Disk drive including an actuator latch with a catch portion and a crash stop portion of lesser material stiffness than the catch portion
View Patent ↗A disk drive includes an actuator rotatably coupled to a disk drive base. A fixed member is in fixed spatial relation to the base. A latch is rotatably coupled to the base. The latch includes a catch portion in contact with the actuator with the latch closed and not in contact the actuator with the latch open. The catch portion comprises a first material. The latch includes a crash stop portion comprising a second material having a lesser stiffness than the first material. The crash stop portion includes a stop portion and a pusher portion. The stop portion is in contact with the fixed member with the latch closed and not in contact with the fixed member with the latch open. The pusher portion is in contact with the actuator with the latch closed and with the actuator in an extreme rotational position.
1. A disk drive comprising:
a disk drive base;
a fixed member in fixed spatial relation to the disk drive base;
an actuator rotatably coupled to the disk drive base; and
a latch rotatably coupled to the disk drive base, the latch comprising:
a catch portion in contact with the actuator with the latch in a closed position, the catch portion not in contact the actuator with the latch in an open position, the catch portion comprising a first material; and
a crash stop portion, the crash stop portion including a first stop portion and a pusher portion, the first stop portion and the pusher portion each comprising a second material having a lesser stiffness than the first material, the first stop portion in contact with the fixed member with the latch in the closed position, the first stop portion not being in contact with the fixed member with the latch in the open position, the pusher portion in contact with the actuator with the latch in the closed position and with the actuator in an extreme rotational position.
2. The disk drive of claim 1 wherein the latch includes a latch arm, the latch arm including the catch portion, an arm body portion supporting the catch portion, and an arm damping portion and, the arm damping portion comprising the second material.
3. The disk drive of claim 1 wherein the latch further comprises a second stop portion in contact with the fixed member with the latch in the open position, the second stop portion not being in contact with the fixed member with the latch in the closed position, the second stop portion comprising the second material.
4. The disk drive of claim 1 wherein the fixed member is a disk drive base wall of the disk drive base.
5. The disk drive of claim 1 wherein the crash stop portion includes a support portion, the support portion supporting the first stop portion and comprising a material having a stiffness greater than the first stop portion.
6. The disk drive of claim 5 wherein the support portion comprises the first material.
7. The disk drive of claim 1 wherein the latch is biased to the open position.
8. The disk drive of claim 1 wherein the latch further includes a latch biasing element comprising a third material that is a ferromagnetic metal material.
9. The disk drive of claim 8 further comprising a VCM magnet disposed adjacent the actuator, the latch biasing element being magnetically attracted towards the VCM magnet.
10. The disk drive of claim 1 wherein the actuator includes a catch, the catch portion is in contact with the catch with the latch in a closed position.
11. The disk drive of claim 10 wherein the catch is in the shape of a hook.
12. The disk drive of claim 1 wherein the first material comprises a polycarbonate material and the second material comprises a polyurethane material.