Abstract: An actuator device includes at least one actuator element, which consists at least partially of a magnetically shape-shiftable material and which is configured at least for the purpose of causing a movement of at least one actuation element in at least one direction of movement by means of a contraction, and having a magnetic contraction unit, which is configured for the purpose of supplying a magnetic field acting upon the actuator element in order to generate a contraction of the actuator element. In the region of the actuator element, field lines of the magnetic field are aligned at least substantially parallel to the direction of movement.

Abstract: A flexible-printed-circuit (FPC) voice-coil assembly configured for integration in a voice-coil motor. The FPC voice-coil assembly includes at least one FPC voice coil. The FPC voice coil includes a coil including at least one coil turn, and a flexible substrate. The flexible substrate is coupled to the coil to form a flexible printed circuit. The FPC voice coil is configured for integration in a voice-coil motor. A voice-coil motor and a disk drive including the FPC voice-coil assembly are also provided.

Abstract: A voice-coil motor (VCM) with voice coils configured to reduce vibrations of a head when data is accessed on a disk in a disk drive. The VCM includes at least one VCM magnet and a voice-coil assembly. The voice-coil assembly includes a first voice coil and at least a second voice coil. The first voice coil is disposed in proximity to a magnetic pole of the at least one voice-coil-motor magnet. The second voice coil is disposed in close proximity to the first voice coil such that the first voice coil substantially overlays the second voice coil. The first voice coil and the second voice coil are configured to reduce vibrations of the head when data is accessed on a disk in the disk drive. A rotary actuator including the voice coils and a disk drive including the VCM are also provided.

Abstract: A C-shaped bobbin includes a bobbin base member adjacent and attached to a first lateral leg of an actuator coil. A bobbin recess, adjacent the bobbin base member, separates first and second bobbin wings. The first and second bobbin wings define first and second wing lengths measured parallel to first and second longitudinal legs of the coil, respectively, and also define first and second wing widths measured normal to the first and second longitudinal legs, respectively. The bobbin recess defines a recess depth measured normal to the first lateral leg, and defines a recess width measured parallel to the first lateral leg. Each of the first and second wing lengths is less than the length of the longitudinal legs. The recess depth is at least half a base member width. The recess width is at least twice the first wing width and/or the second wing width.

Abstract: The head stack assembly of a hard disk drive includes a bobbin, and a printed circuit board attached to the bobbin. The bobbin forms an end of the head stack assembly that is rotatable about an axis of a shaft. The printed circuit board has a flat conductive pattern of a plurality of traces through which current is supplied. The conductive pattern constitutes the voice coil motor of the hard disk drive. The hard disk drive has magnets disposed above and below the bobbin, respectively, to generate a magnetic field across the conductive pattern such that an electromotive force that rotates the HSA is produced when current flows through the conductive pattern. The flat conductive pattern allows the voice coil motor to be relatively thin while the magnets need to encompass only a small region making the hard disk drive compact and lightweight.

Abstract: Certain example embodiments relate to torsion compensation coils that cooperate with primary coils in voice coil motors of disk drive devices, and methods of making the same. In certain example embodiments, a voice coil motor is provided which may include a single external magnet. A primary coil may be located above the external magnet, with the primary coil being capable of receiving a first current. At least one torsion compensation coil may be connected to the primary coil. The at least one torsion compensation coil may be capable of receiving a second current. The at least one torsion compensation coil may be configured to reduce torsion and/or bending forces introduced by the first current passing through primary coil and/or magnetic field leakage from the external magnet.

Abstract: A voice coil for a voice coil motor of a hard disk drive comprises an inner surface of the voice coil, which bounds a central space of the voice coil. A first outer surface of the voice coil is substantially parallel to a second outer surface of the voice coil. A constrained layer damper is attached to the inner surface of the voice coil by a coupler. The constrained layer damper comprises a first constraining layer coupled to a first surface of a viscoelastic damping layer. A second constraining layer is coupled to a second surface of the viscoelastic damping layer. The constrained layer damper is curved in a direction that is substantially perpendicular to the first outer surface of the voice coil and the second outer surface of the voice coil.

Abstract: A holder with includes: a holder body formed by molding a resin material, a contact surface on the holder body for receiving an operating object to be held on the holder body, a grip portion on the holder body at a position apart from the contact surface for being gripped by an operator, and an electric conductor extending from the contact surface to the grip portion.

