Seagate Technology Incorporated

Conner Peripherals, Inc.

Michael Kenneth Andrews

Frederick Frank Kazmierczak

Michael John Raffetto

Klaus Dieter Kloeppel

John C Dunfield

Clifford T Jue

Michael A Maiers

Robert Michael Pelstring

Joseph T Lin

Richard K Milo

John M Rottenburg

Robert H Peirce

Frederick Mark Stefansky

Thomas R Prentice

Ronald F Fasano

Method for the removable sealing of a component housing, and apparatus to practice the method using an elastic or conformable sealing band. The present invention teaches a sealing band, preferably elastic, to apply a horizontal seal to the horizontal seam defined by vertically assembled component case elements. The seal is maintained in position over the seam by an alignment element disposed on at least one of the seal and the case. The sealing band is rendered electrically conductive by admixing therewith a conductive material, or by plating thereon a conductive coating. A retaining element may be further added to at least one of the sealing band and the case to minimize tampering with the sealing band once installed.

Component sealing system

A disc mounting system for mounting the discs of a disc drive in a fixed radial relationship to the hub of a spindle motor. The disc mounting system includes a radially-loaded, snap-fit disc mounting ring associated with each disc. The disc mounting rings include disc contact features for interaction with the inner diameters of the discs, and hub contact features for axially positioning the discs and associated disc mounting rings relative to the spindle motor hub. Various embodiments of the disc mounting ring are disclosed.

Radially-loaded, snap-fit disc mounting system for a disc drive

An improved limit stop system for defining the extremes of the range of motion of the actuator of a disc drive. An elongated slot having inner and outer contact surfaces is provided in the bobbin inside the coil of the actuator voice coil motor. A pin member having a compliant portion is assembled through the elongated slot in the coil bobbin and into engagement with stationary components of the disc drive. When the intended extreme of the range of motion of the actuator is reached, either the inner or outer contact surface of the elongated slot contacts the compliant portion of the pin member preventing further motion of the actuator in that direction.

Single, central limit stop for a disc drive actuator

The present invention includes a data disc support assembly for supporting a data disc relative to a head so data on a surface of the disc is accessible by the head. The support assembly includes a hub which has first and second axial ends and a flange extending from the second axial end. The flange supports the data disc. A clamp is connected to the hub to rigidly connect the data disc to the hub. The clamp has a first generally annular portion contacting the data disc and a second generally annular portion extending axially away from the hub beyond the first annular portion. The second annular portion is spaced from the data disc by a distance greater than the height of the head.

Disc clamp with head clearance

Spindle motor electrical- and motor-to-base interfaces. A compliant connector along with a circuit on a support flange is provided below a stator assembly for providing: An insertable spindle motor to drive base with less specific orientation. The support flange may comprise a small printed circuit cable or a printed circuit board. Additionally, non-specific orientation of a spindle motor to drive base assembly is described using circular traces oriented about a support flange. A circular connector is also described, as a biased support flange.

Support flange having electrical contacts to provide electrical

A two and one half inch form factor disk drive has a metallic base and a metallic cover to enhance the rigidity of these components with respect to plastic components. The sealing of a controlled environment established between the base and cover is enhanced by the increased rigidity of the base and by providing a gasket groove in the base and a gasket having a tongue which mates with the groove. In addition, the metal base and cover provide isolation from the noisy environment of a computer. The two and one half inch form factor is established by providing the disk drive with a length equal to the width of a 31/2 inch disk drive and a width equal to half of the length of a 31/2 inch disk drive. The disk drive includes a disk having a diameter of approximately 2.6 inches (65 mm) and weighs approximately 6 ounces. A closed-loop, embedded servo tracking system provides a large storage capacity relative to the area of storage media available.

Architecture for 2-1/2 inch diameter single disk drive

An arcuate scan tape drive for transferring data to and from a data tape, including a base with four side walls and a cover, which base and cover together have a 31/2 inch form factor. In one embodiment, the head carrier assembly is provided at an oblique angle with respect to the data tape and the front surface is conically shaped. Thus, during rotation of the head carrier assembly, the recording heads are proximate to the data tape during read or write operations, but are spaced away from the data tape at other times. The head carrier assembly includes an inside-out spin motor for rotating the head carrier assembly and a pivot motor structure at the rear of the head carrier assembly for pivoting the head carrier assembly in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of advancement of the tape. The spin motor and pivoting structures receive servo signals from a controller so as to continuously adjust the position of the core elements with respect to the data tape so as to align the core elements with the arcuately-shaped data tracks.

Method of making an arcuate scan tape drive

An arcuate scan tape drive for transferring data to and from a data tape, including a base with four side walls and a cover, which base and cover together have a 31/2 inch form factor. Situated within the base and cover is a head carrier assembly for recording data onto and playing back data from the data tape which advances in a longitudinal direction past the head carrier assembly. In one embodiment, the head carrier assembly is provided at an oblique angle with respect to the data tape and the front surface is conically shaped. Thus, during rotation of the head carrier assembly, the recording heads are proximate to the data tape during read or write operations, but are spaced away from the data tape at other times. Also provided within the base is a capstan motor assembly for advancing the data tape, and a cassette positioning mechanism for receiving and securing a data tape cartridge to properly position the tape as it is advanced past the head carrier assembly. The head carrier assembly includes an inside-out spin motor for rotating the head carrier assembly and a pivot motor structure at the rear of the head carrier assembly for pivoting the head carrier assembly in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of advancement of the tape. The spin motor and pivoting structures receive servo signals from a controller so as to continuously adjust the position of the core elements with respect to the data tape so as to align the core elements with the arcuately-shaped data tracks.

Arcuate scan tape drive

Spindle motor electrical- and motor-to-base interfaces. A compliant connector along with a circuit on a support flange is provided below a stator assembly for providing: An insertable spindle motor to drive base with less specific orientation. The support flange may comprise a small printed circuit cable or a printed circuit board. Additionally, non-specific orientation of a spindle motor to drive base assembly is described using circular traces oriented about a support flange. A circular connector is also described, as well as a biased support flange.

A disc drive is disclosed including a base that includes a first section for mounting the motor that supports and spins the discs, and a second section for mounting the actuator and the carriage which is to carry the transducers toward and away from the discs. The voice coil motor itself consists of two halves. Each half is mounted to the base using a flange located between the carriage guide rods on which the carriage will ride. This mounting flange has two attachment points: a first mounting point at the end of the flange farthest from the discs, which is fixed in all axes, and a second mounting point at the end of the flange closest to the discs, which prevents relative movement between the base and the voice coil motor in the axes perpendicular to and tangential to the discs, but allows differential expansion along the axis radial to the discs. Since each voice coil motor half is independently mounted to the base, and since each motor half has only one fixed mounting point along any one axis, the base is free to thermally expand and contract around the voice coil motor without distorting.

Growing community of inventors

Santa Cruz, CA, United States of America

Michael Kenneth Andrews