Seagate Technology Incorporated

Todd Warren Kube

William Leon Rugg

Alexander Wei Chang

Bruce Lynn Blakeslee

Nigel Frank Misso

ChoonKiat Lim

Marc Jacques Lalouette

James Hart Smith

Dave Paul McReynolds

Ernest Paul Lee

Dana P Eddings

A disc drive has actuator servo-controls and signal processing electronics positioned on, and electrically connected to, a flex printed circuit board positioned on a top surface of a base along with the actuator assembly and the spindle motor of the disc drive. A power combo chip is also positioned on the flex printed circuit board that is positioned on the top surface of the base. A top cover is attached to the base to form an enclosed space. The actuator assembly and the spindle motor are within the enclosed space and the actuator servo-controls and signal processing electronics are outside the enclosed space.

Disc drive apparatus having drive electronics top mounted on flexible printed circuit board

An actuator assembly includes a rotatable actuator arm mounted on the base of a disc drive. The actuator arm includes a metallic member seated on a non-metallic body. A proximal end of a load beam is mounted on the actuator arm and a distal end of the load beam supports a head. The actuator assembly also includes a connection between the metallic member and the load beam that secures the load beam to the actuator arm.

Load beam attachment to actuator arm

Method and apparatus for forming a disc drive actuator assembly. A rigid actuator arm formed of printed circuit board (PCB) material is configured for placement over a rotatable disc. A head-gimbal assembly (HGA) is provided comprising a data transducing head, a flexible suspension assembly and a conductor which is connected to the head and routed along the flexible suspension assembly. A Z-axis conductive adhesive film is used to mechanically and electrically connect the HGA with a distal end of the PCB actuator arm. The Z-axis conductive adhesive film is substantially conductive across the thickness of the film and is substantially nonconductive along the length and width of the film. In a preferred embodiment, the film establishes a grounding path to dissipate electrostatic charge in the HGA. In another embodiment, the film establishes a data signal path for the head.

Attachment of a head-gimbal assembly to a printed circuit board actuator arm using Z-axis conductive adhesive film

Apparatus and method for adjusting an actuator mechanical response characteristic in a data handling system, such as a disc drive. An actuator rotates about a pivot system to move a read/write head adjacent a recording surface, the pivot system comprising a stationary shaft and a bearing asesmbly comprising a stationary inner race coupled to the shaft and a rotatable outer race coupled to the actuator. A fastener is provided to engage the shaft and apply an initial amount of axially directed force on the inner race. A broad spectrum excitation is applied to the actuator and a mechanical response characteristic of the actuator is measured. The fastener is repetitively adjusted to increase the amount of axially directed force until the measured mechanical response characteristic of the actuator reaches a desired level.

Controlling mechanical response characteristics of a disc drive actuator by adjusting a fastener engaging the actuator shaft to vary axial force on the bearing assembly

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Boulder, CO, United States of America

Todd Warren Kube