Disk drive including magnetic element support with primary and secondary magnetic flux paths

1. A disk drive comprising:

a disk drive base;

a disk rotatably coupled to the disk drive base;

a rotary actuator coupled to the disk drive base adjacent the disk, the rotary actuator being configured to pivot about an axis of rotation, the rotary actuator including a coil, the coil including a first leg and a second leg;

first and second magnetic elements; and

a magnetic element support coupled to the disk drive base, the magnetic element support including:

a first plate section including a first support portion and a first extension portion, the first magnetic element being attached to the first support portion;

a second plate section including a second support portion and a second extension portion, the second magnetic element being attached to the second support portion, the first leg disposed between the first and second magnetic elements and not between the first and second extension portions with the second leg disposed between the first and second extension portions and not between the first and second magnetic elements; and

a transition section formed between the first and second plate sections.

2. The disk drive of claim 1 wherein the first plate section, the second plate section, and the transition section are formed of a unitary piece of material.

3. The disk drive of claim 1 wherein the transition section is integrally formed with the first and second support portions.

4. The disk drive of claim 1 wherein the rotary actuator further includes a coil support, the coil is supported by the coil support.

5. The disk drive of claim 1 wherein the first leg generally radially extends with respect to the axis of rotation and a second leg generally radially extends with respect to the axis of rotation.

6. The disk drive of claim 1 wherein the first magnetic element includes two poles, the second magnetic element includes two poles, the first and second magnetic elements have poles with opposite polarities facing each other.

7. The disk drive of claim 1 wherein the magnetic element support is formed of steel.

8. The disk drive of claim 7 wherein the magnetic element support is metal plated.

9. The disk drive of claim 1 wherein the transition section is curved.

10. The disk drive of claim 9 wherein the transition section is C-shaped.

11. A disk drive comprising:

a disk drive base;

a disk rotatably coupled to the disk drive base;

a rotary actuator coupled to the disk drive base adjacent the disk, the rotary actuator being configured to pivot about an axis of rotation, the rotary actuator including a coil, the coil including a first leg and a second leg;

first and second magnetic elements; and

a magnetic element support coupled to the disk drive base, the magnetic element support including:

a first plate section including a first support portion and a first extension portion, the first magnetic element being attached to the first support portion;

a second plate section including a second support portion and a second extension portion, the second magnetic element being attached to the second support portion, the second extension portion being cooperatively formed with the first extension portion to receive the first leg between the first and second magnetic elements with the second leg between the first and second extension portions;

a transition section formed between the first and second plate sections;

wherein a primary magnetic flux path extends through the second magnetic element, the second support portion, the transition section, the first support portion, the first magnetic element, and the first leg;

wherein a secondary magnetic flux path extends through the second magnetic element, the second support portion, the second extension portion, the second leg, the first extension portion, the first support portion, the first magnetic element, and the first leg; and

wherein the transition section is disposed radially beyond the first and second magnetic elements with respect to the axis of rotation.

12. A disk drive comprising:

a disk drive base;

a disk rotatably coupled to the disk drive base;

a rotary actuator coupled to the disk drive base adjacent the disk, the rotary actuator being configured to pivot about an axis of rotation, the rotary actuator including a coil, the coil including a first leg and a second leg;

first and second magnetic elements; and

a magnetic element support coupled to the disk drive base, the magnetic element support including:

a first plate section including a first support portion and a first extension portion, the first magnetic element being attached to the first support portion;

a second plate section including a second support portion and a second extension portion, the second magnetic element being attached to the second support portion, the first leg disposed between the first and second magnetic elements and not between the first and second extension portions with the second leg disposed between the first and second extension portions and not between the first and second magnetic elements; and

a transition section formed between the first and second plate sections,

wherein the first and second extension portions are disposed generally angularly lateral to the first and second magnetic elements with respect to the axis of rotation.