Plastic and nonmetallic article shaping or treating: processes – Mechanical shaping or molding to form or reform shaped article – To produce composite – plural part or multilayered article
Reexamination Certificate
1999-06-01
2001-10-23
Ortiz, Angela (Department: 1732)
Plastic and nonmetallic article shaping or treating: processes
Mechanical shaping or molding to form or reform shaped article
To produce composite, plural part or multilayered article
C264S272190
Reexamination Certificate
active
06306332
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is related to linear actuators for carrying read/write heads into engagement with a recording medium, and, more particularly, to an in rigger for maintaining the desired position of the carriage assembly as the read/write heads engage and disengage from the recording medium.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
Disk drives for storing electronic information are found in a wide variety of computer systems, including workstations, personal computers, and laptop and notebook computers. Such disk drives can be stand-alone units that are connected to a computer system by cable, or they can be internal units that occupy a slot, or bay, in the computer system. Laptop and notebook computers have relatively small bays in which to mount internal disk drives and other peripheral devices, as compared to the much larger bays available in most workstation and personal computer housings. The relatively small size of peripheral bays found in laptop and notebook computers, can place significant constraints on the designer of internal disk drives for use in such computers. Techniques that address and overcome the problems associated with these size constraints are therefore important.
Disk drives of the type that accept removable disk cartridges have become increasingly popular.
FIG. 1
shows one disk drive product, known as the ZIP™ drive, that has been very successful. This disk drive is designed and manufactured by Iomega Corporation, the assignee of the present invention. ZIP™ drives accept removable disk cartridges that contain a flexible magnetic storage medium upon which information can be written and read. The diskshaped storage medium is mounted on a hub that rotates freely within the cartridge. A spindle motor within the ZIP™ drive engages the cartridge hub when the cartridge is inserted into the drive, in order to rotate the storage medium at relatively high speeds. A shutter on the front edge of the cartridge is moved to the side during insertion into the drive, thereby exposing an opening through which the read/write heads of the drive move to access the recording surfaces of the rotating storage medium. The shutter covers the head access opening when the cartridge is outside of the drive, to prevent dust and other contaminants from entering the cartridge and settling on the recording surfaces of the storage medium.
The ZIP™ drive is presently available for workstations and personal computers in both stand-alone and internal configurations. In order to provide a version of the ZIP™ drive for use in laptop and notebook computers, the size constraints of the peripheral bays of such computers must be considered. In particular, for an internal drive to fit in the majority of laptop and notebook peripheral bays, the drive must be no longer than 135 mm. The height of the drive must be in the range of 12 to 15 mm. These dimensions place many constraints on the design of such a drive, and give rise to numerous design problems.
FIG. 1
shows a carriage assembly that is employed in the ZIP™ and disclosed in Ser. No. 08/727,128 entitled Actuator For Storage Device, filed on Oct. 8, 1996 and hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. The ZIP™ drive carriage assembly
10
comprises a main carriage
12
, carriage arms
20
, load beams
24
, write/read heads
26
, voice coil
16
, an outrigger
18
and outrigger guide track
46
. The carriage arms
20
are formed with the main carriage
12
. Each carriage arm
20
is mechanically coupled to a corresponding load beam
24
. Each head
26
is mechanically coupled to a corresponding load beam
24
.
The carriage
12
comprises an elongated sidewall
28
that defines two opposing open ends
30
and
32
with a passage
34
extending therebetween. The open ends
30
and
32
are adapted to receive cylindrical bushings
36
and
38
. The passage
34
, open ends
30
and
32
, and bushings
36
and
38
are adapted to slidingly receive a guide track (not shown).
The coil
16
is mounted to the carriage
14
by adhesives or bonding methods. The outrigger
18
is mounted to a portion of the coil
16
and travels along the outrigger guide track
46
to prevent rotation of the carriage assembly
10
when the carriage assembly is in operation. Most of the components described above are coupled to one another by individual connecting steps, such as with adhesives and bonding methods. There are several drawbacks with having to attach these components individually.
One drawback with an outrigger and outrigger guide track is the require a relatively large amount of space within an electronic environment to operate. It would, therefore, be desirable to provide a means for maintaining the desired position of a carriage assembly that requires less space to perform this function.
Another drawback of employing the outrigger and outrigger guide track is that they increase the number of components that must be designed and accounted for. It would therefore be desirable to reduce the number of components that comprise a carriage assembly.
Yet another drawback of employing the outrigger and outrigger guide track is that they must be individually attached within close tolerances. This production requires near exact precision which is relatively difficult to obtain. It would therefore be desirable to provide a means of manufacturing the desired carriage assembly more exact and easily.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the present invention, an in-rigger for maintaining a carriage assembly in the desired position as the carriage arm engages a recording medium is provided. The in-rigger comprises an elongated body having a first end and an opposing second end. The body has a relative outer surface and a relative inner surface. At least one protruding member extends proximate the second end along the inner surface.
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Iomega Corporation
Ortiz Angela
Woodcock Washburn Kurtz Mackiewicz & Norris LLP
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