Compact, high-speed, rotary actuator and transducer assembly with reduced moment of inertia and mass-balanced structural overlap with drive motor and organizing method for the same
AssigneeCenstor Corp.
InventorStanley F. Brown
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Compact, high-speed, low-mass, rotary actuator structure (and a related method) for manipulating the position of a read/write transducer in a disk-drive system. The actuator includes a motor with a winding distributed in such a fashion that it circumscribes the rotary axis of the actuator, thus to assist in providing appropriate mass balance. Electrical connections to this winding, and to other components carried for motion by the actuator structure, extend in a low-torque fashion on and substantially coincidentally along the rotary axis of the actuator.
Claims18
Single-axis, reciprocating-motion rotary actuator structure for positioning a read/write transducer relative to a recording surface of a rotating recording medium in a disk-drive system including a main frame, said actuator structure comprising
- an actuator frame component adapted effectively to carry such a transducer, journaled effectively on the main frame in the system for reciprocating rotation about a defined actuator journal axis, which journal axis is the single axis mentioned above, and
- an actuator motor drivingly connected to said component and operable to produce reciprocating rotary motion of said component about said axis, said motor including a rotor winding joined to said component for movement as a unit therewith, and having a configuration in which said rotor winding completely circumscribes said journal axis and has a non-symmetrical mass distribution relative to said journal axis.
A single-axis, reciprocating-motion rotary actuator structure for positioning a read/write transducer relative to a recording surface of a rotating recording medium in a disk-drive system including a main frame, said actuator structure comprising
- an actuator frame component including a hub journaled effectively on the main frame in said system for reciprocating rotation about a defined journal axis, which journal axis is the single axis mentioned above, and a pair of adjacent, generally radially extending, diverging legs joined to and disposed on one side of said hub relative to said axis, said hub being adapted to receive a carrier for such a transducer with the carrier being disposed on the opposite side of said hub relative to said axis and to said legs, and
- art actuator motor drivingly positioned between said main frame and said component for producing rotation of the latter about said axis, said motor including stator structure effectively mounted on said main frame and having a flux gap located on said hub's said one side, and a single-phase, single closed-loop-path rotor winding supported on said component, and distributed in continuous, complete circumscribing fashion about said axis, whereby the mass of said winding is also so distributed, said winding taking the form of plural turns extending in a path distributed continuously, circumscribingly about said hub, and extending along, and between the free ends of, said legs, with the portions of said winding which extend along said legs being operatively disposed within said gap.
Rotary actuator structure for positioning a read/write transducer relative to a recording surface of a rotating recording medium in a disk-drive system including a main frame, said actuator structure comprising
- an actuator frame component adapted effectively to carry such a transducer, journaled effectively on the main frame in the system for reciprocating rotation about a defined actuator journal axis, with such a carried transducer located on a selected side of said component relative to said axis, and
- an actuator motor drivingly positioned between said main frame and said component for producing rotary motion of the latter about said axis, said motor including a rotor winding which completely circumscribes said journal axis and which is mass unbalanced relative to said axis and having a center of mass located opposite said selected side of said component relative to said journal axis.
A low-mass, low-torque-resistant, combined single-axis, reciprocating-motion rotary actuator structure and read/write-transducer substructure assembly for the positioning of the transducer in the assembly relative to a recording surface of a rotating recording medium in a disk-drive system which includes a main frame, said assembly comprising
- an actuator frame component journaled effectively on the main frame in the system for rotation about a defined actuator journal axis, which journal axis is the single axis mentioned above,
- elongate transducer substructure having one end joined to said component for movement as a unit therewith, and extending from said one end along its own longitudinal axis toward a free end which includes a read/write transducer, said longitudinal axis being disposed substantially normal to a defined plane containing said journal axis, and
- an actuator motor drivingly interposed said main frame and said component for producing reciprocal rotary motion thereof, and hence also of said transducer substructure, about said journal axis, said motor including first and second, relatively rotatable, interactive reaction elements, said first element being in the form of a rotor winding which completely circumscribes said journal axis and is joined axially asymmetrically to said component for movement as a unit therewith, and having a configuration with mass located on opposite sides of said plane,
- with the respective combined masses of all portions of said assembly which are disposed on opposite sides of said plane substantially equalling one another.
Single-axis, reciprocating-motion rotary actuator structure for positioning a read/write transducer relative to a recording surface of a rotating recording medium in a disk-drive system including a main frame, said actuator structure comprising
- an actuator frame component adapted effectively to carry such a transducer, journaled effectively on the main frame in the system for reciprocating rotation about a defined actuator journal axis, which journal axis is the single axis mentioned above, and
- an actuator motor drivingly connected to said component and operable to produce reciprocating rotary motion of said component about said axis, said motor including a single-phase rotor winding joined to said component for movement as a unit therewith, and having a configuration distributed in single closed-loop-path, current-carrying fashion about said axis and completely circumscribing said axis;
- whereby the mass of said winding is also so distributed, and is unbalanced relative to said axis.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.