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.

Abstract: A coil construction for a voice coil motor is disclosed. The coil construction includes a series of stacked planar coils disposed on a substrate material. Each planar coil is separated from its neighboring coil or coils by a viscoelastic material to reduce vibration of the coil construction. The coil construction is attached to an actuator arm. Control circuitry creates a current in the coil construction to position a head on the actuator arm. Also disclosed is a method for making a coil for a voice coil motor. The method includes the steps of masking a substrate having a conductive layer with a photoresist, exposing the mask to create a pattern of planar coils, developing the photoresist, and etching the conductive layer to create a planar coil.

Abstract: A disk apparatus has a head carriage and a head carriage drive mechanism. The head carriage has a signal lead wire and a strip of flexible cable extending laterally from the head carriage in a direction X2. The head carriage drive mechanism has voice coil motors located on each side X2 and side X1 of the head carriage, in which a number of turns N2 in a drive coil of a voice coil motor on the X2 side is greater than a number of turns N1 in a drive coil of a voice coil motor on the opposite X1 side. As a result, the X2-side drive coil motor generates a propulsive force greater than that generated by the X1-side drive coil motor by an amount corresponding to the imbalance in load between the two sides.

Abstract: A disk apparatus has a head carriage and a head carriage drive mechanism. The head carriage drive mechanism has voice coil motors located on each side of the head carriage. The voice coil motors each have a drive coil, the two drive coils having different numbers of turns and being connected in parallel to a power source. The two voice coil motors generate identical propulsive forces despite having a different number of turns in the respective drive coils, making it possible to move the head carriage with precision. A head carriage position detecting mechanism is included in a space formed beneath the drive coil having the smaller number of turns, for added precision in positioning the head carriage.

Abstract: In a recording/reproducing device for use in recording and reproducing data on and from a recording medium while moving read/write head means relative to the recording medium in a moving direction, which comprises a carriage supporting the read/write head means and guided by a guiding member in the moving direction, and a voice coil motor comprising a voice coil and a magnetic circuit device for driving the carriage in the moving direction. The carriage has a coil holding portion by which the voice coil is fixedly held in the condition that the coil axis is arranged in the moving direction. The voice coil is applied with a driving electric current for driving the carriage. The magnetic circuit device is fixedly disposed adjacent to the voice coil to generate a magnetic field intersecting the driving current flowing through the voice coil, the voice coil moving in the moving direction together with the carriage by an interaction of the driving current and the magnetic field.

Abstract: In a recording/reproducing device for use in recording and reproducing data on and from a recording medium while moving read/write head means relative to the recording medium in a moving direction, which comprises a carriage supporting the read/write head means and guided by a guiding member in the moving direction, and a voice coil motor comprising a voice coil and a magnetic circuit device for driving the carriage in the moving direction. The carriage has a coil holding portion by which the voice coil is fixedly held in the condition that the coil axis is arranged in the moving direction. The voice coil is applied with a driving electric current for driving the carriage. The magnetic circuit device is fixedly disposed adjacent to the voice coil to generate a magnetic field intersecting the driving current flowing through the voice coil, the voice coil moving in the moving direction together with the carriage by an interaction of the driving current and the magnetic field.

Abstract: In a recording/reproducing device for use in recording and reproducing data on and from a recording medium while moving read/write head means relative to the recording medium in a moving direction, which comprises a carriage supporting the read/write head means and guided by a guiding member in the moving direction, and a voice coil motor comprising a voice coil and a magnetic circuit device for driving the carriage in the moving direction. The carriage has a coil holding portion by which the voice coil is fixedly held in the condition that the coil axis is arranged in the moving direction. The voice coil is applied with a driving electric current for driving the carriage. The magnetic circuit device is fixedly disposed adjacent to the voice coil to generate a magnetic field intersecting the driving current flowing through the voice coil, the voice coil moving in the moving direction together with the carriage by an interaction of the driving current and the magnetic field.