Abstract: A flex cable frame assembly for a head gimbal assembly includes a micro-actuator frame and a flex cable mounted to the micro-actuator frame. The flex cable includes a first set of bonding pads provided to one end of the flex cable, a second set of bonding pads provided to an opposing end of the flex cable, and a trace integrated to the flex cable that interconnects the first set of bonding pads and the second set of bonding pads.

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 symmetric voice coil motor assembly having a central axis and including: a bearing assembly for rotation about the central axis; a coil assembly that is positioned radially outwardly from the bearing assembly and that has at least two pairs of coils and an inner yoke; a permanent magnet set that is positioned radially outwardly from the coil assembly and that includes at least two pairs of ring magnets and an outer yoke; and a head suspension assembly that is connected to the coil assembly and that includes a head gimbal assembly and an arm connected to the head gimbal assembly. The voice coil motor assembly may be a component in a hard disk drive, such as a micro drive.

Abstract: An apparatus for protecting a head suspension assembly includes an actuator unit including a plurality of suspensions to which a plurality of heads are fixed, respectively, an actuator block, and a coil-arm unit including a coil. A first protection member includes a first support unit that supports a part of the actuator unit. A second support unit supports a connector provided at a cable extending from a part of the actuator unit. A second protection member includes a fixing unit that fixes the connector to a predetermined position. The first protection member and the second protection member are formed in freely opening and closing manner.

Abstract: A voice-coil motor includes a stator and a rotor, which is pivoted about a swivel axis, with respect to the stator. The rotor and/or the stator has a printed circuit board that includes at least one circuit-board conductor, and the at least one circuit-board conductor is arranged such that it forms at least one coil unit in a plane, the at least one coil unit including several circuit traces. Within one coil unit, more than two circuit traces have a section, in which the specific circuit trace is oriented in the direction of the swivel axis.

Abstract: An HDD has a carriage which moves a head with respect to a medium, and a voice coil motor (VCM) which drives the carriage. The VCM has a magnet, between which and a first shell formed of a magnetic substance a magnetic circuit is formed, and a voice coil which is secured to the carriage and disposed in a magnetic gap. A depression which receives a projecting portion covering a lead of the voice coil is formed in the first shell, and thereby a projection projecting toward the coil is consequently formed. This structure partially narrows the magnetic gap and allows generation of a torque with sufficient intensity.

Abstract: A wrapper type combined magnetic energy generator and a magnetic energy lamp of the present invention belong to the field of illumination. Especially, it is a magnetic energy generator used in the magnetic energy lamp that can produce the electromagnetic energy to excite the illuminative devices. The magnets of the magnetic energy generator are two split type combined magnets. More than one flute is provided on one side of one magnet and the flutes of the two magnets correspond to each other. The fixed spaces are produced between the two flutes of the two magnets. The spaces are communicated with the two flutes to be located exactly. The lamp body of the magnetic energy lamp is provided and fixed on the magnetic energy generator. These two split type combined magnets of the magnetic energy generator wrap the hollow lamp body of the magnetic energy lamp, respectively. The structure of the present invention is simple. It can be made easily and its cost is low.

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: Embodiments of the present invention provide a rotating disk storage device adopting a thin yoke structure. In one embodiment, the yoke structure of a voice coil motor includes a base of a casing formed from a ferromagnetic material; an auxiliary yoke disposed so as to be magnetically coupled to the base; a magnet disposed so as to be magnetically coupled to a front surface of the auxiliary yoke; and a main yoke provided with yoke legs magnetically coupled to the auxiliary yoke and an opposing surface that confronts a front surface of the magnet. In addition, a yoke gap is defined between the opposing surface and the front surface of the magnet. The base and the auxiliary yoke form a magnetic path, which allows a dedicated yoke on a lower portion to be eliminated.

Abstract: An apparatus for protecting a head suspension assembly includes an actuator unit including a plurality of suspensions to which a plurality of heads are fixed, respectively, an actuator block, and a coil-arm unit including a coil. A first protection member includes a first support unit that supports a part of the actuator unit. A second support unit supports a connector provided at a cable extending from a part of the actuator unit. A second protection member includes a fixing unit that fixes the connector to a predetermined position. The first protection member and the second protection member are formed in freely opening and closing manner.

