Voice Coil Patents (Class 360/264.7)
  • Patent number: 11698167
    Abstract: A display fixing apparatus, which enables a worker to fix a display to a wall at a position in front of the display, is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2023
    Assignee: LG Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: DuckSu Kim
  • Patent number: 11373677
    Abstract: The present disclosure generally relates to a voice coil motor (VCM) yoke for a data storage device. The VCM yoke has a unitary body turned back on itself at opposite ends to form a ā€œCā€ shape. The unitary body is electrically conductive. The body has a substantially flat inner surface upon which the coil is disposed. The unitary body also has a substantially flat top and a substantially flat bottom surface. A coil is disposed within the turns of the unitary body. The VCM yoke can be coupled to an actuator block using one or more fastening mechanisms that extend through openings in the VCM yoke.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Assignee: WESTERN DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Miki Namihisa, Kouki Uefune, Toshio Takahashi, Yuichi Arai
  • Patent number: 9093094
    Abstract: Approaches to a rotary actuator assembly configured for use in a hard disk drive (HDD) include a voice coil interleaved between the pivot bearing and the actuator arm, providing a longer pivot-to-head dimension which reduces the radius of curvature of the arc in which the head slider travels over the disk for accessing portions of the disk. Reducing the arc radius of curvature reduces the maximum skew angles of the read-write head in association with the disk tracks. The width of the actuator arm can be widened to provide improved operating characteristics even in view of the longer pivot-to-head dimension.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2015
    Assignee: HGST Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Kouki Uefune, Takenori Atsumi, Hajime Eguchi, Shigenori Takada
  • Patent number: 8854771
    Abstract: Approaches to improving head positioning accuracy in a hard disk drive, by suppressing airflow disturbances that would otherwise cause unwanted component vibration, include a voice coil motor having a sidewall spanning a gap between the VCM upper yoke and lower yoke. This VCM sidewall also serves as the inner wall of a bypass channel, for diverting airflow away from the actuator arm and associated components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: HGST Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Hajime Eguchi, Takashi Kouno
  • Patent number: 8767353
    Abstract: A hard disk drive including a plurality of magnetic disks and a voice coil motor. The voice coil motor includes a coil and a first damper plate for dampening vibrations generated by the coil. The first damper plate is disposed within the voice coil motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2014
    Assignee: HGST Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Kimihiko Sudo, Kouki Uefune, Hiromitsu Masuda, Takako Hayakawa
  • Publication number: 20130163123
    Abstract: A circuit device includes a linear driver circuit, a pulse-width modulation driver circuit, an oscillator circuit having an output coupled to the pulse-width modulation circuit, and a feed-forward circuit coupled to the oscillator circuit, the feed-forward circuit being configured to adjust an output of the oscillator circuit so that an output of the PWM circuit substantially matches an output of the linear driver circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 23, 2011
    Publication date: June 27, 2013
    Inventor: Yoshito Otaguro
  • Patent number: 8300392
    Abstract: An electronic device includes a mainframe having a receiving space, two curved slide grooves, and an elongated slide groove. A display screen is slidable along the curved slide grooves between a stored position and a use position. A keyboard includes a side plate connected slidably to the elongated slide groove, and is movable relative to the mainframe between stored and use positions. The spring member biases a movable arm to press against the side plate. The keyboard is pushed by the movable arm to move automatically toward the use or stored position when the keyboard moves a distance relative to the mainframe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2012
    Assignee: Wistron Corporation
    Inventor: Cheng-Ying Weng
  • Patent number: 8276256
