Abstract: The present disclosure provides an apparatus for mounting an object to a base. In one example, the apparatus includes a base and a protuberant feature extending from the base. The protuberant feature includes a datum surface sized to matingly engage a corresponding surface of an object to precisely position the object with respect to the base.

Abstract: A novel disk drive head stack assembly (HSA) includes a first head gimbal assembly attached to a first actuator arm. A dummy mass is attached to a second actuator arm. The dummy mass includes a mounting plate portion defining a mounting plate width. The mounting plate portion includes first and second projections. The dummy mass also includes a neck portion defining a neck width and a neck length. A root portion of the neck portion is disposed between the first and second projections, and defines first and second alcoves between the root portion and the first and second projections, respectively. The dummy mass also includes a distal mass portion defining a distal mass width and a distal mass length. The neck width is less than the mounting plate width, and the neck width is less than the distal mass width.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention relate disk drives, and in particular to realizing a positioning accuracy equal to that of an actuator having the mountable maximum number of suspensions, in an actuator having the smaller number of suspensions than the mountable maximum number. An embodiment of a magnetic disk device includes an actuator having an arm to which a suspension for applying a predetermined load onto a slider with a magnetic head is attached, and an arm to which a plate is attached instead of having the suspension. The plate attached to the arm in place of the suspension has a partially small section with respect to a section perpendicular to an arm longitudinal direction (constricted part), and the constricted part is located between a plate leading end and an arm attachment part.

Abstract: An apparatus for detachably mounting a head gimbal assembly to an actuator coil assembly is described. The apparatus includes a lever pivotally connected to an upper surface of an arm of the actuator coil assembly and operable to pivot between a release position and a mount position. A capture pin extends from the lever into a mounting hole of the arm. The capture pin is substantially perpendicular to the lever and is collectively pivotable with the lever between the release position and the mount position. A spring is arranged to exert a force on the lever in a direction from the release position to the mount position. The capture pin is configured to engage the head gimbal assembly positioned on a lower mounting surface of the arm opposite the upper surface of the arm via the mounting hole and to press the head gimbal assembly into the arm when in the mount position.

Abstract: According to an embodiment, a head stack assembly includes an arm including a swaged seat surface with swaged hole, a load beam supporting a head, and a baseplate secured to a proximal end portion of the load beam, including an annular protrusion secured to the swaged hole of the arm by swaging, and secured to the swaged seat surface. The arm includes a distal end portion located on a longitudinal end side of the arm with respect to the center of the swaged hole and being less rigid than the other portion of the arm around the swaged hole.

Abstract: An elastic plate connected at both ends to a pair of supporting pieces of a supporting portion and connected at center to a member forming a load beam portion functions as a load bending portion. A balance mass member is mounted on a portion of the member forming the load beam portion positioned on a base-end side from the elastic plate. A narrowest portion of the supporting portion is positioned, with respect to the suspension lengthwise direction, between a position of a base-end of a concave portion defined the pair of supporting pieces and a position where phantom lines extending from inner side edges of arm areas of the supporting pieces intersect with a longitudinal center line of the suspension, thereby effectively reducing mass of tip-end side of the supporting portion without deteriorating rigidity of the supporting pieces.

Abstract: A mechanism for protecting a portable electronic device, e.g., a handheld computer system. In one embodiment, the present invention is comprised of an encasing structure having an opening and configured to receive and have disposed therewithin the handheld computer system. The present invention is further comprised of a lifting device coupled to the encasing structure. The lifting device is adapted to raise the handheld computer system above the confines of the encasing structure and further adapted to lower the handheld computer system to a disposition therewithin the encasing structure. The encasing structure can be used to protect input/output ports or slots, I/Os externally disposed on side surfaces of the handheld computer system when the handheld computer system is disposed within the encasing structure, and the lifting device enables raising the handheld computer system above the confines of the encasing structure to provide access to the I/Os.

