Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention relate to retracting a magnetic head of a disk drive device to a retract position in accordance with a fall state, and to suppressing the performance degradation due to erroneous fall determinations as well as occurrence of damage by a head-disk crash. According to one embodiment of the present invention, in a Hard Disk Drive (HDD), a servo controller moves a head slider to a cylinder at the side of a ramp at a predetermined timing that a fall determiner determines that it is falling and an unload controller starts an unload process. This shortens the time between determination by the fall determiner that it is falling to retraction of the head slider to the retract position. Furthermore, it prevents increase of the erroneous determinations by relaxing the fall determination condition for safety. Also, it shortens the time that the head slider returns to the initial position before the seek in case that it is not determined that it is falling.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a portable rotary disk type storage device provided with a form factor allowing dimensions of an accommodation space in a longitudinal and a lateral direction to be reduced. In one embodiment, the storage device has a head disk assembly provided with a rotary disk recording medium and a casing accommodating the rotary disk recording medium and forming a totally closed space. The device further has a PCB provided with a connection pad disposed substantially parallel with a recording surface of the rotary disk recording medium and connectable to a host system connector and a control circuit for the head disk assembly and connected to the head disk assembly with an FCP and mechanically released therefrom. Housings accommodating the head disk assembly and the PCB and having an opening portion in alignment with the connection pad are provided.

Abstract: Terminals of a flexible printed circuit board and terminals of a wiring trace in a head suspension assembly are to be connected with each other by soldering without causing a soldering defect. In an embodiment, a terminal structure of a multi-connector in a wiring trace which includes an insulating layer and a conductor pattern portion formed on a surface of the insulating layer is provided with exposed portions of terminals exposed from apertures formed in part of the insulating layer and is also provided with lining portions adjacent to the exposed portions in a longitudinal direction of the conductor pattern portion and bonded to the insulating layer. Even if terminals of the multi-connector are cracked when soldered, not only conductivity is ensured, but also it is possible to strengthen the terminals, because the lining portions of the terminals are bonded to the insulating layer.

Abstract: Embodiments in accordance with the present invention relate to suppressing deterioration in rigidity and dynamic characteristics of a tab even when an initial point of contact between a tab and a ramp during unloading is set closer to the outer periphery of a disk. A data storage device in one embodiment of the present invention includes a head, a ramp for unloading the head, a load beam having a head support portion for supporting the head and a tab adapted to slide on a sliding surface of the ramp on a front end side with respect to the head support portion, and an actuator having the load beam and adapted to actuate the head for loading and unloading. During unloading, a portion of the tab offset from the center in the transverse direction of the tab first comes into contact with the sliding surface of the ramp. The load beam has a flange formed to be bent and continuously from the front end portion of the tab up to both ends of the head support portion.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention shorten a work time required for peeling off a cover seal during rework. In one embodiment, a magnetic disk drive includes: a base provided with a bonded surface around an opening edge and containing therein a head driving mechanism and a magnetic disk; a top cover to be fitted to the opening edge so as to be fixed to the base; and a cover seal including a liner disposed at an outside surface of the top cover, a sheet-like structure and an adhesive layer formed on the structure, the adhesive layer being laminated in such a manner as to face to the bonded surface and the outside surface of the top cover, at which the liner is disposed, to be thus fixed to the base.

Abstract: A disk drive system and method for implementing the same. The disk drive system of the present invention includes a discoid medium which rotates about its rotation axis and stores data. An actuator includes a head for reading or writing data from or in the discoid medium as it bidirectionally rotates about its bidirectional-rotation axis. The disk drive system further includes a housing which has a predetermined width and houses the discoid medium and the actuator, wherein the rotation axis of the discoid medium and the bidirectional-rotation axis of the actuator are arranged at the center in the width direction of the housing, and wherein size of the discoid medium is smaller than that of a discoid medium corresponding to a form factor of the housing.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention effectively control, by a simple structure, floating of a rotor of a fluid dynamic bearing motor mounted in a hard disk drive. In one embodiment, a base is formed of a magnetic material. The attractive force caused by the magnetic force acts between a bottom of the base and a magnet unit that is constituted of a rotor magnet and a back yoke. This makes it possible to attract a rotor to the base against the buoyant force produced by a thrust bearing, and thereby to effectively control the rotation of the rotor. On the bottom of the base, at a position facing the magnet unit, a convex part protruding from the inner surface of the base is formed in a ring-shape. Adjusting the height, or the width, of the convex part makes it possible to control the magnetic back pressure applied to the rotor.