    Abstract: A method of assembling a head stack assembly (HSA) includes securing a flex cable to an actuator including an actuator arm having a side slot with a slot end. A first head gimbal assembly (HGA) is attached to the actuator arm. The first HGA includes a first laminated flexure having a first flexure tail with a first raised region that includes an out-of-plane bend. The first raised region is squeezed while inserting the first flexure tail partially within the side slot with the first raised region adjacent the slot end. The first raised region is allowed to expand into contact with the side slot adjacent the slot end. The first flexure tail is electrically connected to the flex cable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2012
    Assignee: Western Digital Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Yiduo Zhang, Tzong-Shii Pan, Yih-Jen D. Chen
  • Patent number: 8194357
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2012
    Inventors: Hong Taek Lim, Ki Tag Jeong
  • Patent number: 8189298
    Abstract: A C-shaped bobbin includes a bobbin base member adjacent and attached to a first lateral leg of an actuator coil. A bobbin recess, adjacent the bobbin base member, separates first and second bobbin wings. The first and second bobbin wings define first and second wing lengths measured parallel to first and second longitudinal legs of the coil, respectively, and also define first and second wing widths measured normal to the first and second longitudinal legs, respectively. The bobbin recess defines a recess depth measured normal to the first lateral leg, and defines a recess width measured parallel to the first lateral leg. Each of the first and second wing lengths is less than the length of the longitudinal legs. The recess depth is at least half a base member width. The recess width is at least twice the first wing width and/or the second wing width.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2012
    Assignee: Western Digital Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Yu-Min Lee, Arman V. Golgolab, Jian Yang
  • Patent number: 8183721
    Abstract: An oscillation drive device includes an oscillating unit that includes attaching portions on either sides thereof, the attaching portions being arranged on an oscillation axis; a base that includes an oscillating fulcrum that supports the oscillating unit on the oscillation axis and supporting portions that firmly support the oscillating unit; and a pair of strip-shaped leaf springs that is arranged so as to intersect with the oscillation axis and oscillates the oscillating unit on the oscillation axis, each of the strip-shaped leaf springs includes a fixing portion attached to the attaching portions of the oscillating unit; and a flexible beam portion that both ends of which are attached to the supporting portions of the base, and causes the oscillating unit to oscillate on the base by flexure behavior thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2012
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Noriyuki Komori, Atsushi Michimori, Shinji Yagyu
  • Publication number: 20120120529
    Abstract: A voice-coil motor (VCM) with a flux guide configured to reduce vibrations of a head when accessing data in a disk drive. The VCM includes at least one VCM magnet, a voice coil, and at least one flux guide. The voice coil is disposed in proximity to a magnetic pole of the VCM magnet. The flux guide is coupled to the voice coil; and, the flux guide is configured to reduce vibrations of the head when accessing data in the disk drive.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 11, 2010
    Publication date: May 17, 2012
    Inventors: Takeshi Ozaki, Toshihiko Shimizu
  • Patent number: 8179640
    Abstract: A hard disk drive with a voice coil motor coupled to a head. The head is coupled to a disk that is rotated by a spindle motor. The spindle motor generates a back-emf current. The disk drive also includes a drive circuit that causes the voice coil motor to move the head off of the disk. The drive circuit provides at least a portion of the back-emf voltage to the voice coil motor if a head velocity exceeds a first predetermined value and a larger portion of the back-emf voltage if the head velocity exceeds a second predetermined value. For example, a relatively small amount of voltage can be provided if the head velocity falls below a first threshold to accelerate the head and a larger current can be provided if the head velocity falls below a lower threshold to generate a greater head thrust.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2012
    Assignee: Seagate Technology International
    Inventor: Brian K. Tanner
  • Patent number: 8134318
