Western Digital Technologies, Inc.

Walter W Butler

Chunjer Chuck Cheng

Jambunathan Vangal-Ramamurthy

Robert E Lloyd

Keith R Berding

John R Gustafson

Joseph M Viglione

Yao-Hsin Huang

Gregory G Foisy

May Ching Kung

Craig W Congdon

Robert E Lloyd, Jr

R Mark Watson

Charles E Ketchu

Jules Moritz, Jr

A method of picking and placing a workpiece relative to a disk drive may include steps of providing a robotically controlled tool, a servo motor assembly for moving the tool, at least one controller for controlling the tool and the servo motor assembly, and a machine vision assembly coupled to the controller and located relative to the tool so that a selected feature is within a field of view of the machine vision assembly while the tool is picking up the workpiece. The workpiece may be coupled to the tool, and the workpiece may be aligned with the selected feature of the disk drive using the machine vision assembly and the controller to control the servo motor assembly, such that the workpiece is aligned with the selected feature. The aligned workpiece may then be placed onto the selected feature of the disk drive.

Methods and devices for picking and placing workpieces into small form factor hard disk drives

A method of driving screws may include steps of providing a robotically controlled screw driver, a servo motor assembly for moving the screw driver, at least one controller for controlling the screw driver and the servo motor assembly, and a machine vision assembly coupled to the controller. The screw may be coupled to the screw driver, and the screw may be aligned with a threaded hole using the machine vision assembly and the controller to control the servo motor assembly, such that the screw is aligned with a center of the threaded hole. The aligned screw may then be driven into the threaded hole.

Methods for picking and placing workpieces into small form factor hard disk drives

A disk drive includes an enclosure that defines an exterior surface, the enclosure including a base, a cover and a hinge mechanically coupling the base to the cover such that the hinge forms a portion of the exterior surface of the enclosure. A spindle motor is attached to the base, a disk is mounted to the spindle motor, and a head stack assembly is pivotally coupled to the base. A method of manufacturing a disk drive includes a single molding step to form an enclosure including the base, the cover and a hinge that mechanically couples the base to the cover such that the hinge forms a portion of the exterior surface of the enclosure. The spindle motor may then be attached to the base, the disk or disks mounted to the spindle motor and the head stack assembly may be pivotally coupled to the base.

Method for manufacturing a disk drive with a hinged head disk assembly enclosure

An aspect of the invention can be regarded as a disk drive that includes a disk drive base, a disk including disk surface, and a spindle motor including a spindle motor hub including a clamping surface with disk clamp holes. The disk drive includes a disk clamp disposed upon the disk surface. The disk clamp includes a screw head interface surface and screw openings. The disk drive includes disk clamp screws each including a shaft sized and configured to respectively engage the threaded disk clamp holes respectively through the screw openings. The screws each further include a screw head having a screw head clamping surface disposed against the screw head interface surface. The screws each further include a surface coating disposed upon the screw head clamping surface. The surface coating has a static coefficient of friction less than a static coefficient of friction of the screw head.

Disk drive including surface coated disk clamp screws with reduced coefficient of friction for mitigating disk clamp movement

An aspect of the invention can be regarded as a method of making disk drives. The method includes providing a frame array. The frame array includes a frame, a plurality of disk drive base portions, and a plurality of tie bars connected between the frame and the disk drive base portions. The method further includes attaching a respective disk drive component to each of the disk drive base portions. The method further includes removing the disk drive base portions from the frame by severing the tie bars.

Method of making disk drives using a frame array with a plurality of disk drive base portions

A disk drive with improved shrouding is disclosed. The disk drive comprises a disk, a spindle motor for rotating the disk, a head, an actuator arm for actuating the head radially over the disk, a base, and a cover attached to the base to form a head disk assembly chamber. The cover comprises an inner surface and an outer surface, and a shroud extending axially from the inner surface into the head disk assembly chamber substantially enveloping the periphery of the disk, including at least part of the periphery coextensive with the actuator arm, to provide radial shrouding of the disk.

Disk drive comprising a cover shaped to improve radial and axial shrouding

Disclosed is disk drive having a molded head disk assembly enclosure including insert molded components and methods for manufacturing the same. In one aspect, the invention may be regarded as a disk drive having a molded enclosure including a base, a cover, and a coupling mechanism to couple the base to the cover. A pivot is insert molded into the base. A first portion of a spindle motor is insert molded into the base. A second portion of a spindle motor is attached to the first portion to form the spindle motor. Further, a disk is mounted to the spindle motor and a head stack assembly having a coil portion is pivotally coupled to the pivot.

