US 5,675,456 AGranted

Acoustic vibration decoupler for a disk drive pivot bearing assembly

AssigneeWestern Digital Corporation

InventorDavid K. Myers

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Abstract

A vibration decoupler for a swing-type head actuator pivot bearing assembly in a disk drive. The invention selectively decouples axial actuator vibrations from the pivot shaft while retaining the radial and rotational rigidity needed to ensure head positioning precision. The head stack assembly is rigidly coupled to the pivot bearing shaft in the radial and rotational dimensions and is pliably coupled to the same shaft in the axial dimension. This decoupling scheme eliminates most acoustic vibration components created in the rotary actuator. Axial decoupling eliminates most acoustic vibration components transmitted from the pivot shaft to the drive housing. The vibration isolator may be fabricated as a single piece of injection-molded plastic, including all necessary elements for coupling to the pivot bearing and the actuator body.

Claims18

Dependent claims

A pivot bearing assembly for use in a disk drive having a base and a head stack assembly, the pivot bearing assembly for rotatably coupling the head stack assembly to the base, the pivot bearing assembly comprising:

a pivot shaft having a longitudinal axis and one end affixed to the base;
an outermost surface of the pivot bearing assembly for coupling to the head stack assembly;
bearing means disposed between the pivot shaft and the outermost surface to rotatably couple the outermost surface to the pivot shaft;
and
a vibration isolator which comprises:
a cylindrical inner member and a cylindrical outer member disposed between the pivot shaft and the outermost surface, the outer member surrounding the inner member;
and
a first layer and a second layer longitudinally spaced apart from the first layer, the layers concentric about the longitudinal axis and for connecting the inner and outer members such that the inner member is longitudinally moveable with respect to the outer member at acoustic frequencies;
wherein acoustic vibrations in the outermost surface are decoupled from the base.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.