    Abstract: A system for implementing current shaping for retract of a voice coil motor (VCM) includes drive circuitry coupled to drive the VCM according to a logic state of the system. Current shaping circuitry is configured to temporarily decrease the bandwidth of a VCM transconductance loop in response to a control signal. The transconductance loop includes at least the VCM, the current shaping circuitry and the drive circuitry. The system also includes logic configured to provide the control signal at an end portion a drive logic state to enter a current shaping logic state as a transition from the drive logic state to a floating logic state to reduce current through the VCM such that acoustic emissions from the VCM are mitigated during the retract.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2012
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Julio Enrique Ayala, II, Juergen Luebbe
  • Patent number: 8134808
    Abstract: A hard disk drive includes a head stack assembly including an actuator arm, a voice coil coupled to a bobbin, and a pivot shaft holder, rotatably coupled to a pivot shaft, disposed between the actuator arm and the voice coil. The hard disk drive also includes at least one magnet, disposed adjacent to the voice coil, which interacts and with the voice coil when current flows in the voice coil, thus generating an electromagnetic force to pivot the actuator arm around the pivot shaft, and a flux fringe prevention layer comprising a magnetic material and coupled to the voice coil, to prevent magnetic flux generated in the magnet being bent in the voice coil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2012
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Woo Chul Kim, Chul Woo Lee
  • Patent number: 8120901
    Abstract: A hard disk mounting device includes a receiving portion, a first adapter card, and a second adapter card. The receiving portion includes a bottom plate with a first end and a opposite second end. The first adapter card is attached to the first end of the bottom plate. The first adapter card includes a first connector located at a side of the first adapter card facing away from the second end of the bottom plate. The second adapter card is located at the center of the bottom plate, the second adapter card includes at least one connector e for connecting to a hard disk. The bottom plate includes at least one part for mounting hard disk, each part includes a first fixing mechanism for fixing a hard disk of a first size and a second mechanism for fixing a hard disk of a second size.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2012
    Assignees: Hong Fu Jin Precision Industry (ShenZhen) Co., Ltd., Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Lei Liu, Xiao-Feng Ma, Chia-Shin Chou
  • Patent number: 8040637
    Abstract: A drive is provided executing high-speed oscillatory motion. A voice coil motor in a pixel shifter includes a coil of a rectangular shape producing thrust along an axis, a flap fixing the coil, and flat springs giving to the flap an urging force against the thrust. An oscillation axis of the flap is parallel to the axis and located between another axis that is parallel and opposite to the axis and still another axis that is parallel to the axis and passes over a centroid of the coil. This reduces the value of the inertia per unit torque.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2011
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Noriyuki Komori, Atsushi Michimori, Shinji Yagyu
  • Patent number: 8031439
    Abstract: The head stack assembly of a hard disk drive includes a bobbin, and a printed circuit board attached to the bobbin. The bobbin forms an end of the head stack assembly that is rotatable about an axis of a shaft. The printed circuit board has a flat conductive pattern of a plurality of traces through which current is supplied. The conductive pattern constitutes the voice coil motor of the hard disk drive. The hard disk drive has magnets disposed above and below the bobbin, respectively, to generate a magnetic field across the conductive pattern such that an electromotive force that rotates the HSA is produced when current flows through the conductive pattern. The flat conductive pattern allows the voice coil motor to be relatively thin while the magnets need to encompass only a small region making the hard disk drive compact and lightweight.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2011
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Chul-Woo Lee
  • Patent number: 8018688
    Abstract: A head stack assembly of a disk drive unit includes a head arm assembly (HAA) having a head gimbal assembly, a drive arm to be connected with the head gimbal assembly; wherein the drive arm comprises a securing portion, a connection portion and a spacer connecting the securing portion with the connection portion. At least one undercut is formed on the spacer of the drive arm to strengthen the drive arm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2011
    Assignee: SAE Magnetics (H.K.) Ltd.