Abstract: Provided is an actuator of a disk drive to move a read/write head, for recording and reproducing data, to a predetermined position on a disk. The actuator includes an actuator pivot installed on a base member of the disk drive, a swing arm that is rotatably coupled to the actuator pivot and has a suspension supporting the head at a leading end portion of the swing arm, a coil support portion provided at a rear end portion of the swing arm, a VCM coil coupled to the coil support portion and having four sections having respective particular directions, and magnets arranged to face the VCM coil and having four poles respectively corresponding to the four sections of the VCM coil.

Abstract: A top pole piece of a voice coil motor (VCM) is attached to a hard disk drive cover without screw fasteners and with minimal loss of VCM magnetic flux capacity. A pair of leaf springs are supported at both ends, rather than by cantilever, to more uniformly distribute mechanical stress throughout the springs so that less space is required to achieve the same transverse load as a cantilevered spring of the same profile. The smaller space envelope required by this design minimizes the loss of magnetic flux capacity of the VCM. Each leaf spring has two integral legs, central portions of which are rigidly fastened to the drive cover. The end of each leg opposite the central portion applies a force against the cover in the assembled disk drive.

Abstract: A system and method for an improved magnetic head arm assembly (HAA) is disclosed. The HAA includes three principal components, a head gimbal assembly (HGA), a flexible printed circuit (FPC) assembly, and an actuator coil assembly. The design allows for HAA rigidity, yet each of the components is designable and manufacturable independent of one another, in addition to other advantages over current methods.

Abstract: A disk drive including a generally E-shaped voice coil motor yoke. The yoke includes a generally C-shaped integrally formed first yoke body, the first yoke body including a first yoke first prong and a first yoke second prong. The yoke further includes a generally C-shaped integrally formed second yoke body. The second yoke body including a second yoke first prong and a second yoke second prong with the second yoke second prong coupled to the first yoke second prong. The disk drive further includes a first voice coil magnet supported by the first yoke first prong and a second voice coil magnet supported by the second yoke first prong. The disk drive further includes an actuator having an actuator coil that is positionable about the first yoke second prong and the second yoke second prong and between the first voice coil magnet and the second voice coil magnet.

Abstract: A positioner (20) for a disk drive (10) that includes a magnet assembly (52), a conductor assembly (54), and a control system (22) is provided herein. The magnet assembly (52) includes a pair of magnet arrays (56A) (56B) and a pair of spaced apart flux return plates (75A) (75B). The conductor assembly (54) includes at least a first coil array (80) and a second coil array (82) that are substantially co-planar. The control system (22) directs current to electrically excite the coil arrays (80) (82) to maintain a data transducer (50) on a target track (32) of a storage disk (28).

Abstract: A method is provided for assembling an actuator assembly of a disk drive. The method includes providing an actuator arm, providing a suspension arm, fixing a swage plate to the suspension arm, the swage plate including a swage boss extending therefrom, depositing a film lubricant upon at least an outer surface of the swage boss, and attaching the suspension arm to the actuator arm by swaging. A method is also provided for reducing torque out retention values between the actuator arm and the suspension arm when the actuator arm and suspension arm must be separated in a subsequent de-swaging process. This method includes providing an outer surface of the swage boss, and applying a lubricant film coating to the outer surface of the swage boss. A preferred thin film lubricant may be applied by emersion and draining, localized spraying, or various deposition processes.

Abstract: A magnetic disk drive comprises at least one magnetic head for reading and writing information on at least one magnetic disk, a carriage supporting the magnetic head over the magnetic disk for movement of the magnetic head about a predetermined shaft, an annular coil supported by a bobbin provided on the carriage and subjected to an electromagnetic force for driving the carriage. The drive further comprises a first connection member for joining the annular coil and the bobbin, an in-coil member arranged inside the annular coil, and a second connection member for joining the in-coil member and the annular coil. A modulus of longitudinal elasticity of the in-coil member is larger than that of the first or second connection member. The drive thus formed has the increased carriage rigidity, the improved positioning accuracy of a magnetic head and the increased recording capacity of the disk.

