Aerodynamic latch for disk file actuator

An aerodynamically powered release latch mechanism for a thin and compact head and disk assembly of a fixed rotating disk data storage device including a base having an integral bottom wall and sidewalls defining an interior space, a brushless direct current electronically commutated spindle motor mounted to the base casting through an opening defined in the bottom wall of the base casting, two adjacently spaced apart rotatable disks mounted to a spindle of the spindle motor with at least one of the disks being a data storage disk for storing useful data in a plurality of concentric data tracks on a data surface thereof and both of the disks having diameters less than 100 millimeters, at least one data transducer for writing and reading data on said data surface, an electromagnetic transducer actuator structure mounted in said interior space to said base for moving said data transducer to each selected data track and from and to a landing zone location on said disk at which said data transducer is intended to come into contact therewith in the absence of disk rotation, and a cover mounted to the base for enclosing the interior space,

• the aerodynamically powered release latch mechanism comprising a latch in said interior space and including:
• a shaft rotatably journalled to said base,
• a single curvilinear elongated scoop-like airvane integrally formed with and radially extending from said shaft and including a curved portion disposed in a space between said disks in a first, non-airflow position at which the end of the vane opposite the shaft is generally adjacent to the spindle, the curved portion following the contour of an inside arced portion of a sidewall adjacent to the disks so that the airvane may be moved out of the space between the disks to enable an inner one of the two disks to be inserted onto the spindle during manufacture of the head and disk assembly, and having a concave surface facing the direction of airflow generated by rotation of the disks, and
• a latching finger for releasably engaging and thereby latching the transducer actuator assembly when the latch is oriented at the first, non-airflow position and for releasing the actuator as the airvane moves the latch away from the first, non-airflow position in response to airflow generated by rotation of the disks by the spindle motor,
• the mechanism further comprising bias force means for biasing the latch to the first, non-airflow position in the absence of airflow, and counterweight means for desensitizing the latch from linear shock impulses.