Seagate Technology Incorporated

Seagate Technologies, Inc.

Robert Terry Haas

Michael A Maiers

Frederick Frank Kazmierczak

Ryan Andrew Sievers

Jeffrey G Barina

Ted Randal McDonald

Bruce Lynn Blakeslee

Jeff Gerard Barina

Russel Edward Rock

A self-biasing spindle motor connector (such as ) for a disc drive (such as ) is disclosed. The spindle motor connector (such as ) includes a body portion (such as ) and a plurality of alloy contacts (such as ) extending away from the body portion. The connector may comprise a crush rib (such as ) extending from at least one side of the body portion and making contact with a vertical wall (such as locating edge ) of a base plate (such as ) of the disc drive. The crush rib ensures that the connector is properly biased to a reference edge and situated in relation to the base plate and the disc drive printed circuit board. An x-y control boss (such as ) prevents the connector from moving in the x-y directions while the crush rib prevents the connector from rotational movement. The connector may also include a rotational boss (such as ) that is inserted into a rotational control hole of the base plate to prevent rotational movement of the connector.

Self-biasing spindle motor connector

An apparatus and method for reducing deflection of an actuator assembly within a head disc assembly in a disc drive during a mechanical shock event. A snubber is fastened to a stationary portion of the head disc assembly and has a snubber body and two or more snubber arms connected to the snubber body. The adjacent snubber arms form slots therebetween. A portion of the actuator assembly may be inserted into each of the slots whereby the snubber arms will reduce the deflective movement of the actuator assembly during a mechanical shock event.

Actuator shock snubber

An apparatus and method of aligning a disc drive printed circuit board connector with a corresponding receptacle in a disc drive slot in a test fixture includes a pair of tapered guide members on opposite ends of the connector which are angled toward the pins of the connector so that the connector is centered within the receptacle as the connector is inserted into the receptacle in the test fixture. The receptacle may be mounted for lateral movement within the slot of the test fixture to move relative to the connector as the guide members slide within the receptacle to align the pins and sockets before the pins enter the sockets within the receptacle.

Apparatus for aligning pins on a printed circuit board connector for a disc drive

An inertial latch apparatus for maintaining an actuator arm in a disc drive in a predetermined position has an elongated inertial beam member pivotally mounted in the disc drive for rotation in a plane parallel to the plane of rotation of the actuator arm and a latch member pivotally mounted in the disc drive for rotation between a disengaged position permitting movement of the actuator arm when the latch member is in the disengaged position and an engaged position in interference relation to a portion of the actuator arm to prevent movement of the actuator arm when the drive is subjected to an external shock load. The latch member rotates in only one direction in response to rotation of the beam member in either a clockwise or counterclockwise direction from a neutral position.

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Longmont, CO, United States of America

Robert Terry Haas