IP Library Granted Patent US 6,918,129
Granted Patent B2
US 6,918,129 · App. 10/424,929 · Granted Jul 12, 2005

Disc drive head driver

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 6,918,129
App. No.
10/424,929
Granted
Jul 12, 2005
Kind
B2
Abstract

The present invention eliminates variations in the engagement between a rack and a pinion, which drive a recording head, to enable the head to move speedily and smoothly. A head driver includes a rack provided on a recording head that slidingly moves over a recording disc and a pinion engaged with the rack and rotated by a drive motor, wherein there are provided a concave groove, provided on the rack and running in parallel with rack tooth, and a swing arm with which a rigid guide, guided by the concave groove, is integrated and on which a rotation axis of the pinion is provided. When the rack is at a slant with the movement direction, the swing arm swings, following the slant of the rack to keep constant the spacing between the rack and the pinion.

Claims (19)

1. A head driver provided on a disc drive, wherein

said head driver slidingly moves a recording head over a recording disc to write or read information to or from the recording disc,

wherein said head driver comprises:

a rack provided on said recording head;

a pinion engaged with said rack and rotated by a drive source; and

axis spacing retaining means for retaining fixed spacing between a rotation axis of said pinion and said rack with a rigid material,

wherein said axis spacing retaining means is composed of a positive motion cam mechanism, and

wherein

said axis spacing retaining means comprises:

a concave groove provided on said rack and extending in parallel with rack tooth; and

a swing arm that swings with a rigid guide integrated therewith, said guide being guided by said concave groove,

wherein said swing arm includes the rotation axis of said pinion.

2. The head driver of a disc drive according to claim 1 , wherein

said swing arm is able to swing around a rotation axis of a drive gear rotating said pinion.

3. The head driver of a disc drive according to claim 2 , further comprising:

a drive motor driving said pinion;

an output gear provided on a rotation output axis of said drive motor; and

an intermediate gear transmitting a rotation force of said output gear to said pinion, wherein

said swing arm is able to swing around a rotation axis of said intermediate gear.

Assignments (4)
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE REMOVE PATENT NUMBERS 10342096;10671117; 10716375; 10716376;10795407;10795408; AND 10827591 PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 58314 FRAME: 657. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT. Recorded Feb 29, 2024
From: RAKUTEN, INC.
To: RAKUTEN GROUP, INC.
Reel/Frame 068066/0103 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Dec 6, 2021
From: RAKUTEN, INC.
To: RAKUTEN GROUP, INC.
Reel/Frame 058314/0657 →
CHANGE OF ADDRESS Recorded Dec 17, 2015
From: RAKUTEN, INC.
To: RAKUTEN, INC.
Reel/Frame 037751/0006 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 25, 2012
From: NEC CORPORATION
To: RAKUTEN, INC.
Reel/Frame 028273/0933 →