Western Digital Technologies, Inc.

Seagate Technology Incorporated

Hover-davis, Inc.

Ui Holding Company

Delaware Capital Formation, Inc.

Dean Albert Tarrant

Peter Gregory Davis

Hans L Leuthold

Gunter Karl Heine

David John Jennings

Steve G Gonzalez

Raquib Uddin Khan

Jit Han Tan

Lakshman Nagarathnam

Lie Dhani Hastama

Sie Cheang Phuah

Michael A Summers

David Wuester, Sr

Joseph A Perlas

Andres G Ferre

Mooi Hoon Lim

Peter Michael Davis

Arthur Edward Burns, Ii

Lakshman Nagarathman

A comb gripper is disclosed for use in the assembly of a disk drive. The comb gripper may be used to push a comb tower of a shipping comb such that a head stack assembly (HSA) of the disk drive is rotated and a head gimbal assembly (HGA) of the disk drive is coupled to a ramp of the disk drive. The comb gripper may comprise: a first gripper finger that includes a protruding portion; a second gripper finger; and an actuator. The actuator may be configured to move the first and second gripper fingers, wherein the actuator is configured to move the protruding portion of the first gripper finger to contact the comb tower and to push the comb tower and the shipping comb such that the HSA is rotated and the HGA is coupled to the ramp.

Comb gripper for use with a shipping comb and a ramp in the assembly of a disk drive

A device may comprise a gripper defining a plurality of openings, each being configured to selectively receive, retain and release an item using a vacuum. One or more sensors may be associated with the plurality of openings, and may be configured to detect a faulty item received in the opening associated therewith. An item receiving structure may be configured to receive items released by the gripper when one or more of the sensors detects that one or more of the received items is faulty. An item receptacle may be configured to receive a plurality of items, and a vacuum chute may be configured to convey items received in the item receiving structure away from the gripper and into the item receptacle under a vacuum force.

Device for faulty item rejection

Disclosed is a gripper for use with a disk clamp end effecter in a disk drive manufacturing process used for mounting a disk clamp to a disk in the manufacturing of a disk drive. The gripper comprises: a disk gripper housing, a lip seal gripper mounted to the disk gripper housing, and a vacuum channel. The lip seal gripper includes an upper portion that fits into the disk gripper housing and a lower portion that has a surface. The surface is configured to extend around the disk clamp to press against the disk clamp. The vacuum channel extends from the upper portion of the lip seal gripper to the lower portion of the lip seal gripper to provide a vacuum to the lip seal gripper such that the surface of the lip seal gripper is gripped by the vacuum to the surface of the disk clamp around the disk clamp.

Apparatus and method to grip a disk clamp of a disk drive

A clean and purge tool (CAPT) is provided and includes a nest assembly that stows an open hard disk drive (HDD). The nest assembly is rotated from an upward facing position to a downward facing position to dislodge particles from a media clamp of the HDD. The CAPT also includes a cover hingedly attached to the nest assembly and encloses the HDD. The CAPT also includes a spindle clamp assembly (SCA) mounted on the cover and has a vacuum tube configured to encapsulate the media clamp. The SCA includes an air purge nozzle extending into the vacuum tube. The CAPT dislodges particles from the media clamp when pulses of compressed gas are applied to the media clamp by a compressed gas source via the air purge nozzle and evacuates the particles from the vacuum tube when a vacuum is applied to the vacuum tube by a vacuum source.

Hard drive assembly tools for evacuating particles

Disclosed is a cleaning device for cleaning a driver used in a disk drive manufacturing process. The cleaning device includes: a body; a replaceable cleaning pad mounted in the body; and a cover mounted to the body over the cleaning pad, in which, the cover includes an opening to receive the driver and to expose a portion of the cleaning pad to receive and clean the driver. The cleaning device further includes a cleaning pad rotation mechanism mounted in the body that connects to the cleaning pad and rotates the cleaning pad. The cleaning pad rotation mechanism is configured to rotate the cleaning pad such that an unused portion of the cleaning pad is exposed to the opening for receipt of the driver and the cleaning pad rotation mechanism may be activated to rotate the cleaning pad.

Apparatus and method for cleaning a driver used in disk drive manufacturing

Provided is a component tape feeder apparatus comprising a single output module, a single component exposure module, operably connected to the single output module, and, a plurality of input modules, wherein each input module of the plurality of input modules is operably connected to the single exposure module. A corresponding method of feeding electronic components includes supplying a plurality of component tapes housing electronic components to the single exposure module, wherein the supplying involves receiving and forwarding of the plurality of component tapes by the plurality of input modules.

Component tape feeder

In recapitulation, the present invention is a method and apparatus for the reliable removal and installation of a component feeding system, such as a direct die feeder, within a printed circuit board or similar assembly machine such as those used in the assembly of printed circuit boards. The invention employs a docking channel operatively affixed to the assembly machine, where the docking channel includes at least a pair of parallel grooves into which alignment rails on the component feeder may be inserted. In this way, the position of the component feeder may be controlled. The docking channel may further include stops, safety locks, alignment pins and a transport device to facilitate easy removal and exchange of component feeders on an assembly machine.

Interface device with a releasable mount

The present invention is a method and apparatus for use within a die feeder associated with a circuit board assembly machines and includes, among other aspects and features, a cavity to capture and maintain the position of the die within a vacuum gripper. The invention also includes the interaction of a pair of nozzles whereas one moves within the nozzle tip containing the die cavity and has the ability to compensate for any offset between the nozzles.

