Abstract: A gasket for a disk drive system that seals the connector port for the actuator flex cable to the disk drive housing which is designed to also provide electrical ground contact from the disk drive housing to the actuator flex cable ground lead. In accordance with the new gasket disclosed herein, grounding of the actuator flex cable ground lead to the disk drive housing is accomplished without need of additional fasteners, or additional process steps in assembly of the disk drive.

Abstract: A direct access storage device includes at least one disk mounted for rotation about an axis and having opposed disk surfaces for storing data. A magneto-resistive (MR) transducer head is mounted for movement across each respective disk surface for writing to and for reading data signals from the disk surface. Each MR transducer head includes a write element and a read element. A preamplifier, associated with the MR transducer head, amplifies read and write signals of the read element and the write element. A flex cable couples the read and write signals between the preamplifier and the MR transducer heads. The flex cable includes a common read return signal line for each sequential pair of the MR transducer heads.

Abstract: A Direct Access Storage Device (DASD), either magnetic or optical, wherein the chamber which encloses the disk, actuator and electrical connections is sealed from the outside conditions by disposing a seal or gasket about a connector which is surface mounted on a flex cable and disposing the connector in a passage through the base of the DASD. The flex cable is disposed adjacent the inner surface of the cover, and a tail portion of the flex cable is folded to an orientation to position the tail so that it may be attached to an actuator or similar mechanism within the DASD. The tail is maintained in its proper orientation once inserted into a slot formed into the base member. The slot side walls constrain the tail without the need to have the tail fixedly attached to the base member at any point and thereby easing assembly, disassembly, rework and/or repair of the DASD.