Seagate Technology Incorporated

Seagate Technologies, Inc.

Ramgopal Battu

Iraj Jabbari

Sanjoy Ghose

Thomas A Hickox

Long Van Ngo

Narayanaswamy Pasupathy

Mark Joseph Fernandes

Gunter Karl Heine

John R Yaeger

Donald James Macleod

James N Krause

Efim Bronshvatch

Lawrence W Gollbach

Iraj Jabari

William E Wevers

Bernhard M Seeger

Enrique J Klein

Oswald Kuwert

Jeffrey L Wang

Min-Chan J Chow

An improved latch system for use in a disc drive is provided including an improved means for eliminating tolerances in the parked position of the actuator arm in the landing zone on the disc. According to this system, the latch system includes latch arm having a rotary engaging portion which engages a portion of the transducer support arm or actuator arm in the disc drive to prevent movement of the transducer when the shock appears; this latch arm is directly coupled to an air vane which extends parallel to the edge of the disc in a region nearly adjacent to the actuator arm and at a distance at a center of the disc which is just greater than the radius of the disc so that the vane extends partially along an arc or a line near to the edge of the disc. The latch arm and vane are arranged so that in the presence of disc rotation, wind generated by the disc presses against the vane, and the vane moves away from the disc. As it does so, the latch arm disengages the actuator arm, allowing it to move freely back and forth over the surface of the disc to locate the transducer over various tracks. When disc rotation ceases, the vane returns to its position adjacent the edge of the disc, and the transducer arm returns the transducer to the landing zone. When it does so, a pin which rises above the surface of the actuator arm engages the end of the latch arm. This pin rests against the end of the actuator arm and prevents further movement of the actuator arm under shock. Under normal conditions the accumulated tolerances between the final position of the wind vane, the latch arm, the pin, and the actuator arm which supports the pin would all need to be allowed for in defining the landing zone of the arm. According to the present invention however, an adjustable cam pin having a variable outer radius is supported on the actuator arm. When the assembly of the latch arm and actuator arm are complete the pin is rotated so that it rests firmly against the end of the latch arm; in this position, when the wind vane is at rest, the transducer supporting actuator arm rests exactly on the predefined landing zone, and assembly tolerances which would normally have to be incorporated into the landing zone can be eliminated.

Air vane latch incorporating a cam pin on the actuator

A disc drive system having at least one hard disc of approximately 48 mm diameter having concentric tracks is supported by a hub positioned in a centrally located aperture of approximately 12 mm diameter. The disc is rotated at a constant speed by a brushless DC motor attached to the hub. A transducer means for communicating information with the hard disc is moved relative to the disc surface by a positioning means. The positioning means includes a voice coil motor for selectably and accurately positioning the transducer means over the tracks on the hard disc. The disc drive system is enclosed in a housing means constructed from ferrous material having a base portion and a shell portion. The positioning means has a shaft about which the positioning means rotates. To provide a small, rugged assembly, the shaft is mounted at each end between the shell portion and base portion of the housing. Additionally, the shaft of the brushless DC motor is mounted in the same manner. The miniature disc drive system of the invention is designed to be permanently mounted in a portable, lap-top or notebook computer. Alternatively, the design is adaptable to enable the disc drive system to be utilized as a portable memory unit which may be inserted and removed from a connector port in the host computer.

Miniature hard disc drive having low profile actuator arm voice coil and

The invention is a miniature disc drive system. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, a positioner for positioning a transducer includes an actuator arm having the transducer mounted at one end and a voice coil motor (VCM) mounted at the other end. A pivot is centrally located along the actuator arm, whereby the VCM, when activated, can rotate the transducer over a disc or discs having approximately 45 mm diameters. The VCM is preferably a moving voice coil-type having a voice coil attached to the actuator arm and two magnets positioned above and below the voice coil such that the voice coil can freely move between them. One magnet is mounted to a base portion of a housing which encloses the entire disc drive system. The other magnet is mounted to roof portion of the housing. Thus, the housing is integrated into the active components of the disc drive and permits a significant size reduction to be achieved. Alternatively, a moving magnet VCM can be used, whereby two voice coils are mounted, one each to the roof and the base of the housing, respectively. A permanent magnet is attached to the actuator arm and moves freely between the voice coils. Selective activation of the voice coils rotates the actuator arm and positions the transducer over a desired track of the disc. The housing for both the preferred and alternative embodiments is approximately 50 mm.times.70 mm.times.19 mm and each embodiment is capable of storing 10 MB or more of data.

