Disk drive pass-through connector

A disk drive apparatus comprising:

• a generally rectangular base plate supporting a head disk assembly, the base plate having an aperture therethrough;
• a cover over the head disk assembly fastened to the base plate to provide a controlled environment for the head disk assembly between the base plate and cover;
• a printed circuit board fastened to an underside of the base plate;
• and
• a header in the aperture having a plurality of electrical connector pins passing through the header and the printed circuit board into a rear entry connector for carrying electrical signals between circuits on the printed circuit board and the head disk assembly.

A reverse flex circuit assembly for use in a disk drive for connecting read/write heads carried by a rotary actuator fastened to a base plate of the disk drive, through an aperture in the base plate, to a printed circuit board fastened to a bottom of the base plate, the reverse flex circuit assembly comprising:

• an elongated flat flex circuit having a first end portion, a second end portion adapted to connect to the read/write heads, and a mid portion between the end portions wherein the mid portion lies orthogonal to the first end portion;
• a header connector having an array of electrical connecting pins extending therethrough, each of the pins having one end fastened to the first end portion of the flex circuit and another end projecting through the header;
• and
• a support bracket having a flat portion supporting the first end of the flex circuit and a bent portion bent at a right angle to the flat portion, the bent portion supporting part of the mid portion of the flex circuit.

A disk drive apparatus comprising:

• a base plate supporting a head disk assembly;
• a cover over the head disk assembly fastened to the base plate to provide a controlled environment for the head disk assembly between the base plate and cover;
• a printed circuit board fastened to the base plate external to the controlled environment, the base plate having an aperture therethrough;
• and
• an elongated flat flex circuit assembly in the controlled environment having a first end portion, a second end portion adapted to connect into the head disk assembly, and a mid portion between the end portions wherein the mid portion lies orthogonal to the first end portion;
• a header connector having an array of electrical connecting pins extending therethrough, each of the pins having one end fastened to the first end portion of the flex circuit and another end projecting through the header;
• and
• a support bracket having a flat portion supporting the first end of the flex circuit and a bent portion bent at a right angle to the flat portion, the bent portion supporting part of the mid portion of the flex circuit.