Abstract: A suspension has a load beam and a flexure having a tongue portion to which a slider is attached. The load beam has a pin insertion hole formed between a proximal portion of the load beam and the slider and an opening formed between a distal portion of the load beam and the slider. A first locating pin is inserted into the pin insertion hole, and a second locating pin into the opening. An extending portion is formed on a distal portion of the flexure. The flexure has a first locating hole in which the first locating pin is inserted and a second locating hole in which the second locating pin is inserted. The second locating hole is formed in the extending portion.

Abstract: A method of swaging a head gimbal assembly (HGA) to an actuator arm comprises positioning a tubular element on the HGA adjacent a hole in the actuator arm; restraining the subassembly; providing a rod formed from a shape memory alloy (SMA), the SMA having a martensitic phase at a low temperature and an austenitic phase above a phase transition temperature that is higher than the low temperature, the rod having an initial diameter that is smaller than diameters of the tubular element and the hole; extending the rod through the tubular element and hole; heating the rod above the phase transition temperature such that the rod expands to a second diameter that is greater than the initial diameter to plastically deform the HGA and swage together the HGA and actuator arm to form an assembly; cooling the rod and removing the rod from the assembly such that the rod returns to the initial diameter.

Abstract: A head suspension has a base plate including a flange. The flange has a first face attached to the carriage arm and a second face attached to an auxiliary member. A first-face contact is circumferentially formed along an outer circumferential edge of the first face of the flange, so that the first-face contact among parts of the base plate except the boss is most proximal to the carriage arm. A second-face contact is circumferentially formed along an outer circumferential edge of the second face of the flange, so that the second-face contact among parts of the base plate including the boss is most proximal to the auxiliary member. This configuration allows the auxiliary member to be correctly aligned with and attached to the second face of the flange.

Abstract: Swaging a suspension base plate to an actuator arm for a hard disk drive. A portion of material adjacent to a hole in the actuator arm is removed to create an opening to receive material. A flange of the suspension base plate is inserted into the hole in the actuator arm. The suspension base plate is swaged to the actuator arm, wherein the swaging causes material from the suspension base plate to flow into the opening.

Abstract: A head stack assembly (HAS) of a hard disk drive (HDD) includes a swing arm, a connection plate integral with a terminal end of the swing arm, a head slider including a magnetic head for reading/writing data from/onto a disk, and a suspension that is attached to the connection plate, supports the head slider, and has characteristics which minimize the degree to which the magnetic head will run off-track due to vibrations induced in the HDD. The suspension includes two connecting parts having upper surfaces at which the suspension is attached to the connection plate. In the HDD, the upper surface of the connecting part positioned closest to the center of the disk center lies in a plane beneath the plane in which the upper surface of the other connecting part lies.

Abstract: A stepped-part 4b with a lower tip side is formed on the top face of a pattern end 4, and a lower face 4c thereof is used as a plane on which a solder ball 7 is provided. One or more protrusions 4d made of a swollen conductive layer are formed on the lower face to limit displacement of the solder ball in the tip direction and the both side directions. The solder ball is held by the protrusions to suppress deviation of the solder ball.

Abstract: A microactuator mounting section is disposed between a base section and a load beam. A microactuator element formed of a piezoelectric element is contained in an element accommodation portion in a plate portion. The plate portion has a stationary part secured to the base section and a movable part secured to the load beam. The stationary part and the movable part are connected to each other by a pair of arm portions. Each arm portion comprises a first extending portion and a second extending portion. The first extending portion extends longitudinally relative to the load beam from a front end of the stationary part toward the movable part. The second extending portion extends transversely inward relative to the plate portion from the first extending portion so as to be continuous with the movable part.

Abstract: A disk drive suspension assembly includes a load beam, a first hinge arm, a second hinge arm, a base plate, and a flexure that includes a head mounting surface. The base plate has a first base plate layer that includes a first base plate side and an opposing second base plate side. The first base plate side has a main base plate surface and a recessed base plate surface parallel to and offset from the main base plate surface. A first hinge arm is attached to the main base plate surface. A second hinge arm is attached to the recessed base plate surface. The first and second hinge arms are attached to the load beam. The base plate has a first thickness at the main base plate surface and a second thickness at the recessed base plate surface that is the same as the first thickness.

