Abstract: Embodiments of the invention enhance a mounting precision of a head gimbal assembly with respect to a carriage. In one embodiment, a rotating disk storage device comprises a magnetic disk; head gimbal assemblies each including a slider provided at a front end thereof and a mounting portion provided at a rear end thereof, the slider including a head for reading data from the magnetic disk; and a carriage holding a voice coil. The carriage is formed with a pivot opening into which a pivot cartridge for turning about a pivot shaft is inserted and mounting surfaces on which the mounting portions of the head gimbal assemblies are mounted, and a first pad, a second pad and a third pad projected so as to come into partial face contact with the head gimbal assemblies on the mounting surfaces.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention permit a magnet-based actuator lock mechanism to operate smoothly in a magnetic disk drive that uses a base made of a magnetic material. In one embodiment, the base to be used is made of a magnetic material. The actuator lock mechanism includes a rotatable arm that retains a magnet. A magnetic attraction force, which is oriented toward the base as indicated by an arrow, is generated in the magnet. The base is provided with a cut to reduce the attraction force. The cut is covered with a sealing material to maintain internal airtightness. The actuator lock mechanism may be, for instance, an eddy-current latch, inertia latch, or magnetic latch.

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: A stable kinetic performance is to be exhibited even in the case of such a small-sized slider as Femto slider. In one embodiment, an air bearing surface (ABS) of a slider comprises a first pad constituting portion extending from a leading edge side to a trailing edge side, a second pad constituting portion and a third pad constituting portion formed on both sides of the first pad constituting portion and extending from the leading edge side to the trailing edge side, a connecting pad for connecting the first, second, and third pad constituting portions on the leading edge side, a first negative pressure portion formed by the first and second pad constituting portions and the connecting pad, a second negative pressure portion formed by the first and third pad constituting portions and the connecting pad, and an air trap portion formed on the leading edge side of the connecting pad.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention permit a magnet-based actuator lock mechanism to operate smoothly in a magnetic disk drive that uses a base made of a magnetic material. In one embodiment, the base to be used is made of a magnetic material. The actuator lock mechanism includes a rotatable arm that retains a magnet. A magnetic attraction force, which is oriented toward the base as indicated by an arrow, is generated in the magnet. The base is provided with a cut to reduce the attraction force. The cut is covered with a sealing material to maintain internal airtightness. The actuator lock mechanism may be, for instance, an eddy-current latch, inertia latch, or magnetic latch.

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 enhance a mounting precision of a head gimbal assembly with respect to a carriage. In one embodiment, a rotating disk storage device comprises a magnetic disk; head gimbal assemblies each including a slider provided at a front end thereof and a mounting portion provided at a rear end thereof, the slider including a head for reading data from the magnetic disk; and a carriage holding a voice coil. The carriage is formed with a pivot opening into which a pivot cartridge for turning about a pivot shaft is inserted and mounting surfaces on which the mounting portions of the head gimbal assemblies are mounted, and a first pad, a second pad and a third pad projected so as to come into partial face contact with the head gimbal assemblies on the mounting surfaces.

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: The object of the present invention is to provide a shock measurement apparatus which allows shock received by a hard disk drive of a notebook PC to be precisely measured without altering the physical characteristics of the PC. A shock measurement apparatus for measuring shock received by a notebook PC having an media bay for installing a hard disk drive includes a shock measurement circuit with an acceleration pickup for detecting acceleration as shock and a hard disk drive-compatible power supply connector for receiving electrical power from an internal power supply contained in the notebook PC. The shock measurement apparatus is sized to match the form factor of the hard drive disk.

Abstract: The object of the present invention is to provide a shock measurement apparatus which allows shock received by a hard disk drive of a notebook PC to be precisely measured without altering the physical characteristics of the PC.