Seagate Technology Incorporated

Other

Ronald Eldon Anderson

Brett Robert Herdendorf

Michael Louis Rancour

Steven Ernest Wheeler

Klaus Obergfell

James H McGlennen

Andrew Michael Blair

Michael Steven Quam

Kermit Ray Harmon

Riyan Alex Mendonsa

Wolfgang Rosner

Peng Peng

Justin Holwell

Charles Newell Miller

Michael Jon Roe

Mujahid Akbar Khan

Steven Ivars Palks

Dale Allen Blomgren

Ruth LeMon

Philip Louis Johnson

David Allen Reints

William A Casey

Shawn Eric Fosness

Dennis L Buster

Michael John Roe

Kerry J Johnson

An electrical connector includes a flexible circuit with a flexible material and traces at least partially embedded in the flexible material. The electrical connector further includes a first set of conductive bumps, a second set of conductive bumps, and a stiffener. The first set of conductive bumps is coupled to respective first end portions of the traces and extends from a first side of the flexible circuit. The second set of conductive bumps is coupled to respective second end portions of the traces. The stiffener is coupled to the flexible circuit on a second side of the flexible circuit opposite the first side.

Electrical connector with flexible circuit and stiffener

An opener assembly for a data storage component testing system is disclosed. The opener assembly includes an actuator assembly with a first opener actuator and a body having a distal end, a proximal end, a first arm, and a second arm. The first and second arms extend between the proximal end and the distal end and define a spacing at the distal end. The first opener actuator is operatively coupled to the first and second arms and configured to actuate the actuator assembly between a closed position and an opened position.

Data storage component test socket opener

A data storage device includes at least one head supported by an actuator arm. The at least one head interacts with the at least one data storage disc when positioned over the at least one data storage disc. The data storage device further includes a split ramp for supporting the at least one head when the at least one head is moved away from the at least one data storage disc. The split ramp has a first ramp portion adjacent to a first outer diameter (OD) of the at least one data storage disc and a second ramp portion adjacent to the first ramp portion, such that the first ramp portion is between the second ramp portion and the first OD. At least one of the first ramp portion or the second ramp portion is independently moveable.

Split ramp for data storage devices

A test deck may be employed as part of a data storage component testing system. A test deck can consist of at least a bottom cover mating to a top cover to define an enclosed testing region configured to house a data storage medium, transducing head, and head suspension. The top cover may have an access port occupied by a door providing access to the enclosed testing region.

Data storage component test deck

A data storage device testing system may be configured with at least a test slot, a loader assembly, and an exchange assembly. The loader assembly can be positioned to respectively engage and disengage a test deck with the test slot. The exchange assembly may be configured to open an access port portion of the test deck and subsequently replace a tested data storage component housed within the first test deck with an untested data storage component.

Modular data storage device testing system

A system may utilize at least an enclosed test deck that has an access port door covering an access port. The system can test a data storage component by presenting the enclosed test deck to an exchange assembly before exposing an interior test region of the test deck by engaging the access port door with a tool of the exchange assembly. At least one data storage component may be installed into the interior test region and subsequently the access port is closed by installing the access port door into the access port.

Data storage component test deck system

A testing system that is capable of testing individual data storage components may have testing, loader, and exchange assemblies with the testing assembly having a plurality of test slots each having long and short axes. The loader assembly can be configured to transport and install a test deck or data storage device from the exchange assembly to a test slot of the plurality of test slots with a long axis of the test deck continuously aligned with the long axis of the test slot while being transported.

Data storage component testing system

A locking media pusher is coupled to a servo controlled stage and includes a protruding probe and a locking mechanism. The stage moves forward and backward along a base toward and away from a storage medium. If an eccentricity of a track on the storage medium exceeds a threshold, the storage medium is rotated to an orientation where the greatest eccentricity is directed toward the media pusher. The media pusher is moved toward the storage medium until a probe extending from the media pusher contacts the storage medium. The probe is locked within the media pusher. The stage and attached media pusher are retracted from the storage medium and the storage medium is unlocked. The magnitude of retraction of the stage is recorded. The stage is moved toward the storage medium a distance corresponding to the probe contact position plus the eccentricity magnitude to correct the eccentricity.

Locking media pusher

This disclosure includes a system for aligning an unmounted head gimbal assembly (HGA) comprising a platform for a base plate of the HGA. The platform defines an X-Y plane. The system further comprises a compliant alignment pin extending beyond the platform in a Z-dimension perpendicular to the X-Y plane. The compliant alignment pin includes a tapered portion having a maximum diameter larger than a diameter of a boss hole in the base plate of the HGA. The compliant alignment pin is deflectable in the Z-dimension to allow the base plate of the HGA to register with the platform. The system further comprises a second alignment pin extending beyond the platform in the Z-dimension. The second alignment pin is configured to register with an HGA reference feature of the HGA when the boss hole of the HGA registers with the compliant alignment pin to precisely align the HGA relative to the compliant alignment pin and the second alignment pin.

Head gimbal assembly alignment with compliant alignment pin

An apparatus and associated method for non-permanently fixturing an unmounted head gimbal assembly (UHGA). A backing plate has a planar body defining a plurality of contact points, and a lip extending from the body that is operably alignable with the UHGA so that a force applied against the lip transfers through the body to urge each of the contact points against the UHGA.

Unmounted head gimbal assembly clamping plate

A device comprises a mounting surface configured to mount a head gimbal assembly (HGA), a housing that pivots relative to the mounting surface, and a mechanism coupled to the housing that deflects the HGA when the housing pivots relative to the mounting surface. For example the mechanism may be a pneumatically actuated finger that pulls the HGA towards the housing. The device may be used to load the HGA on a rotating test disc. Once loaded on the test disc, the HGA is supported only by the mounting surface and an air bearing at an interface of a slider of the HGA and the test disc. Embodiments of the invention may provide precise and repeatable positioning of the HGA because dimensional tolerances and vibrations in the mechanism are not transferred to the HGA once it is loaded on the test disc.

Head gimbal assembly loading with fixed mounting surface

The invention is directed to methods and apparatus for repositioning a data storage disc on a spindle assembly, to reduce eccentricity of data on the disc. The eccentricity can be identified and be reduced automatically by determining the magnitude and direction of an eccentricity vector that representing a misalignment of a central point around which the data are arranged on a data storage disk with an axis of a spindle, and moving the disc so that the eccentricity vector is reduced. One technique for moving the disc is to push the edge of the disc so that the central point moves closer to the axis of the spindle.

Data storage disc track centering

A method of loading a head gimbal assembly on a disc includes attaching an unmounted head gimbal assembly to a four bar loader. The four bar loader includes a fixed plate, a pivot plate, and a four bar linkage connecting the fixed plate to the pivot plate. The four bar loader is then used to tilt the attached head gimbal assembly toward the surface of the disc.

Growing community of inventors

Lakeville, MN, United States of America

Ronald Eldon Anderson