Maxtor Corporation

Mark A Diel

Forrest D Titcomb

Jay R Seaver

James Harold Bodmer

An ultra-slim disk storage unit includes a frame and a cover for engaging the frame to create first and second enclosed spaces therein. In one of the enclosed spaces a disk drive assembly is housed which provides readable and writable information storage on a disk medium. Electronics for controlling the operation of the disk drive assembly is housed on a board contained within the second enclosed space. A connector provides coupling to the disk drive assembly electronics for external electrical connection to the disk storage unit. The connector is disposed along a peripheral side of the frame in accordance with PCMCIA standards.

Ultra-slim disk storage unit with an enclosed circuit board and a

An in-spindle axial-field motor assembly for a disk storage system includes a stationary baseplate and a cover plate secured to the base to form a housing. Disposed about the cover are cylindrical coils which form a motor stator. The motor assembly includes a rotor having inner and outer hubs disposed within the housing. The inner hub is rotatably mounted and supported by a bearing assembly. The outer hub supports an annular, rigid disk which provides a recording medium for storage of information. An axially-magnetized magnet is disposed between the inner and outer hub with the rotor being positioned between the cover and baseplate such that the net axial force acting on the rotor is minimized during motor operation. Ferromagnetic poles are positioned in the center of each coil to enhance the motor's torque generation capability while implementing an axially force-balanced design.

Axial spindle motor for hard disk drive assembly

A hard disk drive assembly which is small enough to meet the PCMCIA type I or type II formats and which has an outer layer of elastomer material which seals the assembly and absorbs external shock or vibrational loads applied to the drive unit. The disk drive unit includes a housing which encapsulates a magnetic disk and accompanying hardware required to read and write information onto the disk. The housing typically contains a cover plate and a base plate which are attached to a frame. Connected to the outer edges of the plates and frame is a layer of elastomer material. The elastomer seals the covers to the frame and absorbs external loads that are applied to the edges of the housing.

Elastomer gasket that extends around the outer edge of a hard drive

A flexural bearing for an actuator assembly of a magnetic-disk drive includes a first and a second resilient member (10 and 12) and a third resilient member (14). The resilient members are attached to a base plate (40) of the disk drive and pivotally support an actuator body (16). The third resilient member includes an tensioning spring (18). The first and second resilient members are coupled to the base plate at two distinct locations and share a common anchor point on the actuator body.

Flexural pivot mechanism for rotary actuators in disk drives

A hard disk drive frame which has a plurality of spring shaped contacts that electrically couple a printed circuit board to the flexible circuit board of an actuator arm assembly. The spring shaped contacts are mounted to the frame and extend from the frame in opposite directions into the printed circuit board area and held-disk assembly area. The spring shaped contacts are biased to engage and remain in contact with conductive pads formed on the flexible circuit board and printed circuit board when each are assembled within the hard disk drive.

Disk drive memory card electrical interconnect

An ultra-slim disk storage unit includes a frame and a cover for engaging the frame to create first and second enclosed spaces therein. In one of the enclosed spaces a disk drive assembly is housed which provides readable and writeable information storage on a disk medium. Electronics for controlling the operation of the disk drive assembly is housed on a board contained within the second enclosed space. A connector provides coupling to the disk drive assembly electronics for external electrical connection to the disk storage unit. The connector is disposed along a peripheral side of the frame in accordance with PCMCIA standards.

Ultra-slim disk storage unit having a hydrodynamic bearing assembly

A hydrodynamic bearing assembly for a disk storage unit includes a hub having a longitudinal axis disposed in a cavity formed between a base and a cover. A pair of balls is disposed within a pair of corresponding sockets with each being aligned opposite one another along a longitudinal axis of the hub. The pair of sockets are affixed to the base and cover plates, respectively, while the pair of balls are affixed to the hub. The clearance space between each ball and socket is filled with a liquid lubricant held in place by a surface tension seal. At least one of the sockets or balls is threadably attached so as to allow adjustment of the clearance space.

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Boulder, CO, United States of America

Mark A Diel