Abstract: A head stack assembly (HSA) for a hard disk drive (HDD) comprises a swing arm rotatably coupled to a base member of the HDD, a connection plate coupled to an edge part of the swing arm, a head suspension component attached to the connection plate, and a head slider comprising a magnetic read/write head attached to an edge part of the head suspension component.

Abstract: A method for assembling an actuator assembly includes providing a first housing portion and a second housing portion; providing a coil, a pole piece, a magnet, and a completed beam; positioning the coil, pole piece, magnet, and completed beam between the housing portions; and coupling the housing portions together.

Abstract: A high stroke sensitivity microactuated disk drive suspension includes a microactuator, a laminate of first and second outer layers and a plastic inner layer that define a base portion, a spring portion and a beam portion. The base portion has proximate and distal regions coupled by a segment of an outer layer and fixed to the microactuator for relative shifting of the beam portion to the base portion. The segment has a part that is locally arcuate and readily bendable during said shifting for low resistance to shifting giving the suspension high stroke sensitivity.

Abstract: In a disk drive suspension including a baseplate and a load beam, a boss portion and protrusions are formed on the baseplate. The protrusions are formed in positions on a first surface of the baseplate off a reference mounting surface in contact with a suspension bearing surface of an actuator arm. Further, the protrusions are formed on a second surface located opposite from the first surface and project relative to the thickness of the baseplate. These protrusions serve to prevent a plurality of baseplates from closely contacting one another during their manufacture.

Abstract: A disk drive suspension has laterally separated mount plate cooperating structure of a pair of spaced, left and right hand continued extents defining engagement structures extending into the vertical plane of the suspension hinge portion, and laterally separated beam portion cooperating structure of left and right hand continuations defining cooperating engagement structures also extending into the vertical plane of the hinge portion and overlapping the mount plate extents to block their relative vertical movement in one direction but not the other so that rotation of the beam portion relative to the mount plate is limited by this selective engagement of the cooperating structures, while the hinge portion is untrammeled by the cooperating structures and the suspension has increased torsional stiffness without an increase in suspension vertical stiffness or has a decrease in suspension vertical stiffness without a decrease in torsional stiffness.

Abstract: A head suspension for a hard disk drive is thin from an arm to a head and involves a minimum step between the arm and a load beam. The head suspension includes a load beam that includes a rigid part and a resilient part. The load beam applies load onto a head that is arranged at a front end of the load beam to write and read data to and from a disk arranged in the hard disk drive. The head is connected to read/write wiring patterns of a flexure. The flexure supports the head and is attached to a disk-facing surface of the rigid part. An arm is attached to a carriage of the hard disk drive and is turned around a spindle. The arm supports the resilient part that is attached to a base end of the rigid part. A disk-facing surface of the arm is arranged within the total of thicknesses of the rigid part and head.

Abstract: A method for assembling a head stack assembly with a disk drive base utilizing a tooling mandrel is described. The head stack assembly includes a pivot bearing cartridge with a shaft and a sleeve. The shaft includes a shaft first end with an engagement feature. The shaft defines an axis of rotation and a shaft outer circumferential surface. The sleeve defines a sleeve inner circumferential surface disposed towards the shaft outer circumferential surface. The tooling mandrel includes a retainer element defining a longitudinal axis and including a distal end. The distal end engages the engagement feature. The tooling mandrel includes tooling fingers angularly fixed to the retainer element with respect to the longitudinal axis. The tooling fingers each include a tip portion. Each tip portion engages the pivot bearing cartridge through cooperative radial movement with respect to the axis of rotation with the distal end engaged with the engagement feature.

