Abstract: A slider having contact protection for ultra-low fly heights. The contact protection includes contact pads having an ultra-low height dimension to reduce friction and damage for intermittent contact for ultra-low fly height applications.

Abstract: A ramp formed of a material made by adding an inorganic filler to a thermoplastic resin or a thermosetting resin.

Abstract: The invention includes a method of wiping a read-write head on a ramp and the loading ramp apparatus, as well as a disk drive using the method and/or containing the loading ramps.

Abstract: A magnetic disk apparatus includes a slider for holding a magnetic head for scanning a magnetic disk and performing recording end reproduction of information; a flexure member for holding the slider, the flexure member having an elasticity in a direction substantially perpendicular to a surface of the magnetic disk; a head actuator arm for holding the flexure member and causing the magnetic head to scan the magnetic disk; and an elastic body provided on the head actuator arm for applying a load for pressing the slider toward the surface of the magnetic disk.

Abstract: A head loading ramp structure, located near the inner diameter of the discs of a disc drive, for increasing the load applied to the heads by the head suspension when the heads are moved to a park location near the inner diameter of the discs. In a first embodiment, the ramp structure is stationary and a portion of the disc surface is accessed for normal read/write operations with the increased load applied. In a second embodiment, the ramp structure is moveable and engages the head suspension to increase the load applied to the heads only when the heads are parked during non-operational conditions. The ramp structure optionally includes disc snubber features to reduce disc coning and minimize the axial movement of the ramp structure in response to applied mechanical shocks.

Abstract: A method of assembling disc drive components involving the use of a shipping comb to deliver one or more head gimbal assemblies to a ramp in a disc drive. The shipping comb is configured to engage the head gimbal assembly by its load beam. The load beam is part of a head gimbal assembly which includes a suspension such that the load beam extends from the head gimbal assembly away from the suspension. In the assembly process, a proximal end of the shipping comb is brought into abutment with a distal end of the ramp. The shipping comb may have first features at its proximal end which are configured for mating with second features at the distal end of the ramp.

Abstract: A magnetic disk drive unit can is designed for reducing weight, improving impact resistance, improving removing ability, and achieving easiness of assembling and lower a cost in a magnetic disk drive unit. The magnetic disk drive unit includes a spindle motor mounting a magnetic disk, a carriage mounting a magnetic head for recording and reproduction, a park mechanism for placing the magnetic head retracted from the magnetic disk at stand-by state where recording and reproducing are not performed, a single rigid frame mounting the spindle motor, the carriage and the park mechanism thereon for forming an assembly, and a casing housing and fixing the assembly, the casing being formed of an elastically deformable material.

Abstract: Windage proximate to a spinning disk within a disk drive is directed through a plurality of apertures in a ramp situated near the outside diameter of the disk. A tab extending from a load beam that supports a slider rests on the ramp when the drive is not in use. When the drive is started the disk begins to spin and an actuator moves the load beam to bring the slider over the surface of the disk. As the load beam moves, the tab is guided along the ramp and cushioned by the air flow emerging from apertures in the ramp beneath it. When the drive is stopped the actuator brings the load beam back so that the tab engages the ramp. A cushion of air is again provided as the tab is moved along the ramp as the tab is returned to a parked position.

Abstract: A head supporting device with a loading/unloading mechanism and a disk drive unit using the head supporting device. The head supporting device and a voice coil motor (VCM) make up a head actuator of the drive system. The head actuator has i) a support arm rotatable on a bearing, moving in directions along the radius of a recording medium and vertical to the surface of the medium; ii) a magnetically levitating head on a slider facing the medium; and iii) resilient member for applying force to the arm in a direction close to the medium. The VCM has a pair of yokes, a magnet, and a coil. When the head is lead to a head retracting position, the other end of the arm is pulled by the interaction of a magnetic member and the magnet at the resting position and adjacencies. This eases the load on the VCM, contributing to a compact and slim disk drive unit with toughness and rapid data-access.

Abstract: A ramp assembly for loading and unloading of one or more sliders at the inner diameter of a disk drive. The disk drive has a base casting and one or more disk surfaces. The ramp assembly includes one or more projecting members, each projecting member including a disk-facing surface, a ramp which itself includes an inclined surface, a base member, which fastens to the base casting of the disk drive, and an upright member which connects the projecting member to the base member.