Abstract: A disk drive includes a disk, a voltage supply, a head stack assembly and a switching circuit. The head stack may include a coil portion that includes a coil assembly having first and second wound coils. The switching circuit is electrically coupled to the voltage supply and to the coil assembly, and is configured to selectively switch the first and second wound coils between a first configuration and a second different configuration in which the first wound coil is electrically in parallel with the second wound coil.

Abstract: A damping assembly for the actuator of high performance disk drive assembly is formed from multiple materials. The damping assembly is added to the actuator to dampen vibration that occurs during operation of the drive. The damping assembly is connected to an exterior portion of a coil region of the actuator. The damping assembly helps dampen vibration modes for coil torsion and coil bending, thereby improving dynamics settling performance to improve overall file input/output throughput performance. This also allows for a higher voice coil motor torque constant by increasing the magnet radius, thereby also improving move time, which further improves file input/output throughput performance. The overall file performance is improved by reducing settling times associated with coil torsion and coil bending modes, and allowing a higher torque constant to also improve move time. Both of these effects contribute to improving file performance.

Abstract: Disclosed is an actuator for use with a disk drive having a coil assembly including a bobbin to aid in heat convection from the coil of the coil assembly. The actuator includes a body portion for pivotally coupling to the disk drive and an actuator arm cantilevered from the body portion for supporting a head gimbal assembly (HGA). The actuator further includes a coil assembly having a fork, a coil, and a bobbin. The fork is cantilevered from the body portion in an opposite direction from the actuator arm and includes a pair of opposed prongs to mount the coil and the bobbin therebetween. The bobbin includes at least two opposed fins to aid in the convection of heat from the coil.

Abstract: A disk drive includes a magnetic element having first and second magnets extending radially with respect to an axis of rotation of an actuator. The disk drive further includes a main coil. The main coil includes first and second radial segments. The first radial segment overlaps the first magnet throughout a full range of motion of the actuator. The second radial segment overlaps the second magnet throughout the full range of motion of the actuator. The disk drive further includes a secondary coil which is separately energized from the main coil. The secondary coil is configured to produce magnetic forces upon the actuator substantially parallel to the actuator longitudinal axis. The secondary coil includes a lateral segment disposed perpendicular to the actuator longitudinal axis and overlapping the first and second magnets throughout the full range of motion of the actuator.

Abstract: A disk drive includes a magnetic element and a coil. The magnetic element includes an inner magnet set including first and second inner magnets. The magnetic element further includes an outer magnet set including first and second outer magnets. The first outer magnet is circumferentially disposed along the first inner magnet. The second outer magnet is circumferentially disposed along the second inner magnet. The coil is attached to a coil support of an actuator and disposed overlapping within a magnet periphery of the magnetic element. The coil includes an inner segment, an outer segment, and a pair of side segments electrically connecting the inner and outer segments. The inner segment is disposed overlapping with the inner magnet set, the outer segment being disposed overlapping with the outer magnet set. Each of the side segments is disposed equally overlapping with the inner and outer magnet sets.

Abstract: A disk drive includes a magnetic element having an inner magnet and an outer magnet. The disk drive further includes a first coil. The first coil includes a first coil inner segment, a first coil outer segment, and a first coil radial segment disposed generally perpendicular to the first coil inner segment and the first coil outer segment. The first coil radial segment overlaps the inner and outer magnets within a magnet periphery throughout a fill range of motion of the actuator. The disk drive further includes a second coil. The second coil includes a second coil inner segment, a second coil outer segment, and a second coil radial segment disposed generally parallel to the first coil radial segment. The second coil radial segment overlaps the inner and outer magnets within the magnet periphery throughout the full range of motion of the actuator.

Abstract: Disclosed is an actuator for use with a disk drive having a coil assembly including a bobbin to aid in heat convection from the coil of the coil assembly. The actuator includes a body portion for pivotally coupling to the disk drive and an actuator arm cantilevered from the body portion for supporting a head gimbal assembly (HGA). The actuator further includes a coil assembly having a fork, a coil, and a bobbin. The fork is cantilevered from the body portion in an opposite direction from the actuator arm and includes a pair of opposed prongs to mount the coil and the bobbin therebetween. The bobbin includes at least two opposed fins to aid in the convection of heat from the coil.

