Abstract: A low inductance electrical compression connector for a disc drive interconnecting conductors of a flex circuit to conductive traces on a PCB, the electrical compression connector having a dielectric housing with a plurality of spaced apart insulator portions and conductive compression contacts disposed between the insulator portions. The insulator portions, the dielectric housing and the conductive compression contacts form open ended deflection cavities disposable above the PCB. First ends of the conductive compression contacts and solderable to conductive traces on the PCB, while second ends of the conductive compression contacts are pre-load spring contacts disposable above respective deflection cavities. Inserting the conductors of the flex circuit beneath the pre-load spring contacts into the deflection cavities causes the pre-load spring contacts to engage the conductors of the flex circuit to secure the flex circuit against the printed circuit while providing electrical contact.

Abstract: A latch for a disc drive, wherein the disc drive has an actuator that is pivotally supported for moving an array of read/write heads radially across a data storage disc between a parked location and a data storage location, the parked location providing a landing surface for the read/write heads when the disc drive is non-operational, the latch limiting the actuator from pivoting so that the read/write heads remain in the parked location while the disc drive is non-operational. The latch has a base member enabling attachment to the disc drive, the base supporting an inner stop and an outer stop which limit the actuator rotation, the base further supporting a cantilevered latch arm which biases a latch finger to a position whereat the latch finger and the inner stop form a latching groove and the latch finger and the outer stop form an unlatching groove, the actuator being confined by the latching groove in the latched mode and being confined by the unlatching groove in the unlatched mode.

Abstract: A disk drive system includes a base, a disk stack rotatably attached to the base, and an actuator assembly movably attached to the base. A ramp assembly includes a set of ramps for loading and unloading the transducing elements to and from the disks in the disk stack. The ramp assembly is attached to the base. The ramp assembly has a series of fixed ramps which are attached to a rigid structure. The ramps have four degrees of freedom which allow for adjustability in the formation of the ramp so that the E-block or actuator formed from separate parts can move with respect to the disks and with respect to the ramps without excessive interference to load or unload the sliders which carry the transducers with respect to the disk. Each individual ramp unit is an integral part. The individual ramp units are positioned with respect to a rigid structure and then fixed into the proper position by either laser ablation, rod melt approaches, adhesives or attachment with mechanical fasteners.

Abstract: An optical microswitch for use with a laser beam that extends along a path comprising a body having an inlet port adapted to receive the laser beam and a plurality of outlet ports. A plurality of mirrors coupled to a plurality of micromotors carried by the body. The micromotors selectively move the mirrors from a first position out of the path of the laser beam to a second position into the path of the laser beam to direct the laser beam to one of the outlet ports. Each of the micromotors has at least one electrostatically-driven comb drive assembly therein for moving the respective mirror to one of the first and second positions. A controller is electrically coupled to the micromotors for providing control signals to the micromotors.

Abstract: A mounting system for attaching head suspension assemblies to actuator mounting arms of a disc drive actuator. The mounting system of the invention comprises mounting plates for the head suspension assemblies that include bosses inserted in cooperative holes in the actuator head mounting arms. Mounting discs of shape memory allow, in martensitic phase, having outer diameters selected for cooperation with the inner diameter of the bosses, are press-fitted into the bosses. The mounting discs are then heated to transform the material of the mounting discs to the austenitic phase. This transformation causes the outer diameter of the mounting discs to increase with sufficient force to deform the bosses of the mounting plates into interference fit with the holes in the actuator head mounting arms.

Abstract: A method of creating an improved hydrodynamic fluid bearing is provided which is relatively insensitive to shock vibration changes in load and rotational speed. The hydrodynamic bearing motor in which the bearing is open at both the upper and lower ends, and in which the balance of fluid flow within the bearings is maintained. The assembly of the hydrodynamic bearing is more easily assembled, and the gaps are easily adjusted. In the design of the hydrodynamic bearing, the tolerances for assembly of the various components is minimized that is, the critical nature of many of the gaps is diminished.

