Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide a rotating disk storage device including a connection structure between an FPC and a printed board and providing allowance for dimensional tolerances. In one embodiment, the rotating disk storage device includes a disk enclosure, an FPC supporting portion, and a flexible printed circuit board assembly provided with an FPC terminal area that extends along a front surface of the FPC supporting portion and further beyond an end portion of the FPC supporting portion. When the printed board is mounted on the disk enclosure, a connector terminal contacts and gives pressure to an FPC terminal formed in the FPC terminal area. This causes the FPC terminal area to flex in the direction of an arrow.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide an efficient layout of circuit elements on a circuit board. A hard disk drive (HDD) according to one embodiment of the present invention is provided with a circuit board. The circuit board has an IC of HDC, MPU, and R/W channel, an IC of MDU, an SPM aperture, and a carriage bearing aperture. The IC is provided on the circuit board on the side where the center of a carriage bearing protrusion is positioned with respect to a central line AB parallel to the short sides of the surface of the housing and on the side opposite to the side where the center of the carriage bearing protrusion is positioned with respect to a central line CD parallel to the long sides of the surface of the housing.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide an FPC connecting structure superior in positioning in a magnetic disk drive. According to one embodiment, in an FPC-connector connecting structure in a magnetic disk drive, edge portions rise from the bottom of a base and there are formed inner surfaces of the edge portions. An FPC connected to a spindle motor and drawn out from an FPC draw-out port has an FPC terminal portion formed at an extreme end thereof. The FPC terminal portion comes into contact with the inner surfaces and is positioned thereby. A guide pin is also used for the positioning. Positioning of the FPC terminal portion may be done easily and positively by utilizing a corner of the base.

Abstract: A disk drive has an internal breather filter that performs a filtration function while maintaining ventilation with an exterior of the drive. The filter circulates a gas between an interior and the exterior of its enclosure. The enclosure includes a first ventilation path for circulating the gas from the exterior to the filter, and a second ventilation path for circulating the gas from the filter to the exterior. In addition, a method of inspecting the filter and disk drive is disclosed. The method includes a compressing and decompressing step of compressing and decompressing the inside of the enclosure, a measuring step of measuring pressure in the enclosure, and a judging step of judging whether attachment of the filter is adequate on the basis of a value of the pressure measured.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a structure of a pivot receiving surface which may excellently adjust the attitude of a head supporting mechanism in a magnetic disk drive. In one embodiment, three projections are formed at a base for supporting a pivot assembly. The first projection is formed on a first line which bisects an angle defined between a second line and a third line determining a range, in which a head/slider flies above a magnetic disk. In contrast, the other two projections are formed at positions apart from the first projection at an angle of 120°, respectively. The attitude of the pivot assembly is adjusted by adjusting the heights of the projections, and thus, a head supporting mechanism is corrected in a predetermined attitude within the range in which the head/slider flies above the magnetic disk.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention effectively control, by a simple structure, floating of a rotor of a fluid dynamic bearing motor mounted in a hard disk drive. In one embodiment, a base is formed of a magnetic material. The attractive force caused by the magnetic force acts between a bottom of the base and a magnet unit that is constituted of a rotor magnet and a back yoke. This makes it possible to attract a rotor to the base against the buoyant force produced by a thrust bearing, and thereby to effectively control the rotation of the rotor. On the bottom of the base, at a position facing the magnet unit, a convex part protruding from the inner surface of the base is formed in a ring-shape. Adjusting the height, or the width, of the convex part makes it possible to control the magnetic back pressure applied to the rotor.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention effectively control, by a simple structure, floating of a rotor of a fluid dynamic bearing motor mounted in a hard disk drive. In one embodiment, a base is formed of a magnetic material. The attractive force caused by the magnetic force acts between a bottom of the base and a magnet unit that is constituted of a rotor magnet and a back yoke. This makes it possible to attract a rotor to the base against the buoyant force produced by a thrust bearing, and thereby to effectively control the rotation of the rotor. On the bottom of the base, at a position facing the magnet unit, a convex part protruding from the inner surface of the base is formed in a ring-shape. Adjusting the height, or the width, of the convex part makes it possible to control the magnetic back pressure applied to the rotor.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide a rotating disk storage device including a connection structure between an FPC and a printed board and providing allowance for dimensional tolerances. In one embodiment, the rotating disk storage device includes a disk enclosure, an FPC supporting portion, and a flexible printed circuit board assembly provided with an FPC terminal area that extends along a front surface of the FPC supporting portion and further beyond an end portion of the FPC supporting portion. When the printed board is mounted on the disk enclosure, a connector terminal contacts and gives pressure to an FPC terminal formed in the FPC terminal area. This causes the FPC terminal area to flex in the direction of an arrow.

