Claims
- 1. A magnetic storage cartridge adapted to be removably received by a disk drive assembly, the magnetic storage cartridge comprising:
a housing including:
at least one magnetic disk rotatable about a first axis; an actuator arrangement pivotal about a second axis, the actuator arrangement including at least one read/write head for reading and writing information to and from the at least one magnetic disk; and a first engagement feature positioned on the housing at a vibration source, the first engagement feature adapted to be engaged by a first corresponding engagement feature of the disk drive assembly to secure the magnetic storage cartridge to the disk drive assembly and permit operation of the magnetic storage cartridge.
- 2. The magnetic storage cartridge of claim 1 wherein the first engagement feature is coincident with the first axis.
- 3. The magnetic storage cartridge of claim 1 wherein the first engagement feature is coincident with the second axis.
- 4. The magnetic storage cartridge of claim 1 wherein the housing further includes:
a second engagement feature positioned on the housing at a further vibration source, the second engagement feature adapted to be engaged by a second corresponding engagement feature of the disk drive assembly to secure the magnetic storage cartridge to the disk drive assembly and permit operation of the magnetic storage cartridge.
- 5. The magnetic storage cartridge of claim 4 wherein the first engagement feature is coincident with the first axis and the second engagement feature is coincident with the second axis.
- 6. The magnetic storage cartridge of claim 4 wherein the housing further includes:
a third engagement feature positioned on the housing, the third engagement feature adapted to be engaged by a third corresponding engagement feature of the disk drive assembly to secure the magnetic storage cartridge to the disk drive assembly and permit operation of the magnetic storage cartridge.
- 7. The magnetic storage cartridge of claim 6 wherein the first, second and third engagement features are non-linearly arranged.
- 8. The magnetic storage cartridge of claim 7 wherein the first, second and third engagement features are arranged in a triangle.
- 9. The magnetic storage cartridge of claim 6 wherein the first engagement feature is coincident with the first axis, the second engagement feature is coincident with the second axis, and the third engagement feature is spaced from the first and second axes.
- 10. The magnetic storage cartridge of claim 1 wherein the housing is formed of a non-ferromagnetic material.
- 11. The magnetic storage cartridge of claim 10 wherein the non-metallic material is plastic.
- 12. A magnetic storage cartridge adapted to be removably received by a disk drive assembly, the magnetic storage cartridge comprising:
a housing including:
at least one magnetic disk, the magnetic disk including information critical to operation of the magnetic storage cartridge; an actuator arrangement, the actuator arrangement including at least one read/write head for reading and writing information to and from the at least one magnetic disk, the at least one read/write head upon insertion of the magnetic storage cartridge into the disk drive assembly accessing the information critical to operation of the magnetic storage cartridge to insure proper operation of the magnetic storage cartridge.
- 13. The magnetic storage cartridge of claim 12 wherein the information is encoded to prevent access to the information by unauthorized users.
- 14. The magnetic storage cartridge of claim 12 wherein the information is encoded to prevent use copying.
- 15. The magnetic storage cartridge of claim 12 wherein the information is related to optimal operation parameters of the at least one magnetic disk.
- 16. The magnetic storage cartridge of claim 12 wherein the information is related to optimal operation parameters of the at least one read/write head.
- 17. The magnetic storage cartridge of claim 12 wherein the information is related to optimal operation parameters of the at least one magnetic disk and the at least one read/write head.
- 18. The magnetic storage cartridge of claim 12 and further including:
a head load/unload feature for facilitating placing of the at least one read/write head on and removal of the read/write head from the at least one magnetic disk.
- 19. The magnetic storage cartridge of claim 12 and further including:
a head crash stop feature for constraining rotation of the at least one read/write head within a defined range.
- 20. The magnetic storage cartridge of claim 12 and further including:
an erasable programmable read-only-memory chip accessible by the disk drive assembly, the erasable programmable read-only-memory chip storing the information critical to operation of the magnetic storage cartridge.
- 21. The magnetic storage cartridge of claim 12 and further including:
a signal pre-amplifier for amplifying electrical read signals from the at least one read/write head prior to outputting to the disk drive assembly.
- 22. A disk drive assembly for removably receiving a magnetic storage cartridge having a first major surface and an opposite second major surface, the disk drive assembly comprising:
a housing configured for receiving the magnetic storage cartridge, the housing including:
a first member; and a second member movable relative to the first member, the first and second members having an undocked state, wherein the second member is spaced from the first member by a first distance and the magnetic storage cartridge can be inserted to and removed from the housing, and a docked state, wherein the second member has been moved towards the first member so as to be spaced from the first member by a second distance less than the first distance, and wherein the first and second members engage the first and second major surfaces of the magnetic storage cartridge to secure the magnetic storage cartridge within the housing to permit operation of the magnetic storage cartridge.
