IP Library Patent Application 12023206
Patent Application
App. No. 12/023,206

HEAD STACK ASSEMBLY AND HARD DISK DRIVE APPARATUS WITH THE SAME

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US None
App. No.
12/023,206
Abstract

A head stack assembly (HSA) including a swing arm including a core pivotably coupled to a base of a hard disk drive apparatus (HDD) and at least one arm blade extending horizontally from the core, a suspension extending from a front end of the arm blade, a head slider mounted on a front end of the suspension, a blade extension portion provided at a side of the swing arm in a width direction of the swing arm, the blade extension portion being an extension of the arm blade toward the core to avoid interfering with a disk of the HDD, and a rigidity weakening portion provided at the other side of the swing arm in the width direction, the rigidity weakening portion having a thickness less than that of the arm blade so as to alleviate an inconsistency of the rigidity of the arm blade in a width direction of the arm blade caused by the blade extension portion.

Claims (44)

1 . An HSA (head stack assembly) comprising:

a swing arm including a core pivotably coupled to a base of an HDD (hard disk drive apparatus) and at least one arm blade extending horizontally from the core;

a suspension extending from a front end of the arm blade;

a head slider mounted on a front end of the suspension;

a blade extension portion provided at a side of the swing arm in a width direction of the swing arm, the blade extension portion being an extension of the arm blade toward the core to avoid a pivoting of the HSA from interfering with a disk of the HDD; and

a rigidity weakening portion provided at the other side of the swing arm in the width direction, the rigidity weakening portion having a thickness less than that of the arm blade so as to alleviate an inconsistency of a rigidity of the arm blade in a width direction of the arm blade caused by the blade extension portion.

2 . The HSA of claim 1 , wherein the rigidity weakening portion is formed around a boundary between the core and the arm blade.

3 . The HSA of claim 1 , wherein the swing arm includes a plurality of arm blades, and each arm blade has a rigidity weakening portion.

4 . The HSA of claim 1 , wherein the blade extension portion and the rigidity weakening portion are disposed at opposite sides of an imaginary straight line that connects the head slider with a pivoting center of the HSA.

5 . The HSA of claim 1 , wherein the rigidity weakening portion is formed by partially removing at least one of an upper surface and a lower surface of the arm blade.

6 . The HSA of claim 1 , wherein when a thickness of the rigidity weakening portion is Tw and a thickness of the arm blade is To, an equation 0.1≦Tw/To<1 is established.

7 . The HSA of claim 1 , wherein the rigidity weakening portion is formed in a region existing within a radius of 7 mm from a point that is located on a boundary line between the core and the arm blade and is farthest from the pivotal center of the disk.

8 . An HDD (hard disk drive apparatus) comprising:

a base;

a disk that is a data recording medium that rotates on the base at high speed; and

an HSA (head stack assembly) pivotably installed on the base, the HSA comprising:

a swing arm including a core pivotably coupled to the base and at least one arm blade extending horizontally from the core;

a suspension extending from a front end of the arm blade;

a head slider mounted at a front end portion of the suspension;

a blade extension portion provided at a side of the swing arm in a width direction of the swing arm, the blade extension portion being an extension of the arm blade toward the core to avoid a pivoting of the HSA from interfering with the disk; and

a rigidity weakening portion provided at the other side of the swing arm in the width direction of the swing arm, the rigidity weakening portion having a thickness less than that of the arm blade so as to alleviate an inconsistency of a rigidity of the arm blade in a width direction of the arm blade caused by the blade extension portion.

9 . The HDD of claim 8 , wherein the rigidity weakening portion is formed around a boundary between the core and the arm blade.

10 . The HDD of claim 8 , wherein the swing arm includes a plurality of arm blades, and each arm blade has a rigidity weakening portion.

11 . The HDD of claim 8 , wherein the blade extension portion and the rigidity weakening portion are disposed at opposite sides of an imaginary straight line that connects the head slider with a pivoting center of the HSA.

12 . The HDD of claim 8 , wherein the rigidity weakening portion is formed by partially removing one of an upper surface and a lower surface of the arm blade.

13 . The HDD of claim 8 , wherein when a thickness of the rigidity weakening portion is Tw and a thickness of the arm blade is To, an equation 0.1≦Tw/To<1 is established.

14 . The HDD of claim 8 , wherein the rigidity weakening portion is formed in a region existing within a radius of 7 mm from a point that is located on a boundary line between the core and the arm blade and is farthest from the pivotal center of the disk.

15 . A swing arm unit usable with a head stack assembly of a hard disk drive apparatus (HDD), the swing arm unit comprising:

one or more arm blades each having a blade extension portion and a rigidity weakening portion opposite the blade extension portion in a width direction of the respective one or more arm blades,

wherein the rigidity weakening portion has a thickness less than a thickness of the one or more arm blades so as to alleviate the inconsistency of a rigidity of the one or more arm blades.

16 . A head stack assembly (HSA) usable with a hard disk drive apparatus (HDD), the HSA comprising:

a core rotatably connected to a base of the HDD;

one or more arm blades extending in an outwardly direction from the core and each having a blade extension portion and a rigidity weakening portion opposite the blade extension portion in a width direction of the respective one or more arm blades, the rigidity weakening portion having a thickness less than a thickness of the corresponding one or more arm blades to alleviate the inconsistency of a rigidity of the corresponding one or more arm blades.

17 . A hard disk drive apparatus (HDD), the apparatus comprising:

a base;

a core rotatably connected to the base;

one or more arm blades extending in an outwardly direction from the core and each having a blade extension portion and a rigidity weakening portion opposite the blade extension portion in a width direction of the respective one or more arm blades, the rigidity weakening portion having a thickness less than a thickness of the corresponding one or more arm blades to alleviate the inconsistency of a rigidity of the corresponding one or more arm blades.

18 . The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the blade extension portion and the rigidity weakening portion are disposed at opposite sides of an imaginary straight line that extends from the respective head slider and a pivoting center of the HSA.

19 . A swing arm unit usable with a head stack assembly of a hard disk drive apparatus (HDD), the swing arm unit comprising:

a core rotatably connected to a base of the HDD;

one or more arm blades extending in an outwardly direction from the core;

a suspension having a head slider disposed thereon and extending from a front end of each of the one or more arm blades;

a blade extension portion disposed at a side of each of the one or more arm blades in a width direction thereof and extending therefrom toward the core; and

a rigidity weakening portion disposed opposite each blade extension portion in the width direction of each arm blade, each rigidity weakening portion having a thickness less than a thickness of the respective arm blade to alleviate the inconsistency of a rigidity thereof.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 21, 2012
From: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
To: SEAGATE TECHNOLOGY INTERNATIONAL
Reel/Frame 027905/0581 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 31, 2008
From: KIM, WOO-SUNG; SONG, YONG-HAN
To: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 020448/0539 →