US 6,543,119 B2Granted

Top cover installation process for a disc drive

AssigneeSeagate Technology LLC

InventorsJames R. Jenkins, Roger A. Jessen

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A top cover installation station with a feeder assembly and a robotic assembly for installing a top cover with top cover fasteners on a basedeck of a disc drive. The feeder assembly supports top cover wireframe caddies, each caddy containing top covers. A dial assembly transports each caddy into alignment with an elevator assembly that aligns the top cover with an escapement assembly that removes the top cover from the caddy. The robotic assembly has a positioning assembly supporting a pair of Z-axis end effector assemblies, the positioning assembly transporting the pair of effector assemblies to predetermined positions. A first end effector assembly picks and places the top cover adjacent the basedeck and a second end effector assembly grips and secures the top cover onto the basedeck via the top cover fasteners.

Claims6

Dependent claims

A method for installing a top cover and top cover fasteners onto a basedeck of a disc drive by the steps comprising:

(a) providing the basedeck to a top cover installation station;
(b) presenting each top cover fastener to a fastener pick-up position via a top cover fastener feeder assembly;
(c) advancing the top cover to a cover pick-up position via a cover feeder assembly;
(d) gripping the fastener from the fastener pick-up position via a second end effector assembly;
(e) grasping the top cover from the cover pick-up position and positioning the top cover adjacent the basedeck via a first end effector assembly;
(f) aligning the top cover adjacent the basedeck and maintaining alignment via the first end effector assembly while installing the top cover fastener with the second end effector assembly;
and
(g) securing the top cover fasteners through the mounting apertures into the top cover attachment aperture and the fastener receptacles via the second end effector assembly.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 10/154,192Filed 22 May 2002 · division
Priority: 20 Aug 1999
Published: US 2002/0129489 A119 Sep 2002
Granted: 8 Apr 2003
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification13 codes

G11B 33/121
Disposition of constructional parts in the apparatus, e.g. of power supply, of modules: the apparatus comprising a single recording/reproducing device
G11B 5/10
Recording by magnetisation or demagnetisation of a record carrier; Reproducing by magnetic means; Record carriers therefor: structure or…
Y10T 29/49025
Magnetic recording reproducing transducer [e.g., tape head, core, etc.]: making disc drive
Y10T 29/49829
Progressively advancing of work assembly station or assembled portion of work: advancing work to successive stations [i.e., assembly line]

Family

Application60/150,139Us provisional application · filed 20 Aug 1999
Application09/641,694Parent of this division · filed 18 Aug 2000
US 2002/0129489 A1Pre-grant publication · published 19 Sep 2002
US 6,497,036 B1Parent of this division
US 6,543,119 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.