Abstract: A thin spindle motor having a stator core with sufficient swaging strength even using thin magnetic steel sheets is provided, whereby the magnetic loss and the power consumption of the spindle motor are reduced. The stator core is formed by laminating plural stator laminations with a thickness of 0.1 to 0.2 mm and joined by a swaging portion. The swaging portion has an approximately rectangular shape having long sides extending along a radial direction when viewed from an axial direction. The swaging portion has a cross section with a middle portion parallel to the radial direction and a slope portion at the both sides when viewed from a circumferential direction, thereby forming a recess. The recess has a depth that is less than the thickness of the stator lamination whereby the swaging portion does not cut the stator lamination.

Abstract: A motor includes a base, a bushing, a bearing structure, a stator structure, a rotor structure and a magnetic element. The base has a supporting platform. The bushing is connected with the base. The bearing structure is disposed in the bushing. The bushing is threaded through the stator structure. The rotor structure has a shaft, and the shaft threads through the bearing structure. The magnetic element corresponds to the shaft and is disposed on the supporting platform, and the magnetic element magnetically interacts with the shaft. A fan equipped with the motor is also disclosed.

Abstract: A recording disk is to be mounted on a hub. A base rotatably supports the hub through a bearing. A stator core is fixed to the base and includes an annular portion and a salient pole extending radially therefrom. A magnet faces the salient pole radially and is rotated with the hub. The magnet has a plurality of magnetic poles in the circumferential direction such that each of the plurality of magnetic poles faces the salient pole. The salient pole includes a rod-shaped body around which a wire is wound and a tooth portion that is provided radially outside the rod-shaped body and extends circumferentially. The circumferential end located at the end in the circumferential direction of the tooth portion is located radially inside a circumscribed circle passing through the tip located at the radially outermost end of the tooth portion.

Abstract: An apparatus and method are provided for stiffening a base plate of a spindle motor to improve shock resistance and vibration response, and thereby increase reliability and performance of a disc drive memory system. A stiffener tab for stiffening a base plate is connected to the base plate, extends from the base plate, and is dimensioned to fit adjacent to a stator tooth. Stiffening of a base plate is especially useful in the case of stamped base plate designs that typically have uniform thickness, whereas cast base plate designs are formed with thicker sections. In an aspect, the present invention stiffens a motor cup portion of the base plate, and replaces stiffness lost by removal of material from the base plate to form holes for recessing a stator into the base plate. Axial and angular displacement of a spindle motor during shock events and vibration are decreased.

Abstract: A storage disk drive motor 12 includes a stator unit 2, a rotor unit 3, a shaft 41 arranged in a coaxial relationship with a center axis 9, a sleeve unit 22 including a flange portion 223, and a base member 21, having a through-hole, fixed to the sleeve unit 22 by caulking. The flange portion 223 includes a flange lower surface 223b making contact with an upper surface 21a of the base member 21 and a jut 24 protruding downwards from a radial inner side of the flange lower surface 223b. The jut 24 includes a first outer circumferential surface 241 opposed to the inner circumferential surface 21c of the base member 21, a second outer circumferential surface 242 positioned below the first outer circumferential surface 241, and a groove 243 radially inwardly indented from the first outer circumferential surface 241 and the second outer circumferential surface 242.

Abstract: A spindle motor structure is disclosed having a structure incorporating a spindle motor, a driving substrate, and a base on which the spindle motor and the driving substrate are installed. The spindle motor includes a stator having a core wound with a coil and a rotor rotating about the stator. The driving substrate is aligned at an outer periphery of the rotor and soldered with driving control parts of the spindle motor including a plurality of circuit parts including a driving integrated circuit and the like. The spindle motor is assembled with or dissembled from the base independently from the driving substrate.

Abstract: A spindle motor including a base, a bearing housing supported on the base, a bearing provided within the bearing housing, a rotating shaft rotatably supported by the bearing, a stator including a core fixed to the bearing housing and coils wound around the core, a rotor including a rotor yoke fixed to the rotating shaft, and a first magnet installed on the rotor yoke facing the stator, a turntable positioned on the rotor yoke, rotating together with the rotating shaft, a center guide member coupled to the rotating shaft at an upper side of the turntable, an elastic member disposed between the turntable and the center guide member for elastically supporting the center guide member.

