Iomega Corporation

Mark S Thayne

Yiping Ma

David E Jones

Ralph Lee Sonderegger

Carl F Nicklos

Thomas J Angellotti

John C Briggs

David M Ginosar

Paul R Johnson

Clark C Bruderer

Klinton Dilworth Washburn

Richard F Leavitt

Michael R Lyon

Craig L Rupp

Mick Estes

Reed J Moody

Brian R Schick

Ronald F Hales

Todd L Graves

Theodore D Hodapp

Kelly D Wright

Carl E Ellis

Carl Hale

George H Smedley, Jr

Lawrence D Clayton

Peter Shay

Jeff Villiard

A disk drive having a heater element on the read/write head includes control circuitry to prevent head/disk contact by limiting power to the heater element. As the power to the heater element increases, thermal expansion reduces the fly height until head/disk contact occurs. During drive calibration, a maximum power level allowed to the heater element is determined by detecting heater power at a level where a parameter value such as motor current exceeds a threshold level.

Detecting head/disk contact in a disk drive using a calibration parameter

A disk cartridge assembly that allows a storage medium to be inserted and removed from a reusable disk cartridge for use in a disk drive. The assembly has an insert that contains a storage medium and a reusable disk cartridge that can be opened and closed for insertion and removal of the insert.

Low cost storage device and method of using the same

An improved disk drive includes an improved operating system, an improved eject system, an improved head retract system and an improved motor loading system. In a preferred embodiment of the operating system it includes a motor, an eject crank, a head crank and an actuator. The output of the motor can be selectively controlled by the actuator to power either the eject crank or the head crank. Powering the head crank, causes the disk drive heads to move, and powering the eject crank causes a disk cartridge to be ejected from the disk drive. The motor loading system may have a disk drive motor having a threaded exterior and a member extending from the exterior to interface with the eject system. Additionally, this motor loading system may include an aperture in the chassis of the disk drive that has a threaded ring running around the circumference of the aperture and a spring extending from the threaded ring. The disk drive motor can be inserted into the aperture in the chassis with the member depressing the spring. The disk drive motor can then be rotated to mate the threads of the disk drive motor with the threaded ring. When rotated, the slotted member releases the spring. The spring prevents rotation of the disk drive motor past a predetermined point and thereby prevents the motor from becoming dislodged from the chassis. When inserted into the disk drive, the motor can be moved between a loaded and an unloaded position.

Disk drive having a system for protecting the read/write heads

Operating system for operating an eject system and a head retraction system of a disk drive

The presence of a disk cartridge in a disk drive is detected by obtaining a measure of the load on the spindle motor of the disk drive and comparing that measure to a threshold value. The measure of load on the spindle motor may comprise (i) the time the spindle motor takes to spin-up to its full operating speed, (ii) the time the spindle motor takes to coast down to its operating speed from a first speed in excess of the operating speed, (iii) the voltage applied across the coils of the spindle motor, or (iv) the current drawn by the spindle motor.

Disk cartridge inertia detection methods and apparatus

A disk drive of the type that receives a removable disk cartridge containing a disk-shaped storage medium, includes an actuator for carrying a pair of opposed read/write heads into engagement with respective opposite surfaces of the disk-shaped storage medium, and a pair of opposed projections disposed adjacent the read/write heads when they are in a retracted position. The opposed projections have opposed angled surfaces that deflect and capture the edge of the disk-shaped storage medium during cartridge insertion to prevent the edge of the storage medium from damaging the read/write heads. The opposed projections are preferably formed as part of a load ramp member that is snap-fit to another structure within the disk drive to facilitate assembly of the disk drive.

Disk drive load ramp for protecting the actuator heads

A disk cartridge adapted for insertion into a data storage device having an insertion opening, a spindle motor positioned to engage a hub of the disk cartridge, and a cartridge receiving stop having first and second receiving projections. The disk cartridge includes an outer casing having a top surface having a substantially flat middle region and angled peripheral regions; a substantially flat bottom surface defining an opening; a back wall having a rear peripheral edge; a front wall having a front peripheral edge; and side walls that each meet the front wall to form a plurality of non-square shaped front corners. When the disk is inserted into the data storage device, a first engaging projection formed on the front wall engages the first receiving projection of the cartridge receiving stop, a second engaging projection formed on the front wall engages the second receiving projection of the cartridge receiving stop, and the hub engages the spindle motor.

