Seagate Technology Incorporated

Thomas M Durrum

Gary Frank Kelsic

Shantanu Dattatrey Joshi

David Lapp

Paul Allison Beatty

Samuel E Severson

Stephen Robert Martin

Stephen G Horning

Darrel Ray Culver

James Rex Staggers

Daniel Scott Thompson

John A Martindale

Eric Martin Guerin

Certain exemplary aspects of the present disclosure are directed towards a manufacturing apparatus including a first chamber having a first cavity, and a first actuator. The first actuator aligns the opening of the first chamber to an opening in a second chamber having a second cavity, sealing the first cavity to the second cavity. The manufacturing apparatus further includes gas flow componentry that in conjunction with the first actuator and first chamber evacuate the second cavity by drawing a vacuum in the first cavity. After the second cavity is evacuated, the gas flow componentry fills the second cavity filled with a gas by introducing the gas to the first cavity. A second actuator seals the gas in the second cavity by applying a seal that covers the opening in the second chamber while the first and second cavity remains sealed to one another via the first actuator.

Cavity sealing apparatus

The performance of a leaf spring disc clamp can be enhanced by utilizing a roughly triangular shape for the center aperture. Such a disc clamp exhibits a substantially more uniform distribution of clamping force on the data disc and thereby reduces the deformation of the disc. It has further been determined that a stiffening rib located adjacent to the rim portion which contacts the data disc also leads to more uniform distribution of clamping force. Lastly, vibrations in a leaf spring disc clamp from external shocks or drive operation can be reduced utilizing a dampening ring of visco-elastic material. The dampening ring can be fastened to the surface of the disc clamp or placed within a rib on the disc clamp.

Uniform loading damped disc clamp

An apparatus for increasing the operative force on an air vane latch apparatus in a disc drive includes an air gate having an elongated rib extending parallel to the air vane immediately downstream of the air vane for reducing pressure behind the air vane during disc drive operation to reduce the disc speed at which the latch apparatus moves from a latched position to an unlatched position. The air gate is preferably a rib extending along an underside surface of the head disc assembly cover positioned parallel to the air vane and immediately downstream.

Top cover air gate for an air vane latch apparatus in a disc drive

An apparatus for increasing the operative force on an air vane latch apparatus in a disc drive involves providing an additional air vane on the pivoting air filter/latch to provide more torque on the latch during low pressure operating conditions and/or when less than an optimum number of discs are installed in the disc drive. The additional air vane is positioned beneath a top disc in the disc stack to at least catch wind generated adjacent the underside surface of the disc by the rotation of the top disc. The wind so generated pushes against this additional air vane supplementing that generated by the upper air vane thus increasing the torque applied to the pivoting air filter by the wind to ensure that there is sufficient wind pressure accumulation against the air vane and air filter latch to unlatch the actuator during all conditions of normal disc drive operation.

Dual air vane actuator latch apparatus for a disc drive

An apparatus for increasing the operative force on an air vane latch apparatus in a disc drive has a channel formed in the inside surface of the side wall of the head disc assembly cover immediately upstream of the air filter portion of the air vane latch apparatus for redirecting disc generated air flow against an air vane latch air filter and filter support bracket thus increasing the wind force on the air vane latch during disc drive operation to reduce the disc speed at which the latch apparatus moves from a latched position to an unlatched position.

Top cover having a turbo tunnel for an air vane latch apparatus in a disc drive

A disc mounting system for mounting the discs of a disc drive in a fixed radial relationship to the hub of a spindle motor. The disc mounting system includes a compression spring member located between adjacent discs in the disc stack. The compression spring member has a circular cross-section, and forms a wave shape such as a sinsoidal wave shape encircling the hub of the spindle motor. When the discs are positioned in an intended relationship relative to the hub, high and low peaks on the compression spring member engage chamfers adjacent the bore of the discs, and act to center the discs relative to the spindle motor hub to prevent shifting of the discs relative to the spindle motor hub due to applied mechanical shocks and differential thermal expansion of disc stack elements.

Growing community of inventors

Broomfield, CO, United States of America

Thomas M Durrum