Abstract: A spindle motor and a mounting device for mounting a disk in a spindle motor are provided. The mounting device allows for a reduced number of parts, a reduction in product cost, a disk to be smoothly slid and securely mounted to a turntable, and prevents deforming of a disk during mounting. A center guide member is formed of a plastic material, into which the rotating shaft is inserted at an upper end of the turntable, so that it is capable of rising and descending thereon. The center guide member supports the disk. A back yoke is fixed at an upper side of the center guide member on the rotating shaft, to prevent disengaging of the center guide member from the rotating shaft. An outer portion of the center guide member gradually widens toward a lower end thereof, so that the disk can be inserted more securely.

Abstract: A slider assembly for supporting a recording element in operative relation to a flexible moving recording medium is disclosed. The slider may have a face including air bearing surfaces positioned toward the recording medium. A recording element may be in an air bearing surface near the trailing edge of the face, wherein there is no other slider or other supporting surface on an opposite side of the recording medium. A vacuum cavity may be formed in the face for creation of sub-ambient pressure to attract the slider toward the recording medium. An air bearing surface may be provided with a transverse pressure contour (TPC) along at least one of its edges for providing flying height control, with the TPC having a step geometry. A mounting device may mount the slider in a biased manner toward the recording medium and urge the slider toward the recording medium.

Abstract: A disk apparatus includes a head configured to move along a recording surface of a rotating disk; and a stabilizing member provided so as to face the disk. A facing surface of the stabilizing member facing the disk includes a curved surface whose symmetrical axis is a center generating line passing through a center of the facing surface. The head reciprocally moves along a path which is offset from the center generating line.

Abstract: A brushless motor includes a motor drive unit, a circuit board arranged to drive the motor drive unit having through holes formed in the upper surface and the lower surface; and a motor attachment plate including a plate-shaped base portion and plate-shaped fixing portions to fix the circuit board in place. Herein, each fixing portion includes a support portion for making contact with a surface of the circuit board; an arm portion bent in a direction that is substantially parallel to the rotational axis; and a protrusion portion inserted into a through hole, having at least one overhang extension protruding from the through hole. The overhang extension of the protrusion is bent in a direction that is substantially perpendicular to the rotational axis.

Abstract: A spindle motor and a disk drive device are provided that have a high operation efficiency of the motor, that does not leak oil, and that has an improved stability by decreasing a runout component in the direction of the rotation axis. The spindle motor includes a rotor hub (20) composed of a disk-like flange (201) and a cylinder-shaped shaft (203); a ring-shaped rotating magnet (16) fastened on one main surface of the flange (201); an armature (14) facing the rotating magnet (16); a sleeve (80) rotatably supporting the shaft (203); and a chassis (15) fixing the armature (14) and the sleeve (80).

Abstract: A method and apparatus for detecting unusual motions of an electronic device is disclosed. One example method includes measuring motion values of a device and comparing at least one motion value to a threshold to detect an unusual motion. The threshold is regularly adjusted based on at least a portion of the motion values. Another example method is directed to detecting an unusual motion of an electronic device based on motion values measured over a period of time. A plurality of motion values may be measured over a period of time and a cumulative function of the values may be compared to a threshold. A variety of protective actions or measures may be taken to protect a hard disk drive and/or other components in the electronic device from damage when unusual motions are detected.

Abstract: According to the invention, a data storage system is disclosed. The system may include a housing, a spindle motor, a plurality of flexible disks, a first head, a second head, a first mechanism, and a second mechanism. The spindle motor may be coupled with the housing and operably coupled with the plurality of flexible disks which may be spaced apart from each other. Both heads may be configured to engage different faces of a flexible disk, and may be aligned substantially parallel with each other. The first mechanism may be configured to move both heads along different faces of one flexible disk. The second mechanism may be configured to move both heads in a plane substantially perpendicular to that flexible disk and position them to engage another flexible disk, where at least one head includes a transducer configured to read and write information on the flexible disks.

Abstract: An electrically-driven fan 1 comprises a base portion 2; a bearing portion 11; a stator 13 including iron core portions 15 and coils 16; a rotor 4 including a rotary shaft 20 and a cylindrical magnet 22; blowing blades 5; and a rotor position detector 23 which is disposed on a side of the cylindrical magnet 22 near to the base portion 2, with a gap of predetermined width relative to the cylindrical magnet 22; wherein the cylindrical magnet 22 includes a thin-walled portion 24 in which an effective thickness of one end part thereof near to the rotor position detector 23 is made smaller than an effective thickness of the other end part thereof.

Abstract: A main frame has a size where only high precision parts are mounted thereon and has structure where a front portion of a frame is deleted. A lower cover, which covers a lower surface of the main frame, has a function as a sub-frame mounting low precision parts corresponding to the front portion of the deleted frame, thereby playing a role as one frame by a combination of the main frame and the sub-frame of the lower cover.

