Abstract: An apparatus and method for uniformly centering and retaining an information storage disc on a spindle motor. A disc drive spindle motor assembly including a rotatable motor spindle having a top portion and a hub portion, and an annular disc mounted over the top portion and supported on the hub portion. The assembly further includes an annular disc clamp mounted over the top portion of the spindle, and having a centering portion and a peripheral clamping portion. A disc clamp retainer is fastened to the spindle applying a compressive force to the disc clamp to secure the disc against the hub portion. The centering portion of the disc clamp has a series of spaced centering tabs adapted to abut the spindle and symmetrically push against the annular disc when the compressive force is applied to the disc clamp.

Abstract: A disc drive and method of making a disc drive, including a voice coil magnet assembly. The voice coil magnet assembly includes a top magnetic return plate, a bottom magnetic return plate and at least one pair of magnets affixed to at least one of the plates. The voice coil magnet assembly is pre-assembled prior to attachment to a base plate. The pre-assembled voice coil magnet assembly is then structurally coupled to the base plate at a boss or attachment point, and is done so in a rotatable manner at the boss or attachment point, such that the voice coil of an actuator assembly is sandwiched by the rotation of the pre-assembled unit about the structural attachment point or boss.

Abstract: Apparatus for sealing the internal spindle motor bearing structure from the surrounding environment in a hard disc memory device. The motor includes a single low-cost part that seals both airflow paths, including both the bearings of the motor and around the wires. This single part acts as the electrical connector for the spindle motor as well as the seal. The invention consists of a single injection molded plastic connector with electrical contact members contained therein. Wires from the internal windings of the spindle motor pass through a hole provided in the connector housing and are terminated to the electrical contact members located within the connector. This hole is in turn sealed with a single drop of adhesive that is cured under the application of ultraviolet light. In a preferred embodiment, the spindle motor housing and connector are designed to form a press fit between the outer diameter of the circularly shaped connector housing and a groove in the motor housing provided for this purpose.

Abstract: An apparatus and method of manufacturing a low cost disc drive base plate that incorporates a platform portion and one or more over-molded disc drive structural components. The platform portion of the base plate is stamped or fine blanked from sheet metal and defines a centrally located depression for receiving over-molded structural components of the disc drive. The structural components of the disc drive are over-molded using a polymer or plastic insert molding process to the platform portion of the base plate. The use of a stamped platform portion having over-molded structural components significantly reduces conventional manufacturing costs and allows for the design of a disc drive having greater positional accuracy then that obtained with current disc drive technology.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for securing an information storage disc within a disc drive. A disc drive spindle motor assembly including a spindle and a hub portion extending radially outward from the spindle, the hub portion defining a top surface. An information storage disc is mounted on the hub portion, the information storage disc having a top surface. The assembly further includes an annular disc clamp forming a central aperture having a middle annular raised portion, an outer annular periphery portion, and at least one inner centering portion including an inner vertical peripheral surface. The central aperture of the disc clamp is sized to receive the spindle to allow the inner centering portion to center the disc clamp about the spindle, while the outer periphery engages the top surface of the information storage disc, and the middle annular raised portion extends above the top surface of the hub portion and is adapted to receive a downwardly directed force.

Abstract: A dual-stage actuation assembly for a disc drive includes a movable actuator arm and a load beam connected to the actuator arm. A pad is attached to the load beam, and a hinge extends from the pad. A microactuator cradle is attached to the pad by the hinge, and includes a slider support structure having first and second beams that are bendable in response to control signals and a gimbal attached to the slider support structure for supporting the slider between the first and second beams over a surface of a disc. A first piezoelectric element is coupled to the first beam for bending the first beam in response to control signals in a selected direction, and a second piezoelectric element is coupled to the second beam for bending the second beam in response to the control signals in the selected direction.

Abstract: A magnetic parking device for retaining an actuator in a disk drive over a landing zone. A magnetically permeable capture member is provided on the drive actuator and a magnetic parking member for capturing and magnetically retaining the capture member to park the transducer is provided adjacent the drive actuator. The magnetic parking member includes a permanent magnet and a magnetic field containing member having a slot (or air gap) formed therein. The magnetic field containing member and permanent magnet form a magnetic circuit with a magnetic flux with the slot in the magnetic field containing member allowing a portion of the magnetic flux to extend beyond the physical confines of the magnetic field containing member to provide a capture region for the capture member.

Abstract: A microactuator is employed in a disc drive system to finely position a transducing head adjacent to a selected track of a rotatable disc. The disc drive includes an actuator arm, a load beam attached to the actuator arm, and a flexure supporting a slider carrying the transducing head adjacent to a surface of the rotatable disc. The microactuator is formed integrally with the load beam, and is attached to the flexure so that displacement effected by the microactuator deflects a portion of the load beam to finely position the flexure and the head-carrying slider with respect to the selected track of the rotatable disc.

Abstract: A dual-stage actuation assembly for a disc drive includes a movable actuator arm and a load beam connected to the actuator arm. A microactuator is attached to the load beam, and includes a first bending motor, a second bending motor and a slider support structure supporting a slider over the disc. The slider support structure is attached between the first and second bending motors. The first and second bending motors are responsive to control signals to translationally move the slider support structure with respect to the load beam, to finely position a transducing head carried by the slider over a selected track of the disc.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing cross track positioning of a disk drive head relative to a formatted track on a disk platter. A load beam is attached via a living hinge to a cradle. Piezo crystals are mounted on the cradle in plane with the load beam. The crystals are attached to levers formed into a proximal end of the load beam and activated with electric signals from a microactuator control to elongate or contract. Activated simultaneously the crystals exert a push force on one lever and a pull force on the other lever causing the load beam to pivot about the living hinge acting as a fulcrum. The load beam is attached to the cradle via cradle panels located at the distal end portion of the load beam. The cradle panels are preferably perpendicular to the load beam thereby providing low resistance in the cross rack direction and support in the vertical direction.

