International Business Machines Corporation

James William Berberich

David W Albrecht

Neal Bertram Schirle

Zine-Eddine Boutaghou

Robert Fontana

Oscar Jaime Ruiz

Lowell James Berg

Michael Anthony Moser

Clinton David Snyder

John S Heath

Jerry Lee Neubauer

Norman G Ainslie

Mats Anders Engwall

Archibald C Munce, Jr

Daniel W Chapman

Richard E Mach

C E Yeack-Scranton, Deceased

Zack D Reynolds

Suryanarayan G Hegde

Steven Alf Hanssen

Thomas Franklin Roth

A method, apparatus, and a disk file for adjusting the height of a set of load/unload lift cams with respect to the axial height of an associated stack of disks. The method steps comprise supporting load/unload lift cams with an adjustment tool, measuring the relative height of the load/unload lift cams with respect to the stack of disks in the axial direction with a non-contact transducer, and fixing the load/unload lift cams at a registered height with respect to the stack of disks.

Head suspension lift cam adjustment apparatus

A method and apparatus for adjusting the height of a set of load/unload lift cams with respect to the axial height of an associated stack of disks. The method steps comprise supporting load/unload lift cams with an adjustment tool, measuring the relative height of the load/unload lift cams with respect to the stack of disks in the axial direction with a non-contact transducer, and fixing the load/unload lift cams at a registered height with respect to the stack of disks.

Head suspension lift cam adjustment

A diaphragm isolator frame for supporting a disk drive in a rack or other enclosure while providing isolation from undesirable vibrations from other disk drives or components mounted in the enclosure or from the environment. The diaphragm isolator frame comprises a pair of side rails having isolators formed of thinned portions of the side rails to form diaphragms, each diaphragm having a centrally located press-pin for supporting the disk drive. The thickness and diameter of the diaphragms may be chosen to provide vibration isolation at a desired frequency.

Disk drive vibration isolation using diaphragm isolators

A method, apparatus, and a disk file for adjusting the height of a set of load/unload lift cams with respect to the axial height of an associated stack of disks. The method steps provide supporting load/unload lift cams with an adjustment tool, measuring the relative height of the load/unload lift cams with respect to the stack of disks in the axial direction with a non-contact transducer, and fixing the load/unload lift cams at a registered height with respect to the stack of disks.

Adjustable head suspension load/unload lift cam assembly

An interlocking disk apparatus for preventing disk slip in a disk stack of a magnetic or optical disk drive is provided. A textured region within the inner diameter of the disks in the disk stack is forced in tight contact with a conformable adjacent surface, such as a spacer ring, clamp plate, and/or hub flange. The textures on the disks penetrate into and/or through the conformal coatings on the adjacent surfaces, resulting in mechanical interlock that inhibits in-plane displacements of the disks from shock and generally improving interfacial contact of the surfaces within the disk stack, thus requiring lower clamping pressures to the disk stack and resulting in greater disk flatness and minimizing disk distortion. Electrostatic Discharge within the disk stack is prevented by diffusing conductive materials into the polymer conformal coating to increase its electrical conductivity.

Interlocking disk stack that prevents disk slip in a storage disk

A retention and retraction device for a slider and suspension in a magnetic disk drive. A cam actuation device is placed at the outer periphery of each disk in a disk drive having a multi-disk stack. A cam surface attached to a load beam that is part of the suspension engages the finger when the actuator arm is rotated far enough toward the outer periphery. The finger displaces the cam and attached suspension. In turn, a slider attached to the suspension is moved away from a disk surface over which it had been engaged in a flying relationship.

Slider and suspension retention and retraction system for high capacity

A method is provided for making an assembly that has an integrated suspension, actuator arm and actuator coil. At least one actuator coil layer is located in the actuator arm region. The actuator coil layer is mounted to at least one homogeneous support layer which extends between terminal ends of the assembly for supporting all layers. A hole is provided through all layers in the actuator region at a pivot point for receiving an actuator spindle. In some embodiments of the invention, a transducer coil layer may be integrated in the suspension region and may be located in substantially a common plane with the actuator coil layer. The actuator region may be provided with a silicon base which contains integrated processing circuits which are connected to the transducer coil layer. A device may be carried by the assembly for bending the suspension region with respect to the actuator arm region. A method is provided for fabricating multiple integrated assemblies substantially entirely at the wafer level, each integrated assembly having a longitudinal recording magnetic head which has a close tolerance gap.

