Patent · US Expired

Method and apparatus for electrically coupling components in a removable cartridge

US6633445B1 · kind B1 · utility

14Cited by
131References
17Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateJun 9, 2000
Grant dateOct 14, 2003
Priority date
Expiry dateJun 9, 2020

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG11B33/1493
  • WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

An information storage device (10, 510, 610, 710) includes a cradle (12, 512, 612, 712) which can removably receive a cartridge (11, 411, 511, 611, 711). The cartridge contains a rotatably supported disk (91, 326-327), and a pivotal actuator arm (101) which supports a read/write head (107, 331-334) for movement adjacent the disk. A coil (117) on the arm interacts with an external magnetic field to effect pivotal movement of the arm. The cartridge may contain a spin motor (92) for effecting rotation of a disk. A preamplifier (111) and an electrostatic discharge buffer (112) are provided for the head. A read-only memory (186) contains characteristic information about the cartridge, and an hour meter (191) contains information about the cumulative amount of time that the cartridge has been used. A connector (71) is provided to electrically couple external circuitry to electrical components within the cartridge. A single flex circuit (311) effects all electrical coupling between the connector and the electrical components within the cartridge.

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