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: An actuator assembly is provided that includes a body portion, a first actuator arm assembly, a second actuator arm assembly, a first flexure assembly, and a second flexure assembly. Each of the first and second actuator arm assemblies projects from the body portion and has a distal end with different respective first and second mechanical configurations, sometimes referred to herein as “mounting configurations.” Each of the flexure assemblies is respectively mounted to the distal ends of the first and second actuator arm assemblies via the respective mounting configuration. The first and second mechanical configurations (mounting configurations) are selected to provide the first and second flexure assemblies with different mechanical resonance characteristics. In a preferred embodiment, the second actuator arm assembly includes an actuator arm and a spacer disposed between the actuator arm and the second flexure assembly. The spacer has a stiffness different from the stiffness of the actuator arm.

Abstract: A head stack assembly includes a suspension that supports a head that records information in or reproduces the information from a recording medium, a base plate that attaches the suspension to an arm that rotates the suspension, and a suspension substrate provided onto the suspension and electrically connected to the head, the suspension substrate having a long tail having a bending part near the base plate.

Abstract: A head suspension for a hard disk drive is thin from an arm to a head and involves a minimum step between the arm and a load beam. The head suspension includes a load beam that includes a rigid part and a resilient part. The load beam applies load onto a head that is arranged at a front end of the load beam to write and read data to and from a disk arranged in the hard disk drive. The head is connected to read/write wiring patterns of a flexure. The flexure supports the head and is attached to a disk-facing surface of the rigid part. An arm is attached to a carriage of the hard disk drive and is turned around a spindle. The arm supports the resilient part that is attached to a base end of the rigid part. A disk-facing surface of the arm is arranged within the total of thicknesses of the rigid part and head.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a head suspension includes forming a rigid part chain product where the rigid parts are provided continuously, including forming a plate-like framework for formation of the rigid part including formation margins for formation of the rails and forming a deformable part along a longitudinal curve of each formation margin and forming the rails by bending the formation margins to rise, forming a resilient member chain product where the resilient members are provided continuously, forming the flexures, forming the bases, and a stacking and coupling step stacking and coupling the rigid part chain product, the resilient member chain product, the bases, and the flexures, to form a stacked set, and cutting and separating respective head suspensions from the stacked set.

Abstract: The present invention provides an interface for improving resonance control. The interface includes a first member having a first coupling portion, a mounting surface having a second coupling portion for coupling to the first coupling portion of the first member, and a raised engagement member located on at least one of the first member or the mounting surface. The raised engagement surface provides contact between the first member and the mounting surface.

Abstract: A base layer for a suspension. The base layer includes a structure. The structure has a slider end portion and a tail portion. The structure includes an opening in the tail portion. The opening provides access to a conductive assembly coupleable there with. The structure also includes a strengthening member integrated within said opening.

Abstract: A head suspension assembly includes a plate member located at a position distanced from the base. A head slider is supported at the front end of the plate member. A leaf spring connects the rear end of the plate member to the front end of the base. A rib extends at least from the rear end of the plate member toward the front end of the plate member. A restraining piece is located in a space between the rib and the base. When the internal force is induced in the head suspension assembly in response to an impact, the leaf spring receives a force to bend upward to move the head slider upward. The restraining piece serves to avoid any change in the position of the plate member relative to the base. The lead spring is prevented from bending. The plate member is thus reliably prevented from an upward movement.

Abstract: A suspension assembly and an actuator having the same, which are of a hard disk drive (HDD). The actuator includes a swing arm rotatably mounted on a base member; a suspension assembly elastically biasing a slider having a read/write head toward a surface of a disk; and a voice coil motor (VCM) rotating the swing arm so as to move the read/write head to a predetermined position on the disk. The suspension assembly includes a load beam coupled to an end of a swing arm of an actuator; a flexure attached to the load beam so as to support the slider; and a tip-tab which extends from a front end of the load beam so as to contact a ramp that is installed in the vicinity of the disk when the read/write head is parked, wherein a width of a contact part of the tip-tab that contacts the ramp is wider than other parts of the tip-tab.

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: In an information storage apparatus, a relatively thin attachment member has a cylindrical boss section projecting from a surface thereof and a path passing through the attachment member and reaching the extreme end of the boss section and is attached to a relatively thick base member. The base member has a through hole which passes therethrough in the thickness direction thereof and into which the boss section is inserted. The attachment member is caulked to the base member by plastically deforming the boss section by causing a caulking ball whose diameter is larger than that of the path to pass therethrough in the state that the boss section is inserted into the through hole. The through hole has an escape section into which a part of the plastically deformed boss section escapes, thereby a large amount of plastic deformation of the boss section can be suppressed.

