Integral Peripherals, Inc.

Maxtor Corporation

Seagate Technology Incorporated

Mobile Storage Technology, Inc.

James A Dunckley

James H Morehouse

David M Furay

Steven Bernard Volk

Robert A Alt

John H Blagaila

Michael R Utenick

James F Hopper

John A Mount

Bruce D Emo

Thomas A Klein

Tave Joseph Fruge

Richard K Thompson

Bernard J Rondestvedt

John Edward Scura

Gary Frank Kelsic

Michael Joseph Russell

Gale D Johnson

D Michael Keffeler

Francisco Obregon

Daniel Robert Ohlsen

Robert J Miles

Andrew J Gleason

A base for a data storage system is provided having an inner facing surface and an outer facing surface. The base includes a motor well. Formed with inner surface of facing surface of the base includes a medium region, an actuator region and a dam. The medium region is defined by a medium region planar surface surrounding a portion of the motor well, a leading surface and a trailing surface. The actuator region is defined by an actuator region planar surface that is recessed from the medium region planar surface, the leading surface, the trailing surface and a remaining portion of the motor well. The dam has a dam planar surface that surrounds the remaining portion of the motor well and is positioned on the actuator region planar surface between the leading surface and the trailing surface.

Base dam in a data storage system to reduce or eliminate motor leakage

A disk drive () is disclosed that uses an integral load/unload ramp () with one or more integrated air features. In one embodiment, the load/unload ramp () includes a body (), a plurality of head load/unload sections () for head parking operations, a plurality of air dams () for affecting the airflow on at least part of the primary data storage surfaces of the data storage disks () used by the disk drive (), and a plurality of disk extenders () for affecting the airflow at the perimeter () of the various data storage disks (). There is no joint of any kind between the body () and any of the head load/unload sections (), between the body () and any of the air dams (), or between the body () and any of the disk extenders ().

Disk drive load/unload ramp with integrated air features

A disk drive head stack assembly () of a configuration that facilitates the assembly thereof is disclosed. One or more head/arm assemblies () are mounted on a pivot bearing (). This pivot bearing () includes a tapered section (). Each head/arm assembly () may be mounted on the pivot bearing (). Thereafter, a retainer ring () may be advanced relative to the pivot bearing (). Advancement of the retainer ring () along the tapered section () expands the retainer ring () so that the same may be disposed within a retainer ring slot () of the pivot bearing (). Each head/arm assembly () is maintained between this retainer ring () and a flange () of the pivot bearing ().

Method for making a disk drive head stack assembly having a tapered pivot bearing

An actuator arm latch assembly for a disk drive is disclosed which restrains movement of a disk drive actuator arm assembly during exposure of the disk drive to a shock event. In one embodiment, the actuator arm latch assembly is activated by the disk drive being exposed to a shock event that is directed along/about a first shock axis (e.g., within a reference plane that contains a disk drive base plate), and also is activated when the disk drive is exposed to a shock event that is directed along/about a second shock axis that is both non-parallel and non-colinear with the first shock axis (e.g., within a reference plane that is disposed at an angle to the disk drive base plate, and including perpendicular thereto).

Disk drive actuator arm latch assembly

Disk drive head stack assembly having a tapered pivot bearing

A disk drive apparatus includes actuator arms, each with a load beam mounted thereon, and a head mounted to a side of the load beam, with a lift rod mounted to that side of the load beam. An electrical conductor is connected to the head and extends along that side of the load beam. Each actuator arm defines a bore, and an annular member is included, having a first portion which is dimensioned to be an interference fit with a bore of the actuator arm, and a second portion adapted to cooperate with a portion of the actuator arm to hold a portion of the load beam therebetween with the first portion of the annular member positioned in the bore of the actuator arm. The disk drive apparatus includes a base and first and second covers on either side thereof, and a disk drive motor mounted to the base and extending from adjacent the first cover to adjacent the second cover. A voice coil actuator assembly extends from adjacent the first cover to adjacent the second cover.

Disk drive load beam structure having lift rod and head mounted on same

A disk drive apparatus, by using an integrated base structure made up of a base portion and a printed circuit board, and an integrated cover structure made up of a cover casting and a printed circuit board, is able to achieve an overall thickness of 5 millimeters, so that such disk drive apparatus can meet the current PCMCIA card standard for Type II cards.

Disk drive apparatus

An assembly for mounting a disk in a disk drive and including the disk mounting assembly. The disk mounting assembly includes a hub having a plurality of spoke recesses situated in the upper surface of the hub. The hub includes a protruding ledge for supporting a disk. A disk clamping ring adapted to fit about the hub is utilized. The disk mounting assembly also includes a spring washer having a circumferential edge surface adapted to contact the ring, the spring washer including a plurality of spokes extending inwardly from the circumferential edge surface of the washer to the center of the washer. A retainer is used to hold the center of the spring washer to the hub to squeeze a disk between the protruding ledge of the hub and the ring. The spokes of the spring washer are situated within respective spoke recesses of the hub to provide a low profile disk drive with more vertical room available for stator windings.

Low-profile disk mounting assembly, and low-profile disk drives

A removable disk drive is combined with a protective device for use in a computer. The protective device is constructed as a jacket made of resilient material, the jacket enclosing at least a portion of the surface of the disk drive. In one embodiment, the disk drive includes a substantially rigid disk in a housing having a footprint that includes a first dimension of about 35 mm. In another embodiment, the removable disk drive includes a housing and a substantially rigid disk having a diameter in the range of from about 33 mm to about 34 mm.

