Patent · US Expired

Rotary actuator assembly for disk drive head positioner

US4346416A · kind A · utility

53Cited by
7References
11Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateFeb 29, 1980
Grant dateAug 24, 1982
Priority date
Expiry dateFeb 29, 2000

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG11B5/5521
  • WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A rotary actuator assembly for positioning read/write heads in disk drive mass storage systems. The actuator assembly includes an actuator motor and one or more actuator arms secured thereto. The motor provides rotary motion of the arms, to move the heads. The stator magnet of the motor is an electromagnet wound on an arcuate core; a pair of elongate permanent magnets are attached to the rotor member, for coaction with the stator magnet. The rotor member has a U-shaped cross sectional area in a plane perpendicular to its axis of rotation; the permanent magnets are fixed to the outside, bottom corners of the U and the actuator arms are mounted across the open end of the U. The rotor is of a very small radius, to minimize inertia. The permanent magnets have a flat face facing the stator, with a channel running longitudinally down the middle, to minimize flux density variations in the permanent magnet-coil gap. The rotor balances the arm relative to the rotor's axis. The arms are of a substantially symmetrical tapered truss design, presenting low inertia; each is cantilevered to the rotor by one bolt which is passed through and pulls the arm against the rotors. Additionally, a spirol-…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.