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 provide a head gimbal assembly and a head stack assembly suitable for a miniature magnetic disk drive, and capable of being assembled in an accurate alignment during its fabrication. In one embodiment, a fixing member is disposed in contact with a pivot, an assembly formed by combining a head gimbal assembly and a carriage assembly is put on the pivot and pressed in the direction of the arrow toward the fixing member, and is fastened to the pivot with a nut. Since the head gimbal assembly is provided with a hole to receive the pivot therein provided with two straight edges, the relative positions of the turning axis of the pivot, the head gimbal assembly and the carriage assembly are adjusted properly so that clearances between the parts are absorbed.

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: 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: A rotating disk storage device has a mechanism for latching an actuator head suspension assembly (AHSA) positively in a retraction area upon occurrence of an external shock or runaway. In one embodiment, a latch mechanism comprises an AHSA which is supported pivotably, an elastic member which restricts a pivotal movement of the AHSA in a pivot direction A1 of the AHSA, an inertia member adapted to move pivotally in a corresponding pivot direction B2 when the AHSA moves pivotally in the pivot direction A1 while deforming the elastic member elastically, and a latch member having an engaging portion and adapted to move pivotally in a direction A2 opposite from the corresponding pivot direction B2 upon receipt of torque from the inertia member, thereby causing the engaging portion to move to a latching position. The AHSA has two to-be-engaged portions, i.e., a first to-be-engaged portion and a second to-be-engaged portion.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention help to prevent data error occurrence in a hard disk drive by reducing the generation of dust caused by friction between a magnetic disk and a ramp. According to one embodiment, a hard disk drive comprises an enclosure, a motor for rotating a magnetic disk, an actuator for supporting a head slider for accessing the disk, and a ramp for loading/unloading the head slider disposed in the enclosure. The ramp comprises a tab slide formed of a resin material having a sliding characteristic to slide a tab at a tip end of the actuator at a specific velocity, and a slit on which a reinforcement made of a resin material with higher mechanical strength than the tab slide is formed.

Abstract: This invention relates to a coupling condition detecting device for element rows of a slide fastener. A chain stopping means for stopping a chain at a detecting position of coupling right and left elements adjacent an upstream end of a space in the chain is disposed downstream along a chain carrying direction. A detecting portion having a mechanical detecting means for detecting presence/absence of a deviation in coupling of the elements is provided at the detecting position. The detecting portion has an element position detection member movable between a normal first contact position where the detection member does not contact any elements and an abnormal second contact position where it contacts an element. When the detection member exists at the first contact position when the chain is stopped, it is determined that the coupling is normal and when the detection member exists at the second contact position, it is determined that the coupling is abnormal.

Abstract: A disk drive having a remarkably improved shock resistance and conforming to a standard form factor is disclosed. A hard disk drive capable of detachably combined with a PC card is formed by assembling separate component parts including a functional unit 10 including a disk 11, a base plate 32 holding the functional unit 10, a frame bumper 30 disposed in a middle part of the assembly and serving as a shock-absorbing member, a card assembly 20 provided with a connector 22 to be connected to the slot of a PC card, and a top cover 33 covering the functional unit 10 held on the base plate 32. The frame bumper 30 receives lateral shocks that act on the side surfaces of the hard disk drive.

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: Embodiments of the invention provide a support structure for a voice coil that is not easily damaged even when a carriage assembly used in a magnetic disk drive is made thinner. In one embodiment, the voice coil includes a stack of a plurality of layers of aligned windings held between an outer holding portion and an inner holding portion of the carriage assembly. The carriage assembly is formed integrally with the voice coil through injection molding. An outermost peripheral layer is a conductive wire wound a number of turns that falls short of the number of turns required to constitute a complete layer. A step is thereby formed between the outermost peripheral layer and a layer adjacent thereto and inner therefrom. The outer holding portion includes a reinforcement portion formed thereon to cover part of a transverse end face of the voice coil.

Abstract: There are provided left and right gripper devices for holding left and right tip side portions of a slide fastener chain, transferring the fastener chain in a longitudinal direction (an X-axis direction) and opening and closing the left and right tip side portions in a Y-axis direction orthogonal to the X-axis direction based on a command sent from operation control means. There is provided an electric motor for controllably driving the left and right gripper devices in the X-Y axis direction based on a command sent from a numeric control section of the operation control means in the X-Y axis direction of the gripper devices. A slider can be automatically inserted by only a specified operation using a single device without preparing a special device for all types of fastener chains and sliders and requiring a time for a considerable reconstruction.

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.