Seagate Technology Incorporated

Other

Nigel Frank Misso

Steve Scott Eckerd

Roy Lynn Wood

John D Stricklin

Dana P Eddings

Inman L Jones

Ryan T Ratliff

Eldon Leroy Nelson

Daniel M Heaton

Denis A Seewald

Xiong Liu

ChoonKiat Lim

Curtis A Trammell

Lealon Ray McKenzie

David S Allsup

Marc Jacques Lalouette

Carl Fred Adams

Kenny Troy Coker

James Hart Smith

Dave Paul McReynolds

Erming Luo

William John Raphael

Mathew Daniel

Todd Warren Kube

Mark R Scanlan

Jeffery Don Andress

Anthony E Martin

An actuator stop for a disc drive having a compliant suspension member joining a rigidly supported stop pin and a noncompliant contact member. The contact member is characterized by a relatively greater compressive yield strength than that of the suspension member so that in response to an abutting engagement with the actuator. The contact member is displaceable relative to the stop pin in relation to the deflection characteristics of the suspension member.

Actuator stop

A disc drive, includes a base, a disc stack rotatably attached to the base, and an actuator assembly movably attached to the base. The actuator assembly includes an E-block. The E-block for a disc drive includes a metal core and a ceramic coating on the metal core of the E-block. The ceramic coating on the metal core of the E-block is less dense than the metal core. The stiffness of the ceramic coating on the metal core of the E-block is greater than the stiffness of the metal core. In one embodiment, the E-block has a metal core of aluminum. The ceramic coating is may be formed using any method, including an electrochemical process or by depositing the ceramic coating onto the E-block.

Encased E-block

An E-block of an actuator for use in a data handling system to support a read/write head adjacent a recording surface. The E-block is formed by providing feed stock along a planar orientation, drawing a portion of the feed stock out of plane to form an extension portion, and stamping the feed stock to separate an actuator arm member having a substantially planar actuator arm from which the extension portion extends, the actuator arm configured to support the read/write head. A planar motor support member configured to support a coil of an actuator motor is also stamped from the feed stock. The actuator arm member and the motor support member are stacked and attached using a suitable process such as swaging or welding. The extension portion of the actuator arm member establishes a desired axial separation distance between the motor support member and the actuator arm.

E-block with stamped and drawn actuator arm members

A material compound for a latch for a disc drive to secure an actuator of the disc drive when the disc drive is not in use. The latch is made of a base polymer of polyetherimide with additives of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and arimid fiber. The latch made from this material generates substantially fewer particles than latches of the existing art. A method for making the latch is also provided.

Low particulating latch for a disc drive

An end stop assembly for limiting the travel of an actuator in a disc drive, the actuator pivotally supported by an enclosure for movement of a read/write head in data reading and writing relationship to a data disc. The end stop assembly comprises a base plate fixedly positioned within the enclosure, a post extending upward from the base plate and a cantilevered arm extending outward from the post. The arm comprises a proximal end connecting the arm to the post and a distal end for providing contacting engagement with the actuator. Furthermore, the cantilevered arm is displaceable in a rotational direction substantially about the post and deformable in a direction substantially along its longitudinal axis.

Moveable outer stop

An apparatus is described which reduces flow-induced disturbances of the head. A disc drive assembly is provided which includes a basedeck and top cover. A spindle motor mounted to the basedeck which rotates around a central axis; at least one magnetic storage disc mounted to the spindle motor for rotation around the central axis and an actuator arm assembly. The actuator arm assembly includes an actuator arm rotatably attached to a pivot axis and a suspension arm attached to a distal end of the actuator arm. A magnetic transducing head is attached to the suspension. The head is used to read and write data to the magnetic storage disc. Finally, a leading surface portion of the actuator arm utilizes several turbulence-reducing portions laterally recessed so as to guide an airflow to reduce a flow-induced disturbance acting on the transducing head.

Saw tooth actuator for a disc drive

A compressive limit stop for limiting travel of an actuator assembly of a data storage device is disclosed. The compressive limit stop separates a first pole piece from a second pole piece of the data storage device, each pole piece adjacent the actuator assembly, the compressive limit stop includes a rigid body with a top flange adjacent the second pole piece and a bottom flange adjacent the first pole piece, an inner portion having a diameter less than the diameter of the top flange disposed between the top and bottom flanges forming a channel between the flanges and a compressive sleeve with an inner wall adjacent each flange while enclosing the channel to form a gap between the inner portion and the inner wall. The compressive sleeve deflects and compresses between the actuator assembly and the inner portion to decelerate movement of the actuator assembly, upon impact of the contact arm with the contact post.

Compressive limit stop in a disc drive

Apparatus and method for adjusting an actuator mechanical response characteristic in a data handling system, such as a disc drive. An actuator rotates about a pivot system to move a read/write head adjacent a recording surface, the pivot system comprising a stationary shaft and a bearing asesmbly comprising a stationary inner race coupled to the shaft and a rotatable outer race coupled to the actuator. A fastener is provided to engage the shaft and apply an initial amount of axially directed force on the inner race. A broad spectrum excitation is applied to the actuator and a mechanical response characteristic of the actuator is measured. The fastener is repetitively adjusted to increase the amount of axially directed force until the measured mechanical response characteristic of the actuator reaches a desired level.

