Western Digital Technologies, Inc.

Joshua P Weiher

Matthew L Brown

Scott Edward Watson

Joshua B Howie

Lidu Huang

Aaron D Little

Jonathan M Garbarino

Baekho Heo

Mark S Seymour

Daniel T Nguyen

Paul Hughey Henry

Zakir A Quabili

Andre Y Liem

A disk drive assembly including a disk drive enclosure including an enclosure main body forming an interior region, the interior region having a Voice Coil Motor (VCM) assembly receiving portion configured to hold a VCM assembly; and a cover member configured to engage the enclosure main body and cover the interior region of the enclosure main body, and expose at least a portion of the VCM Assembly receiving portion; and a VCM assembly disposed within the VCM assembly receiving portion of the enclosure main body, the VCM assembly comprising a cover supporting member configured to engage and support the cover member.

Coined VCM tab to limit cover deflection under pinch load

A disk drive having a spindle hub, a disk clamp, coupled to the spindle hub, the disk clamp having an aperture, and a balance plug inserted through the aperture of the disk clamp is described herein. The balance plug has a thermally deformable portion that is deformed to retain the balance plug between the spindle hub and the disk clamp.

Disk drive with balance plug having thermally deformable portion

A disk drive assembly having a disk hub comprising a substantially cylindrical portion having a side wall, a disk clamping element having a body portion having an inner wall configured to engage the side wall of the disk hub, and an undercut portion extending radially outward from a radially inner diameter of the body portion for a portion of a radius of the disk clamping element to form a step; and a disk media disposed between the disk hub and the disk clamping element, wherein the disk clamping element is oriented such that the undercut portion is positioned proximate to the disk media.

Threaded disk clamping element with step on disk contact surface

A disk drive assembly including a disk hub including a substantially cylindrical portion having an end surface and a side wall, and a recessed portion formed in the end surface of the substantially cylindrical portion, a disk clamping element configured to engage the side wall of the substantially cylindrical portion, a disk media disposed between the disk hub and the disk clamping element, a balance weight configured to be inserted into the recessed portion of the disk hub, and a sealing member configured to attach to the end surface of the substantially cylindrical portion of the disk hub and at least partially cover the recessed portion.

Sealing member for constraining balance weights

Described herein is a disk drive balance plug that includes a substantially cylindrical body defining a first end, a second end, a substantially cylindrical outer surface, and a plug central axis. The balance plug also preferably includes at least one protrusion extending along the cylindrical outer surface between the first and second ends in a direction substantially aligned with the plug central axis.

Disk drive with balance plug having longitudinal retainers

A disk drive assembly having a disk hub having a cylindrical portion; and a disk clamp retaining portion formed on a vertical portion of the cylindrical portion of the disk hub; a disk clamp having: a body portion; and a retained portion which engages the disk clamp retaining portion of the disk hub to secure the disk clamp to the disk hub; and a disk media disposed between the disk clamp and the disk hub, the disk media being secured in place by the disk clamp.

Bayonet-style disk clamp

A novel actuator latch includes a catch portion interfering with actuator rotation with the latch in a closed position. The latch includes a first stop portion that is in contact with a fixed member with the latch in the closed position. The latch includes a pusher portion that is in contact with the actuator with the latch in the closed position and with the actuator in an extreme rotational position. The latch includes a second stop portion comprising a cantilevered finger having a supported end and a free distal end. The free distal end is in contact with the second fixed member with the latch in the open position. Neither the catch portion nor the pusher portion is disposed on the cantilevered finger.

Disk drive including an actuator latch with a cantilevered stop portion

A hard disk drive recirculation filter is disposed on a housing surface of a disk drive assembly oriented adjacent to one or more disk surfaces. In one embodiment, the recirculation filter is a pocket filter having a filter support component and a filter element. The filter support includes an inlet, a top surface and a bottom surface, where the bottom surface is used to adhere the pocket filter to the housing surface. The top surface is adapted to adhere the filter element thereto, thereby forming a pocket into which rotationally-induced airflow may enter.

Growing community of inventors

San Jose, CA, United States of America

Joshua P Weiher