Abstract: A positioner (20) for a disk drive (10) that includes a magnet assembly (52), a conductor assembly (54), and a control system (22) is provided herein. The magnet assembly (52) includes a pair of magnet arrays (56A) (56B) and a pair of spaced apart flux return plates (75A) (75B). The conductor assembly (54) includes at least a first coil array (80) and a second coil array (82) that are substantially co-planar. The control system (22) directs current to electrically excite the coil arrays (80) (82) to maintain a data transducer (50) on a target track (32) of a storage disk (28).

Abstract: A circuit model (50) for use in analyzing a VCM circuit has a first resistor (62), a first inductor (64), a second inductor (58), and a voltage source (60), in series modeling, respectively, a VCM inductor, a winding leakage inductance of the VCM inductor, a VCM inductor resistance, and a BEMF voltage generated across the VCM inductor when the input nodes are open circuited. An input capacitor (56) interconnects the input terminals (52,54) to model an equivalent capacitance of the VCM inductor. Third and fourth inductors (32,34) and a second resistor (36) are connected in a first series loop (28) inductively coupled to the second inductor (58) to model, respectively, an inductance of the top VCM magnet plate, the leakage inductance of the top VCM magnet plate, and a resistance of the top VCM magnet plate.

Abstract: A damping assembly for the actuator of high performance disk drive assembly is formed from multiple materials. The damping assembly is added to the actuator to dampen vibration that occurs during operation of the drive. The damping assembly is connected to an exterior portion of a coil region of the actuator. The damping assembly helps dampen vibration modes for coil torsion and coil bending, thereby improving dynamics settling performance to improve overall file input/output throughput performance. This also allows for a higher voice coil motor torque constant by increasing the magnet radius, thereby also improving move time, which further improves file input/output throughput performance. The overall file performance is improved by reducing settling times associated with coil torsion and coil bending modes, and allowing a higher torque constant to also improve move time. Both of these effects contribute to improving file performance.

Abstract: An actuator arm for a disc drive data storage device has an upper outer surface in a first plane, a lower outer surface in a second plane substantially parallel to the first plane, a peripheral outer surface substantially perpendicular to the first and second planes, and a voice coil embedded within the outer surfaces of the actuator arm. The actuator arm is used in a disc drive containing one or more data storage discs and preferably has a pre-amplifier embedded within the outer surfaces of the actuator arm as well as conductors preferably between the read/write head and the pre-amplifier within the outer surfaces of the actuator arm.

Abstract: Disclosed is a multiple rotary actuator assembly consisting of a plurality of modular actuators, wherein each modular actuator is mounted to and rotates independently about a common pivot shaft. Modular actuators consist of Integrated and Data arms, upon which multiple read/write transducers are mounted, for the recording and recovery of digital data. An integrated arm also contains a spiral conductor pattern that interacts with a multi-gap voice coil motor, to provide the necessary torque to rapidly position the modular actuator.

Abstract: An actuator assembly for positioning read/write heads above a data storage media comprises a pivotally mounted carriage arm assembly with a voice coil and a magnetic device having a plurality of poles for generating a magnetic field. The voice coil is positioned with its effective portions crossing through the magnetic field to generate at least one pair of driving forces in a direction substantially orthogonal to a seeking direction of the read/write heads. The carriage arm driven by said pair of forces has substantially no reacting force generated onto the pivot so that the servo bandwidth of the head positioning assembly can be improved and achieves a high degree of head positioning accuracy.

Abstract: An actuator of a hard disk drive moving a magnetic head to a predetermined position on a disk to record and read out data on and from the disk, including a suspension supporting a slider on which the magnetic head is mounted, an actuator arm having a pivot hole formed in a middle portion of the actuator arm and installed on a base plate of the hard disk drive to be capable of pivoting, in which the suspension is installed at one end portion of the actuator arm, and a voice coil motor having a coil coupled to the other end portion of the actuator arm by interposing a molding portion therebetween and at least one magnet arranged to be separated a predetermined distance from the coil and to face at least one surface of an upper surface and a bottom surface of the coil.

Abstract: A magnetic disk drive comprises at least one magnetic head for reading and writing information on at least one magnetic disk, a carriage supporting the magnetic head over the magnetic disk for movement of the magnetic head about a predetermined shaft, an annular coil supported by a bobbin provided on the carriage and subjected to an electromagnetic force for driving the carriage. The drive further comprises a first connection member for joining the annular coil and the bobbin, an in-coil member arranged inside the annular coil, and a second connection member for joining the in-coil member and the annular coil. A modulus of longitudinal elasticity of the in-coil member is larger than that of the first or second connection member. The drive thus formed has the increased carriage rigidity, the improved positioning accuracy of a magnetic head and the increased recording capacity of the disk.

