Disc drive actuator assembly with bearing cooling

A disc drive actuator assembly comprising:

• an e-block including one or more actuator arms;
• a plurality of bearings configured and arranged to facilitate rotation of the e-block around a pivot shaft;
• a voice coil mount that extends from a first surface of the e-block in a first direction relative to the pivot shaft;
• and
• one or more heat transfer components that are thermally coupled to and on a second surface of the e-block that is different than the first surface, that extend from the second surface in a second direction relative to the pivot shaft that is different than the first direction, and that are spaced apart from both the one or more actuator arms and voice coil mount, the one or more heat transfer components being configured and arranged to mitigate temperature rise of the plurality of bearings during operation of a disc drive by conductively drawing heat from the plurality of bearings through the e-block, and by convectively dissipating the heat into an atmosphere in contact therewith, the e-block including, a base portion that includes the first surface and the second surface, and that has a third surface that is on a different side of the base portion relative to the first surface and the second surface, and the one or more actuator arms extending from the third surface.

An apparatus comprising:

• a base deck including a pivot shaft fixed relative to the base deck;
• a plurality of storage mediums;
• a disc drive actuator assembly including:
• a transducer configured and arranged to access data storage locations on one of the plurality of storage mediums,
• an e-block configured and arranged to facilitate read and write access of the plurality of storage mediums by the transducer by positioning the transducer over a portion of the plurality of storage mediums, the e-block having a voice coil mount on a first surface thereof, and
• a plurality of bearings rotationally coupled to the pivot shaft of the base deck and the e-block, the plurality of bearings configured and arranged to facilitate rotation of the e-block around the pivot shaft;
• a heat transfer component coupled to a second surface of the e-block that is on a different side of the e-block relative to the first surface, the heat transfer component configured and arranged to conductively draw heat from the plurality of bearings through the e-block to the heat transfer component, and to dissipate the heat into an atmosphere in contact with the heat transfer component, the e-block including a base portion that includes the first surface and the second surface, and that has a third surface that is on a different side of the base portion relative to the first surface and the second surface;
• and an actuator arm that supports the transducer and extends from the third surface.

A method for mitigating temperature rise of a plurality of bearings in a disc drive apparatus, the method comprising:

• providing a base deck with a pivot shaft and a cavity for storing a plurality of storage mediums;
• providing an e-block that facilitates read and write access of the plurality of storage mediums by positioning one or more transducers coupled to the e-block over the plurality of storage mediums, the e-block having a voice coil mount extending from a first surface of the e-block in a first direction;
• providing the plurality of bearings, each bearing including an inner race, outer race and a plurality of balls therebetween, the inner race of each bearing coupled to a pivot shaft of the disc drive apparatus, the outer race of each bearing coupled to the e-block, and the plurality of bearings facilitating rotation of the e-block around the pivot shaft;
• providing one or more heat transfer components coupled to a second surface of the e-block, extending from the e-block in second direction that is different than the first direction;
• and providing one or more actuator arms coupled to and extending from the e-block, the e-block including a base portion that includes the first surface and the second surface, and that has a third surface that is on a different side of the base portion relative to the first surface and the second surface, with the one or more actuator arms extending from the third surface, each of the one or more actuator arms having one of the one or more transducers affixed thereto and being configured and arranged with the e-block to position the one of the one or more transducers, wherein the one or more heat transfer components are spaced apart from the actuator arms, the one or more heat transfer components being conductively coupled via the e-block to the plurality of bearings, therein configuring the one or more heat transfer components with the e-block and bearings to mitigate temperature rise of the plurality of bearings during operation of the disc drive apparatus by conductively transferring heat induced by rotation of the plurality of bearings through the e-block to the one or more heat transfer components, and convectively dissipating the heat from the one or more heat transfer components into an atmosphere in contact therewith.