Abstract: A hard disk drive including a base deck with a base member and side walls extending from the base member. The side walls include a non-metallic material and include a structure made from the non-metallic material. The structure is arranged to dampen vibration. The side walls can be formed using an additive manufacturing process.

Abstract: A system includes a data storage drive having a housing with one or more data storage media therein. The housing includes a top cover and a base-deck. The base-deck includes a floor and a frame having a plurality of sides. The data storage drive also includes a printed circuit board assembly (PCBA) mounted on an exterior of one of the plurality of sides of the frame.

Abstract: A hard disk drive including a base deck with a base member and side walls extending from the base member. The side walls include a non-metallic material and include a structure made from the non-metallic material. The structure is arranged to dampen vibration. The side walls can be formed using an additive manufacturing process.

Abstract: An apparatus such as a hard disk drive includes a base deck, which includes a base member and sidewalls extending from the base member. The base member and the sidewalls both include a non-metallic material and a metallic stiffening material.

Abstract: A system includes a data storage drive having a housing with one or more data storage media therein. The housing includes a top cover and a base-deck. The base-deck includes a floor and a frame having a plurality of sides. The data storage drive also includes a printed circuit board assembly (PCBA) mounted on an exterior of one of the plurality of sides of the frame.

Abstract: Described are enclosures for electronic devices; the enclosures include a cover, a base, and a snap-fit engagement between the cover and the base; also described are methods of preparing the devices.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a base deck, which includes a base member and sidewalls extending from the base member. The base member and the sidewalls both include a non-metallic material and a metallic stiffening material.

Abstract: Certain exemplary aspects of the present disclosure are directed towards an apparatus including a base deck forming a sealed cavity. A filter coupled to a surface of the base deck within the cavity filters particulate from a flow of gas in the cavity. The recirculation filter including a protrusion extending over a surface of a storage medium within the cavity that diverts gas from a surface of the storage medium toward the filter. A bypass channel, defined by a portion of the cavity and a portion of the filter, in conjunction with the protrusion forms a pressure differential that draws a first portion of the diverted gas through the filter by bypassing the filter with a second portion of the diverted gas.

Abstract: Certain exemplary aspects of the present disclosure are directed towards an apparatus including a base deck forming a sealed cavity. A filter coupled to a surface of the base deck within the cavity filters particulate from a flow of gas in the cavity. The recirculation filter including a protrusion extending over a surface of a storage medium within the cavity that diverts gas from a surface of the storage medium toward the filter. A bypass channel, defined by a portion of the cavity and a portion of the filter, in conjunction with the protrusion forms a pressure differential that draws a first portion of the diverted gas through the filter by bypassing the filter with a second portion of the diverted gas.

Abstract: A disk drive has a brake mechanism located adjacent to its disk pack and actuator. The brake is pivotally mounted and movable into contact with the disks and actuator. Each end of brake has a bumper for cushioning the impact between the components and enhancing friction. A spring is used to bias the brake into contact with the disks. The brake is active or locked against the disks by the spring in the absence of air flow circulation from the rotation of the disks. The brake prevents disk from rotating and excessive movement or vibration. The brake deactivates or opens as a result of the air flow generated by the rotation of the disks. The air flow is sufficient to overcome the force generated by the spring.

Abstract: A disc drive system having at least one hard disc of approximately 48 mm diameter having concentric tracks is supported by a hub positioned in a centrally located aperture of approximately 12 mm diameter. The disc is rotated at a constant speed by a brushless DC motor attached to the hub. A transducer means for communicating information with the hard disc is moved relative to the disc surface by a positioning means. The positioning means includes a voice coil motor for selectably and accurately positioning the transducer means over the tracks on the hard disc. The disc drive system is enclosed in a housing means constructed from ferrous material having a base portion and a shell portion. The positioning means has a shaft about which the positioning means rotates. To provide a small, rugged assembly, the shaft is mounted at each end between the shell portion and base portion of the housing. Additionally, the shaft of the brushless DC motor is mounted in the same manner.

Abstract: The invention is a miniature disc drive system. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, a positioner for positioning a transducer includes an actuator arm having the transducer mounted at one end and a voice coil motor (VCM) mounted at the other end. A pivot is centrally located along the actuator arm, whereby the VCM, when activated, can rotate the transducer over a disc or discs having approximately 45 mm diameters. The VCM is preferably a moving voice coil-type having a voice coil attached to the actuator arm and two magnets positioned above and below the voice coil such that the voice coil can freely move between them. One magnet is mounted to a base portion of a housing which encloses the entire disc drive system. The other magnet is mounted to roof portion of the housing. Thus, the housing is integrated into the active components of the disc drive and permits a significant size reduction to be achieved.

Abstract: The invention is a miniature disc drive system. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, a positioner for positioning a transducer includes an actuator arm having the transducer mounted at one end and a voice coil motor (VCM) mounted at the other end. A pivot is centrally located along the actuator arm, whereby the VCM, when activated, can rotate the transducer over a disc or discs having approximately 45 mm diameters. The VCM is preferably a moving voice coil-type having a voice coil attached to the actuator arm and two magnets positioned above and below the voice coil such that the voice coil can freely move between them. One magnet is mounted to a base portion of a housing which encloses the entire disc drive system. The other magnet is mounted to roof portion of the housing. Thus, the housing is integrated into the active components of the disc drive and permits a significant size reduction to be achieved.

