Stop mechanism using an elastomeric element
AssigneeStorage Technology Partners II
InventorsDavid Rickert, Miklos B. Marelin
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A soft-stop mechanism for the carriage of a rotating disk storage system is presented. The mechanism consists of an assembly which is affixed to a nonmoving member of the storage system and a protruding pin on the moving carriage. The assembly has a hole at one end which the pin enters when the carriage exceeds its normal length of travel. The pin first strikes a rubber plate, which eliminates any shock which might be caused by a metal-to-metal contact. The rubber plate is mounted on the end of a piston which moves due to the force of the pin and compresses a cylindrical elastomeric tube. The elastomeric tube can be preloaded to cause a soft stop in a shorter distance without damage to the carriage.
Claims15
An improved shock absorber assembly for minimizing the impact of a movable member against a stationary member, said shock absorber assembly comprising:
- a protruding pin affixed to either said movable member or said stationary member;
- and
- a piston assembly affixed to the other of said movable member or stationary member and aligned thereon so as to allow said protruding pin to make contact therewith whenever said movable assembly is about to strike said stationary member, said piston assembly comprising
- a hollow housing having a front end thereof having a hole adapted to receive said protruding pin and a back end,
- a piston mounted for movement inside of said housing, a head of said piston facing said hole,
- an elastomeric tubular element inserted inside of said housing and positioned between a back side of said piston head and said back end of said housing, said elastomeric element normally having an inner space extending substantially from said front end to said back end,
- said piston having means for bowing said elastomeric element into the interior of said housing,
- whereby said piston is forced back against said elastomeric element whenever said pin enters said hole, and strikes the head of said piston, said elastomeric element opposing the inward movement of said piston by a force that increases as the compression of said elastomeric increases, thereby softly absorbing the force associated with the impact of said movable member against said stationary member.
In a storage system having a carriage assembly that moves a read/write head radially with respect to a rotating disk, at least one soft-stop mechanism for preventing said carriage assembly from being damaged in the event said carriage assembly attempts to move beyond its normal operating range, said soft-stop mechanism comprising:
- a protruding pin rigidly coupled to said carriage assembly;
- a housing having a hole in a front end thereof, said housing being affixed to a stationary member associated with said storage system and being aligned with the movement of said carriage assembly such that said pin enters said hole whenever said carriage attempts to move beyond its normal operating range;
- a piston slideably mounted inside of said housing, said piston having a head facing said hole;
- an elastomeric element having a normally hollow interior positioned between a back side of said piston head and a back end of said housing, said element having an outside surface extending between said back side and said second end;
- and
- said piston comprising rearwardly extending side wall means for engaging said outside surface and compressing said elastomeric element toward the interior of said housing,
- whereby said elastomeric element is compressed by movement of said piston towards a back end of said housing, and whereby the compressive forces associated with said elastomeric element oppose the movement of said carriage whenever said pin enters the hole of said housing.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.