- 23. The disk drive assembly of claim 22 wherein at least one of the first and second members includes an engagement feature adapted to engage a corresponding engagement feature in at least one of the first and second major surfaces of the magnetic storage cartridge to secure the magnetic storage cartridge between the first and second members against movement relative thereto in the docked state.
- 24. The disk drive assembly of claim 23 wherein the engagement feature is a pin for engaging an aperture defining the corresponding engagement feature.
- 25. The disk drive assembly of claim 23 wherein the magnetic storage cartridge includes a magnetic storage disk rotatable about a first axis and a read/write head rotatable about a second axis spaced from the first axis, and wherein the engagement feature is positioned so as to engage the corresponding engagement feature at the first axis.
- 26. The disk drive assembly of claim 25 wherein when the engagement feature is engaged with the corresponding engagement feature the engagement feature is coincident with the first axis.
- 27. The disk drive assembly of claim 26 wherein the engagement feature is a spindle of a drive motor for engaging a corresponding rotation spindle of the magnetic storage disk which defines the corresponding engagement feature, the drive motor rotating the magnetic storage disk in the docked state.
- 28. The disk drive assembly of claim 23 wherein the magnetic storage cartridge includes a magnetic storage disk rotatable about a first axis and a read/write head rotatable about a second axis spaced from the first axis, and wherein the engagement feature is positioned so as to engage the corresponding engagement feature at the second axis.
- 29. The disk drive assembly of claim 28 wherein when the engagement feature is engaged with the corresponding engagement feature the engagement feature is coincident with the second axis.
- 30. The disk drive assembly of claim 23 wherein the magnetic storage cartridge includes a magnetic storage disk rotatable about a first axis and a read/write head rotatable about a second axis spaced from the first axis, and wherein the engagement feature is positioned so that when the engagement feature is engaged with the corresponding engagement, the engagement feature does not correspond with the first and second axes and is outside of a surface area of the magnetic storage disk.
- 31. The disk drive assembly of claim 23 wherein the first member includes the engagement feature for engaging the corresponding engagement feature in the first major surface of the magnetic storage cartridge.
- 32. The disk drive assembly of claim 23 wherein the second member includes the engagement feature for engaging the corresponding engagement feature in the second major surface of the magnetic storage cartridge.
- 33. The disk drive assembly of claim 23 wherein the engagement feature is a plurality of spaced engagement features for engaging a plurality of corresponding engagement features of the magnetic storage cartridge.
- 34. The disk drive assembly of claim 33 wherein the plurality of spaced engagement features are non-linearly arranged.
- 35. The disk drive assembly of claim 34 wherein the plurality of spaced engagement features is three spaced engagement features for engaging three corresponding engagement features of the magnetic storage cartridge.
- 36. The disk drive assembly of claim 35 wherein the three spaced engagement features are arranged so as to define a triangle.
- 37. The disk drive assembly of claim 36 wherein the first member includes the three spaced engagement features for engaging the three corresponding engagement features in the first major surface of the magnetic storage cartridge.
- 38. The disk drive assembly of claim 37 wherein the magnetic storage cartridge includes a magnetic storage disk rotatable about a first axis and a read/write head rotatable about a second axis spaced from the first axis, wherein one engagement feature of the three spaced engagement features is positioned so as to engage one corresponding engagement feature of the three corresponding engagement features at the first axis, wherein another engagement feature of the three spaced engagement features is positioned so as to engage another corresponding engagement feature of the three corresponding engagement features at the second axis, and wherein a last engagement feature of the three spaced engagement features is positioned so as to engage a last corresponding engagement feature of the three corresponding engagement features outside a surface area of the magnetic storage disk and spaced from the first and second axes.
- 39. The disk drive assembly of claim 36 wherein the second member includes the three spaced engagement features for engaging the three corresponding engagement features in the second major surface of the magnetic storage cartridge.
- 40. The disk drive assembly of claim 39 wherein the magnetic storage cartridge includes a magnetic storage disk rotatable about a first axis and a read/write head rotatable about a second axis spaced from the first axis, wherein one engagement feature of the three spaced engagement features is positioned so as to engage one corresponding engagement feature of the three corresponding engagement features at the first axis, wherein another engagement feature of the three spaced engagement features is positioned so as to engage another corresponding engagement feature of the three corresponding engagement features at the second axis, and wherein a last engagement feature of the three spaced engagement features is positioned so as to engage a last corresponding engagement feature of the three corresponding engagement features outside a surface area of the magnetic storage disk and spaced from the first and second axes.
- 41. The disk drive assembly of claim 33 wherein the plurality of spaced engagement features is a first set of three spaced engagement features on the first member for engaging a corresponding set of three engagement features on the first major surface of the magnetic storage cartridge, and a second set of three spaced engagement features on the second member for engaging a corresponding set of three engagement features on the second major surface of the magnetic storage cartridge.
