Komag Corporation

Michael Edwin Slafter

Ronald Allen

Michael Myslovaty

Peter S Bae

Kang Jia

Stanley M Smith

Warren C Schroeder

A memory disk having a central opening and planar sides for receiving magnetic media on both of the sides is bounded by a cylindrical outside diameter peripheral edge and chamfered edges extending between each of the planar sides. The peripheral edge is clamped by a disk processing chuck including a disk retainer mount having a central disk support for mounting a circular disk edge bounding the central opening and a mount cylindrical beveled edge receiving an outside diameter chamfered edge of the disk. A ring in the retainer mount includes a multiplicity of spaced radial fingers extending cylindrically around the ring, each finger having a distal end extending to a first position outboard of the disk peripheral edge. The distal ends are moveable inwardly to a second position by an inflatable bladder acting simultaneously against all the fingers, placing the distal end tips into clamping contact with the disk peripheral edge mounted on the retainer mount.

Disk processing chuck

Apparatus for placing covers (5, 8) on a cassette (1) and taking covers (5, 8) off a cassette (1) comprises an upper cover removal structure (100U), a lower cover removal structure (100L), and means for holding the cassette in place (170-176). The upper cover removal structure (100U) includes a central body portion (102), a pair of arms (104, 106) rotatably mounted at the end of the central body portion, and fingers (112, 114) located at the end of the arms (104, 106). The fingers (112, 114) can be moved up and down in a direction parallel to the main axis of the arms. The upper cover removal structure (100U) includes means for moving the upper cover removal structure (100U) toward or away from the cassette (1). The lower cover removal structure (100L) includes a central body portion and a pair of arms 156, 158 having fingers (190, 192) at the ends thereof. The arms can move inwardly or outwardly to grasp the bottom cover (8). Also included are means (154) for moving the lower cover removal unit (100L) toward or away from the cassette. The apparatus is designed to minimize generation of particulate contamination. For example, during use, arms (104, 106) and fingers (112, 114) pull tongues (20) of top cover (5) outwardly so that catches (23) on tongues (20) do not snap over rims on the cassettes and generate particulate contamination.

Shipping cassette lid and unlid automation

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Fremont, CA, United States of America

Michael Edwin Slafter