Abstract: A magnetic coil actuator which can provide a higher output but maintains the original volume and the same power consumption is disclosed. The coil actuator uses a movable magnetic coil which is adjusted of its shape to meet the magnetic field of a static magnet. The coil is suitably bent to have its two diametric sections falling into the magnetic lines of the magnet, so as to maximize the usage rate of the coil to the magnetic field. Therefore, the coil actuator provides a higher output applicable to a tracking or focusing device of a pickup head, and meets the requirements of high speed optical recording devices.

Abstract: A coil assembly for disk drive components is presented which includes a coil winding free of lubricants that cause stiction problems during the operation of the disk drive assembly. An actuator coil and spindle motor winding are disclosed which include a conductor, an insulating layer over the conductor, a bond coat overlying the insulating layer, and a lubricant coating on the insulating layer. The lubricant coating is a hydrocarbon based oil having a molecular weight within ranges that will not volatilize and condense on the surface of the disks in the drive.

Abstract: An apparatus and associated method for providing a strain relief in support of a medial portion of a terminal end of an electrical wire that is used in the construction of an actuator coil for a disc drive assembly. The strain relief apparatus has a base that is attached to the actuator assembly, an upstanding post around which the electrical wire is wrapped to provide a frictional engagement between the wire and the post, and a flange depending from a distal portion of the post to urge the wire onto the post and retain the wire about the post during routing of a distal portion of the terminal end that is associated with manufacturing steps of electrically connecting the actuator coil to the disc drive control system. In a preferred embodiment the strain relief has a pair of posts so that each terminal end is wrapped individually about one of the posts. In an alternative preferred embodiment the strain relief has a single post about which both terminal ends are wrapped.

Abstract: A swing-type actuator for use in a magnetic disk unit which includes a magnetic head; an arm supporting the head and a movable coil acting in a magnetic circuit. The movable coil is composed of a coil bobbin having a conductive wire wrapped around the bobbin. The bobbin is produced by injection molding into the bobbin of a thermoplastic resin having a flexural modulus of at least 8×102 kgf/mm2 and a heat deformation temperature of at least 200° C. under a load of 18.6 kg/cm2. A junction member to which the arm and the bobbin are integrally fixed by insert molding is made of the same resin as the bobbin or another thermoplastic resin being selected from the group consisting of a polybutylene terephthalate resin, a polyphenylene sulfide resin, a polyamide, a polyether ether ketone resin and thermotropic liquid crystal polymer.

Abstract: An improved magnetic read/write head actuator assembly for use within a storage disk system that provides reduced average access time. The actuator assembly includes an actuator arm mounted on a pivotal E-block structure. A read/write head is supported at a distal end of the actuator arm such that the head is positioned in close proximity to a rotating magnetic storage disk. An actuator motor cooperates with the E-block structure to provide pivotal motion to the actuator arm about a central pivot axis. The actuator motor includes a pair of rotor windings connected to the E-block structure at an end opposite the actuator arm and stator magnet structure that is statically mounted in close proximity to the rotor windings. The actuator motor further includes a flux conductive member for forming a closed magnetic flux path through the windings and the stator magnets. The pair of rotor winding are oriented in a plane normal to the plane defined by the pivotal angular motion of the actuator assembly.

Abstract: An actuator assembly having two coils disposed between the poles of a voice coil motor (VCM) magnet for improved dynamic performance during settling and tracking operations in a disk drive. The two coils in the VCM are connected to separate current sources to allow the current flow in the two coils to have the same sense (clockwise or counterclockwise) or the opposite sense with respect to each other. When the current flows in the two coils have the opposite sense, excitation of the principal in-plane bending mode resonance of the actuator assembly is suppressed allowing the use of an increased servo bandwidth for settling and tracking operations of the disk drive. During seek operations of the disk drive, where maximum torque on the actuator is desirable, the coil currents in the two coils are chosen to have the same sense so that the forces on the actuator from the two coils are additive.