Abstract: A disc drive system having at least one hard disc having concentric tracks is supported by a hub positioned in a centrally located aperture. The disc is rotated at a constant speed by a DC motor attached to the hub. A transducer head for communicating information with the hard disc is moved relative to the disc surface by a positioning apparatus. The positioning apparatus includes a voice coil motor for selectably and accurately positioning the transducer head over the tracks on the hard disc. The disc drive system is enclosed in a housing having a base portion and a roof portion. The positioning apparatus includes a shaft about which the transducer head rotates to move the transducer from track to track. In one configuration, permanent magnets are attached to the base and roof, and a moving coil is interposed between them, the housing completing a magnetic circuit in the VCM. In one aspect the disc drive system is designed to be permanently mounted in a portable, lap-top or notebook computer.

Abstract: The present invention provides an improved actuator arm assembly including scalloped locking flanges with indentations for longitudinal, perpendicular, and torsional support, an injection molding for precisely locating and fixing a motor coil bobbin, motor coil wires, magnetic latch striker plate, and a crash stop to an actuator arm. Apertures on the actuator arm allow the plastic molding to pass through and lock the actuator arm to the motor coil bobbin together. The magnetic latch striker plate fixably parks the actuator arm in the disc drive assembly. Locating apertures of various shapes in the motor coil bobbin adds further stability and aids in interlocking the plastic molds around the motor coil bobbin. Furthermore, to reduce the height of the disc drive, protect the lead wires from being unduly stressed during the formation of the mold, and increase wire strength to tolerate stresses during testing and assembly, another embodiment of the invention utilizes insulating sleeves around the lead wires.

Abstract: A disc clamping system, for clamping at least one disc in a disc stack in a disc drive against a disc flange on the hub of a spindle motor at one end of a disc mounting portion of the spindle motor hub, which includes a cylindrical disc clamping portion of the hub at the opposite end of the disc mounting portion of the hub from the disc flange and has a diameter less than the disc mounting portion of the hub, a spring member formed from planar material which includes a circumferential corrugation near its outer extreme and a central opening dimensioned to fit over the disc clamping portion of the hub, and a heat expandable clamp ring, dimensioned to fit over and engage the disc clamping portion of the hub, the clamp ring simultaneously pressing against the spring member closely adjacent the central opening in the spring member and deforming the spring member to produce a clamping force transferred to the discs via a contact surface formed by the circumferential corrugation.

Abstract: Magnetic hard discs are clamped on a disc spacer by integral spacer flanges. The spacer's diameter is slightly larger than the disc interior diameter thereby providing a radial clamping load. The discs are fit onto the spacer either by providing a small gap in the annulus of the spacer ring or by first cooling the spacer. The entire disc spacer and disc assembly is mounted on the drive spindle as a unit. A disc clamp clamps the assembly to a spindle flange by means of a lip on the interior of the spacer. The lip is preferably spaced axially below the top surface of the top most disc so that both the clamp and the clamp's mounting screw can be placed axially below the top surface of the top disc to thereby provide a low profile spindle/disc stack assembly. In another embodiment, the lip has an inclined surface to impart an additional radial load force to the top disc.

Abstract: The present invention is an apparatus and method for an improved actuator arm assembly in a disc drive. The improvement arises by casting a steel sleeve into the actuator arm to define a pivot bore. A steel bearing and shaft assembly cooperates with the pivot bore to enable the actuator arm to rotate about the shaft. This all steel arrangement minimizes the bearing preload necessary to create a stable actuator arm assembly having a minimum amount of friction in the bearing system.

Abstract: A flexible cable is supported within the sealed disc drive housing, with one end of the cable readily, automatically soldered to the end wires of the spindle motor leads. The opposite or outboard end of the cable terminates in a header comprising a plastic mounting piece to support a multi-pin electrical connector with the pins extending from both sides of the header. Two locating pins are provided on the plastic header outside of a channel for defining the location of a gasket. The conductors in the cable terminate at four connecting pins at one end of the header. With the pins extending both above and below the header piece, immediately upon installation of the printed cable, the conductors to the spindle motor may be accessed so that the spindle motor and other elements of the head disc assembly may be tested during assembly of the complete disc drive.

Abstract: A limit stop is provided in a disc storage system having a rotary actuator mounted for travel about an axis adjacent to a rotating disc, and having an arm supporting a transducer over the surface of said disc and a motor element support extending opposite to said arm from said rotary support axis. A limit stop to limit the extent of movement of the motor element support is mounted on the base of the housing. The limit stop comprises a fixed portion mounted to the housing base, and extended portion mounted to define the limit of travel of the motor element support, said extended portion being connected to the fixed portion by a thin connecting portion which flexes under impact by the motor element.