Abstract: A relative adjustment between an optical disc rotating mechanism and an optical pickup is adjusted by rotating a rotary member against a biasing force of an engaging projection. As the rotary member is rotated, the projection is slid for movement on an inclined surface, changing a relative position between the rotary member and a bottom wall of a subsidiary chassis, causing the subsidiary chassis to have a varied inclination relative to a main chassis. An adjusted condition is maintained by an engaging force between an engaging groove and the engaging projection biased toward the rotary member.

Abstract: In a disk drive for using a disk cartridge including a magnetic disk, a reinforcing arrangement is coupled to a main frame, a main board fixed to the main frame, and a head assembly which is movable in a radial direction of the magnetic disk. The reinforcing arrangement inhibits internal collision in the head assembly even when the disk drive is subjected to a mechanical shock. The main board and the head assembly are placed between the main frame and a cover which is opposite to the main frame.

Abstract: In a disk drive for using a disk cartridge including a magnetic disk, a reinforcing arrangement is coupled to a main frame, a main board, and a disk receiving/ejecting mechanism which is for receiving and ejecting the disk cartridge. The reinforcing arrangement resists an external stress applied between the main frame and a cover opposite to the main frame to protect a head assembly which is movable between the main frame and the cover in a radial direction of the magnetic disk. The main board and the disk receiving/ejecting mechanism are placed between the main frame and the cover and are coupled to the main frame.

Abstract: A magnetic recording medium comprising a card-type disk drive and a magnetic disk cartridge. The disk drive has a length of 38 to 55 mm, a width of 35 to 51 mm, and a thickness of 3 to 5 mm, and comprises a drive mechanism for rotating the magnetic disk of the magnetic disk cartridge loaded in the disk drive, a magnetic head for magnetically recording or reproducing information on or from the magnetic disk, and an electric connection portion for electrically connecting the drive mechanism and the magnetic head with an electronic circuit provided in electronic equipment. The magnetic disk cartridge has a length of 25 to 36 mm, a width of 25 to 36 mm, and a thickness of 1 to 3 mm. The magnetic disk comprises a magnetic recording medium of high-recording density employing barium ferrite powder and has a recording capacity of 200 megabytes or larger.

Abstract: A disk player includes: a base unit, to which a display unit is rotatably connected, having an upper housing and a lower housing, a board installed between the upper housing and the lower housing, a display LCD installed on an upper surface of the board for displaying operational state through the upper housing, and a board connection unit installed on and connected to the board, and connected to one side of the display LCD, for transferring signal to the display LCD.

Abstract: A front shutter (13′) comprises arm portions (132, 133) formed at both ends of an upper side of a door member (131). While one shaft portion (136) is formed on one of the arm portions (132) through a positioning portion (134), the other shaft portion (137) is formed on the other of the arm portions (133). The shaft portions (136, 137′) are inserted into holes formed on a cut and raised piece (111) and a side wall (112) respectively. The cut and raised piece (111) and the side wall (112) rotatably supports the shaft portions (136, 137′). A gap between the arm portion (133) and the side wall (112) is wider because of no positioning portion between the arm portion (133) and the side wall (112). The shutter spring (14′) not only gives force to the front shutter (13′) in a closing direction but also presses the front shutter toward the cut and raised piece (111) to prevent the shutter from moving along a pivot defined by the shaft portions (136, 137′).

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: The invention provides a floppy disc driving device that is manufactured at a low cost and capable of maintaining light emitting brightness at a constant value continuously by using a membrane conductor for connection between a light emitting diode and an integrated circuit and by applying current driving of the light emitting diode.

Abstract: A disk drive device includes a protective case having an upper case and a lower case. The disk drive device has a form such that the disk drive device can be inserted into and removed from a PCMCIA port of a computer. The disk drive device has an output connector located at one end of the protective case so that the input/output connector can connect with a PCMCIA connector of the computer when the disk drive device is inserted in the PCMCIA port. Information from the computer can thus be stored on the disk drive device, or information from the disk drive device can be read into the computer.

Abstract: In a floppy disk drive having a main frame in which a floppy disk is inserted and a DD motor for rotatably driving the floppy disk inserted in the main frame, the floppy disk drive has a motor frame for mounting the DD motor thereon that is constituted by one piece integrated by the main frame. Preferably, the motor frame part may have a drawn-shape obtained by drawing the main frame. In addition, the floppy disk drive has an electronic processing arrangement for a frequency generation pattern. The electronic processing arrangement gives play to a function equivalent to the frequency generation pattern required to control the DD motor.

