Seagate Technology Incorporated

Magnetic Peripherals Inc.

Other

John D Stricklin

Roy Lynn Wood

Nigel Frank Misso

Kenneth Lee Pottebaum

Steve Scott Eckerd

Stephen R Genheimer

Charles Powell Morris

Jon P Baker

Erming Luo

Svetlana I Kovinskaya

Mathew Daniel

Xiong Liu

Dimitar Velikov Dimitrov

Antoine Khoueir

Insik Jin

Olle Gunnar Heinonen

Brian Lee

Curtis A Trammell

David S Allsup

Srinivas Tadepalli

Carl Fred Adams

Shuiyuan Huang

Steven S Eckerd

Ivan Petrov Ivanov

James A Duff

Arnold George Slezak

Loren D Skarky

John B Blanks

William J Edwards

Dilip C Patel

Gary A Treleven

Daniel M Heaton

Robert A Quatro

Bruno Koehne

Anthony D Denero

A magnetic memory element that has a stress-induced magnetic anisotropy. The memory element has a ferromagnetic free layer having a switchable magnetization orientation switchable, a ferromagnetic reference layer having a pinned magnetization orientation, and a non-magnetic spacer layer therebetween. The free layer may be circular, essentially circular or nearly circular.

Memory cell with stress-induced anisotropy

An actuator assembly is provided that includes a body portion, a first actuator arm assembly, a second actuator arm assembly, a first flexure assembly, and a second flexure assembly. Each of the first and second actuator arm assemblies projects from the body portion and has a distal end with different respective first and second mechanical configurations, sometimes referred to herein as 'mounting configurations.' Each of the flexure assemblies is respectively mounted to the distal ends of the first and second actuator arm assemblies via the respective mounting configuration. The first and second mechanical configurations (mounting configurations) are selected to provide the first and second flexure assemblies with different mechanical resonance characteristics. In a preferred embodiment, the second actuator arm assembly includes an actuator arm and a spacer disposed between the actuator arm and the second flexure assembly. The spacer has a stiffness different from the stiffness of the actuator arm.

Resonant frequency separation for an actuator assembly of a disc drive

An apparatus separating a resonance excitation response of a first disc from a resonance excitation response of second disc, the apparatus includes spindle motor with a spindle motor hub supporting the first disc, a disc spacer communicating with the first disc supporting a second disc and a clamp ring attached to this on the motor hub imparting a clamping force on the second disc to form a disc pack. Separation of resonance response between the first disc and the second disc results from maintaining a distinction between an amount of extension of mass and stiffness of each disc available for resonance excitation beyond respective outboard clamping points of the disc spacer. Separation of resonance assures resonance of the first disc is dissipated by a damping of the spindle motor, as well as resonance of the second disc is dissipated by the damping of the spindle motor.

Resonance response separation for axially aligned rotatable discs

An end stop assembly for limiting the travel of an actuator in a disc drive, the actuator pivotally supported by an enclosure for movement of a read/write head in data reading and writing relationship to a data disc. The end stop assembly comprises a base plate fixedly positioned within the enclosure, a post extending upward from the base plate and a cantilevered arm extending outward from the post. The arm comprises a proximal end connecting the arm to the post and a distal end for providing contacting engagement with the actuator. Furthermore, the cantilevered arm is displaceable in a rotational direction substantially about the post and deformable in a direction substantially along its longitudinal axis.

Moveable outer stop

A beam damper for damping acoustic noise generated by an actuator of a disc drive. The beam damper is compressed between a portion of a housing of the disc drive and an actuator motor. The beam damper includes a substantially flat platform affixed to a selected one of the housing and an upper or lower pole of the actuator motor. A plurality of flex beams extend from the platform at a selected angle and contact the remaining one of the housing and the upper or lower pole to resiliently bias the housing with respect to the actuator motor. The beam damper is preferably formed from a sheet of ductile metal which is stamped to form the platform and flex beams, after which the flex beams are bent to the desired angle.

Parallel spring design for acoustic damping of a disc drive

A disc drive has a head disc assembly that includes a basedeck with a threaded attachment aperture supporting a rotatable disc surface for storage of data and a rotary positionable read/write head adjacent the rotatable disc surface for writing data to and reading data from the rotating disc surface, a top cover with a mating aperture aligned to the threaded attachment aperture communicating with the basedeck to form an enclosure, a gasket constraint formed in the basedeck with an overlapping portion forming a gasket junction while supporting a tubular gasket sandwiched between the top cover and the basedeck. The tubular gasket has a first end adjacent the overlapping portion and a second end adjacent the overlapping portion; the second end communicates with a main body portion of the tubular gasket to seal the enclosure upon securing the top cover to the basedeck with a top cover fastener.

Tubular gasket for a disc drive

A compressive limit stop for limiting travel of an actuator assembly of a data storage device is disclosed. The compressive limit stop separates a first pole piece from a second pole piece of the data storage device, each pole piece adjacent the actuator assembly, the compressive limit stop includes a rigid body with a top flange adjacent the second pole piece and a bottom flange adjacent the first pole piece, an inner portion having a diameter less than the diameter of the top flange disposed between the top and bottom flanges forming a channel between the flanges and a compressive sleeve with an inner wall adjacent each flange while enclosing the channel to form a gap between the inner portion and the inner wall. The compressive sleeve deflects and compresses between the actuator assembly and the inner portion to decelerate movement of the actuator assembly, upon impact of the contact arm with the contact post.

