Power supply for computer peripheral device

In a computer peripheral device having a driven element, a controllable element and control means coupled to said controllable element and operative in response to a power supply voltage of a predetermined level for controlling said controllable element, an improved power supply means coupled to said control means for supplying said power supply voltage to said control means, said power supply means comprising:

• a motor capable of being driven at a predetermined rate of speed;
• said driven element being coupled to and driven by said motor;
• means coupled to said motor and responsive to the motor being driven at said predetermined rate of speed for generating said power supply voltage, said means for generating comprising an alternator coupled to and driven by said motor for generating an output signal, said alternator having a set of 3-phase windings for generating three phase-displaced a-c signals together constituting said output signal, said a-c signals each having the same peak amplitude and frequency, and said means for generating also comprising means for deriving said power supply voltage from said output signal, said means for deriving including means for rectifying said a-c signals to derive a d-c signal having a ripple frequency equal to a multiple of the frequency of said a-c signals;
• and
• means coupled to said means for generating for supplying said power supply voltage to said control means.

In a disk drive including a support frame, a magnetic recording disk mounted to said support frame for rotation about its axis, at least one electromagnetic head mounted to a carriage and positionable relative to said magnetic recording disk by movement of said carriage along a predefined path, a linear actuator for selectively moving said carriage relative to said support frame along said predetermined path, said linear actuator including a drive shaft, and control means coupled to said linear actuator and operative in response to a power supply voltage of a predetermined level for controlling said linear actuator, an improved power supply means coupled to said control means for supplying said power supply voltage to said control means, said power supply means comprising:

• a motor capable of being driven at a predetermined rate of speed, said drive shaft being coupled to and driven by said motor;
• means coupled to said motor and responsive to the driving of said motor at said predetermined rate of speed for generating said power supply voltage, said means for generating comprising an alternator coupled to and driven by said motor for generating an output signal, and means for deriving said power supply voltage from said output signal;
• and
• means coupled to said means for generating for supplying said power supply voltage to said control means.

In a computer peripheral device having a controllable element and control means coupled to said controllable element and operative in responsive to a plurality of different power supply voltages for controlling said controllable element, an improved power supply means coupled to said control means for supplying said plurality of power supply voltages to said control means, said power supply means comprising:

• a motor capable of being driven at a predetermined rate of speed;
• means coupled to said motor and responsive to the motor being driven at said predetermined rate of speed for generating said plurality of power supply voltages, said means for generating comprising an alternator coupled to and driven by said motor for generating a plurality of output signals and means for deriving said plurality of power supply voltages from said plurality of output signals, wherein said alternator includes a plurality of sets of 3-phase windings, each set capable of generating three phase-displaced a-c signals together constituting one of said output signals, the a-c signals generated by each set of 3-phase windings having the same peak amplitude and frequency, and wherein said means for deriving includes means for rectifying the a-c signals generated by each set of 3-phase windings to derive a d-c signal associated with such set, each d-c signal having a ripple frequency equal to a multiple of the frequency of each of the a-c signals generated by the associated set of 3-phase windings;
• and
• means coupled to said means for generating for supplying said plurality of power supply voltages to said control means.

In a disk drive including a support frame, a magnetic recording disk mounted to said support frame for rotation about its axis, at least one electromagnetic head mounted to a carriage and positionable relative to said magnetic recording disk by movement of said carriage along a predefined path, a linear actuator for selectively moving said carriage relative to said support frame along said predefined path, said linear actuator including a driven element, and control means coupled to said linear actuator and operative in response to a power supply voltage of a predetermined level for controlling said linear actuator, an improved power supply means coupled to said control means for supplying said power supply voltage to said control means, said power supply means comprising:

• a motor capable of being driven at a predetermined rate of speed;
• said driven element being coupled to and driven by said motor;
• means coupled to said motor and responsive to the driving of said motor at said predetermined rate of speed for generating said power supply voltage, said means for generating comprising an alternator coupled to and driven by said motor for generating an output signal, and means for deriving said power supply voltage from said output signal;
• and
• means coupled to said means for generating for supplying said power supply voltage to said control means.