The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 03, 2002
Filed:
Aug. 03, 1999
Mark A. Toffle, St. Louis Park, MN (US);
Brent M. Weichelt, Burnsville, MN (US);
Seagate Technology LLC, Scotts Valley, CA (US);
Abstract
One aspect of the invention relates to an apparatus and method for loading and securing a disc drive head disk assembly (HDA) in a servo track writing apparatus. The HDA includes a base, a disc stack coupled to a spindle rotatably attached to the base by a spindle shaft, and an actuator assembly pivotally attached to the base at a pivot shaft. Attached to one end of the actuator assembly proximal the disc stack is at least one transducer for reading/writing information from/to the discs. In one embodiment, the apparatus comprises a vacuum block having an air bearing and a vacuum stiffener. The vacuum stiffener is selectively used simultaneously with the air bearing to preload the latter. Alternatively, the vacuum stiffener is used independently of the air bearing to vacuum couple the vacuum block to a guide surface. By allowing both vacuum preload and vacuum coupling, the vacuum block of the present invention provides precise HDA placement and retainment with little or no manual operator intervention. Further it reduces the complexity of the STW by eliminating the need to provide a separate preload device.