Abstract: To control operations of an arcuate scanning head assembly, servo signals are written in one or more designated servo regions along a recording tape, for example along one or both edges of the recording area on the tape. To minimize the space occupied by the servo signals, the servo signals are always written with an azimuth that is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the tape. In the preferred embodiment, servo signals aligned with adjacent tracks are written at two different positions within a servo region. As a read head passes over a track and the servo region, the head should overlap the servo signal aligned with that track and a portion of the servo signal aligned with the adjacent track. A control system samples the signal from the read head in a first time window corresponding to passage of the head across a burst aligned with the track and in a second time window corresponding to passage of the head across a burst aligned with the adjacent track.

Abstract: Method for removing random scratches formed during the polishing of magnetic recording media, and for disposing on the surface of the media a near-circumferential texture which increases the recording reliability of the media while simultaneously reducing its failure rate. The present invention teaches the application of a low unit load force to a large surface pad and polishing tape combination while in contact with a rotating disk surface that is also moving in a circumferential direction to completely remove the random scratches previously formed by a polishing step. The scratches are removed with the aid of a specially designed, extremely fine alumina slurry composition which prevent producing similar size circumferential scratches at the high surface speeds. The methodology provides for a smoother disk surface than prior known super-polish/texture methodologies.

Abstract: A disc mounting system for mounting the discs of a disc drive in a fixed radial relationship to the hub of a spindle motor, the disc mounting system including a composite disc spacer that maintains the discs in a fixed radial relationship to the spindle motor hub. The composite disc spacer includes a wedge member which supports a plurality of axially extending fingers which include inwardly and outwardly facing surfaces that bear against the spindle motor hub and against the bores of the discs to maintain the discs in a fixed concentric relationship to the spindle motor hub. The composite also has a spacer that extends about the wedge member to provide fixed relative axial spacing of the discs. The wedge member and the spacer interlock to facilitate handling of the composite disc spacer during assembly.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for manipulating a magnetic disk to provide adaptive track pitch. A manufacturing station measures the actual radial width of an annular surface of the disk, which may include extra space. Wider-than-nominal track widths are then computed and utilized for writing data onto the disk.

Abstract: A disk drive having a novel head-gimbal assembly (HGA) which is attached to an actuator arm of an actuator assembly. The HGA includes a read/write head, a flexure, and a suspension arm. The suspension arm has a first end including the flexure supporting the read/write head, and a second end including a hole having an attached swaging member extending through it. The swaging member includes a baseplate and a swaging boss which interface at an annulus region. A circular hole is formed through a top surface of the baseplate and extends downward partially through the swaging member. A non-circular hole, concentric with the circular hole, is formed through a bottom surface of the swaging boss, and extends upward partially through the swaging member. The non-circular hole has a smaller diameter than the circular hole. The shape of the non-circular hole may be any geometric shape such as a two-lobbed swaging hole, a three-lobbed swaging hole, an elliptical hole or a hexagonal hole.

Abstract: A mirror assembly of micron dimensions for use in deflecting beam of light. The mirror assembly includes a planar base and a planar mirror spaced apart from the planar base and disposed generally parallel to the planar base. The planar mirror has first and second end portions and a longitudinal axis extending between the first and second end portions. First and second torsional members extend along the longitudinal axis and are connected to the respective first and second end portions for permitting the mirror to rock between first and second positions about the longitudinal axis relative to the planar base. The first and second torsional members are secured to the planar base. At least a portion of the mirror is made from a conductive material. First and second spaced-apart electrodes are carried by the planar base for driving the mirror between the first and second positions. A tether member extends transversely of the longitudinal axis and is secured to the first torsional member and to the planar base.

Abstract: An improved attachment of an actuator E-block of an actuator apparatus to a cartridge bearing assembly for a hard disc drive, the actuator apparatus having an E-block with a central bore having a pair of cartridge bearing alignment edges and a relief area, the cartridge bearing alignment edges disposed within the central bore to engage the cartridge bearing assembly. Mounting members extend through the wall of the E-block into the central bore to apply a frictional load there against and a compressive load against the cartridge bearing assembly sufficient to maintain contact between the cartridge bearing alignment edges of the E-block and the cartridge bearing assembly.

