Abstract: A head stack assembly (HAS) of a hard disk drive (HDD) includes a swing arm, a connection plate integral with a terminal end of the swing arm, a head slider including a magnetic head for reading/writing data from/onto a disk, and a suspension that is attached to the connection plate, supports the head slider, and has characteristics which minimize the degree to which the magnetic head will run off-track due to vibrations induced in the HDD. The suspension includes two connecting parts having upper surfaces at which the suspension is attached to the connection plate. In the HDD, the upper surface of the connecting part positioned closest to the center of the disk center lies in a plane beneath the plane in which the upper surface of the other connecting part lies.

Abstract: A head stack assembly (HSA) for a hard disk drive (HDD) comprises a swing arm rotatably coupled to a base member of the HDD, a connection plate coupled to an edge part of the swing arm, a head suspension component attached to the connection plate, and a head slider comprising a magnetic read/write head attached to an edge part of the head suspension component.

Abstract: A suspension assembly of an actuator of a hard disk drive prevents collisions with a data storage disk of the drive. The suspension assembly includes a load beam, a bracket having a rear end at which the bracket is coupled to the load beam and a flexure, a slider that is attached to the bracket and carries the read/write head of the hard disk drive, and a limiting mechanism capable of selectively attaching and detaching a respective portion of the bracket to and from the load beam during operation. The load beam has a dimple projecting toward the bracket and which normally contacts a first surface of the bracket. The slider is attached to a second surface of the bracket opposite the first surface. The limiting mechanism attaches a portion of the bracket bearing the slider to the load beam when the read/write head is unloaded from the disk. Therefore, the wobbling of the slider is suppressed during the unloading operation.

Abstract: A flexure suppresses the vibration of a slider bearing a magnetic read/write head. The flexure has a cross beam, a slider support that supports the slider and is in turn supported like a cantilever by the cross beam but so as to be elastic, a rear vibration absorber protruding from a free end of the slider support in a direction away from the cross beam, and a forward vibration absorber protruding from the cross beam in a direction opposite to that in which the rear vibration absorber protrudes from the free end of the slider support. In a head suspension assembly, an end of the flexure is fixed to a load beam. Also, the load beam is coupled to a base plate by, for example, a hinge. The head suspension assembly is carried by a swing arm in a hard disk drive. The swing arm is mounted to a base so as to be rotatable to position the magnetic read/write head over a data storage disk of the drive.

Abstract: A shipping comb for use when moving an actuator of a hard disk drive, the actuator including a swing arm installed on a base member of the hard disk drive capable of pivoting, at least a pair of load beams coupled to an end portion of the swing arm, and at least a pair of sliders respectively coupled to the load beams to face each other. The shipping comb includes a frame operative to be coupled to the actuator and capable of pivoting, a first finger provided at the frame and for maintaining an interval between the load beams by being inserted between the load beams, and a second finger provided at the frame and for preventing collision between the sliders by being inserted between the sliders.

Abstract: An actuator arm of an actuator assembly includes a 4-bar linkage structure defined by a trapezoidal shaped opening formed between a front end of the actuator arm and a pivot shaft. A first rounded extension portion and a second rounded extension portion are formed at two corners adjacent to the pivot shaft of the opening, respectively, and a third rounded extension portion is formed at two corners adjacent to a front end of the opening, and hinges H1, H2, H3 and H4 are formed at the actuator arm by the first, second and third extension portions. Design factors determining a shape of the opening are optimized to meet the following relations for the structure of the 4-bar linkage: W(cos ??1)+Z(cos ??1)=?x=0, W sin ?+Z sin ?=?y=0.

Abstract: A head gimbal assembly includes a load beam to support a slider where a read/write head is mounted, a base plate arranged close to the load beam, and a step connection portion to connect the load beam and the base plate to be stepped from each other at a side of each of the load beam and the base plate.

Abstract: A head stack assembly (HSA) for a hard disk drive (HDD) comprises a swing arm rotatably coupled to a base member of the HDD, a connection plate coupled to an edge part of the swing arm, a head suspension component attached to the connection plate, and a head slider comprising a magnetic read/write head attached to an edge part of the head suspension component.

Abstract: A head stack assembly (HAS) of a hard disk drive (HDD) includes a swing arm, a connection plate integral with a terminal end of the swing arm, a head slider including a magnetic head for reading/writing data from/onto a disk, and a suspension that is attached to the connection plate, supports the head slider, and has characteristics which minimize the degree to which the magnetic head will run off-track due to vibrations induced in the HDD. The suspension includes two connecting parts having upper surfaces at which the suspension is attached to the connection plate. In the HDD, the upper surface of the connecting part positioned closest to the center of the disk center lies in a plane beneath the plane in which the upper surface of the other connecting part lies.

