Seagate Technology Incorporated

Flatiron Research Group, LLC

Rishi Kant

Frederick Mark Stefansky

Menachem Rafaelof

Steven R Speckmann

Mark A Schwandt

Michael A Maiers

Gary Frank Kelsic

Wallis Allen Dague

Aaron Steve Macpherson

Alexander Wei Chang

Kenneth J Altshuler

Steve R Speckmann

A window insulator includes a coupling layer, a reflective layer, and a layer of dielectric material disposed between the coupling layer and the reflective layer. The combination of the coupling layer, the reflective layer, and the layer of dielectric material forms a capacitor that facilitates the release of electrons from the reflective layer and the transfer of the free electrons from the reflective layer to the coupling layer when the window insulator is exposed to radiant energy.

Removable window insulator

A top cover formed from a metal matrix composite material for use on a data storage device is disclosed. The metal matrix composite material includes a porous matrix material combined with an inclusion material constrained within the pores of the porous matrix material. The porous matrix material is substantially aluminum while the inclusion material is a ceramic such as silicon hexaboride or aluminum boron carbide capable of wetting molten aluminum. The ceramic inclusion material is selected to have a specific modulus greater than the specific modulus of the porous metal matrix such that the entire volume of porous matrix material provides acoustical dampening during operation of the data storage device.

Acoustically improved disc drive cover made of porous metal matrix with ceramic constrained within pores of matrix

An actuator assembly is provided for a computer disc drive. The actuator assembly includes an actuator body that supports a shell head support arm and/or a shell coil yoke. The coil yoke supports the coil of the VCM. The actuator body pivots about a pivot axis and is attached to the cartridge bearing assembly disposed within an inner hollow of the actuator body. The head support arm is a shell having a core, a first surface and a second surface. The first surface of the head support arm is concave and the second surface of the head support arm is convex. The head support arm is connected to the actuator body at a proximal end. At a distal end of the head support arm, there is a flat portion with a swage hole for connection of the flexure assembly.

Actuator assembly for a disc drive having shell extensions

A disc drive device includes a base plate, a voice coil motor operably attached to the base plate, a top cover attached to the base plate with at least two perimeter fasteners and at least one interior fastener, wherein the two perimeter fasteners and the interior fastener form a triangular portion of the top cover therebetween, a pressure seal sealing the top cover and the base plate, and an acoustic damper contacting the voice coil motor and the triangular portion of the top cover for damping vibrations occurring in the voice coil motor and the top cover. The acoustic damper is made of the same material as the pressure seal. In this manner, vibrationally induced acoustical emissions from the disc drive device are reduced.

Acoustic damper for a disc drive

A thermally conducting and electrically insulating overmold encapsulates and supports an actuator coil in a disc drive assembly. The overmold is made from a base resin mixed with a ceramic filler compound such as boron nitride, alumina, aluminum nitride, magnesium oxide, zinc oxide, silicon carbide, beryllium oxide, chromium oxide or some combination thereof. The base resin is preferably polypheneline sulfide. Glass filler and/or a coupling agent are also preferably added. The overmold reduces off track read/write head position errors due to popping caused by thermal expansion and contraction of the actuator coil.

Thermally conductive overmold for a disc drive actuator assembly

A lightweight actuator for use in a disc drive where the actuator body, yoke and actuator arms are molded as a unitary article. The actuator is preferably molded from a composite material chosen on the basis that its dynamic characteristics are comparable to the characteristics exhibited by materials conventionally used for making actuators. In addition, the actuator facilitates the formation of zero insertion force connection features at the actuator arms for coupling with the respective suspensions. The present invention thus allows for the application of improved connection methods at lower cost.

Featherweight actuator for disc drives

An improved system for mounting the head suspensions to the actuator mounting arms of a disc drive actuator. The mounting system of the invention includes novel features on both the head suspension mounting plates and on the actuator head mounting arms that facilitate head suspension mounting without the introduction of plastic deformation in any of the mounting elements. The mounting plate of the invention includes a boss and a hole. The boss and hole are dimensioned for interference fit with complementary elements on a second mounting plate located on the opposite side of the actuator head mounting arm, to provide the retention force of the mounting system. The bosses of the mounting plates also form an interference fit with cooperative holes in the actuator head mounting arm. Compliance features are included with the holes on the actuator head mounting arm to prevent plastic deformation of the material of the head mounting arm.