Disk cartridge for use with a removable cartridge data storage drive

Disclosed is a disk drive having a linear actuator for carrying read/write heads into engagement with a recording medium. The heads are mounted on a carriage assembly along with a voice coil motor for driving the carriage assembly into and out of engagement of the heads with the medium. The carriage assembly slides linearly on a central guide track. A flexure is provided for the central guide track for linear movement by the carriage assembly so that initial linear movement of the carriage assembly is by flexing the flexure and further, larger linear movement of the carriage assembly is by sliding along the guide track. In one form of the invention the central guide track is suspended at the front end by a flexure and at the rear end by a bearing. In another form of the invention the central guide track is suspended at each end by a flexure. The flexure has an attaching mechanism for attaching the flexure to the central guide track so that the flexure pivots freely on the central guide track. This eliminates the likelihood of bending of the central guide track and improves the ability of the system to reject 1f and 2f run out and therefore, track following.

Flexured mounting system for friction reduction and friction

Head retraction system for retracting the heads of a disk drive

A data storage device comprises a cartridge receiving stop having a middle surface and angled outer edges for inhibiting the insertion of incompatible disk cartridges into the data storage device. A disk cartridge adapted for use in the data storage device has opposite front corners. The opposite front corners of the disk cartridge have a non-square shape adapted to avoid interference with the angled outer edges of the cartridge receiving stop. The data storage device may further comprise means for enabling a function of the data storage device upon insertion of a disk cartridge having non-square front corners into the disk drive. The disk cartridge may further comprise a projection positioned on the front peripheral edge of the disk cartridge and adapted to engage an operating member of the enabling means on the middle surface of the cartridge receiving stop.

Disk cartridge and data storage device with incompatible disk cartridge

A carriage assembly for a disk drive actuator comprises a load beam having a tab extending distally from its distal end, a gimbal having a proximal end connected to the distal end of said load beam, and having a flexure upon which a read/write head is attached. The gimbal has a restraining member at its distal end, through which the tab of the load beam extends. The restraining member contacts the tab when the carriage assembly undergoes shock, to prevent excessive movement of the gimbal.

Head gimbal protection for a disk drive

A linear actuator carries read/write heads into engagement with a removable cartridge having a recording disk. The magnetic heads are mounted on a carriage which moves linearly on a central guide track. The carriage moves linearly on front and rear bearings which move on a central guide track as the magnetic motor is energized. The rear bearing is elongated in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the disk to allow movement of the carriage transverse to the direction of travel. This compensates for planar misalignment of the plane of the recording disk with respect to the axis of the central track.

Elongated rear bearing for linear actuator

A data storage device for receiving a removable disk cartridge includes a slidable platform, a retractable head, and a head retractor. The slidable platform slides between a forward position where the disk cartridge is ejected and a reward position where the disk cartridge is held for data accessing. Thus, when the disk cartridge is ejected, the slidable platform slides forward from the rearward position. As the platform travels forward, the head retractor is caused to drives the retractable heads to their safe park position so as to avoid any damage to the heads.

Head park mechanism in a data storage device for preventing accidental

There is disclosed a disk drive having a linear actuator for carrying read/write heads into engagement with a recording medium. The heads are mounted on a carriage assembly along with a voice coil motor for driving the carriage assembly into and out of engagement of the heads with the medium. The carriage assembly slides linearly on a central guide track. A flexible mounting suspension is provided for the central guide track for linear movement by the carriage assembly so that initial linear movement of the carriage assembly is by flexing the suspension and further, larger linear movement of the carriage assembly is by sliding along the guide track. In one form of the invention the central guide track is suspended at the front end by a flexure and at the rear end by a bearing. In another form of the invention the central guide track is suspended at each end by a flexure.

A disk drive apparatus has an eject member that moves in tandem with a disk cartridge from a first position to a second position upon insertion of the disk cartridge into the disk drive apparatus. The eject member has a projection formed thereon. A first spring biases the eject member in a direction opposite the direction of insertion of the removable disk cartridge. A motor ring assembly mounted on a chassis of the apparatus has a rotating member that rotates between an unloaded position and a loaded position. A second spring biases the rotating member toward its loaded position. A spindle motor is mounted in the motor ring assembly. The rotating member has a first cam surface, a second cam surface that extends substantially perpendicularly to the first cam surface, and a lead-in cam angle surface that extends between the first and second cam surfaces at an angle thereto. A shape memory alloy wire or other means is provided to rotate the rotating member from its loaded position toward its unloaded position. As that occurs, the second cam surface of the rotating member moves past the projection on the eject member, thereby allowing the eject member to move back toward its first position under the force of the first spring. This, in turn, allows the projection on the eject member to push against the lead-in cam angle surface of the rotating member to rotate the rotating member further toward its unloaded position.

Growing community of inventors

West Point, UT, United States of America

Mark S Thayne