Dynamic magnetic information storage or retrieval – Record transport with head stationary during transducing – Disk record
Reexamination Certificate
2001-02-27
2004-07-20
Evans, Jefferson (Department: 2652)
Dynamic magnetic information storage or retrieval
Record transport with head stationary during transducing
Disk record
C360S133000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06765751
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates generally to disk drive storage systems. In particular, the present invention is a disk drive system with a removable and exchangeable cartridge incorporating magnetic media, head and voice coil assemblies. The disk drive system includes a plurality of mechanical engagement features arranged in a triangular pattern for engaging the removable cartridge and preventing movement of the cartridge during operation of the disk drive system. The mechanical engagement features supporting adaptive magnetic and electrical engagement features which enable operation of the disk drive system.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Disk drive systems of the “Winchester” type are well known in the industry. A disk drive system of this type typically includes a head disk assembly and a printed circuit board (PCB) assembly for controlling operation of various components of the head disk assembly. The head disk assembly generally includes an enclosure which houses a magnetic disk arrangement, a magnetic transducer arrangement, a rotary actuator arrangement and a spindle motor arrangement. The magnetic disk arrangement is defined by one or more rigid disks coated with a magnetizable medium for storage of digital information in a plurality of circular, concentric data tracks. The disks are driven (i.e., rotated) by the spindle motor arrangement to spin, and thereby cause the surfaces of the disks to pass under respective read and write transducers of the magnetic transducer arrangement. The read and write transducers write information to and read information from the concentric data tracks in the disk surfaces of the rigid disks. There is typically one read and write transducer for each recording surface of each rigid disk.
The rotary actuator arrangement moves the read and write transducers from track to track cross the surfaces of the rigid disks under control of circuitry. The rotary actuator arrangement typically includes a permanent-magnet arrangement, a pivot bearing cartridge and a head stack assembly. The pivot bearing cartridge includes a stationary shaft secured to the enclosure to define an axis of rotation for the head stack assembly. The head stack assembly, often referred to as an “E-block” includes a flex circuit assembly, a voice coil and track accessing arms. Each one of the read and write transducers is secured to a respective one of the track accessing arms. During use, circuitry causes current to conduct through the voice coil, and because the voice coil lies in the magnetic field provided by the permanent-magnet arrangement, a torque is applied to the head stack assembly. The amount and direction of that torque is subject to control by a servo system that controls the rotary position of the read and write transducers relative to tracks on the respective recording surfaces of the rigid disks. Track accessing is limited to a certain range of disk tracks from an inner radius to an outer radius of the rigid disks by limiting the pivotal movement of the head stack assembly via a set of crash stop assemblies.
In a standard “Winchester” disk drive system, all the major sub-components, including the PCB assembly, rigid disks, the head stack assembly, the read and write transducers, the permanent magnets, the spindle motor, and crash stop assemblies are all mounted onto a drive base and cover that defines the enclosure. This enclosure is sealed to provide a relatively contaminant-free interior for these sub-components. Because of the need to maintain this contaminant free environment within the enclosure, these sub-components, particularly the disks, are not readily removable from the disk drive system enclosure.
The disk drive system, which includes the enclosure and sub-components, is typically rigidly mounted to a computer system housing so as not to be removable from the computer housing and therefore, so as not to be exchangeable with other disk drive systems, even of the same type. However, there are some disk drive systems that are meant to be readily removable and exchangeable. In either case during operation it is necessary that for the disk drive system to be rigidly mounted to the computer housing in a fixed position so as to prevent any “play” (i.e., movement) of the disk drive system. This “play”, whether side-to-side or up-and-down, is caused by vibration as a result of operation of other systems within the computer housing and/or operation of the sub-components within the disk drive system itself. This vibration can be due to or cause undesirable imbalances in the magnetic disk arrangement because of the high rotational speeds of the rigid disks. In addition, this vibration can be due to or cause undesirable imbalances in the rotary actuator arrangement which can cause actuator tracking problems that can result in the actuator arrangement taking longer to find the desired track on a rigid disk. As such, vibration causing “play” can degrade the overall performance of the disk drive assembly. Hence, for proper operation of the disk drive system, it is necessary to rigidly mount the disk drive system to prevent unwanted “play”. Moreover, in the case where the disk drive system is designed to be readily removable and exchangeable, it is exceedingly necessary to rigidly secure the readily removable and exchangeable portion of the disk drive system against unwanted movement (i.e., “play”) during operation of the disk drive system.
One non-readily removable and non-readily exchangeable “Winchester” disk drive system as described above is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,317,146 to Gervais et al. In Gervais et al., in contrast to what is described above, a stepper motor rather than a voice coil is used to actuate the track accessing arms of the head stack assembly.
The U.S. Pat. No. 5,235,481 to Kamo et al., discloses a readily removable and exchangeable disk drive system. In Kamo et al., a separate cartridge, which houses a disk/hub assembly, a head/arm assembly with a pivot, and a polarized magnet assembly, is readily removable from its drive and exchangeable with other drives. However, in Kamo et al., the separate cartridge is not adequately rigidly secured within the drive so as to prevent vibration causing degradation in disk drive performance.
The U.S. Pat. No. 4,359,762 to Stollorz discloses a readily removable and exchangeable disk drive system. In Stollorz, a separate storage module, which houses a disk/hub assembly and a head/arm assembly, is readily removable from its drive module so as to be exchangeable with other like drive modules. In Stollorz an external linear screw translation system drives and controls the head arm assembly. However, in Stollorz, like Kamo et al., the separate storage module is not adequately rigidly secured within the drive module so as to prevent vibration causing degradation in disk drive performance.
The U.S. Pat. No. 5,214,550 to Chan discloses a readily removable and exchangeable disk drive system similar to Kamo et al. As such, like Kamo et al. and Stollorz, the separate cartridge is not adequately rigidly secured within the drive so as to prevent vibration causing degradation in disk drive performance.
The U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,974,103; 4,965,691; and 5,175,657 to Iftikar discloses a readily removable and exchangeable disk drive system. In Iftikar a separate cartridge encloses transducer heads, a disk and its spindle translator, and one or more of actuators, either voice coil or magnets. The edges of the separate cartridge are locked in position via a pair of tracks in the drive housing's interior with the separate cartridge's middle portion suspended in the air. The rotation of the disk spindle inside the cartridge is actuated by a rotating magnetic field generated by a fixed coil assembly distanced from the cartridge's disk spindle. Such a rotating magnetic field not only would induce the rotation of the disk spindle, but also unwanted vertical and horizontal vibrations of the separate cartridge. These vibrations can lead to many technical problems such as recording track mis-registration, modulatio
Blumentritt Bruce F.
Huang Herb H.
Dicke Billig & Czaja, PLLC
Evans Jefferson
HDVI Technology LLC
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