Abstract: A breather filter is assembled within a disc drive by positioning the filter atop a flex circuit bracket on a base plate of the drive. A breather port is formed through a top cover of the disc drive, and an inlet of the breather filter is sealed against the top cover of the drive. Compressing the top cover against the top of the breather filter helps to retain the filter in position between the flex circuit bracket and the top cover without an adhesive connection to the top cover. The connection of the breather filter to the flex circuit bracket allows a top-down assembly of the disc drive so that an adhesive connection between the filter and the top cover of the drive is not required.

Abstract: A stacked actuator arm assembly has plural pins and plural support mounts for a printed circuit card. Further the plural pins and plural support mounts are part of a single stacked element of the stacked actuator arm assembly. The card is mounted on the stacked element and attached firmly thereto through at least two pins and support mounts. Further, the printed circuit card and the single stacked element to which it is attached is a subassembly which facilitates final build of the stacked actuator arm assembly. The single stacked element may be a spacer between actuator arms and may be the overmold spacer in the stacked actuator arm assembly. The overmold spacer element has an overmold that carries the actuator coil which when energized rotates the stacked actuator arm assembly. The overmold may also carry pins and support mounts for the printed circuit card.

Abstract: A breather filter is assembled within a disc drive without the use of adhesives by positioning the filter atop a flex circuit bracket on a base plate of the drive. In one embodiment, a breather port is formed through a top cover of the disc drive, and an inlet of the breather filter is sealed against the top cover of the drive. Compressing the top cover against the top of the breather filter helps to retain the filter in position between the flex circuit bracket and the top cover without an adhesive connection to the top cover. In a second embodiment, the breather port is formed in the flex circuit bracket, and the filter is securely attached to the flex circuit bracket so that no connection is required between the filter and the top cover. A diffusion tube may be formed integrally with the breather filter itself or within the body of the flex circuit bracket when the breather port is located in the flex circuit bracket.

Abstract: A passive non-contact magnetic latch for latching read/write heads of a disk drive over a landing area of the disk is disclosed. The magnet latch forms a magnetic circuit for capturing a latch tab within an air gap. Magnetic flux lines traverse the latch tab in a direction substantially perpendicular to a direction of movement of the latch tab.

Abstract: A retainer assembly (10) comprises a retainer member (24) and a spring (36). The spring (36) works in combination with a conical surface (34) on the hub (12) and a conical surface (28) on the retainer member (24). Depending upon magnitudes of defined angles A and W, the assembly (10) resists any axial force (42) that may act to disengage the disk (14) from the hub (12). The angles A and W are variable so long as a coefficient of friction .mu. between the conical surface (34) or the conical surface (28) and the ring (36) is greater than the tangent of one half the angle W.