    Inventors: Takehiro Kamigama, Yiu Sing Ho, Canhua Chen
  • Patent number: 7990657
    Abstract: A plurality of non-magnetic dampers on a voice coil yoke arm for reducing low frequency vibration in a hard disk drive is disclosed. One embodiment provides housing and at least one disk coupled with the housing. In addition, an actuator is coupled to the housing, the actuator having a coil region with a voice coil and a plurality of voice coil yoke arms. At least one of a plurality of non-magnetic dampers is also coupled with each of the plurality of voice coil yoke arms and not with the voice coil. In so doing, the plurality of non-magnetic dampers are able to damp low frequency actuator coil torsion and coil bending resonances.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2011
    Assignee: Hitachi Global Storage Technologies, Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Ta-Chang Fu, Jeffrey Kerner
  • Patent number: 7876532
    Abstract: A rotary actuator motor is provided including a stationary coil section and a rotating magnet. The magnet is incorporated with the pivot bearing assembly, and the coil section is aligned with the magnet along an axis of rotation of the actuator. The magnet fully encircles the axis of rotation. The coil comprises one or more closed loops of electrically conductive material. The motor in this arrangement maintains a much smaller profile in comparison to a traditional voice coil motor that is mounted to a yoke extending away from the axis of rotation of the actuator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2011
    Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventors: John E. Scura, John Beley, David Chew, Wendy Lorimer, Babu Rahman, Frank Ivan Morris
  • Patent number: 7855856
    Abstract: A disk drive includes a magnetic recording medium rotatably supported, a spindle motor for spinning the recording medium, a slider having a head, a supporting arm having the slider at a first end facing the recording medium, a bearing for holding the supporting arm rotatably along a recording surface of the medium and pivotably in a vertical direction with respect to the recording surface, a leaf spring giving thrusting force to a first end of the supporting arm toward the medium, and a driver for rotating the supporting arm along the recording surface. When the driver rotates the supporting arm along the recording surface and parks the head in a given evacuation area on the recording surface, a second end of the supporting arm is depressed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2010
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventor: Hideki Kuwajima
  • Publication number: 20100302686
    Abstract: In a voice coil motor (VCM) of a disk drive, a coined feature formed on a ferromagnetic plate reduces magnetic flux leakage from a disk drive without increasing the weight of the drive or adding complexity to the manufacturing process. The coined feature is shaped and positioned to alter the path of magnetic flux lines produced by the VCM in a way that significantly reduces the flux leakage from the VCM. The coined feature may be formed without adding material to the ferromagnetic plate by the same stamping process used to fabricate the plate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 28, 2009
    Publication date: December 2, 2010
    Inventor: Michael C. MCGRATH
  • Publication number: 20100259852
    Abstract: This device and method provide a hard disc assembly (HDA) printed circuit board (PCB) with the input/output connector and read/write connector on the same end. This allows the printed circuit board for a hard disc assembly to be about 70% smaller and cheaper than the prior art. This device allows for higher data rates and less noise by allowing shorter signal lines between the read/write connector, the integrated circuits and the input/output connector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 14, 2009
    Publication date: October 14, 2010
    Inventor: Stephen Ralph Viskochil
  • Publication number: 20100246069
    Abstract: An HDD includes a head stack assembly, a voice coil motor, and a retracting pin unit. The retracting pin unit includes a mobile retracting pin generating a retracting force to maintain the actuator arm at a predetermined position by interacting with the magnet when the read/write head is parked, and coupled to the bobbin to be capable of relatively moving with respect to the bobbin toward the magnet when the bobbin is separated from the magnet due to an external shock. A head on disk phenomenon, in which the parking state of the read/write head is removed when an external shock such as a linear shock or a rotary shock, which may be generated as the HDD is installed in a notebook computer, is applied to the HDD, may be reduced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2010
    Publication date: September 30, 2010
    Applicant: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jung Moo SON, Hong Kwon Lee, Byung-Soo Kim
  • Publication number: 20100188780
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, an assembly includes a first member configured to have a first linear expansion coefficient, a second member configured to have a second linear expansion coefficient smaller than the first linear expansion coefficient, a pair of connecting members configured to connect the first member with the second member, and a notch configured to be formed in the second member between the connecting members and configured to reduce a sectional area of the second member on a section perpendicular to a straight line that connects the connecting members.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 5, 2010
    Publication date: July 29, 2010
    Applicant: TOSHIBA STORAGE DEVICE CORPORATION
    Inventor: Shigeru JUMAN
  • Publication number: 20100177444
    Abstract: The present invention provides a VCM driver realizing low power consumption and high accuracy and a PWM amplifier compensating a dead time distortion. A phase compensator, a ?? modulator receiving an output signal of the phase compensator and converting the output signal to a control code of predetermined bits, a PWM modulator receiving the control code to produce a PWM signal, and an output circuit receiving the PWM signal to drive a voice coil constitute a forward path. A sense amplifier sensing a current of the voice coil, an ADC receiving an output signal of the sense amplifier, a low-pass filter receiving an output signal of the ADC, and a decimation filter receiving an output signal of the low-pass filter constitute a feedback path. An output signal of the decimation filter is fed back to the input side of the phase compensator to form a major feedback loop having a first-order characteristic loop gain.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2010
    Publication date: July 15, 2010
    Applicant: RENESAS TECHNOLOGY CORP.