Abstract: A magnetic disk apparatus of the present invention comprises a head slider with a magnetic head mounted thereon, a disk on which information is recorded/regenerated by the magnetic head, a spindle motor, integrally structured with the disk, for rotating the disk, a suspension for elastically supporting the magnetic head slider, a carriage arm for supporting the suspension and positioning the magnetic head, and a base plate for attaching the spindle motor and the carriage arm. An out-of-plane primary natural frequency of a base plate part to which the spindle is to be attached is set to be substantially the same as that of a base plate part to which the carriage arm is to be attached. An out-of-plane primary natural frequency of the carriage arm is detached from that of the base plate part to which the carriage arm is to be attached to such an extent that no resonance occurs.

Abstract: A threader prevents misthreading of a flexible magnetic media when it is inserted into a disk drive. The threader is situated in the disk drive such that it has a height greater than a height of a lower half of a load ramp, upon which the disk drive's rotary actuator parks when it is not reading or writing to the disk. Preferably, the threader is a pliable piece of material that is ramp shaped.

Abstract: A method of assembling disc drive components involving the use of a shipping comb to deliver one or more head gimbal assemblies to a ramp in a disc drive. The shipping comb is configured to engage the head gimbal assembly by its load beam. The load beam is part of a head gimbal assembly which includes a suspension such that the load beam extends from the head gimbal assembly away from the suspension. In the assembly process, a proximal end of the shipping comb is brought into abutment with a distal end of the ramp. The shipping comb may have first features at its proximal end which are configured for mating with second features at the distal end of the ramp.

Abstract: This invention generally relates to dynamic load/unload technology in magnetic disk drive assemblies and, more particularly, to a combination of load/unload ramps with shipping combs and/or limiters, such as disk, tab, flexure, suspension or arm limiters, to provide protection to the head assemblies, arms and disks of the magnetic disk drive assemblies.

Abstract: A ramp structure for a data storage device has a load/unload ramp and a disk attached to a spindle. The ramp structure has a first rigid support structure 52, a second rigid support structure 76 separated from the first rigid support structure, a bridge 78 that connects the first rigid support structure to the second rigid support structure, and ramp units 50 attached to the first rigid support structure. The rigid support structure has a thermal expansion coefficient selected so that the ramp-disk spacing is constant during changes in temperature. By placing the parts of the first rigid support structure 52 and the second rigid support structure sleeve 76 in an injection molding die and carrying out an insert molding, the ramp unit 50 has an accurate and stable size.

Abstract: A disk device includes a chassis base, at least one disk rotatably supported on the chassis base, at least one carriage arm pivotable about an axis on one end and, at the other end, having a slider with a read/write head and a load bar extending from the slider, a ramp member attached to the chassis base at a position outside the disk, the ramp member having a guiding part and a parking part, and an actuator for driving the carriage arm between a loaded position in which the slider is held above the disk and an unloaded position in which the load bar rests on the parking part of the ramp member. The ramp member is provided with cleaning means for removing powder attached to the load bar as the load bar moves along the parking part.

Abstract: In a magnetic disk drive which comprises a magnetic head slider, a magnetic head slider support mechanism for supporting the magnetic head slider and moving it to a predetermined position, and a load/unload mechanism for detaching the magnetic head slider from the surface of a magnetic disk or moving it thereto, when the magnetic head slider is detached from the magnetic disk surface for unloading, the magnetic head slider support mechanism is restrained against displacement in at least one direction perpendicular to the magnetic disk surface by a restraining part which is provided at a position, on other than the load/unload mechanism, between the magnetic head slider and a pivot of the magnetic head slider support mechanism. Thus, it is possible to enhance impact resistance of the magnetic disk drive during non-ration.

Abstract: A disk drive having a mechanism for securing a suspension arm adjacent to the inner diameter region of a disk is described. The securing mechanism engages the suspension arm adjacent the inner diameter region of the disk during load/unload operations. The securing mechanism may be mounted in the drive chassis underneath a subsequently mounted disk. Prior to the mounting of the securing mechanism, a suspension arm may be mounted into the chassis. The securing mechanism is stacked on top of the chassis to engage the suspension arm without the need for lateral adjustment of the suspension arm. The disk may then be mounted into the chassis with the suspension arm pre-unloaded on the securing mechanism.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for minimizing the risk of damage to a disc surface caused by contact between a disc and a slider in a head disc assembly of a disc drive. The apparatus includes a flexure and slider which are biased away from the disc when the disc is stationary and one or more aerodynamic airfoils attached to the flexure. The airfoils are attached to the flexure and extend from the flexure at an angle relative to the disc so as to interact with an air flow caused when the disc spins to force the flexure and the attached slider to move toward the disc during operation of the disc drive.

