Abstract: An approach to a reduced-head hard disk drive (HDD) involves a load/unload (LUL) ramp subsystem that includes a ramp assembly that includes a rotatable latch link configured for mechanical interaction with a head-stack assembly (HSA) and a LUL ramp coupled with the latch link, configured such that in response to a force applied to the latch link by the HSA, the latch link rotates which disengages a magnetic latch and drives the LUL ramp to rotate into an operational state disengaged from any recording disk of a multiple-disk stack. The subsystem may further include a motor configured to drive rotation of a lead screw to which the ramp assembly is attached, to drive vertical translation of the ramp assembly, thereby providing for loading the vertically-translatable HSA onto and off of each of the disks of the disk stack.

Abstract: A recording apparatus includes a guiding shaft as a guiding portion that extends in a main scanning direction, a carriage, which is provided with a recording head that ejects ink, and which moves in the main scanning direction by sliding along the guiding shaft, and pressing units, which is provided in the carriage, and which presses the guiding shaft in a sub-scanning direction, and a sliding resistance is changed using the pressing units.

Abstract: A rotational based actuator configured to impart linear movement. The actuator may be suitable for use in any number of applications where a disk or other feature may be rotated over a wedge to impart linear movement. The forces used to generate the rotation movement may be imparted by the wedge against an element, causing the element to move linearly with the disk.

Abstract: A dual actuator arm assembly system that uses two pairs of actuator-carriage arms that linearly move over a stationary micro-rail independently. The geometric shape of the two pairs of actuator carriage arms conform to the arcs of the data tracks at an acute angle. System enables micro-actuation that is integrated to actuator arm and is a function of its geometry. Uninterrupted data stream and sector coverage and thus parallel data transfer scheme is made possible. Each actuator move only within a limited range of disk area, thus precision is increased, vibration is minimized and external transfer rate is speeded up and overall access time is shortened. Instant access to two quarters of the disk with two pairs of actuators and to park these without landing the heads—by positioning and constant fly height during idle mode, or when system is turned off, are introduced as what are new in the art.

Abstract: A flexible disk drive comprises a main frame, a magnetic head, a head assembly supporting the magnetic head so as to move the magnetic head in a tracking direction, and a guide rod fixedly attached onto the main frame by a metal fitting to guide the head assembly in the tracking direction. The main frame is made of a sheet metal and is provided with a recessed portion having a sidewall. The sidewall is faced to an end face of the guide rod with a small space left therebetween so that the recessed portion restricts the movement of the guide rod in the tracking direction.

Abstract: A method for mounting removably secured actuator arms that include head suspensions to an actuator assembly spindle. Each arm is mounted to an actuator spindle via a spacer with an annular lip with at least one detent formed into its perimeter edge. Each actuator arm includes two resilient fingers, annularly shaped to form an interior radius smaller than the spacer radius with at least one engagement member formed into a finger. Each arm is mounted by expanding the resilient fingers to a stressed state, engaging the fingers with the lip, and positioning the fingers so that each engagement member is aligned and engaged with a detent. The spacer alternatively includes a guide slot in a planar surface from which the lip extends, with the guide slot being engaged by a boss tower on the arm to properly orient the arm when mounting the arm to the spacer.

Abstract: A head positioner is described wherein a read/write head is slidably propelled along an arm by an electrically, an acoustically, or an magnetically active material. One embodiment is comprised of a driver arm with a single slidable positioner. The driver arm is composed of a rail with two driver layers. An isolator layer between rail and each driver layer prevents distortion of rail when driver layers are activated. A wear-resistant, low-friction layer prevents damage to driver layer and facilitates sliding motion between positioner and driver arm. Positioner is propelled along driver arm by energizing driver layer composed of either a piezoelectric, piezoceramic, electrostatic, electromagnetic, or electrostatic material. At least one read/write head is attached to the positioner for data communication purposes with a storage element. In an alternate embodiment, two positioners are separately and independently slidable along a single driver arm.

Abstract: A head carriage device includes a carriage, a head arm, a flat spring extending from the head arm, a fixing member to fix the flat spring to the carriage, a resilient member to resiliently urge the head arm in a direction in which the head arm moves toward the carriage, a lifting mechanism to pivot the head arm away from and toward the carriage, and a finger to which the lifting mechanism is applied, the finger being provided at one side of the head arm. The head carriage device is provided with a first protrusion and a second protrusion. When the head arm is pivoted away from the carriage, a restricting finger restricts the movement of a free end of the first protrusion away from the carriage, and a restricting face provided on the carriage restricts the movement of a free end of the second protrusion toward the carriage.

Abstract: An improved disk drive includes an improved operating system, an improved eject system, an improved head retract system and an improved motor loading system. In a preferred embodiment of the operating system it includes a motor, an eject crank, a head crank and an actuator. The output of the motor can be selectively controlled by the actuator to power either the eject crank or the head crank. Powering the head crank, causes the disk drive heads to move, and powering the eject crank causes a disk cartridge to be ejected from the disk drive. The motor loading system may have a disk drive motor having a threaded exterior and a member extending from the exterior to interface with the eject system. Additionally, this motor loading system may include an aperture in the chassis of the disk drive that has a threaded ring running around the circumference of the aperture and a spring extending from the threaded ring.

Abstract: The present invention provides a disk drive apparatus for recording and/or playing back a signal onto and/or from a disk-shaped recording medium. The disk drive apparatus having a configuration comprising a head arm for supporting a magnetic head. The head arm is provided with an arm base made of a rigid material and a suspension implemented by a plate spring. Since in the configuration of the disk drive apparatus provided by the present invention includes a head arm which is provided with an arm base made of a rigid material and a suspension implemented by a plate spring, the length of the suspension can be shortened and the positional precision of the magnetic head can be assured with a high degree of reliability.

Abstract: A disk drive wherein a head raising and lowering arm is rotated around a pivot shaft of a slide plate by a cam action due to a cam groove of the head raising and lowering arm and a fixed guide shaft when the head raising and lowering arm is inserted in a head suspension by the slide plate, so that the head performs a soft landing from a head unloading position to a head loading position on a floppy disk.