    Inventors: Yasuhiko Kokami, Hiroshi Kuroiwa
  • Patent number: 7733601
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide a hard disk drive base adapted to prevent release of a strain due to the difference in thermal expansion between the vice coil motor and the base and thereby prevent a degradation in the positioning accuracy of the magnetic head. In one embodiment, a hard disk drive base is provided which includes a plurality of contact surfaces to which a lower yoke of a voice coil motor is fixed and thin portions each formed around a respective one of the plurality of contact surfaces and having a thickness smaller than that of other portions of the base.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2010
    Assignee: Hitachi Global Storage Technologies Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Satoshi Hayakawa, Eiji Soga, Kohichi Takeuchi, Takashi Kumazawa
  • Patent number: 7587808
    Abstract: A method of coupling a voice coil motor to a bowl-type base plate of a hard disk drive is described for a hard disk drive including a voice coil motor having a coil coupled to a rear end portion of an actuator arm, an upper yoke and a lower yoke provided at upper and lower portions of the coil respectively, a bowl-type base plate having a plurality of flattened structures for fastening the lower yoke in a position relative to the bowl-type base plate and a countersink formed in the lower yoke.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2009
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Do-wan Kim, Byoung-gyou Choi
  • Publication number: 20090190265
    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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 21, 2009
    Publication date: July 30, 2009
    Applicant: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hong Taek Lim, Ki Tag Jeong
  • Patent number: 7549210
    Abstract: A data storage device is made by molding a portion of a motor into a first enclosure member, and then coupling the first enclosure member to a second enclosure member to define an interior environment for other data storage device components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2009
    Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventors: Joo Yong Teo, Niroot Jierapipatanakul, WaiOnn Chee, BoonSeng Ong
  • Publication number: 20090097164
    Abstract: A drive is provided executing high-speed oscillatory motion. A voice coil motor in a pixel shifter includes a coil of a rectangular shape producing thrust along an axis, a flap fixing the coil, and flat springs giving to the flap an urging force against the thrust. An oscillation axis of the flap is parallel to the axis and located between another axis that is parallel and opposite to the axis and still another axis that is parallel to the axis and passes over a centroid of the coil. This reduces the value of the inertia per unit torque.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 18, 2008
    Publication date: April 16, 2009
    Applicant: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Noriyuki Komori, Atsushi Michimori, Shinji Yagyu
  • Patent number: 7505264
    Abstract: A system and method for an improved multiple hard-disk-drive data-storage enclosure. Some embodiments position drives in counter-rotating pairs, each simultaneously accessing half the data, such that seek-caused actuator rotational-acceleration vibration cause simultaneous canceling rotational torque. Some embodiments position the edge of a first drive (or drive pair) at an angle to the actuator midpoint of a nearby second drive (or drive pair), such that rotational-acceleration vibration from a seek-caused actuator rotation in the first drive does not cause a rotational movement into the second drive that affects the tracking or seek operation. Some further embodiments position drives in a herringbone pattern to redirect air flow in addition to reducing rotational-acceleration vibration interaction. Other embodiments include a printed wire circuit board mounted to reduce the rotational-acceleration vibration interaction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2009
    Assignee: Atrato, Inc.
    Inventors: Jonathan E. Hall, Daniel M. McCormick, Eric J. Wendel, Charles A. Lemaire
  • Publication number: 20090059435
    Abstract: A voice coil for a voice coil motor of a hard disk drive comprises an inner surface of the voice coil, which bounds a central space of the voice coil. A first outer surface of the voice coil is substantially parallel to a second outer surface of the voice coil. A constrained layer damper is attached to the inner surface of the voice coil by a coupler. The constrained layer damper comprises a first constraining layer coupled to a first surface of a viscoelastic damping layer. A second constraining layer is coupled to a second surface of the viscoelastic damping layer. The constrained layer damper is curved in a direction that is substantially perpendicular to the first outer surface of the voice coil and the second outer surface of the voice coil.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 30, 2007
    Publication date: March 5, 2009
    Inventors: Fu-Ying Huang, Jifang Tian
  • Publication number: 20090046392
    Abstract: A voice coil motor for a hard disk drive includes an inner core having an inner surface, an outer plate having an inner surface, a permanent magnet, and a coil of wire. The outer plate is positioned in spaced relation to the inner core such that a gap is defined between the inner surfaces of the inner core and the outer plate. The permanent magnet is located in the gap and attached to the inner surface of the outer plate. The coil of wire wraps around the inner core to form a solenoid coil. With such structure, the stiffness of the coil is increased. The invention also discloses a disk drive with such VCM in which the coil is directly bonded to the E-block of the hard disk drive. Therefore heat conduction of the hard disk drive is improved.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 13, 2007
    Publication date: February 19, 2009
    Applicant: SAE Magnetics (H.K.) Ltd.