Abstract: A magnetic circuit is provided in an enclosure that can efficiently generate magnetic flux from the enclosure, configuring a magnetic disk, to a magnetic disk. Thus, by providing such a magnetic circuit, a magnetic field different from that in other enclosure parts, that is, a local magnetic field, is generated from the magnetic circuit in case the disk device is set in an external magnetic field. Hence, this local magnetic field can effectively erase data in the magnetic disk. In particular, since the local magnetic field is generated even if the external magnetic field is weak, it is possible to not only suppress the demagnetization of permanent magnets used in the spindle motor at minimum, but also effectively erase data in the magnetic disk.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a rotating disk storage device having a mechanism to reliably retract an actuator into a retraction area in the event that the power supply is suddenly interrupted. A bias chip is embedded in a coil support that supports the voice coil. When a head stays in an access area, the bias chip is away from an end of the voice coil magnet. Therefore, no influence of the magnetic leakage flux is exerted on the bias chip. When the head is in a retraction area, the bias chip is attracted under the influence of the magnetic leakage flux of the voice coil magnet, which thereby produces bias torque causing an actuator to pivotally move in a retraction direction. Accordingly, the bias torque can be utilized as energy for retracting the actuator immediately after power shutdown.

Abstract: A portable, small magnetic disk drive to be mounted on a portable device operates silently at low power consumption. In one embodiment, a spindle motor is fixed to the bottom wall of a metal base plate formed in the shape of a box by press working. The spindle motor is provided with a fluid dynamic bearing (FDB). A spindle hub is supported on the FDB, and a small magnetic disk having a diameter of about 1.8 in. (45.7 mm) or below is mounted on the spindle hub and is fastened to the spindle hub with a top clamp. The rotating speed of the spindle motor is about 4200 rpm or below. Gram load for pressing a magnetic head toward the magnetic disk is about 0.5 gf or above and less than about 1.0 gf.

Abstract: A rotating disk storage device has a stopper mechanism and a latch mechanism for diminishing a shock imposed on an actuator head suspension assembly (AHSA) and permits positive retraction of the AHSA upon occurrence of an external shock or runaway. In one embodiment, the latch mechanism comprises an AHSA which is supported pivotably, a stopper which restricts a pivotal movement in a pivot direction of the AHSA, an inertia member adapted to move pivotally in a corresponding pivot direction when the AHSA moves pivotally in the pivot direction while causing the stopper to be deformed elastically, and a latch member which has an engaging portion and which, upon receipt of the torque from the inertia member, moves pivotally in a direction opposite from the corresponding pivot direction, and causes the engaging portion to move to a latching position. Shock energy of the AHSA is attenuated by both stopper and inertia member.

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: Deformation due to thermal shrinkage of a shock absorbing member surrounding a main part of a disk drive-is reduced. In one embodiment, a frame bumper covers a case (base plate) included in a disk drive excluding part of the case provided with a connector. A curved flexible part is formed in a part, opposite the connector, of the frame bumper. The curved flexible part extends or contracts to absorb the deformation of the frame bumper due to thermal shrinkage. The curved flexible part is formed in a substantially middle part of a cross part extending between side parts provided with slots. Slits are formed above and below, respectively, of the curved flexible part to enable the frame member to deform upward and downward relative to the flexible part.