Abstract: A floppy disc drive apparatus includes a spindle motor, a magnetic head, a drive mechanism, a mechanism controller, a floppy disc controller, and a universal serial bus interface. The spindle motor rotatably drives a floppy disc at a rotational speed of 600 rpm or more. The magnetic head reads and records data on the floppy disc. The drive mechanism has an actuator that scans the magnetic head in a radial direction of the floppy disc. The mechanism controller controls the drive mechanism to thereby reproduce and record specified data on the floppy disc. The floppy disc controller transfers and receives data to and from the mechanism controller at a transfer rate of 1 Mbit/s or greater. The universal serial bus interface allows the floppy disc controller to transfer and receive data to and from an external apparatus at a transfer rate of 1 Mbit/s or greater.

Abstract: In order to provide a positioning mechanism that can be processed easily and accurately by press forming and a frame structure having the same, especially a main frame and a method of manufacturing the same, the invention provides a frame structure of the flexible disk drive including a pair of projections fitted into a pair of corresponding positioning holes on the inserted flexible disk. The pair of projections is formed by cutting and raising.

Abstract: A main frame has a size where only high precision parts are mounted thereon and has structure where a front portion of a frame is deleted. A lower cover, which covers a lower surface of the main frame, has a function as a sub-frame mounting low precision parts corresponding to the front portion of the deleted frame, thereby playing a role as one frame by a combination of the main frame and the sub-frame of the lower cover.

Abstract: An attachment apparatus for disc protective sheet which is adapted for attaching disc protective sheet for protecting disc rotatably accommodated within a cartridge body formed by connecting or joining a pair of upper and lower halves with respect to the surface opposite to the disc of the half.

Abstract: A flexible disk drive comprises a magnetic head, a head carriage, and a guide rod, attached by a metal fitting on a main frame of the flexible disk drive, guiding the head carriage in the tracking direction. The metal fitting has a longitudinal member which has first and second ends and is provided with a protruding/caved portion and a hole portion at opposite ends, respectively. The protruding/caved portion is formed on the first end of the metal fitting and engaged with a caved/protruding portion formed on the main frame. The hole portion is formed on the second end of the metal fitting and a male screw is screwed into a female screw formed on the main frame through the hole portion.

Abstract: A projecting portion is formed on an edge, which provides a notch for an eject button, of a front shutter of an FDD. The projecting portion projects toward the eject button. The eject button provides a cavity for canceling interference between the projecting portion and the eject button in a state without external force. Upon receiving external force, the eject button is pressed to the projecting portion. In this state, the front shutter is forced to rotate in a closing direction thereof. Because the front shutter keeps a closed state, the force given to the projecting portion has a direction parallel to a main surface of a door member of the front shutter. Therefore, the door member is not bent by the external force and the front shutter does not come off from a main frame of the FDD.

Abstract: A stepping motor in a thin-sized flexible disk drive is disposed on a pedestal portion in such a manner as to be spaced apart from a main wall of a main plate. The pedestal portion is made of a pedestal and a support metal member. The pedestal is formed by projecting a part of the main plate from a back-surface side thereof to an obverse-surface side thereof. A support plate is screwed to the pedestal to support the stepping motor and to rotatably support the extending end of the rotating shaft of the stepping motor. The pedestal is provided with a plurality of positioning projections formed to project from an obverse-surface side thereof, and a screwing hole for screwing the support metal member. The support metal member is provided with holes formed at positions respectively corresponding to the plurality of projections and the screwing hole.

Abstract: A small-sized and thin flexible recording system including a flexible disk drive and a recording disk is provided. The recording disk has a disk-shaped recording medium and a recording medium cartridge rotatably receiving therein the recording medium. The flexible disk drive includes a magnetic head for recording information into the recording medium or reproducing information recorded in the recording medium, a carriage mechanism for moving the magnetic head, a recording medium drive motor for rotating the recording medium, a frame having an insertion opening through which the recording disk is inserted, a recording medium mounting portion formed adjacent the insertion opening in a direction in which the recording disk is inserted for mounting thereon the recording disk, and a recording-disk ejection mechanism for ejecting the recording disk from the frame.

Abstract: A locking device adapted to secure a retractable storing device in a frame of an electrical apparatus is provided. The locking device includes a main body, an activating element assembled with the main body and having an activating button and a first engaging member thereon, and a handle pivotally connected to the main body and having a second engaging member for engaging with the first engaging member when the retractable storing device is secured in the frame, wherein the activating button, being invisibly disposed in a concavity of the main body, is used for disengaging the second engaging member from the first engaging member when the retractable storing device is retracted from the frame.

