Abstract: Provided are an actuator latch apparatus and a hard disk drive (HDD) having the actuator latch apparatus. The HDD includes a spindle motor, a data storage disk which is installed on the spindle motor, an actuator which moves a read/write head to a desired position above the data storage disk, and the actuator latch apparatus which locks the actuator in a parking position. The actuator latch apparatus includes a notch which is formed at a rear end of a swing arm and a latch lever which is combined with and pivots on a pivot shaft installed on a base. A retractor member is installed on one of upper and lower surfaces of a counterbalance which is adjacent to a magnet, wherein the counterbalance is formed at a rear end of the latch lever. When the read/write head operates, the latch lever contacts an upper yoke or the base due to a vertical component force of a magnetic force working from the magnet to the retractor member, thereby liming a vertical vibration of the latch lever.

Abstract: A hard disk drive (HDD) includes a base including a voice coil motor (VCM) which drives an actuator, a cover combined with an upper surface of the base, and a magnetic leakage flux reducer adjacent to the VCM to reduce a magnetic leakage flux leaked from the VCM. Therefore, the HDD includes a simple structure to be made light and reduces the magnetic leakage flux which affects the VCM.

Abstract: An actuator latch system of a hard disk drive (HDD) retains a rotatable swing arm of the HDD in place when a magnetic head of the HDD is parked. The actuator latch system includes a portion of the swing arm that defines a notch at an end portion of a swing arm, and a latch lever that has first and second hooks at one end thereof. The latch lever is disposed on the base member adjacent the end portion of the swing arm and is supported so as to be rotatable. The first hook is disposed to contact the swing arm within a short period of time after a shock transmitted to the swing arm while the magnetic head is parked causes the swing arm to rotate in one direction. Thus, the impulse on the swing arm is minimized and the reliability of the actuator latch system is enhanced.

Abstract: A ramp to park a read/write head includes a fixed portion fixed to a base member of the hard disk drive, and a supporting portion to contact and support the tip-tab of the suspension assembly and includes an inclined rail surface and a horizontal rail surface which extend in a moving direction of the tip-tab, wherein a rail boundary between the inclined rail surface and the horizontal rail surface is inclined with respect to a lengthwise axis of the tip-tab. The rail boundary can be a straight line inclined at an angle with respect to the lengthwise axis of the tip-tab, or can be curved toward the horizontal rail surface or the inclined rail surface.

Abstract: An actuator latch system of an HDD retains a swing arm in place when the magnetic head of the HDD is parked and includes a rotatable latch lever having a hook that absorbs shock when engaging the swing arm. A rear end of the swing arm has a corner portion. The hook has first and second portions with a third portion extending there between Inner surfaces of the first through third portions delimit a slot. The inlet of the slot has a width less than the corner portion. The inner surface of the first portion of the hook contacts a first surface of the rear end of the swing arm, and the inner surface of the second portion of the hook contacts a second surface of the rear end of the swing arm, when a shock rotates the swing arm while the magnetic head is parked.

Abstract: Provided are an actuator latch apparatus and a hard disk drive (HDD) having the actuator latch apparatus. The HDD includes a spindle motor, a data storage disk which is installed on the spindle motor, an actuator which moves a read/write head to a desired position above the data storage disk, and the actuator latch apparatus which locks the actuator in a parking position. The actuator latch apparatus includes a notch which is formed at a rear end of a swing arm and a latch lever which is combined with and pivots on a pivot shaft installed on a base. A retractor member is installed on one of upper and lower surfaces of a counterbalance which is adjacent to a magnet, wherein the counterbalance is formed at a rear end of the latch lever. When the read/write head operates, the latch lever contacts an upper yoke or the base due to a vertical component force of a magnetic force working from the magnet to the retractor member, thereby liming a vertical vibration of the latch lever.

Abstract: A head gimbal assembly (HGA) of a hard disk drive (HDD) includes a flexure, a slider attached to the flexure and including a magnetic head, a plurality of pads at a side of the slider, a plurality of traces attached to and supported by the flexure and respectively bonded to the pads to form an electrically continuous circuit therebetween, and an insulating support element covering a bonding region between the pads and the traces.

Abstract: A hard disk drive (HDD) apparatus includes a connector combined with a side of a printed circuit board (PCB) and with a connection terminal of a flexible printed cable (FPC), a flip pivotably combined with the connector to lock the connection terminal into and unlock the connection terminal from the connector, and an area increasing and strength reinforcing portion formed at the flip to increase a handling area of the flip and reinforce strength of the flip.

Abstract: A hard disk drive includes a base, a screw housing includes at least one screw hole wall formed with a screw hole, and provided at lateral sides of the base, and a shock-absorbing space formed between the base and at least a part among outer walls of the screw housing. The base is a structure to absorb at least a part of a shock due to external impact and/or vibration applied to an external structure to which the hard disk drive is mounted, such that a defect due to external shock and/or vibration can be decreased.

Abstract: An actuator apparatus used with a hard disk drive. The actuator apparatus includes a pivotable actuator arm, a magnetic head mounted onto a first end of the actuator arm, an overmold connected to a second end of the actuator arm and including a metal piece, a voice coil motor (VCM) having a coil coupled to the overmold and at least one magnet positioned to face the coil, and a stopper positioned to be spaced apart at a predetermined interval from the overmold of the actuator arm when the magnetic head is positioned at a parked position, to limit pivoting of the actuator arm. Specifically, the stopper may be positioned to be spaced at the interval from the overmold of the actuator arm positioned at a position where a torque acting on the actuator arm due to the metal piece and the magnet is substantially 0.