Controlling mechanical response characteristics of a disc drive actuator by adjusting a fastener engaging the actuator shaft to vary axial force on the bearing assembly

A disc drive assembly method for assembling a disc drive having a disc and an actuator with a tab portion disposed at a proximal end and a head on the distal end. The method consisting of rotating the actuator about a central post, contactingly engaging an outer stop. The outer stop comprises a base plate, a post extending upward from the base plate and a cantilevered arm extending outward from the post. The cantilevered arm of the outer stop is displaceable in a rotational direction substantially about the post and deformable in a direction substantially along its longitudinal axis. When the actuator engages the outer stop, the arm of the outer stop is displaced by the actuator tab portion, allowing rotation thereby, merging the heads onto the disc. Once the heads are merged, the outer stop returns to its original position to limit the rotation of the actuator assembly.

Voice coil motor attachment for a hard disc assembly

An actuator latch cooperating with a magnetic assembly for latching an actuator assembly of a data storage device is provided. The magnetic assembly includes a magnet secured to one of a pair of pole pieces. The actuator latch includes a latch body adjacent the magnet assembly; a forward arm extending in a first direction from the latch body, a first ferromagnetic member supported by the forward arm disposed between the pair of pole pieces interacting with the magnet to maintain the actuator assembly in an un-latched position during operation of the data storage device; a trailing arm extending in a second direction from the latch body; and a pair of ferromagnetic members supported by the trailing arm disposed between the pair of pole pieces interacting with the magnet to secure the actuator assembly in a latched position during non-operation of the data storage device.

Inertial spring latch assembly and compressive limit stop in a disc drive

A latch for a disc drive, the disc drive having an actuator pivotally supported for moving an array of read/write heads radially across a data storage disc between a parking zone and a data storage zone, the parking zone providing a parking surface for the read/write heads when the disc drive is non-operational, the latch preventing the actuator from pivoting so that the read/write heads remain in the parking zone while the disc drive is non-operational. The disc drive has a voice coil motor for moving the actuator, the voice coil motor including a magnet assembly having a pair of opposed magnet members supported by opposing poles. The latch is interposed between the poles, having a supporting member that supports a latch pawl pivotally between a latched position and an unlatched position. A first latch pole is disposed in a magnetic flux field of the magnet assembly to retain the latch pawl in the latched position when the disc drive is non-operational; a second latch pole is disposed in the magnetic flux field to retain the latch pawl in the unlatched position when the disc drive is operational. In the latched position a slot in the latch pawl receivingly engages a pin supported by the actuator to prevent pivoting of the actuator. In the unlatched position the latch pawl is pivoted by the actuator to disengage the pin from the slot. The latch has an inner stop and an outer stop that limit movement of the read/write heads outwardly beyond an outermost data track and inwardly beyond the parking zone.

Latch for disc drives

An inertial spring latch with a contact post is disclosed for use in latching an actuator assembly of a data storage device. The actuator assembly includes a contact arm that cooperates with the contact post to restrict movement of the actuator assembly when the data storage device is in a non-operating mode. The inertial spring latch includes a latch body adjacent the actuator assembly, a forward arm extending in a first direction from the latch body and a spring member extending from the forward arm, the spring member supporting the contact post. The contact post inhibits movement of the actuator assembly by decelerating the movement of the actuator assembly upon impact of the contact arm with the contact post. Both the contact post and the spring member deflect to dampen the energy of motion of the actuator assembly, upon impact of the contact arm with the contact post.

Inertial spring latch assembly in a disc drive

Apparatus and method for balancing and limiting deflection of a disc of a disc drive. A disc stack comprises a spindle motor hub rotatable about a central axis, a disc mounted to the spindle motor hub, and a circumferentially extending peripheral disc ring affixed to an outermost peripheral surface of the disc. Imbalance of the disc stack is measured, and portions of the peripheral disc ring are removed in relation to the measured imbalance of the disc stack to nominally balance the disc stack. The disc ring protects the disc drive by cushioning contact between the disc and a rigid actuator arm supporting a head adjacent the disc.

Peripherally extending disc ring to limit disc deflection and to provide disc stack balancing

Apparatus in a disc drive for improving resistance of a disc drive disc stack to radially directed mechanical shocks. A disc is disposed about a rotatable spindle motor hub. Opposing first and second disc support members (such as a disc clamp, disc spacers, or a hub flange) circumferentially extend about the outer hub surface and cooperate to apply a clamping force to the disc to secure the disc relative to the spindle motor hub. The disc support members each comprise a circumferentially extending ring of high friction material having a contact surface that axially extends toward the disc. The clamping force applied to the disc is localized at the rings and at nodes extending from the disc support members so that respective gaps are formed between the disc and remaining portions of the disc support members, thereby reducing radial disc slip, increasing disc dampening, and reducing the likelihood of disc coning and warping.

High friction disc support member to increase disc drive mechanical shock resistance

A latching method and a latch for a voice coil motor in a disc drive. The latch has a hub and a latch surface. The latch surface has a rotational latching range in which the latch surface latches the voice coil motor. A first magnetic detent is coupled to the hub and is active when the latch surface is in a first rotational segment in the latching range. A second magnetic detent couples to the hub and is active when the latch surface is in an offset second rotational segment in the latching range. The offset shapes detent torque over the latching range.

Growing community of inventors

Bethany, OK, United States of America

Nigel Frank Misso