Abstract: An approach to a reduced-head hard disk drive (HDD) involves an actuator elevator assembly for moving an actuator assembly along at least one support feature to provide a head slider access to at least two different disk media of a disk stack. The HDD includes a piezoelectric-based locking mechanism, including at least one piezoelectric actuator, movably coupled with the support feature, such that actuation of the actuator either locks or unlocks the locking mechanism relative to the support feature. When unlocked, the actuator assembly can be translated along the length of the disk stack via the actuator elevator assembly.

Abstract: A disk drive including multiple magnetic recording disks and at least one read/write head, wherein the disk drive includes a rotatable center block having a vertical axis and a mounting member, a first motor attached to the center block for rotating the center block about the vertical axis, a vertical threaded rod positioned in the mounting member, a second motor moveable along the vertical threaded rod, at least one head suspension arm extending outwardly from the second motor, and at least one read/write head mounted to a distal end of one of the arms. The disk drive further includes multiple disks in a stack, wherein at least one of the arms is vertically moveable along the vertical threaded rod by the second motor to position the at least one read/write head in a position to access data on one of the disk surfaces of the plurality of disks.

Abstract: Some manufacturing processes include forming stacks of manufactured objects for handling and/or processing. While some such manufactured objects are consistent in thickness, other are more irregular. Some manufactured objects are generally flat, but are also generally thicker along one edge. When objects having these characteristics are stacked, the cumulative effect of such inconsistent thickness results in an unbalanced stack. The disclosed apparatus and method utilize a novel rotating stacker that rotates the stack of manufactured objects as each new object is added to the stack, thereby distributing the thickness inconsistency of individual objects throughout the stack, producing a more uniform stack without manual intervention.

Abstract: A method and system for accessing audiovisual data in a computer, which has a hard disk, a hard disk controller and a device driver. The hard disk is divided into a partition region and a non-partition region. The partition region has an audiovisual table to record a location of the audiovisual data stored in the non-partition region. The non-partition region is emulated as an emulated compact disk drive. When the device driver determines to access the emulated compact disk drive, it performs a converting procedure to convert an access instruction to the compact disk drive into an access instruction to the non-partition region, and sets a command register of the hard disk controller in accordance with the instruction converted and the audiovisual table, thereby accessing the non-partition region.

Abstract: In the recording method of the present invention, the surface of a master information carrier facing a recording medium becomes slightly concave in its center when the master information carrier is placed upon and brought into tight contact with the recording medium, and information signals are transferred and recorded onto the recording medium. The recording method of the present invention can be widely used for producing disk-type recording media with a hole such as magnetic disks, photomagnetic disks and optical disks. The recording method of the present invention achieves quick and productive production of a very flat and smooth recording medium that is free of fine dust. Furthermore, high-density information signals can be recorded evenly and firmly on the whole surface of the magnetic surface of the magnetic recording medium.