Abstract: An improved crash stop apparatus having an inner crash stop that pressingly engages the actuator assembly of a disc drive when the read/write heads of the actuator assembly approach a desired inner extent of radial travel to prevent further movement of the read/write head beyond the inner extent of travel and furthermore having an outer crash stop that pressingly engages the actuator assembly when the read/write heads approach a desired outer extent of radial travel. The crash stops each have a pin rigidly mounted at a proximal end and having a cantilevered distal portion which is disposed in the path of travel of the actuator. An elastomeric member is disposed between the impacting actuator and the pin. The elastomeric member and cantilevered pin provide a two-stage braking impulse to decelerate the actuator, wherein the first stage compresses the elastomeric member and wherein the second stage deflects the cantilevered pin.

Abstract: A memory system and a manner of operating the memory system are provided. The memory system includes several arrays arranged in groups of columns having a column address, and rows having a row address. Operating the system involves storing blocks of data in the arrays in a way that provides contiguous logical addresses for the blocks of data. A block of data is stored in a row of a group of columns in an array. The row address is incremented and the process repeated until a row limit is reached. Next, the process is repeated with another array until blocks of data have been stored in all rows of a corresponding group of columns in the array. The column address is incremented and the row address reset, and the process repeated until a column limit is reached.

Abstract: A disk drive system includes a disk having a stiffening structure for improved vibration resistance. The stiffening structure is configured to improve stiffness and vibration resistance with respect to the (0,1), (0,2) and (1,1) vibration modes. The stiffening structure includes a rib-stiffening structure composed of a framework of interconnected ribs. The framework includes a plurality of concentric annular ribs and a plurality of radially spaced, radial ribs. One or more annular ribs are disposed at one or more locations along the radial dimension of the disk at which nodes of annular vibrations occur. Also, one or more radial ribs are disposed at one or more locations around annular dimension of the disk at which nodes of radial vibrations occur. The stiffening structure is disposed within a substrate layer of the disk during manufacture of the disk structure.

Abstract: An inverting power supply (10) having first and second charging capacitors (22, 24) that are alternately connected to a positive power source (12) and a negative output terminal (18) which is to be maintained at a negative voltage with respect to a common ground for the power source and the power supply. Switches (34, 36) connect a positive plate of each charging capacitor to the power supply positive terminal during alternate half cycles of a two-phase clock (20) and charge is bled from the positive plates by switching transistors (46, 50) during the other half cycle to enable charge to be transferred via diodes (52, 54) from the negative output terminal to negative plate of the charging capacitors during the other half cycle.

Abstract: A glass or glass-ceramic substrate comprising about 0.5 to about 32 wt. % Li.sub.2 O is employed as a non-magnetic substrate of a magnetic recording medium. Migration of Li from the substrate to the medium's surface is prevented by forming an amorphous NiP sealing layer on the substrate, with an optional adhesion enhancement layer therebetween. Embodiments include surface oxidizing the amorphous NiP sealing layer for enhanced recording performance.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for micro-to-nano machining a surface attaches a fiber laser output to an air-bearing slider. As the surface to be machined is moved under the slider, an air-bearing is formed that maintains the fiber laser output a substantially constant distance form the surface by tracking the surface undulations.

Abstract: A microactuator for radially positioning a transducing head over a selected radial track of a rotatable disc in a disc drive system having a flexure to support a slider carrying the transducing head includes a stator operatively attached to the flexure. First and second pole pieces are substantially parallel to and spaced from each other, each having first and second ends. A via magnetically connects the first and second pole pieces. The first and second pole pieces are shaped so that a first gap between the first end of the first pole piece and the first end of the second pole piece is smaller than a second gap between the second end of the first pole piece and the second end of the second pole piece. A plurality of coils are wrapped around the stator. A rotor confronts the second end of the first pole piece and the second end of the second pole piece.