Castlewood Systems, Inc.

Syed H Iftikar

Albert J Guerini

Frank Ivan Morris

Hong Khuu

Venkat R Koka

Devices, systems, and methods prevent rigid recording media for video and other data from rattling within a cartridge when that cartridge is removed from a disk drive. To decrease rattling (and the resulting damage to the disk), a hub of the disk is urged against an inner surface of the cartridge housing. A door translates laterally to provide access to the disk within the cartridge. A feature is defined by an inner surface of the cartridge housing, and one or more resilient arms extend from the door assembly so as to engage the feature when the door moves towards a closed position. The feature deflects the arm axially against the disk, so that the arm can act as both an actuation mechanism and a biasing spring.

Video disk cartridge disk hub locking mechanism

Methods and apparatus for increasing the reliability of removable storage media by dynamically reducing particulate contaminants from magnetic disks. The apparatus and methods include using wipers which slidingly engage both sides of the magnetic disk as the disk rotates, in order to reduce particulates. In some embodiments, the wiper can be coupled to a swing-type actuator or to any resilient member which can be moved over the surface of the magnetic disk.

Moveable disk wiper apparatus and method

Video and computer data cartridge

A disk drive has a support structure for maintaining alignment between a removable hard disk cartridge and the disk drive. Particularly, the disk drive and support structure are for use with recording and archiving digital video and other data. The support structure makes use of a series of engagable surfaces on both the cartridge and drive. These fixed surfaces can fully determine the position of the cartridge within the drive so as to avoid interference of the cartridge housing with the rotating disk, movable head support structures, and the like. Preferably, alternative insertion surfaces may be provided on the cartridge and disk drive housings to slidingly engage each other during manual insertion of the cartridge so as to promote normal engagement and disengagement of the spindle drive and disk hub structures.

Growing community of inventors

Pleasanton, CA, United States of America

Syed H Iftikar