Abstract: A method for forming rails on the beam region of a disk drive head suspension. Rails are formed on a first portion of the beam region while supporting the beam region at a first location. Rails are formed on a second portion of the beam region while supporting the beam region at a second location that is different than the first location.

Abstract: Apparatus for a disk drive having an actuator controlled suspension in operative association with a disk. The suspension mounting plane datum plane and suspension datum plane diverge at an acute angle. When the suspension is subjected to use conditions including seek operations and disk-induced turbulent wind flow conditions and induce sway forces and torsion forces that produce lateral off-track motions of the slider gap, the extension of the suspension datum plane substantially through the slider center of mass minimizes sway forces, and lateral off track motion of the slider gap is minimized. Error from torsion forces is minimized by having the dimple center of curvature coincide with a horizontal plane including the slider gap and having the dimple longitudinal axis extend through the slider center of mass, so that both sway and torsion force sources of track misregistration are addressed.

Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for compensating for high-gain vibration modes resulting from asymmetrical traces in integrated lead suspensions in hard disk drives. A compensation member secures to an actuated arm opposite a mount plate securing a head gimbal assembly (HGA) to the arm. The compensation member includes an elastic portion primarily mirroring the elastic properties of asymmetrical elastic properties of conductive traces extending along the HGA and arm. The elastic portion secures to an inertial portion primarily mirroring inertial properties, such as center of mass and moment of inertia, of the HGA. The elastic portion may be formed as a strip of material attached at its end points to the inertial portion. The inertial portion may be formed as a flat plate secured to the actuated arm in a manner similar to the mount plate.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention relate disk drives, and in particular to realizing a positioning accuracy equal to that of an actuator having the mountable maximum number of suspensions, in an actuator having the smaller number of suspensions than the mountable maximum number. An embodiment of a magnetic disk device includes an actuator having an arm to which a suspension for applying a predetermined load onto a slider with a magnetic head is attached, and an arm to which a plate is attached instead of having the suspension. The plate attached to the arm in place of the suspension has a partially small section with respect to a section perpendicular to an arm longitudinal direction (constricted part), and the constricted part is located between a plate leading end and an arm attachment part.

Abstract: Mounts for securing magnetic disk drive head suspensions to actuator arms. The mounts include structures that snap onto the actuator arm to provide a secure friction fit engagement. The mounts can be efficiently removed to permit rework of the suspension and head components.

Abstract: An assembly for attaching a first element to a second element. The assembly includes a first non-metallic connecting member. The first non-metallic connecting member includes a first member having a first surface and a second member. The second member extends substantially perpendicular from a first end adjacent the first surface to a second end and has an outer surface. Apertures in the first and second elements receive the second member.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for reading and writing information onto a hard disk drive is provided. The apparatus includes a suspension assembly for a hard disk drive. The suspension assembly includes at least two spring extensions that couple to a proximal portion of a load beam. These spring extensions are disposed by a vertical offset and couple to the load beam on opposite sides of a longitudinal axis of the load beam. The method for operating a disk drive apparatus includes following by a suspension assembly from a reference position to a second position a vertical movement of a rotating disk. The suspension assembly is predisposed to move from the reference position to the second position by a vertical offset between a first and second spring extensions of the suspension assembly. A read/write head coupled to the suspension assembly is in closer alignment to a selected track during the vertical movement in the second position than if the first and second spring extensions are disposed to be co-planar.

Abstract: A hard disk drive that includes an actuator arm assembly with an adhesive attached to an actuator arm and a head gimbal assembly swage openings of the arms. The adhesive can be attached to either head gimbal assembly or arm before they are joined together. The head gimbal assembly is then placed on the actuator arm: A swage ball is pushed through the openings to swage the head gimbal assembly to the actuator arm. The adhesive strengthens the attachment of the head gimbal assembly to the actuator arm. The increase in strength can further attenuate vibration that is transmitted into the actuator arm assembly.

