Memory storage apparatus having vibration-dampened base plate arrangement
AssigneeAtasi Corporation
InventorsStanley F. Brown, Garold W. Plonczak
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A fixed disc drive type of rotating disc memory storage device includes an annular elastomeric pad that is engaged between the actuator base plate and a bowl-shaped casing. The base plate has a circular platform portion with the boss for the spindle shaft for the discs being formed at its center. The annular pad forms an air-tight seal at the edge of a circular opening in the lower casing to prevent dust from entering the housing. The annular pad is engaged against the entire side marginal area of the base plate so that it dampens resonant vibrations in the base plate thus providing stable servo response within the range of said resonant vibration range.
Claims9
A rotating disc memory storage apparatus comprising:
- a housing having a upper casing and lower casing, said lower casing having a bottom wall,
- an electric spindle motor including a stator and a rotor,
- a spindle shaft operatively connected to the motor,
- a base plate including a platform portion and an actuator portion,
- means for mounting the base plate to the housing,
- an annular elastomeric member extending between facing surfaces of the base plate and said housing bottom wall,
- means for attaching the base plate to the lower casing to firmly engage the elastomeric member in contact with and between the base plate and the housing bottom wall,
- means for operatively connecting the motor to the spindle shaft to rotate the spindle shaft when the motor is energized,
- at least one disc operatively mounted to the spindle shaft so that the disc rotates in a plane that is coaxial with and normal to the spindle,
- at least one transducer for accessing data recorded on the disc, and
- actuator means mounted to the base plate actuator portion at a position remote from the spindle for translating the transducer along the disc to selected track locations thereon.
An improved rotating disc memory storage apparatus including a housing, an actuator assembly mounted within the housing, the actuator assembly including a carriage, at least one transducer mounted to the carriage, electromagnetic means for reciprocating the carriage, a motor mounted within the housing, at least one disc operatively connected to the motor within the housing, the transducer being mounted to the carriage so that upon reciprocation of the carriage the transducer is moved to a desired track location on the surface of the disc, wherein the improvement comprises:
- a base plate separate from the housing, the base plate including a platform portion;
- means mounted to the platform portion for receiving the actuator assembly and a spindle shaft for operatively connecting the disc to the motor;
- means mounted to said platform portion for rotatably receiving said spindle shaft;
- at least one elastomeric pad between the base plate and the housing, said at least one pad extending in contact with the base plate from the vicinity of the actuator assembly to a part of the base plate that is remote from the actuator assembly;
- and
- means for attaching the base plate to the housing to engage the pad in firm intimate compressed contact with the base plate and housing for dampening vibrations induced in the base plate by reciprocation of the carriage.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.