Miniature hard disk drive having linear loud-beam suspension and thin

Miniature hard disc system having single voice coil magnet motor

Insertable miniature hard disc drive having a reduced size transducer

A disc drive system having at least one hard disc having concentric tracks is supported by a hub positioned in a centrally located aperture. The disc is rotated at a constant speed by a DC motor attached to the hub. A transducer head for communicating information with the hard disc is moved relative to the disc surface by a positioning apparatus. The positioning apparatus includes a voice coil motor for selectably and accurately positioning the transducer head over the tracks on the hard disc. The disc drive system is enclosed in a housing having a base portion and a roof portion. The positioning apparatus includes a shaft about which the transducer head rotates to move the transducer from track to track. In one configuration, permanent magnets are attached to the base and roof, and a moving coil is interposed between them, the housing completing a magnetic circuit in the VCM. In one aspect the disc drive system is designed to be permanently mounted in a portable, lap-top or notebook computer. Alternatively, it is adaptable for insertion and removal from a connector port in the computer.

Miniature head disc drive system voice coil with single coil and dual

A latch system for use in a disc drive is provided wherein a latch system comprises a latch arm having an engaging portion for engaging an engaging transducer support arm for a disc drive to prevent movement of the transducer, and a wind vane that extends partially along an arc or a line near to the edge of the disc. The latch arm and vane are arranged so that in the presence of disc rotation wind presses against the vane, and the vane moves away from the disc. In order to make the vane effective and create sufficient torque or force against the surface of the vane, the top surface of the disc drive housing is depressed in the region of the disc which is upstream from the location of the vane, where by upstream is meant that the rotation of the disc causes wind to be generated which flows under the top portion of the housing and then impacts against the vane. By providing a specifically defined, depressed region in the top housing surface, sufficient torque is generated by the airflow as caused by rotation of a disc for the wind to open the vane when the disc drive is operating.

Air vane latch incorporating top cover profiling

Disc clamp and spacer

The present invention is a novel latch and air vane system for a disk drive actuator assembly which releases automatically in response to the aerodynamic force generated by the rotation of the storage disk. The latch and air vane system latches and recaptures the actuator assembly and holds the arm and transducer supported thereby in a fixed position. The latch and air vane system comprises a latch journaled for rotation immediately adjacent the disk and including a latch arm extending substantially perpendicular to the direction of movement of the actuator assembly when the actuator assembly is at rest with the transducer resting on the landing zone, a center shaft to allow the latch to rotate, and an air vane. The latch arm has a latch finger at one end thereof engaging a notch on the perimeter of the actuator assembly pivot region. The air vane extending in the opposite direction from the center shaft comprises a flag adjacent the space between the rotating disks and has a flag finger supported near the bottom of the flag and inserted in the region between the disks so that air flow generated by the rotation of the disks presses against the air vane and causes the air vane to move away from the edge of the rotating disks. In this way rotation of the disks causes the latch finger to move away from the notch releasing the actuator assembly for movement of the transducer across the surface of the disk. The latch and air vane mechanism is also intended to withstand considerable shock without allowing the actuator assembly to be dislodged, thereby preventing damage to data storage disks.

Anti-rotation air vane inertia latch

A hub assembly in a disc drive includes a hub rotatable about an axis. The hub has a first axial end and a second axial end. A plurality of hub mounted elements are disposed about the hub, including a support member connected to the second axial end of the hub, a disc, a clamp which frictionally engages the hub, and a spring located axially between the clamp and the support member. The clamp and the support member exert opposing axial forces on the disc to hold the disc for rotation with the hub. The spring includes a first axial surface and a second axial surface opposite the first axial surface. The first and second axial surfaces are non-planar to provide resilience in the axial direction.

