Seagate Technology Incorporated

Glenn A Benson

Zheng Shi

Jeffrey Robert Lind

Kent J Forbord

David Douglas Koester

Kurt J Korkowski

A disk drive including a disk drive base having a lower portion and a base post extending upwardly from the lower portion, a rotatable spindle attached to the disk drive base, and a head actuator pivotally attached to the disk drive base. The head actuator includes an actuator body having a bore therein, and an actuator pivot bearing disposed at least partially within the bore, the actuator pivot bearing having a cover attachment member extending at least partially into a distal end of the base post. An upper portion of the pivot shaft includes an annular groove and a lower portion of the pivot shaft includes an annular recess.

Helium drive pivot design to reduce cover screw tension induced torque and stiffness changes

Various aspects of the present disclosure are directed toward a disc drive actuator assembly including an e-block, a bearing, and a sleeve. The bearing includes an inner race, an outer race and a plurality of balls between the inner and outer races. The inner race being coupled to a pivot shaft of a disc drive, and the bearing being configured and arranged to facilitate rotation of the e-block around the pivot shaft. The sleeve coupling the outer race of the bearing to the e-block, and includes a groove along an inner diameter of the sleeve adjacent the outer race. The groove and outer race mitigate rotational torque changes due to thermal effects upon the disc drive actuator assembly by allowing the outer race of the bearing to deform into or away from the groove and therein mitigate or prevent the generation of certain forces in bearings.

Disc drive actuator bearing cartridge assembly with temperature induced rotational torque mitigation

Aspects of the present disclosure are directed to bearings, their manufacture and implementation. As may be implemented in accordance with one or more embodiments, an apparatus includes a bearing cage with a plurality of ball pockets at respective locations along a length of the bearing cage. Each ball pocket holds a ball. A plurality of lubricant reservoirs are respectively located between adjacent ones of the ball pockets along the length of the bearing cage. A plurality of lubricant migration channels are recessed in the bearing cage, extend between and connect one of the lubricant reservoirs and one of the ball pockets, and flow lubricant between the one of the lubricant reservoirs and the one of the ball pockets.

Bearing apparatus with surface migration channels

A method of manufacturing a disc drive actuator is provided. The method includes manufacturing a disc drive actuator and machining a peripheral surface of the actuator. The peripheral surface is machined to obtain a desired profile dimension and thereby reduce variations in resonance characteristics from one actuator to the next.

Machining actuator periphery to reduce resonance variation

An actuator assembly for a disc drive includes an E-block supported by a spindle for rotation about an axis and having an actuator arm supporting a transducer. An elongated yoke arm extends from the E-block. A motor rotates the E-block about the axis to position the transducer adjacent a selected track on the recording disc. The motor includes a voice coil supported by the yoke arm. A stop mechanism defines at least one of the inner and outer tracks of the disc and comprises at least one stop pin mounted to the disc drive housing and a stop surface on a distal end of the yoke arm for engaging the stop pin.

Growing community of inventors

Lakeville, MN, United States of America

Glenn A Benson