Seagate Technology Incorporated

Mobile Storage Technology, Inc.

Integral Peripherals, Inc.

Gary Frank Kelsic

Aaron Steve Macpherson

Robert A Alt

Richard W Deichert

Bruce D Emo

Frank William Bernett

Dave Paul McReynolds

Thomas M Durrum

George Inslee Brent

Bruce Joseph Oxley

James A Dunckley

David Lapp

Rishi Kant

Steven R Speckmann

Rick K Thompson

Tom Konetski

Loutfi Elias Charara

Aaron S MacPherson

Eric Martin Guerin

John A Martindale

An actuator arm for a rotary actuator assembly of a disc drive comprises a substantially planar sheet of pliable material defining a longitudinal actuator arm having longitudinal edges, a distal end supporting the transducer, a proximal end supporting an actuator coil. Strut means integral with the sheet extends substantially normal to the plane of the sheet along at least a portion of at least one longitudinal edge and the proximal end of the arm to provide rigidity to at least a portion of the arm. In one embodiment, an integral strut portion defines a support for the actuator coil. In another embodiment, integral strut portions extend along opposite longitudinal edges to a location proximal the distal end to define a rigid portion between the strut portions and a flexible suspension region distal to the rigid portion.

Rotatable actuator arm having an integral strut

A disc drive device includes a base plate having an upper surface, a voice coil motor operably attached to the upper surface of the base plate, and a damper pad positioned on the upper surface of the base plate between the base plate and the voice coil motor such that vibrations occurring in the base plate and/or the voice coil motor are effectively damped. In this manner, vibrationally induced noise in a disc drive servo system and vibrationally induced acoustical emissions from the disc drive device are reduced.

Damper for disc drive voice coil motor

The outer surface of the cartridge sleeve is provided with features which increase the frictional coefficient between the cartridge sleeve and a tolerance ring placed around the cartridge. The cartridge and ring are then press-fit into the actuator bore together. The increased friction between the cartridge and ring prevents slip between them, eliminating the need to increase compressive forces between the ring and the bore and bearing.

Cartridge bearing with frictional sleeve

A thermally conducting and electrically insulating overmold encapsulates and supports an actuator coil in a disc drive assembly. The overmold is made from a base resin mixed with a ceramic filler compound such as boron nitride, alumina, aluminum nitride, magnesium oxide, zinc oxide, silicon carbide, beryllium oxide, chromium oxide or some combination thereof. The base resin is preferably polypheneline sulfide. Glass filler and/or a coupling agent are also preferably added. The overmold reduces off track read/write head position errors due to popping caused by thermal expansion and contraction of the actuator coil.

Thermally conductive overmold for a disc drive actuator assembly

A disc drive top cover incorporates an acoustic damper having alternating constraining layer material and damping layer material. Each constraining material layer is a sheet material having a high mechanical stiffness. Each damping material layer is a visco-damping adhesive having a pre-selected maximum damping efficiency for a particular disc drive operating condition. The acoustic damper may also include a carrier layer between damping layers so that multiple layers of damping material can be incorporated between any two constraining layers.

Multilayer acoustic damper for a disc drive

An actuator assembly suitable for a disc drive with at least one rotating disc for storing information. The actuator assembly has an actuator body having a mounting opening with at least a portion of the mounting opening being threaded and a bearing cartridge having an outer surface with at least a portion of the outer surface being threaded. The bearing cartridge is threadably received within the mounting opening of the actuator body so that the actuator body is releasably secured to the bearing cartridge. A method for securing an actuator body to a bearing cartridge in an actuator assembly of a disc drive is also provided.

Threadably mountable drive actuator bearing assembly

A method and apparatus for isolating actuator noise for a disc-drive system. An isolation material and a plug are combined in such a way to prevent or lessen acoustic actuator noise from the actuator assembly from entering the base plate of a disc drive system. An isolation material and plug form a dampening element. A dampening element may be formed from the elastomeric material without the plug.