Spring member for hub assembly

The above objectives are achieved in the present invention by providing a top cover and base which are attached at only three points, and which incorporate a number of limiting surfaces on each, cooperating with mating surfaces on the other, to define the proximity of the two parts as assembled, and thus limit and determine the compression of the gasket between the two parts.

Three-point top cover with limiter for a disc drive

A slider lifter arrangement is provided for conventional disc drive assemblies. The slider lifter includes a wire support having a pair of wire support arms extending outward from a head positioning assembly adjacent opposite sides of a flexure arm that carries a slider. A lifting wire is strung between the opposing wire support arms in the space between the flexure arm and the disc surface. The lifting wire is formed from a shape memory alloy having martensitic and austenitic phase conditions. The wire is arranged to lift the flexure arm sufficiently to lift the slider off of the disc surface when the wire is in a first phase condition while allowing the slider to rest on the disc surface when the wire is in a second phase condition. The wire is selectively electrically heated to change its state from one phase condition to the other. The wire support is preferably formed integrally with the flexure assembly. The lifting wire is also preferably coated with an insulating material.

Disc drive slider lifter using shape memory metals

In a disc drive with an integrated casting comprising the housing for the stepper and spindle motors, the transducer is mounted on a normal bearing pivot assembly lightweight actuator arm and biasing strip spring. One end of the strip spring is mounted to a block and the effective force of the spring is aligned with the actuator arm running toward the stepper motor. The other, or head end of the actuator arm contains a gear sector having gear teeth on its face which mesh with a pinion on a motor shaft so rotation of the motor shaft across the face of the gear sector causes movement of the head mounting arm. The actuator arm is formed of a self-lubricating polymer or other lightweight self-lubricating material. This way, wear on the gear is reduced; and as the teeth are worn, the gear is still tightly biased against the pinion to maintain accurate movement of the actuator arm with rotation of the pinion.

Rotary actuator

A pivot bearing assembly for a disc drive including the combination of a bearing surrounded on one side by a wishbone-shaped end of the actuator arm, and on the other side by a biasing spring metal strip whose ends are tightly attached to the split ends of the wishbone of the actuator arm. When the arm assembly is mounted in the disc drive, the bearing is mounted on its center of rotation, with the spring tensile force biasing the head of the actuator arm against the spindle of the stepper motor. By providing the distal end of the actuator arm with a gear sector having gear teeth on its face which mesh with a pinion on the motor shaft of the stepper motor, rotation of the motor shaft across the face of the gear sector causes movement of the actuator arm and with it the flexure and transducer across the surface of the disc. The head arm supporting the flexure and transducer extends from the side of the actuator drive arm at a point near the stepper motor driven end of the drive arm, reducing head arm length.

Design for an actuator arm for a disc drive

Electronic circuitry is provided to position the read/write heads in a designated landing zone when the electrical power is removed from the drive. When power is removed from the drive, the stored energy of the rotating spindle motor is used as a source of electrical power and timing pulses to the stepper motor which drives the actuator of the disc drive. The power generated by the spindle motor as it spins down is referred to as 'back EMF.' A sequencer circuit is provided to couple the power and clock pulses to selected windings of the stepper motor to cause the stepper motor to rotate in the direction necessary to move the transducer heads to a predetermined park position at the inner diameter of the disc whenever power is removed from the disc drive. Since the location of the heads at power down may not be known, the timing of the pulses is such that a sufficient number of steps will be taken to move the transducer heads to the parking zone within the time alloted even if the heads were at the outermost track. Step pulses will continue to be generated until the back EMF of the spindle motor is insufficient to generate such pulses. After the transducer heads are at the predetermined parking location, any additional steps will cause the actuator to contact a mechanical 'inner crash stop' designed to prevent damage to the transducer heads from contact with the clamp which retains the discs.

Growing community of inventors

Los Angeles County, CA, United States of America

Ramgopal Battu