Head suspension mounting system for a disc drive

A dual-stage actuation assembly for a disc drive includes a movable actuator arm and a load beam connected to the actuator arm. A pad is attached to the load beam, and a hinge extends from the pad. A microactuator cradle is attached to the pad by the hinge, and includes a slider support structure having first and second beams that are bendable in response to control signals and a gimbal attached to the slider support structure for supporting the slider between the first and second beams over a surface of a disc. A first piezoelectric element is coupled to the first beam for bending the first beam in response to control signals in a selected direction, and a second piezoelectric element is coupled to the second beam for bending the second beam in response to the control signals in the selected direction. Bending of the first and second beams causes the microactuator cradle to rotate with respect to the pad about the hinge in a plane generally parallel to the surface of the disc, thereby effecting high resolution displacement of the transducing head carried by the slider.

Low-stress disc drive microactuator cradle

A microactuator is employed in a disc drive system to finely position a transducing head adjacent to a selected track of a rotatable disc. The disc drive includes an actuator arm, a load beam attached to the actuator arm, and a flexure supporting a slider carrying the transducing head adjacent to a surface of the rotatable disc. The microactuator is formed integrally with the load beam, and is attached to the flexure so that displacement effected by the microactuator deflects a portion of the load beam to finely position the flexure and the head-carrying slider with respect to the selected track of the rotatable disc.

Integral load beam push-pull microactuator

A mechanism is provided to position a transducing bead with respect to a selected radial track of a rotatable recording disc in a disc drive including an actuator arm and a suspension load beam connected to the actuator arm. A plate is hingedly attached to the load beam, and a flexure is attached to the plate. A slider supporting the transducing head is attached to the flexure. A microactuator is attached to the plate and is operable in response to electrical control signals to move the plate relative to the load beam in the general plane of the load beam to selectively position the transducing head proximate to the selected radial track on the rotatable recording disc.

Flexure microactuator

A dual-stage actuation assembly for a disc drive includes a movable actuator arm and a load beam connected to the actuator arm. A microactuator is attached to the load beam, and includes a first bending motor, a second bending motor and a slider support structure supporting a slider over the disc. The slider support structure is attached between the first and second bending motors. The first and second bending motors are responsive to control signals to translationally move the slider support structure with respect to the load beam, to finely position a transducing head carried by the slider over a selected track of the disc.

Unitary synchronous flexure microactuator

A method and apparatus for providing cross track positioning of a disk drive head relative to a formatted track on a disk platter. A load beam is attached via a living hinge to a cradle. Piezo crystals are mounted on the cradle in plane with the load beam. The crystals are attached to levers formed into a proximal end of the load beam and activated with electric signals from a microactuator control to elongate or contract. Activated simultaneously the crystals exert a push force on one lever and a pull force on the other lever causing the load beam to pivot about the living hinge acting as a fulcrum. The load beam is attached to the cradle via cradle panels located at the distal end portion of the load beam. The cradle panels are preferably perpendicular to the load beam thereby providing low resistance in the cross rack direction and support in the vertical direction.

In plane, push-pull parallel force microactuator

A disk drive having a novel head-gimbal assembly (HGA) which is attached to an actuator arm of an actuator assembly. The HGA includes a read/write head, a flexure, and a suspension arm. The suspension arm has a first end including the flexure supporting the read/write head, and a second end including a hole having an attached swaging member extending through it. The swaging member includes a baseplate and a swaging boss which interface at an annulus region. A circular hole is formed through a top surface of the baseplate and extends downward partially through the swaging member. A non-circular hole, concentric with the circular hole, is formed through a bottom surface of the swaging boss, and extends upward partially through the swaging member. The non-circular hole has a smaller diameter than the circular hole. The shape of the non-circular hole may be any geometric shape such as a two-lobbed swaging hole, a three-lobbed swaging hole, an elliptical hole or a hexagonal hole. The swage boss of the swaging member is inserted into an opening in the actuator arm. A compatible non-circular key, which is a rod of the same configuration and size as the non-circular hole, is inserted through the hole and non-circular hole in the swaging member. The non-circular key is held at both ends by a fixture and turned so that the non-circular hole is deformed. The swage boss expands in size to form a tight interference fit with the actuator arm. The plastic deformation of the swaging member is located at an interface region between the baseplate and the swaging boss. Since the plastic deformation is confined to the interface region, any formation of kinematic deflections on the HGA due to the mounting process is eliminated.

Growing community of inventors

Boulder, CO, United States of America

Rishi Kant