Abstract: A control system provides automated control of gas washout of a patient interface, such as a mask or nasal prongs. A gas washout vent assembly of the system may include a variable exhaust area, such as one defined by gears, radial exhaust revolvers and/or flow diverters for a conduit having a variable gas passage channel. The vent assembly may be attached substantially near or included with the patient interface. An actuator of the assembly, such as a solenoid, motor or voice coil, manipulates the vent assembly. The actuator may be configured for control by a processor to change the exhaust area of the vent assembly based on various methodologies including, for example, sleep detection, disordered breathing event detection and/or leak detection.

Abstract: A control system provides automated control of gas washout of a patient interface, such as a mask or nasal prongs. A gas washout vent assembly of the system may include a variable exhaust area, such as one defined by gears, radial exhaust revolvers and/or flow diverters for a conduit having a variable gas passage channel. The vent assembly may be attached substantially near or included with the patient interface. An actuator of the assembly, such as a solenoid, motor or voice coil, manipulates the vent assembly. The actuator may be configured for control by a processor to change the exhaust area of the vent assembly based on various methodologies including, for example, sleep detection, disordered breathing event detection and/or leak detection.

Abstract: A control system provides automated control of gas washout of a patient interface, such as a mask or nasal prongs. A gas washout vent assembly of the system may include a variable exhaust area, such as one defined by gears, radial exhaust revolvers and/or flow diverters for a conduit having a variable gas passage channel. The vent assembly may be attached substantially near or included with the patient interface. An actuator of the assembly, such as a solenoid, motor or voice coil, manipulates the vent assembly. The actuator may be configured for control by a processor to change the exhaust area of the vent assembly based on various methodologies including, for example, sleep detection, disordered breathing event detection and/or leak detection.

Abstract: A control system provides automated control of gas washout of a patient interface, such as a mask or nasal prongs. A gas washout vent assembly of the system may include a variable exhaust area such as one defined by overlapping apertures of the assembly or a conduit having a variable gas passage channel. The vent assembly may be formed by nested structures, such as conic or cylindrical members, each having an opening of the overlapping apertures. The vent assembly may be attached substantially near or included with the patient interface. An actuator of the assembly, such as a solenoid or voice coil, manipulates an aperture of the vent assembly. The actuator may be configured for control by a controller to change the exhaust area of the vent assembly based on various methodologies including, for example, sleep detection, disordered breathing event detection, rebreathing volume calculation and/or leak detection.

Abstract: A control system provides automated control of gas washout of a patient interface, such as a mask or nasal prongs. A gas washout vent assembly of the system may include a variable exhaust area, such as one defined by gears, radial exhaust revolvers and/or flow diverters for a conduit having a variable gas passage channel. The vent assembly may be attached substantially near or included with the patient interface. An actuator of the assembly, such as a solenoid, motor or voice coil, manipulates the vent assembly. The actuator may be configured for control by a processor to change the exhaust area of the vent assembly based on various methodologies including, for example, sleep detection, disordered breathing event detection and/or leak detection.

Abstract: A control system provides automated control of gas washout of a patient interface, such as a mask or nasal prongs. A gas washout vent assembly of the system may include a variable exhaust area, such as one defined by gears, radial exhaust revolvers and/or flow diverters for a conduit having a variable gas passage channel. The vent assembly may be attached substantially near or included with the patient interface. An actuator of the assembly, such as a solenoid, motor or voice coil, manipulates the vent assembly. The actuator may be configured for control by a processor to change the exhaust area of the vent assembly based on various methodologies including, for example, sleep detection, disordered breathing event detection and/or leak detection.

Abstract: A control system provides automated control of gas washout of a patient interface, such as a mask or nasal prongs. A gas washout vent assembly of the system may include a variable exhaust area, such as one defined by gears, radial exhaust revolvers and/or flow diverters for a conduit having a variable gas passage channel. The vent assembly may be attached substantially near or included with the patient interface. An actuator of the assembly, such as a solenoid, motor or voice coil, manipulates the vent assembly. The actuator may be configured for control by a processor to change the exhaust area of the vent assembly based on various methodologies including, for example, sleep detection, disordered breathing event detection and/or leak detection.

Abstract: A system for loading a transducing head (22) to a flying elevation proximate a rotating surface of a disc (16) is disclosed. The system includes a piezoelectric device (40) that is selectively expanded and contracted to control a height of the head (22) on a flexure spring (14) from the surface of the disc (16). The system preferably includes control circuitry (50) for generating electrical control signals to manage the expansion and contraction of the piezoelectric device (40) according to operating characteristics of the disc (16).