Abstract: This invention relates to a magnetic head device and a disk drive, which are suitable for application to a mass-storage floppy disk drive. A first and second rails are provided on the disk side in projected form on a slider of each of magnetic head elements 20 so as to extend in a tangential direction R of a track of the disk and be parallel with each other. A head chip for recording and reproducing data in a state of being in contact with a recording surface of the disk and in a standard recording density is provided substantially in the central position of the first rail. Another head chip for recording and reproducing data in a state of being levitated from the recording surface of the disk and in a high recording density is provided in a position on the rear side of the second rail 26b with respect to the tangential direction R of the track. A width of the first rail of each magnetic head element is narrower than a width of the second rail thereof.

Abstract: The invention provides a floppy disc driving device that is manufactured at a low cost and capable of maintaining light emitting brightness at a constant value continuously by using a membrane conductor for connection between a light emitting diode and an integrated circuit and by applying current driving of the light emitting diode.

Abstract: In an FDD control apparatus for controlling a floppy disk drive for driving a floppy disk loaded in the floppy disk drive, an FDD control part including a floppy disk controller (FDC) is disposed in an FDD side in lieu of a host side (a SET side). The host side (SET side) is loaded with a USB connector connected to the FDD control part. The FDD control part includes a flash ROM for storing a program for adjusting a step timing of a stepping motor.

Abstract: This invention relates to a magnetic head device and a disk drive, which are suitable for application to a mass-storage floppy disk drive or the like. A first and a second rail are provided on the disk side in projected form on a slider of each of magnetic head elements 20 so as to extend in a tangential direction R of a track of the disk and be parallel with each other. A head chip for recording and reproducing data in a state of being in contact with a recording surface of the disk and in a standard recording density is provided substantially in the central position of the first rail. Another head chip for recording and reproducing data in a state of being levitated from the recording surface of the disk and in a high recording density is provided in a position on the rear side of the second rail 26b with respect to the tangential direction R of the track. A width of the first rail of each magnetic head element is narrower than a width of the second rail thereof.

Abstract: An FD-shaped adapter for a card-shaped memory device has a base case, an electric circuit portion, a top cover, and a bottom cover. The bottom cover has a plate-shape and is provided with a bottom plate, side plates upwardly extended from side edges of the bottom plate, and flanges outwardly extended from each top edge of the side plates. The bottom cover is attached on the base case so that the flanges are sandwiched between the upper surface of the base case and an inner surface of the top cover.

Abstract: A data storage device has a disk-drive motor, a head-drive motor, read/write heads, and an integrated circuit board, all mounted on a single-piece integral frame and enclosed by a casing. Each motor is mounted within a surface recess on the frame via an attachment lip integrally formed into each recess. Additionally, a bend is formed across the width of the frame. The single-piece frame, frame bend, and surface recesses provide the data storage device with significant structural rigidity and thus enhance the ability of the device to withstand the application of externally-applied forces.

Abstract: A disk device includes a drive mechanism having at least a disk motor and an optical head, the disk motor rotating a recording disk, and the optical head accessing the disk to reproduce information from the disk and/or record information in the disk. A first printed circuit board controls the disk motor and the optical head of the drive mechanism, the first printed circuit board receiving signals from the optical head and/or sending signals to the optical head to perform the reproducing of information and/or the recording of information. The disk device further comprises a second printed circuit board electrically coupling the drive mechanism to the first printed circuit board, the second printed circuit board including a connector coupled to wire patterns of the signals received and/or sent by the first printed circuit board, and the connector being coupled to the first printed circuit board.

Abstract: A data storage diskette incorporates a hub having a reduced diameter. A circular sheet of magnetic media is mounted about the hub. The reduced diameter imparts added flexibility to inner regions of the sheet of magnetic media between the bond point of the sheet and a point at which magnetic heads access the sheet for data read and write operations. The added flexibility enables the sheet of magnetic media to more readily be bent to align with a gap defined by the magnetic heads. The enhanced alignment enables a read/write axis of the magnetic heads to be perpendicularly aligned with the sheet of magnetic media in the inner regions, thereby maintaining signal amplitude in such regions.

Abstract: A casing 60 made of metal and having side walls 60-1 formed on both sides thereof is attached to a chassis 30 to over a back surface of the chassis 30. The casing 60 is coupled to the chassis with its side walls fitted to outer surfaces of side walls 30-1 of the chassis 30. The casing is fixed to the chassis by screws at two positions on both sides in an intermediate portion in a longitudinal direction. Moreover, a mechanism for suppressing wobbling motion of the casing is formed on the side walls of the casing and the chassis in the vicinity of longitudinal opposite ends.