Compressive limit stop in a disc drive

A disc drive assembly method for assembling a disc drive having a disc and an actuator with a tab portion disposed at a proximal end and a head on the distal end. The method consisting of rotating the actuator about a central post, contactingly engaging an outer stop. The outer stop comprises a base plate, a post extending upward from the base plate and a cantilevered arm extending outward from the post. The cantilevered arm of the outer stop is displaceable in a rotational direction substantially about the post and deformable in a direction substantially along its longitudinal axis. When the actuator engages the outer stop, the arm of the outer stop is displaced by the actuator tab portion, allowing rotation thereby, merging the heads onto the disc. Once the heads are merged, the outer stop returns to its original position to limit the rotation of the actuator assembly.

Voice coil motor attachment for a hard disc assembly

An actuator latch cooperating with a magnetic assembly for latching an actuator assembly of a data storage device is provided. The magnetic assembly includes a magnet secured to one of a pair of pole pieces. The actuator latch includes a latch body adjacent the magnet assembly; a forward arm extending in a first direction from the latch body, a first ferromagnetic member supported by the forward arm disposed between the pair of pole pieces interacting with the magnet to maintain the actuator assembly in an un-latched position during operation of the data storage device; a trailing arm extending in a second direction from the latch body; and a pair of ferromagnetic members supported by the trailing arm disposed between the pair of pole pieces interacting with the magnet to secure the actuator assembly in a latched position during non-operation of the data storage device.

Inertial spring latch assembly and compressive limit stop in a disc drive

An inventive method of manufacturing precisely-compressed multi-layer stacks is presented. Two stacks are assembled. One stack, having a compression sensor between two layers, is then compressed with an initial compression force, and the signal from the sensor is measured. The other stack is then compressed with a force derived from the measurement.

Method of manufacturing precisely compressed stacks

Apparatus for protecting a disc drive from damage due to non-operational mechanical shocks, the disc drive including a rotatable disc having an inner radius and an outer radius and a controllably rotatable actuator adjacent the disc. A snubber is provided adjacent the disc, the snubber having a body portion rigidly affixed with respect to the disc and snubber arms connected to the body portion. The snubber arms extend from the body portion towards the disc and above and below the elevation of the disc, with each snubber arm having a distal end located at a position adjacent the disc between the inner and the outer radii of the disc and towards the outer radius of the disc. The height of each snubber arm limits deflection of the disc at the outer radius of the disc as a result of mechanical shock forced supplied to the disc drive assembly.

Over molded disc snubber

An inertial spring latch with a contact post is disclosed for use in latching an actuator assembly of a data storage device. The actuator assembly includes a contact arm that cooperates with the contact post to restrict movement of the actuator assembly when the data storage device is in a non-operating mode. The inertial spring latch includes a latch body adjacent the actuator assembly, a forward arm extending in a first direction from the latch body and a spring member extending from the forward arm, the spring member supporting the contact post. The contact post inhibits movement of the actuator assembly by decelerating the movement of the actuator assembly upon impact of the contact arm with the contact post. Both the contact post and the spring member deflect to dampen the energy of motion of the actuator assembly, upon impact of the contact arm with the contact post.

Inertial spring latch assembly in a disc drive

Apparatus and method for individually clamping discs in a disc stack assembly to improve mechanical shock resistance of a disc drive. A clamping spacer includes a circumferentially extending body portion having a hub contact surface rigidly affixable to a hub of a spindle motor used to rotate first and second discs. The clamping spacer further includes top and bottom spring flanges which extend radially from the body portion away from the spindle motor hub so that the body portion and the spring flanges form a generally c-shaped cross-section. When the body portion is affixed to the spindle motor hub above the first disc and below the second disc, the bottom spring flange exerts a first axially directed clamping force upon the first disc and the top spring flange independently exerts a second axially directed clamping force upon the second disc.

Independent clamping spacers in a disc drive assembly

Apparatus in a disc drive for improving resistance of a disc drive disc stack to radially directed mechanical shocks. A disc is disposed about a rotatable spindle motor hub. Opposing first and second disc support members (such as a disc clamp, disc spacers, or a hub flange) circumferentially extend about the outer hub surface and cooperate to apply a clamping force to the disc to secure the disc relative to the spindle motor hub. The disc support members each comprise a circumferentially extending ring of high friction material having a contact surface that axially extends toward the disc. The clamping force applied to the disc is localized at the rings and at nodes extending from the disc support members so that respective gaps are formed between the disc and remaining portions of the disc support members, thereby reducing radial disc slip, increasing disc dampening, and reducing the likelihood of disc coning and warping.

High friction disc support member to increase disc drive mechanical shock resistance

Method and apparatus for reducing acoustic noise emission in a disc drive assembly. A housing of the disc drive includes first and second plates and side walls which cooperate to form an enclosure for an excitation source disposed within the housing. At least a selected one of the plates has a contact point to which the excitation source is mechanically coupled, a first portion of the selected plate surrounding the contact point and a second portion thereof disposed between the first portion and an outer perimeter of the selected plate, with the second portion having an increased compliance with respect to the first portion. The increased compliance can be formed by reducing the thickness of the second portion. Damping material can be additionally supported by the second portion to provide further acoustic noise reduction.

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Oklahoma City, OK, United States of America

John D Stricklin