    Inventors: JianFeng Xu, YanChu Xu, LingJun Kong, LiXin Wu, Thao Nguyen
  • Publication number: 20090015968
    Abstract: A voice coil motor for a disk drive includes a permanent magnet, a voice coil adapted to move in an arc proximate to the permanent magnet, a top plate positioned above the voice coil, and a bottom plate positioned below the voice coil. The permanent magnet has two halves that are magnetized in opposite direction. The two halves of the magnet are split into a right half magnet portion and a left half magnet portion. The right half magnet portion and the left half magnet portion are attached to the top plate and the bottom plate respectively at opposite sides of the voice coil motor. The invention also discloses a disk drive unit with such VCM.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 21, 2007
    Publication date: January 15, 2009
    Applicant: SAE Magnetics (H.K.) Ltd.
    Inventors: YanChu Xu, JianFeng Xu, LingJun Kong, Lei Yu, Qiang Zhao
  • Patent number: 7474511
    Abstract: A voice-coil motor includes a stator and a rotor, which is pivoted about a swivel axis, with respect to the stator. The rotor and/or the stator has a printed circuit board that includes at least one circuit-board conductor, and the at least one circuit-board conductor is arranged such that it forms at least one coil unit in a plane, the at least one coil unit including several circuit traces. Within one coil unit, more than two circuit traces have a section, in which the specific circuit trace is oriented in the direction of the swivel axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2009
    Assignee: Dr. Johannes Heidenhain GmbH
    Inventors: Gerhard Scheglmann, Volker Hoefer
  • Publication number: 20080310054
    Abstract: A plurality of non-magnetic dampers on a voice coil yoke arm for reducing low frequency vibration in a hard disk drive is disclosed. One embodiment provides housing and at least one disk coupled with the housing. In addition, an actuator is coupled to the housing, the actuator having a coil region with a voice coil and a plurality of voice coil yoke arms. At least one of a plurality of non-magnetic dampers is also coupled with each of the plurality of voice coil yoke arms and not with the voice coil. In so doing, the plurality of non-magnetic dampers are able to damp low frequency actuator coil torsion and coil bending resonances.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 12, 2007
    Publication date: December 18, 2008
    Inventors: Ta-Chang Fu, Jeffrey Kerner
  • Patent number: 7457084
    Abstract: A hard disk drive includes a base having a bottom plate. A magnetic body is embedded in the bottom plate. The magnetic body is allowed to serve as a magnetic shield in the hard disk drive. The magnetic body is allowed to have a sufficient thickness without requiring an additional space outside the base, since the magnetic body is embedded in the base. The magnetic field directed outside the base can reliably be absorbed at the magnetic body. The magnetic body may be received in a depression defined in the bottom plate. The depression may be formed based on a reduction in the thickness of the bottom plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2008
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventors: Yoshiharu Matsuda, Shinji Fujimoto, Masato Shibuya, Keiichi Miyajima
  • Patent number: 7420782
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a rotating disk storage device adopting a thin yoke structure. In one embodiment, the yoke structure of a voice coil motor includes a base of a casing formed from a ferromagnetic material; an auxiliary yoke disposed so as to be magnetically coupled to the base; a magnet disposed so as to be magnetically coupled to a front surface of the auxiliary yoke; and a main yoke provided with yoke legs magnetically coupled to the auxiliary yoke and an opposing surface that confronts a front surface of the magnet. In addition, a yoke gap is defined between the opposing surface and the front surface of the magnet. The base and the auxiliary yoke form a magnetic path, which allows a dedicated yoke on a lower portion to be eliminated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2008
    Assignee: Hitachi Global Storage Technologies Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Takanori Kawakami, Shinichi Kimura, Hiroki Kitahori, Hiroshi Matsuda
  • Patent number: 7414815