Abstract: An apparatus for attaching one or more HGAs to an actuator assembly including one or more actuator arms comprises a set of pivoting supports corresponding to the one or more HGAs and mechanisms that pivot each of the pivoting supports between open positions and closed positions. For each of the set of pivoting supports, in the open position, a gap adjacent to the pivoting support is sufficiently large to receive both a mounting platform of one of the actuator arms and a baseplate of one of the HGAs positioned in alignment with the mounting platform of the one of the actuator arms, and, for each of the set of pivoting supports, in the closed position, the gap is sufficiently small to constrain the baseplate of the one of the HGAs against the mounting platform of the one of the actuator arms.

Abstract: Mounts for securing magnetic disk drive head suspensions to actuator arms. The mounts include structures that snap onto the actuator arm to provide a secure friction fit engagement. The mounts can be efficiently removed to permit rework of the suspension and head components.

Abstract: Mounts for securing magnetic disk drive head suspensions to actuator arms. The mounts include structures that snap onto the actuator arm to provide a secure friction fit engagement. The mounts can be efficiently removed to permit rework of the suspension and head components.

Abstract: A head actuator assembly of a disk device has a suspension which supports a head, an arm which supports the suspension and is rotatably supported by a bearing portion, signal wires which extend on the suspension and the arm and are connected electrically to the head, and a board unit. In manufacture, the signal wires are mounted on the suspension and the arm, and a connecting end portion of the board unit is connected to the signal wires mounted on the suspension and the arm. Thereafter, the head is mounted on the suspension and connected electrically to the signal wires.

Abstract: A disk drive suspension has a load beam having a base, a flexure for carrying a slider, and a mount plate. The suspension mount plate has a first portion attachable to an actuator and movable by the actuator as the primary shifting force on the load beam, suitable for larger positioning movements. A second portion of the mount plate is attached to the load beam base and is movable relative to the mount plate first portion. A microactuator moves the second mount plate portion relative to the first mount plate portion as a secondary shifting force on the load beam, suitable for very small positioning movements.

Abstract: An actuator assembly is provided that includes a body portion, a first actuator arm assembly, a second actuator arm assembly, a first flexure assembly, and a second flexure assembly. Each of the first and second actuator arm assemblies projects from the body portion and has a distal end with different respective first and second mechanical configurations. Each of the flexure assemblies is respectively mounted to the distal ends of the first and second actuator arm assemblies. The first and second mechanical configurations are selected to provide the first and second flexure assemblies with different mechanical resonance characteristics. In a preferred embodiment, the second actuator arm assembly includes an actuator arm and a spacer disposed between the actuator arm and the second flexure assembly. The spacer has a stiffness different from the stiffness of the actuator arm.

Abstract: A stepped-part 4b with a lower tip side is formed on the top face of a pattern end 4, and a lower face 4c thereof is used as a plane on which a solder ball 7 is provided. One or more protrusions 4d made of a swollen conductive layer are formed on the lower face to limit displacement of the solder ball in the tip direction and the both side directions. The solder ball is held by the protrusions to suppress deviation of the solder ball.

Abstract: A suspension for disc drive has a base portion including a base plate, a load beam, a pair of hinge members, a wired flexure, etc. The wired flexure has a metal base and a wiring portion on the metal base. The hinge members are fixed overlapping the rear end portion of the load beam and the front end portion of the base plate. The wired flexure extends through a gap between the hinge members and ranges over the load beam and the base plate.

Abstract: A magnetic head suspension assembly is fabricated with an integral piece which includes a load beam section, a flexure section, a rear mount section and a leaf spring section between the load beam and rear mount. A tongue extends from the load beam to the flexure and has a down-facing load dimple which contacts the non-air bearing surface of an attached air bearing slider. The flexure includes narrow thin legs adjacent to a cutout that delineates the load beam tongue. The head suspension is characterized by a high first bending mode frequency and low pitch and roll stiffness.