Abstract: An improved pivot mechanism for an actuator assembly of a disc drive having an E-block that supports plurality of read/write heads in data reading and writing relationship to an array of spinning data discs. The pivot mechanism has a bearing cartridge that supports the E-block and which pivots about a pivot shaft which supports a pair of ball bearings of the bearing cartridge. Each of the ball bearings contains only three balls that are evenly distributed circumferentially about the pivot shaft. Contact surfaces of the bearing outer race and inner race provide single-point contact between the races and the balls.

Abstract: A disk drive in which a movable latch locks the data transducer assembly to prevent movement due to shock. The movable latch cooperates with an actuator by engaging an actuator extension arm. The movable latch also engages a stationary magnet with one of two latching magnets. The movable latch arm is mounted to a shaft which extends into a sealed casing which incorporates a plunger. The plunger is located in a chamber filled with viscous fluid which is not subject to migration or outgassing from the chamber. The viscous fluid provides resistance to sudden movements of the plunger. Latch release is achieved by application of low continuous force to the actuator arm by a voice coil motor.

Abstract: A jacket for holding and retaining a disk drive unit in a computer device bay. The jacket protects the disk drive unit from damage during handling, use and storage. The configuration of the jacket permits electrical and electrical ground coupling of the disk drive unit to a computer device bay. The configuration of the jacket also permits engagement with a retaining mechanism in the computer device bay, and permits ejection from the computer device bay without imparting an excessive shock load to the disk drive unit.

Abstract: A passive actuator latching system in which a magnetic latch mechanism is mounted on an air damping mechanism. The air damping mechanism is optimized to the moving mass of the actuator and the specified mechanical shock tolerance to allow a relatively weak magnetic latch to resist unlatching due to relatively large short-duration mechanical shocks by providing damped compliance to the latching system during the application of mechanical shocks, and attenuating the shock force experienced at the magnetic interface. Various mechanisms for selecting the direction and magnitude of the damping of the compliance are disclosed.

Abstract: A parking device for an actuator in a storage device which includes a voice coil motor having a magnet, providing a magnetic field including a magnetic flux, and a coil coupled to the actuator. The parking device includes a magnetically permeable capture structure forming a path for the magnetic flux and generating a capture region, the capture region being a region of magnetic flux adjacent to the capture structure; and a capture member, having a face plate, coupled to the actuator such that the capture member enters the capture region to park the actuator when the actuator is in a park position. In a further aspect, the parking device includes a magnet structure supporting the magnet, having a top plate and a bottom plate, wherein the capture structure is positioned between the top and bottom plates and forms a magnetic circuit path for the magnetic flux with the magnet, and the top and bottom plates.

Abstract: A low height disk drive having an overall height of approximately one inch (1"). The drive includes a head disk assembly, including a base plate, a disk rotatably supported on the base plate, a motor for rotating the disk, at least one head for reading information from and writing information on the disk, an actuator, supported on said base plate and responsive to control signals, for selectively positioning the head with respect to the disk, and a cover sealably attached to the base plate to enclose the storage means, the head, and the actuator. The disk drive also includes control circuitry for generating control signals, and for providing information signals to and receiving information signals from the head. The head disk assembly and the control circuitry have a combined height of approximately one inch or less.

Abstract: An actuator assembly includes a first actuator arm and a second actuator arm, each having a first end and a second end, a support member, and a bearing assembly coupled to the arms and the support member, and supporting the arms and support member for rotation about an axis. The bearing assembly has a first portion abutting the first actuator arm and second portion abutting the second actuator arm, with the first and second arms being secured against movement away from each other by the bearing cartridge. Also provided is a retainer for preventing rotation of the first actuator arm about said axis relative to the second arm. The retainer may comprise first and second fasteners provided at opposite sides of the axis. In an alternative embodiment, the retainer comprises a leaf spring having a notch provided therein on the first and second actuator arms, and a fastener member provided on the support member.

Abstract: A two and one half inch form factor disk drive has a metallic base and a metallic cover to enhance the rigidity of these components with respect to plastic components. The sealing of a controlled environment established between the base and cover is enhanced by the increased rigidity of the base and by providing a gasket groove in the base and a gasket having a tongue which mates with the groove. In addition, the metal base and cover provide isolation from the noisy environment of a computer. The two and one half inch form factor is established by providing the disk drive with a length equal to the width of a 31/2 inch disk drive and a width equal to half of the length of a 31/2 inch disk drive. The disk drive includes a disk having a diameter of approximately 2.6 inches (65 mm) and weighs approximately 6 ounces. A closed-loop, embedded servo tracking system provides a large storage capacity relative to the area of storage media available.

Abstract: A low noise spin motor for use in a disk drive includes two bearings having different inside diameters, different outside diameters, and preferably the same size balls. The balls in the larger bearing travel at a faster speed thereby increasing the noise frequencies and resonant frequency as compared to the smaller frequency whereby the noise from the two bearings is not compounded. A small and compact disk drive using the spin motor is described.