    Abstract: A magnetic disk device comprises a magnetic disk in which a data zone is formed. An actuator has a voice coil and a head slider carrying a magnetic head, the actuator being swung to move the magnetic head over the disk between an innermost position of the data zone and an outermost position of the data zone. A magnet has a magnetization center and is opposed to the voice coil so that a voice coil motor which swings the actuator is formed, the magnet having a north pole and a south pole confronting each other via the magnetization center. The magnetic disk device is provided so that a deviation of a center of the voice coil from the magnetization center when the magnetic head is in the innermost position of the data zone is substantially equal to a deviation of the center of the voice coil from the magnetization center when the magnetic head is in the outermost position of the data zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2008
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventors: Shinji Fujimoto, Masato Shibuya, Hisashi Kaneko, Tsuneyori Ino, Yukihiro Komura, Mitsuhiro Izumi, Kei Funabashi
  • Publication number: 20080180855
    Abstract: A voice coil motor for use in a disk drive device suitable for causing rotation of a head gimbal assembly connected to a first end of the voice coil motor is provided. At least one protrusion may protrude from a second end of the voice coil motor, with the second end of the voice coil motor being opposed to the first end. The voice coil motor may be rotatable to move a head connected to the head gimbal assembly for a read and/or write operation and for parking. The protrusion may be disposed on the voice coil motor so as to cooperate with a single pin to define first and second maximum positions beyond which the voice coil motor cannot rotate. In certain example embodiments, the first maximum position may be a load position limit beyond which the voice coil motor cannot rotate during a read/write operation, and the second maximum position may be a park position limit beyond which the voice coil motor cannot rotate when the head is parked.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2007
    Publication date: July 31, 2008
    Applicant: SAE Magnetics (H.K.) Ltd.
    Inventors: Masahiko Fujioka, Yiu Sing Ho, Yi Wan
  • Publication number: 20080165451
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for increasing the efficiency of a voice coil motor (VCM) are disclosed. According to one aspect of the present invention, a cylindrical and radially symmetric VCM includes a plurality of sets of magnets, and a single coil. The plurality of sets of the magnets are each arranged in an array configuration, and cooperate to form a magnetic field. The coil receives current and has a plurality of windings. A first space is defined within the coil, and the plurality of sets of the magnets are arranged such that a first set of the magnets is positioned within the first space and a second set of the magnets is positioned external to the coil.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 18, 2008
    Publication date: July 10, 2008
    Applicant: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Michael B. Binnard, Jean-Marc Gery, Andrew J. Hazelton
  • Patent number: 7372670
    Abstract: A disk drive includes a base, a disk, an actuator with a coil having first and second legs, and a magnetic element support. The support includes a first plate section including a first support portion and a first extension portion. The support includes a second plate section including a second support portion and a second extension portion. The second extension portion is cooperatively formed with the first extension portion to receive the first leg with the second leg between the first and second extension portions. The magnetic element support further includes a transition section between the first and second plate sections. A primary magnetic flux path extends through the first support portion, the transition section, the second support portion, and the first leg. A secondary magnetic flux path extends through the second support portion, the second extension portion, the second leg, the first extension portion, and the first support portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2008
    Assignee: Western Digital Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Kamran Oveyssi
  • Patent number: 7336448
    Abstract: A magnetic disk device comprises a magnetic disk in which a data zone is formed. An actuator has a voice coil and a head slider carrying a magnetic head, the actuator being swung to move the magnetic head over the disk between an innermost position of the data zone and an outermost position of the data zone. A magnet has a magnetization center and is opposed to the voice coil so that a voice coil motor which swings the actuator is formed, the magnet having a north pole and a south pole confronting each other via the magnetization center. The magnetic disk device is provided so that a deviation of a center of the voice coil from the magnetization center when the magnetic head is in the innermost position of the data zone is substantially equal to a deviation of the center of the voice coil from the magnetization center when the magnetic head is in the outermost position of the data zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2008