Abstract: A hard disk drive (HDD) with an efficient connection between a flexible printed circuit and an actuator arm. The structure includes a flexible printed circuit having the flexible printed circuit and a stiffener for supporting the flexible printed circuit, and an actuator arm to which the flexible printed circuit is connected. An alignment hole, an alignment pin inserted into the alignment hole, a guide groove having one opened side, and a guide protrusion fitted into the guide groove are formed in the flexible printed circuit and the actuator arm, and the alignment hole and the alignment pin are fixed to each other through a soldering process.

Abstract: A head parking ramp for a data storage device includes a fixed portion fixed to a base member, a support portion extending from the fixed portion toward the disk and supporting an end portion of an actuator where the read/write head is installed, an extended portion extending from the fixed portion toward the disk, having a lead end portion overlapping each of an upper surface and a lower surface of an outer circumferential portion of the disk, and having a plurality of disk facing surfaces facing each of the upper and lower surfaces of the disk, and a protruding surface protruding from each of the disk facing surfaces of the extended portion at a position corresponding to an edge portion of the disk and restricting a vibration of the disk as the edge portion of the disk contacts the protrusion surface when the disk vibrates.

Abstract: A ramp to park a read/write head includes a fixed portion fixed to a base member of the hard disk drive, and a supporting portion to contact and support the tip-tab of the suspension assembly and includes an inclined rail surface and a horizontal rail surface which extend in a moving direction of the tip-tab, wherein a rail boundary between the inclined rail surface and the horizontal rail surface is inclined with respect to a lengthwise axis of the tip-tab. The rail boundary can be a straight line inclined at an angle with respect to the lengthwise axis of the tip-tab, or can be curved toward the horizontal rail surface or the inclined rail surface.

Abstract: An HGA protecting method and member and method of implementing the protecting method and member in a hard disk drive. The HGA includes an actuator, at least one pair of suspensions coupled to the actuator, a flexure having a stationary end fixed to each of the suspensions and a free end, and a slider attached between the stationary end and the free end of the flexure. The HGA protecting member may include a finger restricting excessive movement of the suspension. The finger may further have a flexure supporting portion supporting the free end of the flexure. The HGA protecting member may also be a removable assembly that may be removed after the HGA after assembly of the hard disk drive is complete.

Abstract: A hard disk drive (HDD) includes a base including a voice coil motor (VCM) which drives an actuator, a cover combined with an upper surface of the base, and a magnetic leakage flux reducer adjacent to the VCM to reduce a magnetic leakage flux leaked from the VCM. Therefore, the HDD includes a simple structure to be made light and reduces the magnetic leakage flux which affects the VCM.

Abstract: An actuator latch device for locking an actuator of a hard disk drive, the actuator having a swing arm rotatably installed at a base member, a voice coil motor (VCM) coil provided at one end of the swing arm, and magnets oppositely arranged at the VCM coil. The actuator latch device includes a notch provided at one end of the swing arm; a latch lever, which is rotatably installed at a base member, having at a first end thereof a hook interfering with the notch to restrict one way rotation of the swing arm, and a counterbalance device at a second end thereof; and a stopper provided in the base member to block the counterbalance device to restrict a rotation of the latch lever.

Abstract: A hard disk drive (HDD) apparatus includes a connector combined with a side of a printed circuit board (PCB) and with a connection terminal of a flexible printed cable (FPC), a flip pivotably combined with the connector to lock the connection terminal into and unlock the connection terminal from the connector, and an area increasing and strength reinforcing portion formed at the flip to increase a handling area of the flip and reinforce strength of the flip.

Abstract: Provided are a disk spacer for an information storage device and a spindle motor assembly employing the disk spacer. The spindle motor assembly includes a spindle motor, one or more data storage disks mounted around the spindle motor, a disk clamp coupled to the spindle motor and fixing the disk clamp, and a disk spacer mounted around the spindle motor and supporting the disk, wherein the disk spacer has a groove of a predetermined depth formed along an outer peripheral surface thereof, which does not contact the disks, and the groove is tapered as it is closer to an inner peripheral surface of the disk spacer away from the outer peripheral surface of the disk spacer. Since impacts and vibrations delivered to the disks are scattered by the disk spacer, the wobble of the disk due to the impacts and vibrations is reduced.

Abstract: An actuator latch system of a hard disk drive (HDD) retains a rotatable swing arm of the HDD in place when a magnetic head of the HDD is parked. The actuator latch system includes a portion of the swing arm that defines a notch at an end portion of a swing arm, and a latch lever that has first and second hooks at one end thereof. The latch lever is disposed on the base member adjacent the end portion of the swing arm and is supported so as to be rotatable. The first hook is disposed to contact the swing arm within a short period of time after a shock transmitted to the swing arm while the magnetic head is parked causes the swing arm to rotate in one direction. Thus, the impulse on the swing arm is minimized and the reliability of the actuator latch system is enhanced.

Abstract: An actuator latch system of an HDD retains a swing arm in place when the magnetic head of the HDD is parked. The actuator latch system includes a rotatable latch lever that has a hook designed to absorb shock when the hook engages the swing arm. A rear end of the swing arm has a corner portion where first and second surfaces of the rear end of the swing arm meet at a point of inflection. The hook has a first portion, a second portion, and a third portion extending between and connecting the first and second portions. Inner surfaces of the first, second, and third portions delimit a slot. The inlet of the slot has a width that is less than a width of the corner portion.