Abstract: There are demands for an assembly structure which is low in height and is suitable for downsizing and for a sealing structure of high hermeticity in a micro hard disk drive. In one embodiment, a burring projecting toward a top cover and having an internal thread cut on its inner wall is formed at each of regions (flat portions in steps) of a base plate where the top cover is screw-fastened to the base plate, the base plate accommodating a functional unit such as a disk and a head. A burring is formed extendedly upward on each of flat portions of recesses qt three corners formed by pressing on the top cover. The burrings have a diameter larger than that of the burrings of the base plate, the burrings of the base plate are fitted into the burrings to be screw-fastened with top cover fastening screws. After attaching the top cover to the base plate, a covering seal is applied to cover the respective top faces of the top cover, base plate, and the top cover screws.

Abstract: When attaching/detaching a magnetic disk drive to/from the slot of a PC card, the user holds the drive with his or her fingers and thumb, applying figure pressure to the portion of the drive in which the magnetic head is located, which might lead to damage to the magnetic head and the magnetic disk in the worst case. A magnetic disk drive according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises a magnetic disk, a spindle motor for holding and rotating the magnetic disk, a magnetic head for writing/reading information to/from the magnetic disk, an actuator having the magnetic head mounted on one end thereof, for moving the magnetic head in a radial direction of the magnetic disk, and a circuit board having electronic components thereon. A connector for transmitting signals from the magnetic head to an external device is attached to a side of the circuit board close to the magnetic head.

Abstract: A hard disk drive has an enclosure with disk construction members and is characterized by covering the enclosure with an electrically conductive sheet. The electrically conductive sheet protects the drive regardless of which direction an ESD charge is applied. The electrically conductive sheet does not permit ESD to pass through the disk construction members stored in the enclosure. Therefore, it is possible to form a structure in which a GMR head or the like in an enclosure is not damaged due to ESD even if the enclosure is handled by a general end user. Moreover, the present invention relates to an electrically conductive sheet for covering at least both principal planes of the enclosure of a hard disk drive constituted as described above. Other modes of the invention include at least both principal planes of an enclosure being covered by the electrically conductive sheet in such a way that both sheets on both principal planes are electrically connected.

Abstract: To easily confirm whether a breather filter is attached even after attaching a top cover on a base. Filter confirmation holes 21a and 21b besides a gas port 20 for circulating a gas between a breather filter 14 and the outside are formed in an area where the breather filter 14 is attached. At the time of a leak test to HDD 1, for example, a pressurized gas is supplied from a fresh air hole 20. If the breather filter 14 is not attached, the gas will leak from the filter confirmation holes 21a and 21b. Therefore, it is detectable by measuring the pressure at the time of a leak test that the breather filter 14 is not attached. In addition, FIG. 2 is a perspective view without a top cover.

Abstract: The present invention provides an improved magnetic data storage and retrieval system, which can absorb external shock and is easily attached to a host system. By setting bumpers in the four corners of a magnetic data storage and retrieval system, external shock can be absorbed to prevent a magnetic disk from being displaced from the proper alignment with its spindle motor. With this arrangement, in the two corners on the end portion side of a guide groove formed in the base, pedestal surfaces are formed in one side of the guide groove, and plate-like bumpers and are set on the pedestals. Further, in the remaining two corners, insertion-type bumpers may be set and a label covering part of them may be affixed.

Abstract: A spindle motor employed for a hard disk unit, including a hub having an outer peripheral wall portion provided with a rotor magnet on its outer peripheral surface and formed so as to be able to support the inner peripheral portion of a hard disk and a stator coil fixed so as to be positioned outwards in the radial direction of the disk and face the rotor magnet. This spindle motor is assembled in the disk unit, in which each stator coil is disposed so that the tracing of the magnetic head in movement is positioned between adjacent cores, thereby the magnetic head is affected less by the leak magnetic flux from the stator coil. In addition, the scanning head is moved to its unloading position with use of an energy accumulated in the capacitor when the power of the disk unit is turned off.