotation of the actuator. The magnet fully encircles the axis of rotation. The coil comprises one or more closed loops of electrically conductive material. The motor in this arrangement maintains a much smaller profile in comparison to a traditional voice coil motor that is mounted to a yoke extending away from the axis of rotation of the actuator.

Low-profile rotary motor with fixed back iron

A voice coil for a disk drive includes a spiral formation of winding of an electrically conductive material. This formation has a generally triangular shape with an open center. First and second active leg portions of the formation curve inward of it, and an inactive leg portion curves outward of it. The cross-sectional area of the coil varies along its length with the segments in the inactive leg portion having a smaller cross-sectional area than those of the active leg portions. The voice coil is a laminate with the conductive layer disposed between two electrically insulating layers. It lies fixedly secured to a surface of a base member of the disk drive's actuator. The method of making this laminate includes securing the conductive layer to an insulating layer, removing selected portions of the conductive layer to form the coil, and covering the conductive layer with another insulating layer.

Voice coil for disk drive

An actuator arm assembly for a disk drive is disclosed. The actuator arm assembly includes at least two actuator arms, each having a corresponding suspension and read/write head. A one-piece flex cable is attached to the upper or lower surface of each of these actuator arms, and includes at least one preamp. The flex cable provides an electrical interconnection between the read/write heads of these two actuator arms and a drive electronics board. Both of these actuator arms may be detachably interconnected with a spacer via at least one snap-lock type interconnection to allow for a &ldquo;no tools&rdquo; assembly/disassembly of the actuator arm assembly.

Disk drive actuator arm assembly with unitary flex cable

A disk drive includes an actuator with a shaft and a base with a sleeve that receives the shaft and includes as least one bearing. The shaft extends into the sleeve and through the bearing where it supports the actuator and allows it to pivot in response to electro-magnetic forces. The shaft defines at least one opening for aligning a main body of the actuator together with the shaft and facilitating attachment of the two in proper and secure alignment.

Actuator pivot assembly that pivotally connects an actuator to a base of a disk drive

An actuator arm for a disk drive includes a flat sheet of material having a predetermined configuration. This arm lies pivotally mounted to a base of the disk drive; and it supports a coil assembly and cable segments as well as other components such as a pre-amp and a damper. The method of making this actuator arm includes the steps of cutting a flat sheet of material to a predetermined configuration and then securing the various components to it.

Disk drive actuator arm

A disk drive includes a base, an actuator pivotally mounted on the base, a motor and a hub for supporting the disk or disks of the drive. A rotatable member disposed on the base includes a latch that cooperates with a hook on the actuator and a magnet that cooperates with a ferromagnetic segment disposed between the rotatable member and the motor. When the motor does not operate, this rotatable member moves to a predetermined position in which the latch engages a hook portion on the actuator. When the motor does operate, the magnetic field that it generates overcomes the force of the magnet and allows the rotatable member to move out of the locking position.

Disk drive latching assembly

Growing community of inventors

San Jose, CA, United States of America

David Chew