Method of making an integrated suspension, actuator arm and coil assembly

A disk drive has at least one disk for storing data and at least one transducer for reading or writing data to or from the disk. The transducer is attached to an actuator which positions the transducer with respect to the disk. The actuator includes a controllable motor which is used to move the actuator and the transducer attached thereto. The disk drive also includes a ramp for off loading the transducer or for parking the transducer off of the surface of the disk. The disk drive includes a combination shock absorber and gasket that has locking tabs to keep the combination shock absorber and gasket in place during a shock or impact loading event. The combination shock absorber and gasket also can be provided with additional extensions to lessen shocks caused by flat drops. Elastomeric blocks or pads can be provided on the cover and the base to lessen shocks caused by flat drops. The drive can also have rotatable elastomeric blocks that can rotate to a position above the disk drive to lessen shocks resulting from flat drops. The drive also is provided with a shock sensor which provides visual evidence that the drive has undergone a shock of a predetermined threshold. Another shock absorbing system uses a shroud around the connector on the disk drive.

Disk drive with rotatable bumper blocks

Disc drive having an integral gasket and continuous outer perimeter

A retainer includes a resilient split band with a transition region and a loading region between its top and bottom edges. The loading region of the split band is provided with a plurality of loading domes which extend inwardly and a plurality of tabs which are located in the transition region of the split band adjacent its top edge. Upon assembly, the inner annular edge of the disk is located in the transition region of the split band with the top surface of the disk engaging the bottoms of the tabs. Downward movement of the split band on a spindle hub causes the loading domes to engage a cylindrical hub and cone the split band with its bottom edge located inwardly from its top edge. Pushing downwardly on the tabs causes the disk and the retainer to be forced downwardly on the spindle hub until the bottom edge of the split band engages a hub flange within a recess adjacent the hub. Downward pressure is then applied to the top surface of the disk causing the inner annular edge of the disk to be moved from the transition to the loading region of the split band. This causes the loading dome to be compressed against the cylindrical surface of the hub to apply a radial loading pressure between the inner annular edge of the disk and the outer cylindrical surface of the hub. This radial loading pressure retains the disk to the hub.

Split band retainer for radially clamping a disk to a hub in a disk drive

An assembly is provided which has integrated suspension and actuator arm regions. At least one actuator coil layer is located in the actuator arm region. The actuator coil layer is mounted to at least one homogeneous support layer which extends between terminal ends of the assembly for supporting all layers. A hole is provided through all layers in the actuator region at a pivot point for receiving an actuator spindle. In some embodiments of the invention, a transducer coil layer may be integrated in the suspension region and may be located in substantially a common plane with the actuator coil layer. The actuator region may be provided with a silicon base which contains integrated processing circuits which are connected to the transducer coil layer. A device may be carried by the assembly for bending the suspension region with respect to the actuator arm region. A method is provided for fabricating multiple integrated assemblies substantially entirely at the wafer level, each integrated assembly having a longitudinal recording magnetic head which has a close tolerance gap.

Integrated suspension, actuator arm and coil assembly with common

A spindle system is comprised or a journal and thrust air bearing. The journal bearing; has two sets of opposing groove areas. The thrust air bearing has two sets of spiral grooves. The thrust air bearing is gimballed to compensate for misaligment. A bias contact member is connected to the rotating member along the axis of rotation and provides electrical grounding, The spindle system is especially applicable to mounting recording disks in a data storage disk drive.

Spindle system for a disk drive

A spindle system is comprised of a journal and thrust air bearing. The journal bearing has two sets of opposing groove areas. The thrust air bearing has two sets of spiral grooves. The thrust air bearing is gimballed to compensate for misalignment. A bias contact member is connected to the rotating member along the axis of rotation and provides electrical grounding. The spindle system is especially applicable to mounting recording disks in a data storage disk drive.

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San Jose, CA, United States of America

James William Berberich