Abstract: Terminals of a flexible printed circuit board and terminals of a wiring trace in a head suspension assembly are to be connected with each other by soldering without causing a soldering defect. In an embodiment, a terminal structure of a multi-connector in a wiring trace which includes an insulating layer and a conductor pattern portion formed on a surface of the insulating layer is provided with exposed portions of terminals exposed from apertures formed in part of the insulating layer and is also provided with lining portions adjacent to the exposed portions in a longitudinal direction of the conductor pattern portion and bonded to the insulating layer. Even if terminals of the multi-connector are cracked when soldered, not only conductivity is ensured, but also it is possible to strengthen the terminals, because the lining portions of the terminals are bonded to the insulating layer.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide a data storage device improved in sealability between a base and a cover when sealed together, as well as a method of manufacturing the data storage device, are to be provided. In one embodiment, a disk enclosure of a hard disk drive includes a base in which a disk is accommodated, a top cover which covers an intra-base space, and a sealing tape for sealing a peripheral edge portion of the cover. The base is provided in an outer edge portion thereof with a covered portion which is covered with the sealing tape. In the covered portion, a sealed portion to which the sealing tape adheres is inclined so that an outer edge thereof becomes higher than an inner edge thereof.

Abstract: A disk drive system and method for implementing the same. The disk drive system of the present invention includes a discoid medium which rotates about its rotation axis and stores data. An actuator includes a head for reading or writing data from or in the discoid medium as it bidirectionally rotates about its bidirectional-rotation axis. The disk drive system further includes a housing which has a predetermined width and houses the discoid medium and the actuator, wherein the rotation axis of the discoid medium and the bidirectional-rotation axis of the actuator are arranged at the center in the width direction of the housing, and wherein size of the discoid medium is smaller than that of a discoid medium corresponding to a form factor of the housing.

Abstract: A disk drive system and method for implementing the same. The disk drive system of the present invention includes a discoid medium which rotates about its rotation axis and stores data. An actuator includes a head for reading or writing data from or in the discoid medium as it bidirectionally rotates about its bidirectional-rotation axis. The disk drive system further includes a housing which has a predetermined width and houses the discoid medium and the actuator, wherein the rotation axis of the discoid medium and the bidirectional-rotation axis of the actuator are arranged at the center in the width direction of the housing, and wherein size of the discoid medium is smaller than that of a discoid medium corresponding to a form factor of the housing.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention permit a magnet-based actuator lock mechanism to operate smoothly in a magnetic disk drive that uses a base made of a magnetic material. In one embodiment, the base to be used is made of a magnetic material. The actuator lock mechanism includes a rotatable arm that retains a magnet. A magnetic attraction force, which is oriented toward the base as indicated by an arrow, is generated in the magnet. The base is provided with a cut to reduce the attraction force. The cut is covered with a sealing material to maintain internal airtightness. The actuator lock mechanism may be, for instance, an eddy-current latch, inertia latch, or magnetic latch.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention establish electric continuity across an actuator head suspension assembly and a pivot bearing assembly without involving an increased manufacturing cost through a simple structure. In one embodiment, a carriage made of a plastic resin is provided with a pivot opening. A pivot bearing assembly is inserted into the pivot opening. The pivot opening includes a step formed by holes having different hole diameters from each other at an adjoining portion thereof. Two actuator arms are secured to the carriage through insert molding to support an HDA. One of the two actuator arms is provided with a hole functioning as a pivot opening and having a smaller hole diameter so as to form the step. The other of the two actuator arms is provided with a hole functioning as a pivot opening and having a larger hole diameter. The hole having the larger hole diameter includes protruded portions that abut against the pivot bearing assembly with no clearance therebetween.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention decrease bending vibrations and torsional vibrations of a voice coil generated by off-plane vibrational forces on the voice coil to reduce noise and to enable a large capacity. In one embodiment, a rotating disk type storage unit comprises a rotating disk recording medium, a head that moves radially relative to the rotating disk recording medium to perform recording or reproduction, a turnable actuator having mounted on one side thereof the head, and a voice coil motor to drive the actuator. The voice coil motor comprises a voice coil mounted on the other side end of the actuator, and a magnet arranged in opposition to the voice coil. A magnet outer periphery of the magnet disposed distant from an actuator turning center is formed to be arcuately concave in shape, and the concave-shaped outer periphery intersects the voice coil.

