IP Library Granted Patent US 7,986,496
Granted Patent B2
US 7,986,496 · App. 12/072,744 · Granted Jul 26, 2011

Disk drive device and ramp used therefor

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,986,496
App. No.
12/072,744
Granted
Jul 26, 2011
Kind
B2
Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention help to prevent data error occurrence in a hard disk drive by reducing the generation of dust caused by friction between a magnetic disk and a ramp. According to one embodiment, a hard disk drive comprises an enclosure, a motor for rotating a magnetic disk, an actuator for supporting a head slider for accessing the disk, and a ramp for loading/unloading the head slider disposed in the enclosure. The ramp comprises a tab slide formed of a resin material having a sliding characteristic to slide a tab at a tip end of the actuator at a specific velocity, and a slit on which a reinforcement made of a resin material with higher mechanical strength than the tab slide is formed.

Claims (35)

1. A disk drive device comprising:

an enclosure;

a motor disposed in the enclosure for rotating a disk;

an actuator for supporting a head for accessing the disk and for moving the head by pivoting; and

a ramp for loading/unloading the head to/from the disk, the ramp comprising:

a tab slide on which a tab of the actuator rides and slides;

a slit through which an end of the rotating disk passes; and

a reinforcement formed on an area facing the disk in the slit and made of a resin material with higher mechanical strength than the tab slide.

2. The disk drive device according to claim 1 , wherein

a shape of the reinforcement is a terrace shape jutting out toward the disk.

3. The disk drive device according to claim 1 , wherein

the reinforcement is provided at a position further outside in a radial direction of the disk than a first virtual circle which is an orbit of an outermost disk radial directional position of the head above a recording surface of the disk at a time of a first contact of the tab to the tab slide in unloading operation.

4. The disk drive device according to claim 1 , wherein

the reinforcement is provided at a position further outside in a radial direction of the disk than a second virtual circle which is an orbit of an outermost disk radial directional position of the head above a recording surface of the disk at a time when the tab rides on the tab slide and the head is lifted by more than a specific fly-height from the recording surface of the disk.

5. The disk drive device according to claim 1 , wherein

a shape of an end of the reinforcement in a direction toward a rotational axis of the disk is a shape along a circumference of the magnetic disk at a position of the end.

6. The disk drive device according to claim 1 , wherein

an end of the reinforcement in a direction toward the rotational axis of the disk is provided between a first virtual circle and a second virtual circle, the first virtual circle is an orbit of an outermost disk radial directional position of the head above a recording surface of the disk at a time of a first contact of the tab to the tab slide in unloading operation, and the second virtual circle is an orbit of the outermost disk radial directional position of the head above the recording surface of the disk at a time when the tab rides on the tab slide and the head is lifted by more than a specific fly-height from the recording surface of the disk.

7. The disk drive device according to claim 1 , wherein

a groove is provided in an area facing an edge of the disk end in the slit.

8. A ramp disposed in a disk drive device for loading/unloading a head for accessing a disk to/from the disk comprising:

a tab slide on which a tab of an actuator for supporting the head and moving the head by pivoting rides and slides;

a slit through which an end of the rotating disk passes; and

a reinforcement formed on an area facing the disk in the slit and made of a resin material with higher mechanical strength than the tab slide.

9. The ramp according to claim 8 , wherein

a shape of the reinforcement is a terrace shape jutting out toward the disk.

10. The ramp according to claim 8 , wherein

the reinforcement is provided at a position further outside in a radial direction of the disk than a first virtual circle which is an orbit of an outermost disk radial directional position of the head above a recording surface of the disk at a time of a first contact of the tab to the tab slide in unloading operation.

11. The ramp according to claim 8 , wherein

the reinforcement is provided at a position further outside in a radial direction of the disk than a second virtual circle which is an orbit of an outermost disk radial directional position of the head above a recording surface of the disk at a time when the tab rides on the tab slide and the head is lifted by more than a specific fly-height from the recording surface of the disk.

12. The ramp according to claim 8 , wherein

an end of the reinforcement toward a center of a rotational axis of the disk is shaped as an arc.

13. The ramp according to claim 8 , wherein

the end of the reinforcement in a direction toward the rotational axis of the disk is provided between a first virtual circle and a second virtual circle, the first virtual circle is an orbit of an outermost disk radial directional position of the head above a recording surface of the disk at a time of a first contact of the tab to the tab slide in unloading operation, and the second virtual circle is an orbit of the outermost disk radial directional position of the head above the recording surface of the disk at a time when the tab rides on the tab slide and the head is lifted by more than a specific fly-height from the recording surface of the disk.

14. The ramp according to claim 8 , further comprising a groove in an area facing an edge of the disk end in the slit.

Assignments (3)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 6, 2016
From: HGST NETHERLANDS B.V.
To: WESTERN DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 040826/0821 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Oct 25, 2012
From: HITACHI GLOBAL STORAGE TECHNOLOGIES NETHERLANDS B.V.
To: HGST NETHERLANDS B.V.
Reel/Frame 029341/0777 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 28, 2008
From: OHTA, KATSUHIKO; TAKAHASHI, KOHJI; MATSUMURA, SATOSHI
To: HITACHI GLOBAL STORAGE TECHNOLOGIES NETHERLANDS B.V.
Reel/Frame 020868/0193 →