Apparatus to improve shock capability of disc drives
AssigneeSeagate Technology LLC
InventorZine-Eddine Boutaghou
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A head loading ramp structure, located near the inner diameter of the discs of a disc drive, for increasing the load applied to the heads by the head suspension when the heads are moved to a park location near the inner diameter of the discs. In a first embodiment, the ramp structure is stationary and a portion of the disc surface is accessed for normal read/write operations with the increased load applied. In a second embodiment, the ramp structure is moveable and engages the head suspension to increase the load applied to the heads only when the heads are parked during non-operational conditions. The ramp structure optionally includes disc snubber features to reduce disc coning and minimize the axial movement of the ramp structure in response to applied mechanical shocks.
Claims17
In a device including a disc and head assemblies supported in cooperative relationship to a surface of the disc by a head suspension attached to an actuator such that the head assemblies are movable across the surface of the disc, a system for providing increased load force to the head assemblies comprising:
- a base;
- a ramp structure further including:
- an arm extending over the surface of the disc, the arm having an attached end attached to the base beyond an outer diameter of the disc and a free end, the free end positioned closer to an inner diameter of the disc than the outer diameter of the disc;
- and
- a ramp portion at the free end of the arm for engaging the head suspension and maintaining the head assemblies in a position near the surface of the disc, wherein the ramp structure is located on a side of the actuator facing the inner diameter of the disc.
In a disc drive including at least one disc mounted for rotation on a spindle motor and a vertically aligned array of head assemblies supported in cooperative relationship to surfaces of the discs by head suspensions, the head suspensions attached to a movable actuator which moves the head assemblies across the surfaces of the at least one disc, a system for providing increased load force to the head assemblies comprising:
- a base;
- a ramp structure further including:
- an arm extending over the surface of the at least one disc, the arm having an attached end attached to the base near the outer diameter of the at least one disc and a free end, the free end positioned closer to the inner diameter of the at least one disc than the outer diameter of the at least one disc;
- a ramp portion attached to the free end of the arm, the ramp portion for engaging the head suspensions and maintaining the head assemblies in a position near the at least one disc, when the head assemblies are moved to a park position near the inner diameter of the at least one disc;
- a first arm snubber feature positioned near the free end of the arm on the first surface of the arm;
- and
- a second arm snubber feature positioned near the free end of the arm on the second surface of the arm.
A ramp structure for use within a disc drive, the disc drive including at least one disc having an inner diameter and an outer diameter, the ramp structure comprising:
- an elongated arm, wherein the arm has a first surface and a second surface;
- and
- a ramp portion attached to one end of the arm, the ramp portion positioned closer to the inner diameter of the at least one disc than the outer diameter of the at least one disc, the ramp portion further comprising:
- a first ramp surface;
- a second ramp surface;
- a first arm snubber feature positioned near the one end of the arm on the first surface of the arm;
- and
- a second arm snubber featured positioned near the one end of the arm on the second surface of the arm.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.