Verbatim Corporation

Literal Corporation

Sperry Corporation

Laserdrive Ltd.

Patrick J Champagne

David L Rowden

James R Carey

Philip R Ashe

John L Grimsley

Ingolf Sander

Robert H Caletti

Gary R Clauson

A disk drive spindle and spindle motor assembly is mounted on a support platform which is translated reciprocally toward and away from a stationary disk cartridge by a pair of rotationally driven cranks positioned along opposite sides of the platform. The cranks are coupled to the platform by eccentrically mounted support rods loosely captured in the span between dual sets of parallel, compliant leaf springs attached to side edges of the platform. The rotational cranks are provided with a degree of overtravel to forcefully urge the platform, when in the operational position, against precision stops formed on the underside of a mount plate located between the platform and disk cartridge. The spatial relationship of a disk engaging surface on the drive spindle relative to the precision stops is such as to precisely position the rotating disk in parallel with the tracking axis of the read/write head of the system. A pair of holes in the platform mate in sliding relationship with a pair of locator pins depending from the mount plate to maintain correct x-y positioning of the platform during its reciprocal translation.

Load mechanism for a beam addressable information storage disk drive

A linear drive apparatus for the load mechanism of an information storage disk drive system utilizes over-center pivotable link pin connections between a linear drive lever and counter-rotating drive cranks used for raising and lowering a disk spindle drive into and out of engagement with the storage disk. The over-center pivoting link pins provide an idle period for the spindle lift mechanism while the same linear drive lever powers the cartridge positioning apparatus utilized for loading and unloading the disk cartridge under power from the disk drive system.

Two-stage linear drive apparatus for an information storage disk drive

Single stage tracking actuator apparatus for an optical or magneto-optical disk drive system in which a read/write head is suspended by parallel flexures between mutually isolated magnetic circuits disposed on opposite sides of the head, one of the magnetic circuits being nested in the span between the parallel flexures. The flexure suspension provides friction-free translatable motion of the head in the longitudinal direction parallel to a radial line relative to the information storage disk. An electromagnetic coil provided with tracking actuator signals is formed about the head axially concentric with and transverse to the longitudinal center line of the head and is centrally positioned on the head between the points at which the free ends of the flexures are attached to the ends of the head. The end turn segments of the coil are disposed transversely of magnetic flux lines in elongated air gaps formed in the magnetic circuits to provide the driving force for the actuator. The friction-free suspension permits the actuator to perform both the track seek and the tracking modes of operation.

Single stage tracking actuator apparatus for optical beam information

Apparatus for centering and clamping a disk on a spindle-drive is disclosed. A bistable magnetic clamp normally held in an axially offset position from the plane of the disk is preferentially drawn to a coupler washer on the spindle-drive when the spindle-drive and clamping device are relatively moved toward each other after the disk is inserted into the drive. To accommodate significant initial misalignment of the disk, as might typically occur with a cartridge mounted disk, in a very short throw clamping motion, a multi-frustrum centering member is used. The frustrum surface nearest the disk has a gradual slope assuring meshing of the centering member with the central aperture of the disk over a wide range of initial misalignment. Once the disk is coarsely centered, precision centering is achieved during the final clamping stage by the second frustrum surface which is at steep slope relative to the plane of the disk.

Disk clamp and centering apparatus for a beam addressable disk drive

A linear motor with uniform force constant across the full stroke length achieved by varying the width of the air gap face area of the permanent magnet such that the width is reduced towards the center of the magnet in relation to the widths at the ends thereof to compensate for reducing field strength at the magnet ends caused by fringing effects on the field.

Voice coil motor with linearized force constant

Disk cartridge

A cartridge comprises a rigid peripheral wall sandwiched between a pair of similarly rigid major surfaces, to form a compartment containing a disk arranged for rotation about a central axis. The cartridge obviates the need to have relative axial movement between the disk and a record/playback transducer head as the cartridge is loaded into a drive mechanism. To that end, a brake mechanism latches the disk axially, as well as radially, in its operative plane as the cartridge is loaded; additionally, the cartridge exposes the disk sufficiently to provide interference-free access to it by the transducer head. For that purpose, at least one of the major surfaces has a head-access opening extending to the peripheral wall, which, in turn, defines a relatively narrow bridge-like member, comparable in width to the operative plane of the disk, extending laterally, in the disk plane, from one side to the other side of the head-access opening. The bridge-like member, in addition to simplifying loading movement, maintains cartridge rigidity across the 'throat' of the head-access opening.

Structurally rigid disk cartridge adaptable to eliminating relative

A write protect mechanism is disclosed for a cartridge of the type having top and bottom plates and an information recording medium interposed therebetween. The write protect mechanism comprises a button visible through an aperture in one of the plates and slideably moveable in the aperture between a write protect position and a write enabled position. In the write protect position, an interfacing recording device is actuated to prevent recording so that information previously recorded on the disk will not be inadvertently erased. In the write enabled position, the recording device is actuated to record information on the disk. The button further has a flag adapted to extend into a gap in a rear peripheral wall joining the top and bottom plates to visibly indicate that the button is in the write protect position and that information can not be recorded on the medium. When the flag is retracted, this visibly indicates that recording, if not prevented, could inadvertently erase previously recorded information.

Self-positioning write protect mechanism for a cartridge

A disk cartridge comprises top and bottom opposed spaced-apart plates defining a compartment in which an information recording disk is rotatable. A front peripheral wall joins the top and bottom plates with an aperture in the front peripheral wall communicating with the compartment. The disk cartridge is provided with a brake mechanism that latches the disk axially and radially in an operative plane until the cartridge is inserted fully into a drive mechanism. The brake mechanism also functions to protect the disk against damage, abrasion, cracking and the like, by eliminating annoying rattling when the cartridge is jostled during transporting or in handling. The disk brake mechanism comprises a unitary spring-biased pivotally mounted brake member on one side of the disk center for engaging the periphery of the disk and clamping the disk between the brake member and a pair of angularly spaced nooks located on the opposite side of the disk center.

Disk brake mechanism for a disk cartridge

A disk cartridge comprises top and bottom plates having integral peripheral lips joined together to form a peripheral wall when the top and bottom plates are secured together. The peripheral wall serves to space the lower surface of the top plate from the upper surface of the bottom plate to define a compartment in which an information recording medium, such as a disk is contained for rotatable movement. At least one of the top and bottom plates is provided with an elongate head-access opening through which a transducer head gains operational access to the record tracks of the disk when the cartridge is operatively loaded into a disk drive mechanism. To protect the disk from adverse external effects such as dirt, lint, fingerprints, and the like, the cartridge is provided with a spring-biased generally U-shaped shutter for automatically covering each head-access opening when the cartridge is removed from a disk drive mechanism. The cartridge is provided with a shutter latch mechanism in the form of a resilient spring arm mounted within the cartridge compartment and having a free end portion adapted to engage the inwardly facing shoulder of a recessed portion of the shutter to latch it in its closed position.

Shutter latch mechanism for a disk cartridge

This invention is a device to reduce the wobble of a rotating shaft disposed in a cavity of a housing which wobble results from a spurious or undesirable positioning of a bearing assembly in which the shaft rotates. The present device includes a bearing follower which is shaped to have a long side which is in abutment with the side walls of the cavity. Accordingly, the follower cannot be readily placed in a cocked or misaligned position. The follower is spring loaded against the bearing assembly which is subject to being cocked and thereby reduces the capability of that bearing assembly to be misaligned.

Growing community of inventors

Cupertino, CA, United States of America

Patrick J Champagne