Dampening member for isolating actuator vibration

A method for assembling a mechanical system is disclosed. A magnet is installed into the system. An actuator having a magnetic element is also assembled into the system such that the actuator is movable between two extremes. At one of the extremes, the actuator is latched in place by way of the magnetic element, which forms a magnetic circuit with the magnet.

Method for latching a disc driver actuator

An apparatus for increasing the operative force on an air vane latch apparatus in a disc drive involves providing an additional air vane on the pivoting air filter/latch to provide more torque on the latch during low pressure operating conditions and/or when less than an optimum number of discs are installed in the disc drive. The additional air vane is positioned beneath a top disc in the disc stack to at least catch wind generated adjacent the underside surface of the disc by the rotation of the top disc. The wind so generated pushes against this additional air vane supplementing that generated by the upper air vane thus increasing the torque applied to the pivoting air filter by the wind to ensure that there is sufficient wind pressure accumulation against the air vane and air filter latch to unlatch the actuator during all conditions of normal disc drive operation.

Dual air vane actuator latch apparatus for a disc drive

An apparatus for increasing the operative force on an air vane latch apparatus in a disc drive has a channel formed in the inside surface of the side wall of the head disc assembly cover immediately upstream of the air filter portion of the air vane latch apparatus for redirecting disc generated air flow against an air vane latch air filter and filter support bracket thus increasing the wind force on the air vane latch during disc drive operation to reduce the disc speed at which the latch apparatus moves from a latched position to an unlatched position.

Top cover having a turbo tunnel for an air vane latch apparatus in a disc drive

A resilient linear latch and crash stop device incorporates a magnetic latch and a linear impact absorbing crash stop into a single composite body made up of a magnet member for contacting a strike plate on the actuator arm, an energy absorbing member, and a latch base body assembled together. The energy absorbing member fastens the magnet member to the base body and absorbs impact energy in a generally linear fashion throughout the range of anticipated impact magnitudes. The energy absorbing member is a generally rectangular elastomeric bellows member formed in place and sandwiched between the magnetic mounting plate and the base body. The elastomeric bellows member has a vertically open tubular passage therethrough that preferably has a bell shaped horizontal cross sectional shape.

Latch and linear crash stop for a disc drive actuator arm

An acceleration sensing device senses the acceleration of a computer such that the computer is subject to zero support force (i.e., is in a free fall), and a control microprocessor of the disk drive unit determines that such state lasts for longer than a certain minimum of time. Upon these conditions being met, the control microprocessor signals the removal of the heads from the disk to park the heads.

Protection apparatus and method for hard disk drive unit of a portable

In accordance with this invention, an air bearing slider has a mounting side which has a relieved portion formed by a stepped-contour or a tapered contour. The stepped-contour includes an adherent surface adjacent the rear face of the air bearing slider and a notch surface adjacent the front face of the air bearing slider. The notch surface is closer to the air bearing surface than the adherent surface. The tapered contour includes an adherent surface adjacent the rear face and a taper surface adjacent the front face such that the taper surface is at an angle to the adherent surface. The clearance provided by the relieved portion eliminates interference between the air bearing slider and the load beam surround portions which support the air bearing slider. Depth of the relieved portion of the air bearing slider can be altered easily during grinding for customized multiple drive designs without major retooling effort. To eliminate any potential contact between the corners of the adherent surface of the air bearing slider and the load beam surround portions, cutouts and/or etched regions are provided to the load beam surround portions adjacent to the adherent surface. The relieved portion of the air bearing slider can overlap the load beam surround portions such that the overlaps limit angular excursion of the air bearing slider when the air bearing slider is unloaded from the disk.

Air bearing slider and head gimbal assembly

Air bearing slider and head Gimbal assembly

A disk drive with a drive motor having a spindle rotatable around an axis of rotation, one or more disks mounted on the spindle separated by annular spacers which have a radial dimension selected to maintain flatness of the disks, an annular ring dimensioned to distribute force evenly to the disks engaging the last mounted disk, a flat annular spring clamp for applying force uniformly to the annular ring, and a retaining member to hold the annular spring clamp in place.

Growing community of inventors

Longmont, CO, United States of America

Gary Frank Kelsic