Seagate Technology Incorporated

Jonathan E Hall

Garry Edward Korbel

Mark Brunner

Two data-free tracks, a takeoff zone and a landing zone, are provided on a magnetic disc, in order to provide a place for the magnetic head to come in contact with the disc without risk of destruction of data. An actuator controller places the head on the takeoff zone at the start of the disc's rotation and on the landing zone at the finish of the disc's rotation. Wear caused by contact of the head with the disc is thereby distributed over two zones, which prolongs the life of the disc.

Disc drive with separate landing and takeoff zones

An air stripper for stripping air in a head disk assembly within a magnetic disk drive. The head disk assembly includes a spindle, a magnetic disk, a head arm and the air stripper. The magnetic disk is secured to the spindle for rotation about a central axis and includes a generally planar surface between an inner disk diameter and an outer disk diameter. Rotation of the disk causes a volume of air adjacent the disk surface to flow in the direction of disk rotation. The head arm is positioned proximate the disk surface for actuation across the disk surface through the volume of air. The air stripper is positioned proximate the disk surface and upstream from the head arm with respect to the direction of air flow. The air stripper extends into the volume of air for generally uniformly stripping air such that rotational velocity of the disk is substantially unaffected by actuation of the head arm across the volume of air.

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Bloomington, MN, United States of America

Jonathan E Hall