Western Digital Technologies, Inc.

Maxtor Corporation

Ken L Chang

Kamran Oveyssi

Shawn E Casey

Chaw-Wu Tseng

Maziar Amirkiai

Ali Hosseinzadeh

David Ross Pace

Mike J Mayo

Yee-Chung Fu

Chunjer Chuck Cheng

Ross D Pace

John L Rauen

A novel head stack assembly is disclosed. The novel head stack assembly includes a stamped actuator arm and a head gimbal assembly attached to the stamped actuator arm. The head gimbal assembly includes a trace suspension flex having a metal base layer and a plurality of conductors supported by the metal base layer. The stamped actuator arm includes an actuator arm side surface that extends longitudinally along the stamped actuator arm. The stamped actuator arm also includes two or three longitudinally spaced-apart stamped protrusions. The stamped protrusions are in contact with the trace suspension flex, and each stamped protrusion extends from the actuator arm side surface.

Stamped actuator arm having longitudinally spaced-apart stamped protrusions for supporting a trace suspension flex

An actuator for a disk drive. The actuator includes an actuator body The actuator body includes a main body section defining a horizontal plane orthogonal to an axis of rotation. The actuator body further includes an actuator arm extending from the main body section. The actuator body further includes two parallel support extensions extending from the main body section opposite the actuator arm. The support extensions cooperatively form a channel between the support extensions. The actuator body further includes a coil support tab disposed adjacent the support extensions and extending orthogonal to the horizontal plane. The actuator further includes a vertical coil defining a coil plane disposed orthogonal to the horizontal plane. The coil is disposed in mechanical communication with the support extensions and the coil support tab for supporting the coil within the channel.

Actuator including an actuator body with parallel support extensions and coil support tab for supporting a coil and method of making the same

A head stack assembly for a disk drive. The head stack assembly includes an actuator defining an axis of rotation. The actuator includes an actuator arm defining a longitudinal axis orthogonal to the axis of rotation. The actuator includes an actuator body formed of overmolded plastic. The actuator includes first and second locking pins extending from the actuator body orthogonal to the axis of rotation. The flex cable includes a first opening engaged with the first locking pin in a direction generally parallel to the longitudinal axis for retaining the flex cable. The flex cable includes a second opening engaged with the second locking pin in a direction generally parallel to the axis of rotation for retaining the flex cable.

Head stack assembly with locking pins for retaining flex cable

An actuator arm assembly of a disk drive is stamped from a single flat sheet of material and includes first and second actuator arm portions and one or more bendable portions integrally joining the first and second actuator arm portions. A method of making an actuator arm assembly for a disk drive includes steps of providing a flat sheet of material and stamping an actuator arm assembly from the sheet such that the stamped actuator arm assembly includes first and second actuator arm portions and one or more bendable portions integrally joining the first and second actuator arm portions.

Disk drive including a one-piece stamped actuator arm assembly and method of making same

A head stack assembly for a disk drive. The head stack assembly includes an actuator body. The actuator body includes a main body section defining a horizontal plane orthogonal to an axis of rotation. The actuator body further includes an actuator arm extending from the main body section. The actuator body further includes a flex cable guiding support extending from the main body section adjacent the actuator arm orthogonal to the horizontal plane. The head stack assembly further includes a flex cable including a substantially flat main cable body disposed in mechanical communication with the flex cable guiding support in planes orthogonal to the horizontal plane parallel to the axis of rotation.

Head stack assembly with an actuator body and flex cable guiding support and method of making the same

A disk drive includes a disk and a head stack assembly. The head stack assembly includes an actuator arm assembly that includes first and second stamped actuator arms. The first stamped actuator arm may include a first arm portion, a first body portion and a coil-supporting portion for supporting a coil of a VCM. The first body portion defines a first contact surface. The second stamped actuator arm may include a second arm portion and a second body portion, the second body portion defining a second contact surface. According to one embodiment, the first and second stamped actuator arms may be attached to one another such that the first contact surface faces and contacts the second contact surface.

Disk drive having an actuator arm assembly that includes stamped actuator arms

A head stack assembly for a disk drive. The head stack assembly includes an actuator body defining an axis of rotation. The actuator body includes a main body section and a coil support portion extending from the main body section. The head stack assembly further includes an actuator coil supported by the coil support portion. The head stack assembly further includes insulated wiring extending between the actuator coil and the main body section in a direction orthogonal to the axis of rotation. The head stack assembly further includes a lateral wiring protector disposed laterally about the insulated wiring and extending from the main body section in a direction parallel to the axis of rotation. The lateral wiring protector includes an open channel with the insulated wiring disposed within the open channel.

