Hard disk drive with lube on demand actuators
US6246534A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 27, 1998 |
| Grant date | Jun 12, 2001 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 27, 2018 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG11B5/54
- WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A hard disk drive contains magnetic disks which are accessed by a series of pivotable arms. Each arm has a pair of flexible, cantilevered suspensions and a head gimbal assembly with a magnetic read/write head secured to each suspension. A tab extends from and forms part of the end of each head gimbal assembly. The hard disk drive also has a stationary cam member located near the outer edges of the disks. The cam member has a series of rigid cantilevered fingers with contoured surfaces. Each surface has three spaced-apart detents with a recess located between each adjacent pair of detents. The second recess on each surface has a lubricant-filled reservoir. For the majority of its operation, the drive pivots the arms between an operational range adjacent to the disks, and a park position in the first recess when the drive is not in use. The tabs slide along the support surfaces of the fingers when the arms move to the retracted position. At selected intervals, the support surfaces of the fingers may be lubricated by briefly moving the arms to a lube position with the tabs in the second recess. The small amount of lubricant applied to the tabs is sufficient to relubricate the support …
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.