Vacuum gripper for handling small components

The present invention is a method and apparatus for use in a die feeder used in automated assembly machines and includes, among other aspects and features, a novel nest for holding a die against a vacuum port and releasing same without an independently controlled vacuum source. The invention also includes a novel elevator mechanism, employed to lift the nest to a pick location and means for positioning and aligning the nest for precision travel and pick location placement.

Die shuttle conveyor and nest therefor

A spindle motor is described having a motor stator, a motor rotor, the motor being energized to cause rotation of the rotor supporting a single disc or a stack of discs which is mounted in such a way that the rotating bottom or top (or both) disc surface is closely adjacent to a stationary disc drive casting surface. The squeeze film action in the remaining air gap provides significant damping of the disc vibration. Typical implementation use air gaps of 0.004&Prime;-0.006&Prime; for 2&frac12;&Prime; drives and 0.006&Prime;-0.10&Prime; for 3&frac12;&Prime; drives.

Squeeze film damping for a hard disc drive

A direct die feeder picks known good die from a wafer and places them on a conveyor belt, which conveys the die to a pickup location. Frame (,) supports a wafer (,) which is a wafer that is sawed while adhered onto a flexible film, which is then stretched and mounted in a ring (,). A fork member (,), on which a pick head (,) is mounted slides along a horizontal axis and frame (,) slides along a vertical axis to allow the pick head (,) to access any die from the wafer. A camera (,) is directed downward at a 45&deg; mirror (,) adjacent to the pick head to capture images of the wafer and determine the precise locations of die and qualify them. The pick head (,) can pick die from the wafer and place them directly on the conveyor belt (,) in the conventional orientation, or pass the die to a flip head (,) which then shifts to the left and lowers the die down past the pick head, placing the die on the conveyor belt in the flipped orientation. The conveyor belt operates until a die is detected at a pickup location (,) at one end of the conveyor except during placing operations of the pick head or flip head or during burst mode operations, during which the conveyor belt is loaded with closely spaced die, then fed in rapid succession to a multi-head host pick and place machine.

Method and apparatus for removing die from a wafer and conveying die to a pickup location

A direct die feeder picks known good die from an expanded wafer and places them on a conveyor belt, which conveys the die to a pickup location. Frame (111) supports an expanded wafer (105) which is a wafer that is sawed and adhered onto a flexible film, which is then stretched and mounted in a ring (110). A fork member (125), on which a pick head (150) is mounted slides along an x-axis and frame (111) slides along a vertical axis to allow the pick head (150) to access any die from the expanded wafer. A camera (160) is directed downward at a 45.degree. mirror adjacent to the pick head to capture images of the wafer and determine the precise locations of known good die on the wafer. The pick head (150) can pick die from the wafer and place them directly on the conveyor belt (170) in the conventional orientation, or pass the die to a transfer head (155) which then shifts to the left and lowers the die down past the pick head, placing the die on the conveyor belt in the flipped orientation. The conveyor belt operates until a die is detected at a pickup location (173) at one end of the conveyor except during placing operations of the pick head or transfer head.

Method and apparatus for removing die from an expanded wafer and

A liquid dispense system for dispensing a 2-part epoxy resin compound to form bond beads having weights on the order of 1-20 mg. The dispensing system includes an epoxy resin compound pre-mixing and loading station, an epoxy dispense time and dispense force calibration station, and a plurality of epoxy dispensing third stations. Throughout the process, critical dispense related data is recorded on, and retrieved from, an on-board semiconductor memory device mounted on, and maintained with, the portable dispense syringe structure. Since the viscosity of the mixed epoxy compound is changing over time, any dispensing of constant amounts of the epoxy compound requires adjustments to dispense time and dispense force. These adjustments are made at a dispense station and are based on a calibration sample taken at the calibration station. The calibration step involves dispensing a sample of the loaded epoxy compound in the dispense syringe, and recording data on the memory device pertaining to the number of shots dispensed to produce the sample, the time taken for each shot and the total weight of the sample. At a dispensing station, a process controller reads the recorded data on the memory device and determines the count-down status of the worklife time, prior to dispensing any epoxy compound. On the basis of the data, the adjusted dispense time and dispense force parameters for dispensing a particular bead weight of the epoxy compound are determined in accordance with the ongoing change in viscosity of the curing epoxy resin compound.

Precision 2-part epoxy dispensing apparatus and method

The present invention replaces the current spindle motor ball bearing system of a hard disc drive by a system comprising three separate elements, including a self-pressurizing journal bearing for establishing radial stiffness which comprises a rotating shaft and sleeve with air or other fluid therebetween. A chevron or herringbone pattern is established on the sleeve or shaft to establish a self-pressurizing hydrodynamic bearing which maintains the stability of the system while providing for very simple manufacturing of the system. Additionally, a thrust bearing is defined based on the air pressure build-up between the housing for the disc stack and the disc stack itself. The term 'integrated air-bearing' is used to name this thrust bearing because it is built up with components such as discs and housing which exist in any typical hard disc assembly. The integrated air-bearing may be sufficiently established by building up the bottom surface of the housing or the base of the housing to within a very close distance of the lower surface of the disc; preferably, both the top surface of the top disc and bottom surface of the bottom disc are located close to pads, or other configurations are built up to define a narrow gap between the top and bottom surfaces of the disc stack and the housing. Third, an axial elastic thrust bearing defines the axial position of the disc stack at rests and avoiding contact between the surfaces forming the integrated air-bearing (in other terms, disc and housing). This elastic thrust bearing comprises a ball fixed to the shaft that rest against an elastic shield fixed to the end sleeve of the journal bearing or the base of the disc drive. This bearing defines the axial position of the disc stack.

Growing community of inventors

San Jose, CA, United States of America

Dean Albert Tarrant