Disk drive device, actuator lock mechanism, inertia latch mechanism and inertia lever

A disk drive device comprising:

• a disk-shaped recording medium;
• a head slider including a head element for recording data in the disk-shaped recording medium and reading the recorded data;
• an actuator including a head arm having the head slider mounted thereon, the actuator being for unloading the head arm to an escape position and loading the head arm from the escape position so that the head slider is disposed close to a surface of the disk-shaped recording medium;
• and
• an inertia latch mechanism for latching and stopping the actuator in the escape position when an impact is applied thereto in a state where the actuator is located in the escape position,
• wherein the inertia latch mechanism includes:
• a latch member capable of swinging between a release position of the actuator and a latching position thereof around a specified swing shaft, the latch member moving from the release position of the actuator to the latching position thereof to latch the actuator when the impact is applied thereto;
• an elastic member, in which flexure to a swing direction of the latch member is permitted, but flexure to a direction perpendicular to the swing direction is substantially limited;
• and
• an inertia member capable of swinging in connection to the elastic member, and when the impact is applied thereto, performing a swing motion by inertial force thereof to move the latch member.

An actuator lock mechanism comprising:

• an inertia latch mechanism for latching and stopping a rotary actuator in an escape position when an impact is applied thereto in a state where the rotary actuator is located in the escape position;
• and
• an actuator holding mechanism for holding the rotary actuator in the escape position for an impact insufficient for the latching by the inertia latch mechanism,
• wherein the inertia latch mechanism includes:
• an inertia lever swinging by receiving inertial force by the impact;
• a latch lever for latching and stopping the rotary actuator in the escape position accompanied with an operation of the inertia member;
• and a regulating member for permitting swing of the inertia lever but regulating the operation of the inertia lever to directions other than a swing direction.

An inertia latch mechanism disposed in a case of a disk drive device, in which a rotary actuator is latched and stopped in an escape position when an impact is applied thereto in a state where the rotary actuator is located in the escape position,

• the inertia latch mechanism comprising:
• an inertia lever swinging by receiving specified inertial force by the impact;
• and
• a latch lever for latching and stopping the rotary actuator in the escape position in a process of swinging around a swing shaft accompanied with an operation of the inertia lever,
• wherein a swing operation of the inertia lever is controlled by spring force, and the inertia lever has two points of application, the two points of application being disposed spaced from each other by a specified interval,
• the latch lever has a first surface facing to the rotary actuator and a second surface opposite to the first surface,
• one of the points of application of the inertia lever acts on the first surface of the latch lever to swing the latch lever to a specified direction, and
• the other of the points of application of the inertia lever acts on the second surface of the latch lever to swing the latch lever to the specified direction.

An inertia lever disposed in a case of a disk drive device and used for an inertia latch mechanism for latching and stopping a rotary actuator in an escape position when an impact is applied thereto in a state where the rotary actuator is located in the escape position,

• the inertia lever comprising:
• a lever body swinging by inertia of the impact when the impact is applied thereto;
• a fixture fixed to the case;
• and
• a swing permitting member for connecting the lever body and the fixture and permitting the swing of the lever body.