Disk drive having a head disk assembly enclosure including insert molded components

A disk drive has an enclosure that includes a first portion and a second portion that is configured to mate with the first portion. A spindle motor is attached to the first portion and a disk is mounted to the spindle motor. A head stack assembly is pivotally coupled to the second portion prior to the first and second portions being mated to one another. The head stack assembly includes a read write head that is configured to read from and write to the recording surface of the disk after the first and second portions are mated to one another.

Disk drive enabling simultaneous assembly of HSA and disk pack

A disk drive includes an enclosure that defines an exterior surface, the enclosure including a base, a cover and a hinge mechanically coupling the base to the cover such that the hinge forms a portion of the exterior surface of the enclosure. A spindle motor is attached to the base, a disk is mounted to the spindle motor, and a head stack assembly is pivotally coupled to the base. A method of manufacturing a disk drive includes a single (injection, for example) molding step to form an enclosure including the base, the cover and a hinge that mechanically couples the base to the cover such that the hinge forms a portion of the exterior surface of the enclosure. The spindle motor may then be attached to the base, the disk or disks mounted to the spindle motor and the head stack assembly may be pivotally coupled to the base. Alternatively, the base and the cover may be separately provided and the hinge may be molded (by an insert molding process, for example) onto the base and the cover to mechanically couple the base to the cover such that the hinge again forms a portion of the exterior surface of the enclosure.

Disk drive having a head disk assembly enclosure including an integrated hinge

Disclosed herein is a disk drive that includes a housing including a base, the base defining a blind receptacle, a spindle motor attached to the base, a disk mounted to the spindle motor and a head stack assembly pivotally coupled to the base. The head stack assembly includes a body portion including a first bore defining a pivot axis, an actuator arm cantilevered from the body portion, and a head gimbal assembly supported at the actuator arm and including a head. The base defines a blind receptacle and the actuator arm defines a second bore that is situated so as to enable the second bore and the blind receptacle to align along an axis parallel to the pivot axis when the head stack assembly is pivoted such that the head is not over the disk.

Head stack assembly shipping comb with temporary locating feature for internal head disk assembly build process and disk drive manufactured using the same

A disk drive with reduced acoustic noise is disclosed. The disk drive comprises a disk, a head, an actuator arm for actuating the head radially over the disk, a base, and a cover attached to the base to form a head disk assembly chamber. The cover comprises an inner layer having a depression, the depression comprising a convex surface and a concave surface, an outer layer attached opposite the concave surface to the inner layer, the inner layer and the outer layer thereby defining walls of a cavity. The cover further comprises a damping medium disposed within the cavity, whereby the inner layer, the outer layer, and the damping medium form a multi-layer noise-damping sandwich which reduces noise emitted by the disk drive.

Disk drive employing a multi-layer noise-dampening HDA cover

A disk drive is disclosed with reduced resonance. The disk drive comprises a disk, a fixed spindle shaft disposed axially through the disk, a spindle motor for rotating the disk about the fixed spindle shaft, wherein a resonance is associated with the spindle motor rotating the disk. The disk drive further comprises a head, an actuator arm for actuating the head radially over the disk, a base, and a cover attached to the base to form a head disk assembly chamber. The cover comprises a shaft aperture positioned over the fixed spindle shaft, the shaft aperture for receiving a fastener for attaching the cover to the fixed spindle shaft. The cover further comprises a plurality of slots proximate the shaft aperture, wherein the shaft aperture and slots provide a flexible support for the fixed spindle shaft which reduces the resonance associated with the spindle motor.

Disk drive comprising a cover having slots near a shaft aperture for reducing resonance

A disk drive including a head disk assembly, a planar printed circuit board and a vibration damping system. The vibration damping system is fixed adjacent the outer surface of the printed circuit board and includes an external planar member of compressible foam composition and a substantially-planar rigid mass damper of like shape and extent and arranged so that the external planar member contacts both the outer surface of the printed circuit board and the upper major surface of the mass damper. The major surfaces of the mass damper include upwardly-convex bosses for receiving fastening screws to maintain a predetermined separation distance between the printed circuit board and the mass damper that is somewhat less than the unconstrained thickness of the external planar member of compressible foam composition.

Disk drive including a vibration damping system having a compressible foam and mass damper fixed adjacent to the outer surface of a printed circuit board for reducing noise and vibration

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Scotts Valley, CA, United States of America

Walter W Butler