Abstract: In a magnetic disk drive which comprises a magnetic head slider, a magnetic head slider support mechanism for supporting the magnetic head slider and moving it to a predetermined position, and a load/unload mechanism for detaching the magnetic head slider from the surface of a magnetic disk or moving it thereto, when the magnetic head slider is detached from the magnetic disk surface for unloading, the magnetic head slider support mechanism is restrained against displacement in at least one direction perpendicular to the magnetic disk surface by a restraining part which is provided at a position, on other than the load/unload mechanism, between the magnetic head slider and a pivot of the magnetic head slider support mechanism. Thus, it is possible to enhance impact resistance of the magnetic disk drive during non-rotation.

Abstract: In a magnetic disk apparatus including a base, a magnetic head, a magnetic disk, and a spindle motor having a stator fixed to the base and a rotor for mounting the magnetic disk, a ramp road structure for parking the magnetic head is fixed to the stator.

Abstract: Disclosed is a magnetic recording/reading apparatus comprising a ramp formed of a material having at least 30% of a tensile elongation as defined by ASTM D638. The distance c, which is defined as the length between a ramp and a tab measured at the point a/3 apart from the contact portion, a being the contact width of the ramp and the tab, is 0.0015 a, or at least 0.015 &mgr;m where a is 10 to 50 &mgr;m.

Abstract: A latch system for a removable cartridge and disk drive is provided. The cartridge is hinged at the back so as to pivot apart about an axis that is perpendicular to an axis of rotation of the disk. A pair of latches are disposed on opposing sides of the cartridge outboard of a labyrinth seal. Each of the latches includes an upper and a lower protrusion that acts as a catch that are insertable into corresponding apertures in the cartridge. The latches a spring-loaded toward a closed position. A load ramp for loading and unloading heads is fixed in the drive and contacts and engages a first latch, and a second unlatching member is fixed in the drive and contacts and engages the second latch. Employing the load ramp to unlatch one side of the cartridge conserves space within the cartridge.

Abstract: An information handling system, such as a disk drive, includes a base, a disk stack rotatably attached to the base, and an actuator assembly movably attached to the base. The actuator assembly also includes a load spring and a slider attached to said load spring. A ramp is also attached to the base near the disk stack. The ramp is used to load and unload the sliders to and from the disk. The slider and load spring are attached to form a gimballing connection between the slider and the load spring. The disk drive also includes a spindle motor and spindle motor controller for rotating the disk at a first rotational velocity and for rotating the disk at a second rotational velocity. The slider includes an air bearing surface. Landing pads, made of a durable material such as diamond like carbon, are formed on the air bearing surface of the slider. A method for loading a slider from a ramp to a disk surface includes rotating the disk at a first rotational velocity, as the slider is loaded.

Abstract: A load/unload ramp in a disk drive has first and second compound surfaces located on opposite sides of the median plane of the disk. Each compound surface has a parking surface disposed outside the disk perimeter. When the read/write heads of the disk drive are unloaded from the disk, the head suspension assemblies that support the heads are parked on the parking surfaces. One of the two parking surfaces is farther than the other parking surface from the median plane of the disk, providing increased separation between the parked read/write heads, thereby improving the ability of the disk drive to withstand shock.

Abstract: The present invention is a magnetic disk drive for reading or writing magnetically, comprising: (i) a base plate; (ii) a plurality of magnetic disks; (iii) a hub fixedly attached to the disks for supporting the disks; (iv) a motor operable to rotate the hub; (v) a plurality of magnetic read/write heads, each associated with the surface of a disk; (vi) an actuator for supporting the heads and moving the heads across the disks; (vii) a support shaft attached to the base plate; and (viii) a load/unload structure for displacing the heads from the disk comprising an elongated body, a base portion fixedly attached to the base plate and a plurality of ramps extending outwardly from the body. The body of the structure is mounted through one or more holes in the body onto the support shaft so that the support shaft extends along the length of the body to support the structure.