Head stack assembly with insulated wiring extending between actuator coil and actuator main body section disposed in lateral wiring protector extending from actuator body

An actuator arm assembly for a disk drive includes first and second stamped actuator arms including first and second arm portions, first and second body portions defining first and second body surfaces, and first and second coil-supporting arm portions defining first and second pairs of coil supporting arms for supporting a coil portion of a voice coil motor. When the first and second stamped actuator arms are attached to one another, the first pair of coil supporting arms faces and is in contact with the second pair of coil supporting arms to define first and second coil attachment surfaces, and the first body surface faces and is in contact with the second body surface to define a third coil attachment surface.

Disk drives and actuator assemblies having a pair of bonded voice coil supporting arms

A disk drive includes a storage disk, a data transducer, an actuator assembly and a positioner. The actuator assembly supports the data transducer over the storage disk. The actuator assembly includes a rotatable actuator hub and a longitudinal axis. The positioner moves the actuator assembly to position the data transducer relative to the storage disk. During movement of the actuator assembly, the actuator hub is subject to a resultant force that causes track misregistration of the data transducer. The positioner includes a magnet assembly that generates a magnetic field, a first conductor region and a second conductor region. In one embodiment, the conductor regions cooperate with the magnet assembly to generate a first force and a second force that are each directed at an angle having an absolute value that is greater than zero degrees and less than approximately 45 degrees relative to the longitudinal axis of the actuator assembly. In another embodiment, the conductor regions are each positioned at an angle having an absolute value of greater than approximately 45 degrees and less than 90 degrees relative to the longitudinal axis of the actuator assembly.

Positioner for a disk drive that offsets the resultant force at the actuator hub to precisely position a data transducer

A positioner () for a disk drive () that includes a magnet assembly (), a conductor assembly (), and a control system () is provided herein. The magnet assembly () includes a pair of magnet arrays (A) (B) and a pair of spaced apart flux return plates (A) (B). The conductor assembly () includes at least a first coil array () and a second coil array () that are substantially co-planar. The control system () directs current to electrically excite the coil arrays () () to maintain a data transducer () on a target track () of a storage disk ().

Positioner for precisely moving an E-block of a disk drive

An arm assembly of an actuator arm assembly of a disk drive is stamped from a single flat sheet of material and includes first and second actuator arm portions and one or more bendable portions integrally joining the first and second actuator arm portions. A method of making an arm assembly for a disk drive includes steps of providing a flat sheet of material and stamping an arm assembly from the sheet such that the stamped arm assembly includes first and second actuator arm portions and one or more bendable portions integrally joining the first and second actuator arm portions.

Disk drive including a stamped arm assembly and method of making an actuator arm assembly

A positioner () for a disk drive () that includes a magnet assembly (), a conductor assembly (), and a control system () is provided herein. The magnet assembly () includes a pair of magnet arrays (A) (B) and a pair of spaced apart flux return plates (A) (B). The conductor assembly () includes a coil array (). The coil array includes a first portion () and a second portion () that are positioned substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis () of an E-block (). The control system () directs current to electrically excite the first and second portions () () to generate a first force Fand a second force Fwhich are (i) parallel to the longitudinal axis () of the E-block (), and (ii) equal in magnitude and directionally opposite to better position a data transducer () on a target track () of a storage disk ().

A positioner ( ) for a disk drive ( ) that includes a magnet assembly ( ), a conductor assembly ( ), and a control system ( ) is provided herein. The magnet assembly ( ) includes a pair of magnet arrays ( A) ( B) and a pair of spaced apart flux return plates ( A) ( B). The conductor assembly ( ) includes at least a first coil array ( ) and a second coil array ( ) that are substantially co-planar. The control system ( ) directs current to electrically excite the coil arrays ( ) ( ) to maintain a data transducer ( ) on a target track ( ) of a storage disk ( ).

Positioner for precisely moving an e-block of a disk drive

A height reduced rotary voice coil actuator assembly includes an E-block defining one or more vertically aligned short tines. Fastened to each short tine are one or two elongated tine extenders. The tine extender-short tine connection occurs outside the region above and below the data storage disks. A peg-leg load beam having tabs adapted to receive wires having no protective plastic tubing is connected to each tine extender. The wires are bonded directly to the tabs and provide electrical communication between data transducer heads located on the load beam and drive electronics. A swage boss formed in the tine extender faces outwardly in the same direction as a data transducer head assembly supported by the peg-leg load beam. Each short tine is substantially coplanar with an associated data storage disk and lies beyond the outer periphery thereof. The resulting in-line rotary actuator achieves substantial vertical or Z height compaction.

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Saratoga, CA, United States of America

Ken L Chang