Abstract: A disk drive unit such as a hard disk drive is provided in which the efficiency of manufacturing processes, cost reductions, and space savings are achieved. The hard disk drive has a stopper that is arranged between a set of coil holding arms of an actuator. The stopper regulates inward and outward turning of the actuator. A magnet is embedded in the stopper and holds a magnetic head of the actuator on a ramp.

Abstract: A magnetic disk drive is to be provided wherein a ramp and a magnetic disk do not overlap each other and both rigidity and dynamic characteristics of a suspension are maintained. In one embodiment, a ramp and an actuator lying at a retractive position are spaced away from and do not overlap an outer peripheral end of a magnetic disk. A tab is formed centrally of a front end of a load beam and is bent in U shape. Flanges are formed along both longitudinal edges of the load beam. An aperture is formed in a front portion of the load beam. The aperture permits the tab to be machined in a desired shape. An aperture is formed behind the aperture. The aperture is used to clamp a head in a wire bonding step for the head. The apertures and are not formed in an integrally contiguous manner but are separated from each other by a bridge portion.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention position accurately an actuator head suspension assembly (AHSA) relative to a magnetic disk without using any positioning jig, as achieved through a simple structure and involving no increase in manufacturing, and to prevent the AHSA from being charge. In one embodiment, a conductive AHSA includes a pivot opening formed to provide a step at an adjoining portion of two holes having different hole diameters from each other. A pivot bearing assembly includes a first conductive roller bearing and a second conductive roller bearing. The first and the second roller bearings include outer races and inner races with balls interposed between the outer races and the inner races. The first and the second roller bearings are disposed in tandem to achieve the following arrangements.

Abstract: A rotating disk storage device is provided with a charging filter capable of efficiently removing dust staying in the interior of the device. In one embodiment, a charging filter is disposed below a magnetic disk and on a bottom of a base. The charging filter has plural through holes by forming a fibrous electret filter medium in a pleat shape. The through holes are formed so as to face a flowing direction of air. Dust, which is moving together with the air flow, is polarized and is attracted to the charging filter. The charging filter can collect even very fine particles without causing such problems as clogging and pressure loss. The pleat portion, which forms the through holes, further exhibits an air flow uniforming effect.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide a rotating disk storage device which has a simple mounting structure facilitating mounting thereof to a host system and is reduced in noise. In one embodiment, the rotating disk storage device includes a magnetic disk, a voice coil motor for driving a head suspension assembly having a head for reading data from the magnetic disk, a base for rotatably supporting the magnetic disk and housing the head suspension assembly and the voice coil motor, a frame having fixing areas at which the base is fixed, the fixing areas being joined to the base via an adhesive double coated tape.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide an actuator head suspension assembly having an efficient voice coil. In one embodiment, a voice coil is formed in a circular or any other shape than the conventional sectorial shape to increase the efficiency of the voice coil and diminish oscillation and noise of an actuator head suspension assembly. The voice coil shape is selected such that the proportion of an out-of-plane force becomes smaller than that in the conventional sectorial voice coil and the proportion contributing as weight to the oscillation energy also becomes smaller.