Abstract: A system for positioning a transducing head in a disc drive device over a selected track of a rotatable disc includes an actuator arm which is rotatable about an axis, a head suspension mechanism connected to the actuator arm, and a slider carrying a transducing head and supported by the head suspension mechanism. A low resolution motor moves the actuator arm about the axis to effect coarse movement of the head between tracks of the disc. A piezoelectric element is embedded in the actuator arm to distort the arm to effect fine positioning of the head. Control circuitry distributes electrical signals to the low resolution motor and the piezoelectric element to selectively control movement thereof. The piezoelectric element is embedded in the actuator arm by removing a predetermined amount of material from the actuator arm and bonding the piezoelectric element in the resulting space in the actuator arm.

Abstract: A dual-stage disc drive actuation system for positioning a transducing head over a selected track of a rotatable disc having a plurality of concentric tracks includes a low resolution actuator and a high resolution microactuator. An input circuit provides a signal corresponding to the selected track. The actuator and microactuator are then operated to position the head over the selected track. The dual-stage actuation system positions the head over the selected track without significant off-track error within about 0.5 milliseconds for a track density of at least about 12,000 tracks-per-inch.

Abstract: Noise effects in a disc drive having a disc on a rotating spindle in a housing are reduced by inducing vibrations in the housing of the disc drive that at least partially cancel a characteristic acoustic noise signal of the drive.

Abstract: A head flexure assembly for positioning a transducing head over a selected track of a rotatable disc in a disc drive system having an actulator arm and head suspension includes a bimorph piezoelectric microactuator having first and second ends. The first end of the microactuator is attached to the actuator arm, and a flexure is attached to the second end of the microactuator. A slider carrying the transducing head is attached to the flexure.

Abstract: A system for positioning a transducing head in a disc drive device over a selected track of a rotatable disc includes an actuator arm which is rotatable about an axis, a head suspension mechanism connected to the actuator arm, and a slider carrying a transducing head and supported by the head suspension mechanism. A low resolution motor moves the actuator arm about the axis to effect coarse movement of the head between tracks of the disc. A piezoelectric element is embedded in the actuator arm to distort the arm to effect fine positioning of the head. Control circuitry distributes electrical signals to the low resolution motor and the piezoelectric element to selectively control movement thereof. The piezoelectric element is embedded in the actuator arm by removing a predetermined amount of material from the actuator arm and bonding the piezoelectric element in the resulting space it the actuator arm.

Abstract: A system for positioning a transducing head of a disc drive over a selected track (42) of a rotatable disc (40) includes an actuator assembly (20,50) having an E-block body (25) including a cavity (37), at least one actuator arm (30) extending from the E-block body (25), a head suspension mechanism (34,36,38) including the transducing head connected to an end of the actuator arm (30), and a pivot cartridge (26) in the cavity (37) in the E-block body (25). The E-block body (25) is attached to the pivot cartridge (26) and forms a hinge point (39) between the E-block body (25) and the pivot cartridge (26). A low resolution motor (22) rotates the actuator assembly (20,50) about an axis (24) to effect coarse positioning of the head with respect to the selected track (42) of the rotatable disc (40).

Abstract: A disc drive magnetic latch includes a magnet, a bucking coil, and a pair of pole pieces in a housing. The pole pieces have rectangular extension which extend through fingers in the housing thereby locking the pole pieces against rotational movement when a striker on the actuator strikes them. Heat staked tabs hold the assembly together.

Abstract: A latch housing for a carriage latch in a disc drive comprising a cantilever beam and a buckling beam. The cantilever beam and the buckling beam are so oriented in relation to each other and the path of the carriage that contact between a latching feature on the moving carriage and the carriage latch occurs with the beams at an original position and causes the cantilever beam to deflect in a cantilever mode and the buckling beam to deflect in a buckling mode until the kinetic energy of the moving carriage is converted to internal stresses in the material of the beams. Reactive motion of the beams due to these internal stresses is limited to a return to the original position by leashing action of the buckling beam.

Abstract: An actuator assembly for a disk drive system includes an actuator pivotally mounted to a shaft, and a coil assembly. A counterbalance portion of the actuator provides a recess wherein a portion of the coil assembly is slidably inserted. The coil assembly includes a bobbin which has a dovetail portion having at least two precision positioning surfaces which, when placed within the counterbalance recess, interact with corresponding precision positioning surfaces provided within the counterbalance recess. In order to accurately position the coil assembly with respect to the actuator, an outward force is applied to the coil assembly perpendicular to the pivot axis to cause facing pairs of the precision positioning surfaces of the coil assembly and the counterbalance recess to bear against one another, and align a dowel/pin alignment passageway extending through the counterbalance with a dowel/pin recess provided in the bobbin.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a disc-shaped directional-flight toy having at least one centrifugally actuated lighting assembly mounted thereon for energizing a lamp during flight. The lighting assembly is disposed in a molded cavity adjacent the rim of the toy and includes the lamp and a battery disposed in axial alignment with the lamp and a coil spring extending therebetween.