Actuator limiters for multiple disk-stack, shared actuator hard disk drive

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9704521-B1
Application number	US-201615199892-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Jun 30, 2016
Priority date	Jun 30, 2016
Publication date	Jul 11, 2017
Grant date	Jul 11, 2017

Abstract

An actuator rotational limiter mechanism for a multiple disk-stack, shared actuator hard disk drive includes an actuator comb with a protruding pin, whereby rotation of the actuator comb is limited by an attraction between the pin and a magnet. An enclosure base may include a curved slot in which the pin is disposed, where one end of the slot may correspond to the head slider being near the inner diameter of a first disk stack and the other end of the slot may correspond to the head slider being near the inner diameter of a second disk stack adjacent to the first disk stack. The magnet may be disposed within or adjacent to the curved slot, at a midway location, whereby the pin is held in place by the magnet at a position that corresponds to the head slider being parked on a ramp positioned between the disk stacks.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A multiple disk-stack, shared actuator hard disk drive comprising:
a base comprising a curved slot and a magnet disposed within or adjacent to said curved slot;
a first disk media stack rotatably mounted on a first spindle;
a second disk media stack rotatably mounted on a second spindle;
a head slider comprising a read/write head configured to read from and to write to disk media; and
an actuator comb configured to move said head slider to access portions of at least one disk of said first disk media stack and at least one disk of said second disk media stack, said actuator comb comprising:
a pin, composed at least in part of a magnetic material, protruding from said actuator comb and disposed within said slot of said base such that a range of rotation of said actuator comb is limited by said pin in said slot, and wherein said magnet is capable of holding said pin in place by a magnetic attraction between said pin and said magnet.

2. The hard disk drive of claim 1 , wherein said magnet is disposed within or adjacent to said curved slot at a midway location of said curved slot.

3. The hard disk drive of claim 2 , further comprising:
a load/unload ramp coupled with said base;
wherein said pin held in place with said magnet corresponds to said head slider being parked on said ramp.

4. The hard disk drive of claim 2 , further comprising:
a rotatable cam-roller in which said pin is disposed; and
a cam-lock protruding into or overhanging said curved slot;
wherein said cam-roller is at times held in place with said cam-lock.

5. The hard disk drive of claim 4 , further comprising:
a load/unload ramp coupled with said base;
wherein said cam-roller held in place with said cam-lock corresponds to said head slider being parked on said ramp.

6. The hard disk drive of claim 1 , wherein said second disk media stack is positioned counter-clockwise from said first disk media stack relative to rotation of said actuator comb, and wherein said curved slot comprises a left end and a right end, and wherein said pin in contact with said left end of said slot corresponds to said head slider being positioned at or near the inner diameter of said second disk media stack.

7. The hard disk drive of claim 6 , wherein said pin in contact with said right end of said slot corresponds to said head slider being positioned at or near the inner diameter of said first disk media stack.

8. The hard disk drive of claim 1 , wherein said actuator comb further comprises an elastomer sleeve encasing at least a portion of said pin.

9. The hard disk drive of claim 1 , wherein said pin protrudes from a bottom surface of said actuator comb, and wherein said actuator comb further comprises a balancing mass protruding from a top surface of said actuator comb.

10. An actuator comb configured for a multiple disk-stack, shared actuator hard disk drive, the actuator comb comprising:
a magnetic pin protruding downward from a bottom surface of a carriage of said actuator comb, structurally configured for riding in a corresponding curved slot of an enclosure base such that rotation of said actuator comb is limited by said curved slot and for magnetic interaction with a corresponding magnet coupled with said base.

11. The actuator comb of claim 10 , wherein said actuator comb further comprises a balancing mass protruding from a top surface of said actuator comb.

12. The actuator comb of claim 10 , further comprising:
an elastomer sleeve encasing at least a portion of said magnetic pin.

13. A method for controlling rotational travel of an actuator comb housing a head slider in a multiple disk-stack, shared actuator hard disk drive, the method comprising:
driving said actuator comb to a first end of a curved slot of an enclosure base, such that a pin protruding from said actuator comb and riding in said curved slot limits rotational travel of said actuator comb to a position corresponding to said head slider being positioned at or near the inner diameter of a first disk stack; and
driving said actuator comb to a midway position within said curved slot, such that said pin is magnetically attracted to a magnet disposed within or adjacent to said curved slot;
wherein said pin held in place with said magnet corresponds to said head slider being parked on a load/unload ramp positioned between said first disk stack and an adjacent second disk stack.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
driving said actuator comb to a second end of said curved slot, such that said pin riding in said curved slot limits rotational travel of said actuator comb to a position corresponding to said head slider being positioned at or near the inner diameter of said second disk stack.

15. A multiple disk-stack, shared actuator hard disk drive comprising:
a base comprising a magnet;
a first disk media stack rotatably mounted on a first spindle;
a second disk media stack rotatably mounted on a second spindle;
a head slider comprising a read/write head configured to read from and to write to disk media;
an actuator comb configured to move said head slider to access portions of at least one disk media of said first disk media stack and at least one disk media of said second disk media stack, said actuator comb comprising:
a pin protruding from said actuator comb such that rotation of said actuator comb is limited by an attraction between said pin and said magnet;

a first crash stop post coupled with said base; and
a second crash stop post coupled with said base;
wherein said actuator comb in contact with said first crash stop post corresponds to said head slider being positioned at or near the inner diameter of said first disk media stack, and wherein said actuator comb in contact with said second crash stop post corresponds to said head slider being positioned at or near the inner diameter of said second disk media stack.

16. A multiple disk-stack, shared actuator hard disk drive comprising:
a base comprising:
a curved slot, including a left end and a right end, and
a magnet;

a first disk media stack rotatably mounted on a first spindle;
a second disk media stack rotatably mounted on a second spindle and positioned counter-clockwise from said first disk media stack relative to rotation of an actuator comb;
a head slider comprising a read/write head configured to read from and to write to disk media; and
said actuator comb configured to move said head slider to access portions of at least one disk of said first disk media stack and at least one disk of said second disk media stack, said actuator comb comprising:
a pin protruding from said actuator comb and disposed within said slot of said base such that a range of rotation of said actuator comb is limited by said pin in said slot;

wherein said pin in contact with said left end of said slot corresponds to said head slider being positioned at or near the inner diameter of said second disk media stack.

17. The hard disk drive of claim 15 , further comprising:
a load/unload ramp coupled with said base;
wherein said pin protrudes from a back surface of said actuator comb;
wherein said pin held in place with said magnet corresponds to said head slider being parked on said ramp.

18. The hard disk drive of claim 16 , wherein said pin in contact with said right end of said slot corresponds to said head slider being positioned at or near the inner diameter of said first disk media stack.

Assignees

• HGST Netherlands BV
• Western Digital Tech Inc

Inventors

• Shah Anant
• Tamayo Thomas

Classifications

• G11B21/22

  while the head is out of operative position · CPC title

• G11B5/4886

  relative to rotating disc · CPC title

• G11B5/54

  with provision for moving the head into or out of its operative position or across tracks · CPC title

• G11B5/58 Primary

  with provision for moving the head for the purpose of maintaining alignment of the head relative to the record carrier during transducing operation, e.g. to compensate for surface irregularities of the latter or for track following {(spacing means incorporated in the head structure G11B5/187, G11B5/255, G11B5/3106)} · CPC title