Removable disk drive and protective device

Disclosed is a rigid disk drive information storage device which includes a rigid disk having a diameter in the range of about 45-50 mm., with a housing having a footprint that includes a width of about 51 mm. and utilizing a rotary actuator for positioning read/write recording elements across the surface of the disk. The disk storage devices further includes a footprint with a length of about 70 mm., includes dynamic loading apparatus for loading the read/write recording elements into operative relationship with the disk and further includes an inertial latch for preventing rotation of the actuator when the drive is subjected to a rotational force.

Miniature hard disk drive with EMI protection and single permanent

A disk drive information storage device having a pair of disks for storing information, the storage device including a clamp for mounting disks on a hub, the clamp including an annular element having a first set of fingers extending from the annular element in the first direction parallel to the central axis of the annular element, the first set of fingers providing a radial force on the inside edge of one of the disks, and the clamp including a second set of fingers extending from the annular element in a second direction parallel to the central axis of the annular element and opposite to the first direction, the fingers of the second set being for imposing a radially force on an inside edge of a second disk. In another embodiment, a disk drive information storage device with a pair of disks includes a spindle motor having a rotor which includes a disk-shaped portion having an outer diameter, and an upper surface for supporting one of the pair of disks. A second one of the pair of disks is connected to the rotor on a side of the first disk opposite the spindle motor. A clamp having an outer diameter smaller than the outer diameter of the disk-shaped portion of the rotor is connected to a cylindrical portion of the rotor between the first and second disk. An actuator is provided to support first and second read/write heads, with the actuator being movable to position the first and second read/write heads such that the first read/write head reads information from or writes information to a portion of a second surface of the first disk between the outer diameter of the disk-shaped portion of the rotor and the outside diameter of the clamp. In one embodiment, the disk drive information storage device comprises a housing having a footprint that includes a first dimension of about 35 mm. In another embodiment, at least one of the disks of the pair of disks in the disk drive information storage device has a diameter in the range of from about 33 mm to about 34 mm.

Microminiature disk drive with clamp having fingers for radially

Disclosed is a rigid disk drive information storage device which includes a rigid disk having an outside diameter in the range of about 33-34 mm., with a housing having a footprint that includes a width of about 35 mm. and utilizing a rotary actuator for positioning read/write recording elements across the surface of the disk. The disk storage devices further includes a footprint with length of about 50.8 mm., and includes in one embodiment dynamic head loading apparatus for loading the read/write recording elements into operative relationship with the disk. In another embodiment the rigid disk drive utilizes contact start stop loading and unloading of the read/write recording elements. An inertial latch is also provided for preventing rotation of the actuator when the drive is subjected to a rotational force.

Microminiature hard disk drive

Disclosed is a disk drive information storage device having a housing and a disk means for recording and reproducing information. The disk drive information storage device utilizes an actuator comprising a body portion supported by the housing for rotation about an axis, and a load beam connected to the body portion for rotation of a first end of the load beam in a plane substantially parallel to a surface of the disk means. The load beam includes an elongated lift tab having a free end which extends beyond the first end of the load beam, with the lift tab extending along an axis which is skewed from the centerline of the load beam. A slider body including a transducer for recording and reproducing information from the disk is supported by the load beam at a position intermediate the first end of the load beam and the axis of rotation of the body portion. A cam assembly is provided on the housing adjacent to the edge of the disk means, the cam assembly including a cam surface positioned in operative relationship with the lift tab. In one embodiment, the housing has a first external dimension of about 51 mm. In another embodiment, the disk means has a diameter in the range of from about 45 mm to about 50 mm.

Miniature disk drive with dynamic head loading with skewed lifting tab

Disclosed is a disk drive information storage device having a housing and a disk means for recording and reproducing information. The disk drive information storage device utilizes a rotary actuator which includes a load beam and structure for dynamically loading a transducer into operative relationship with a surface of the disk means. The transducer is supported adjacent to one end of the load beam. The load beam includes at its outermost end a lift tab which extends from the load beam along an axis which is skewed from the centerline of the load beam, with the lift tab including a curvilinear portion. A cam assembly is provided on the housing adjacent to the edge of the disk means, the cam assembly including a cam surface positioned in operative relationship with the lift tab. In one embodiment, the housing has a first external dimension of about 51 mm. In another embodiment, the disk means has a diameter in the range of from about 45 mm to about 50 mm.

Miniature disk drive with dynamic head loading

Disclosed is a disk drive information storage device which includes a disk for recording and reproducing information, with the disk drive information storage device having a housing with a baseplate which includes a peripheral portion having a lip which extends circumferentially around the peripheral portion and the cover also includes a peripheral portion with a free edge at the periphery of the cover such that when the baseplate is engaged with the cover the overlap of the free edge of the baseplate and the free edge of the lip provides shielding to the internal components of the disk drive from electromagnetic interference, which my be present in the environment in which the disk drive is utilized. The disk utilized in the disk drive has a diameter in the range of from about 45 mm to about 50 mm. The housing of the disk drive has a first external dimension of about 51 mm and a second external dimension of about 70 mm.

Growing community of inventors

Boulder, CO, United States of America

James A Dunckley