Swaged head arm mounting arrangement for disc drives using shape memory

Abstract

An improved flexure mounting arrangement is provided for disc drive systems. The disc drive's head positioning assembly has one or more platform each one of which has an aligned opening therein. The flexure assemblies each include a mounting portion having an opening therein that is aligned with the platform openings. A shape-memory tube formed from a shape memory alloy material is swaged within the aligned openings to firmly couple the flexure assemblies to the head positioner assembly. The shape memory alloy material has martensitic and austenitic phase conditions. In one of the phase conditions, the shape-memory tube is firmly swaged within the aligned openings, while in the other phase condition, the shape-memory tube loosely fits within the aligned openings such that it may be readily inserted and removed. In a preferred aspect of the invention, the shape-memory tube is in the first phase condition at ambient temperatures and may be transformed to the second phase condition only by significant cooling. In a method aspect of the invention, the shape-memory tube is removed by spraying freon into the center of a tubular shaped shape-memory tube in order to transform the shape-memory tube into the second phase condition. In the second phase condition, the shape-memory tube may be readily withdrawn from the head positioner assembly.