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventors: Shinji Fujimoto, Masato Shibuya, Hisashi Kaneko, Tsuneyori Ino, Yukihiro Komura, Mitsuhiro Izumi, Kei Funabashi
  • Patent number: 7327537
    Abstract: A disk drive includes a base, a disk rotatably coupled to the base, and a rotary actuator coupled to the base adjacent the disk. The rotary actuator is configured to pivot about an axis of rotation, and includes a coil. The disk drive further includes a magnetic element support coupled to the base. The magnetic element support includes first and second plate sections cooperatively formed to receive the coil. The magnetic element support includes a first transition section formed between the plate sections for forming a first magnetic flux path. The first transition section disposed angularly lateral with respect to the coil and the axis of rotation. The magnetic element support includes a second transition section formed between the plate sections for forming a second magnetic flux path. The second transition section being disposed radially beyond the coil with respect to the axis of rotation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2008
    Assignee: Western Digital Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Kamran Oveyssi
  • Patent number: 7289301
    Abstract: A voice coil motor coupling structure of a hard disk drive for coupling a voice coil motor to a base plate of the hard disk drive, the voice coil motor includes a coil coupled to a rear end portion of an actuator arm, an upper yoke and a lower yoke provided at upper and lower portions of the coil, respectively, separated at a predetermined distance from the coil, and a magnet attached to the lower surface of the upper yoke.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2007
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Do-wan Kim, Byoung-gyou Choi
  • Patent number: 7275303
    Abstract: The upper voice coil motor magnet assembly (64a?) of a disk drive (10?) is magnetically aligned with the lower voice coil motor magnet assembly (64b?) using an alignment fixture (126). The alignment fixture (126) engages the upper voice coil motor magnet assembly (64a?) and lifts the same into a suspended position above the lower voice coil motor magnet assembly (64b?). In this suspended condition, the alignment fixture (126) allows the magnetic field to move the upper voice coil motor magnet assembly (64a?) within the horizontal dimension to a magnetically aligned position with the lower voice coil motor magnet assembly (64b?). Thereafter, the alignment fixture (126) lowers the upper voice coil motor magnet assembly (64a?) to a position where the same is again supported above the lower voice coil motor magnet assembly (64b?).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2007
    Assignee: Maxtor Corporation
    Inventor: Richard F. O'Day
  • Patent number: 7277256
    Abstract: An actuator of a hard disk drive moves a magnetic head to record and reproduce data with respect to a disk to a predetermined position on the disk. The actuator includes a suspension supporting a slider where the magnetic head is mounted, and an arm included on a base plate of the hard disk drive to be capable of pivoting and having the suspension included at a leading end portion of the arm and a coil of a voice coil motor coupled to a rear end portion of the arm. The coil is coupled to the rear end portion of the arm by an outer mold formed to encompass an outer circumference of the coil, an inner mold formed inside the coil, and a connection mold connecting the outer mold and the inner mold is formed at least part of a surface of a non-effective portion of the coil except for an effective portion arranged to be perpendicular to a direction in which the arm pivots.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2007
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Ki-tag Jeong
  • Patent number: 7262939
    Abstract: A top pole piece of a voice coil motor (VCM) is attached to a hard disk drive cover without screw fasteners and with minimal loss of VCM magnetic flux capacity. A pair of leaf springs are supported at both ends, rather than by cantilever, to more uniformly distribute mechanical stress throughout the springs so that less space is required to achieve the same transverse load as a cantilevered spring of the same profile. The smaller space envelope required by this design minimizes the loss of magnetic flux capacity of the VCM. Each leaf spring has two integral legs, central portions of which are rigidly fastened to the drive cover. The end of each leg opposite the central portion applies a force against the cover in the assembled disk drive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2007
    Assignee: Hitachi Global Storage Technologies Netherlands, BV
    Inventors: Michael Robert Hatchett, Daniel Robert Stacer