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: The invention includes sliders provided with indented surfaces, reducing the roll center for head gimbal assemblies below the effective thickness of the slider. Head gimbal assemblies built with these sliders may reduce off-track displacements induced by disk vibration. The load beam gimbal may contact the indented surface, creating a slider roll center less than the slider thickness. Alternatively, the sliders may include a slider contact cover interfacing to the load beam forming the gimbal. The slider contact covers may couple with the slider through an indented surface located closer than the slider thickness. These may have a negative slider roll center. The invention includes actuator arms, actuator assemblies, and hard disk drives including these head gimbal assemblies. The invention includes making the invention's sliders, head gimbal assemblies, actuator arms, actuator assemblies, and hard disk drives. The invention includes the products of these processes.

Abstract: A suspension assembly of an actuator of a hard disk drive prevents collisions with a data storage disk of the drive. The suspension assembly includes a load beam, a bracket having a rear end at which the bracket is coupled to the load beam and a flexure, a slider that is attached to the bracket and carries the read/write head of the hard disk drive, and a limiting mechanism capable of selectively attaching and detaching a respective portion of the bracket to and from the load beam during operation. The load beam has a dimple projecting toward the bracket and which normally contacts a first surface of the bracket. The slider is attached to a second surface of the bracket opposite the first surface. The limiting mechanism attaches a portion of the bracket bearing the slider to the load beam when the read/write head is unloaded from the disk. Therefore, the wobbling of the slider is suppressed during the unloading operation.

Abstract: A hard disk drive (HDD) includes at least one data storage disk, a spindle motor to which the disk is mounted for rotating the disk, an actuator including a read/write head and a swing arm for moving the read/write head to a predetermined position on the disk for recording/reproducing data, a flexible printed circuit ribbon having a free bending portion and connected to the actuator for transmitting electrical signals to the actuator, and a bracket connecting the flexible printed circuit ribbon to a circuit board. The free bending portion extends over at least one part of the length of the flexible printed circuit ribbon and is thinner than other portions of the flexible printed circuit ribbon. Therefore, the flexible printed circuit ribbon offers minimal resistance to the rotation of the swing arm of the actuator due to its enhanced flexibility.

Abstract: A spindle motor assembly usable with a hard disk drive includes at least one data storage disk, a spindle motor to drive the disk, the spindle motor having a hub on which the data storage disk is fixed, and a clamp member to fix the data storage disk to the hub by pressing the data storage disk axially toward the hub. When the clamp member presses a first location of the data storage disk and the hub has a supporting center corresponding to a second location of the data storage disk, the first location is closer to a center of the data storage than the second location.

Abstract: A method, an apparatus and a computer readable recording medium storing a program for correctly detecting a free fall by referring to an acceleration and an integration of the acceleration. The method includes sensing an acceleration of the mobile device; integrating the sensed acceleration with respect to time; and determining the free fall by comparing the result of the integrating with a predetermined area threshold.

Abstract: A shipping comb for use when moving an actuator of a hard disk drive, the actuator including a swing arm installed on a base member of the hard disk drive capable of pivoting, at least a pair of load beams coupled to an end portion of the swing arm, and at least a pair of sliders respectively coupled to the load beams to face each other. The shipping comb includes a frame operative to be coupled to the actuator and capable of pivoting, a first finger provided at the frame and for maintaining an interval between the load beams by being inserted between the load beams, and a second finger provided at the frame and for preventing collision between the sliders by being inserted between the sliders.

Abstract: An actuator arm of an actuator assembly includes a 4-bar linkage structure defined by a trapezoidal shaped opening formed between a front end of the actuator arm and a pivot shaft. A first rounded extension portion and a second rounded extension portion are formed at two corners adjacent to the pivot shaft of the opening, respectively, and a third rounded extension portion is formed at two corners adjacent to a front end of the opening, and hinges H1, H2, H3 and H4 are formed at the actuator arm by the first, second and third extension portions. Design factors determining a shape of the opening are optimized to meet the following relations for the structure of the 4-bar linkage: W(cos ??1)+Z(cos ??1)=?x=0, W sin ?+Z sin ?=?y=0.

Abstract: The invention includes sliders provided with indented surfaces, reducing the roll center for head gimbal assemblies below the effective thickness of the slider. Head gimbal assemblies built with these sliders may reduce off-track displacements induced by disk vibration. The load beam gimbal may contact the indented surface, creating a slider roll center less than the slider thickness. Alternatively, the sliders may include a slider contact cover interfacing to the load beam forming the gimbal. The slider contact covers may couple with the slider through an indented surface located closer than the slider thickness. These may have a negative slider roll center. The invention includes actuator arms, actuator assemblies, and hard disk drives including these head gimbal assemblies. The invention includes making the invention's sliders, head gimbal assemblies, actuator arms, actuator assemblies, and hard disk drives. The invention includes the products of these processes.

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: An actuator beam that can be incorporated into an actuator arm assembly of a hard disk drive. The actuator beam may include a dynamic absorber that extends from a distal end of the beam. The dynamic absorber may attenuate any resonant displacement in the actuator beam induced by a shock load that is applied to the hard disk drive.