- 42. The disk drive assembly of claim 41 wherein the first and second sets of three engagement features are each arranged to define a triangle.
- 43. The disk drive assembly of claim 42 wherein the magnetic storage cartridge includes a magnetic storage disk rotatable about a first axis and a read/write head rotatable about a second axis spaced from the first axis, wherein first engagement features of the first and second sets of three spaced engagement features are positioned so as to engage first corresponding engagement features of the corresponding sets of three corresponding engagement features at the first axis, wherein second engagement features of the first and second sets of three spaced engagement features are positioned so as to engage second corresponding engagement features of the corresponding sets of three corresponding engagement features at the second axis, and wherein third engagement features of the first and second sets of three spaced engagement features are positioned so as to engage third corresponding engagement features of the corresponding sets of three corresponding engagement features outside a surface area of the magnetic storage disk and spaced from the first and second axes.
- 44. The disk drive assembly of claim 43 wherein one engagement feature of the first and second sets of three spaced engagement features is a spindle of a drive motor for engaging a corresponding rotation spindle of the magnetic storage disk which defines the corresponding engagement feature, the drive motor rotating the magnetic storage disk in the docked state, and wherein the rest of the engagement features of the first and second sets of three engagement features are pins for engaging an aperture that defines each corresponding engagement feature of the corresponding sets of three corresponding engagement features.
- 45. The disk drive assembly of claim 22 wherein between the undocked and docked states the second member is linearly movable relative to the first member.
- 46. The disk drive assembly of claim 22 wherein between the undocked and docked states the second member is pivotally movable relative to the first member.
- 47. The disk drive assembly of claim 22 wherein in the undocked state of the first and second members, the magnetic storage cartridge is manually inserted between and removed from between the first and second members.
- 48. The disk drive assembly of claim 47 wherein both the first and second members are movable relative to one another to define the undocked and docked states.
- 49. The disk drive assembly of claim 48 wherein between the undocked and docked states the first and second members are each linearly movable.
- 50. The disk drive assembly of claim 49 wherein the first and second members are linearly movable in a direction perpendicular to the first and second major surfaces of the magnetic storage cartridge.
- 51. The disk drive assembly of claim 48 wherein the first member is defined by an upper rack assembly having an upper plate and the second member is defined by a lower rack assembly having a lower plate.
- 52. The disk drive assembly of claim 51 wherein the upper and lower plates are movable relative to the upper and lower rack assemblies to define the undocked and docked states.
- 53. The disk drive assembly of claim 52 wherein the upper and lower plates are linearly movable in a direction perpendicular to the first and second major surfaces of the magnetic storage cartridge.
- 54. The disk drive assembly of claim 53 wherein the upper and lower rack assemblies are fixed against movement.
- 55. The disk drive assembly of claim 22 wherein the housing further includes:
a linear translation system movable relative to the first and second members, the linear translation system in the undocked state of the first and second members being movable between a loading/unloading position, wherein the magnetic storage cartridge can be loaded onto and unloaded from the linear translation system out of the confines of the first and second members, and an in-use position, wherein the magnetic storage cartridge is positioned between the first and second members.
- 56. The disk drive assembly of claim 55 wherein both the first and second members are movable relative to one another to define the undocked and docked states.
- 57. The disk drive assembly of claim 56 wherein between the undocked and docked states the first and second members are each linearly movable in a direction perpendicular to the first and second major surfaces of the magnetic storage cartridge.
- 58. The disk drive assembly of claim 57 wherein the first member is defined by an upper rack assembly having an upper plate and the second member is defined by a lower rack assembly having a lower plate.
- 59. The disk drive assembly of claim 58 wherein the upper and lower plates are movable relative to the upper and lower rack assemblies to define the undocked and docked states.
- 60. The disk drive assembly of claim 59 wherein the upper and lower plates are linearly movable in a direction perpendicular to the first and second major surfaces of the magnetic storage cartridge.
- 61. The disk drive assembly of claim 22 wherein the first member is movable relative to the second member in a first linear direction between the undocked and docked states, and wherein the second member is movable in a second linear direction between a loading/unloading state, wherein the magnetic storage cartridge can be loaded onto and unloaded from the second member out of the confines of the housing and the undocked state.
- 62. The disk drive assembly of claim 61 wherein the first member is defined by an upper rack assembly having an upper plate and the second member is defined by a lower rack assembly having a lower plate, and wherein it is the lower plate that is movable in the second linear direction.
- 63. The disk drive assembly of claim 62 wherein only the upper plate of the first member is movable in the first linear direction.
- 64. The disk drive assembly of claim 63 wherein the first member is defined by a lower rack assembly having a lower plate and the second member is defined by an upper rack assembly having an upper plate, and wherein it is the upper plate that is movable in the second linear direction.
- 65. The disk drive assembly of claim 64 wherein only the lower plate of the second member is movable in the first linear direction.
- 66. The disk drive assembly of claim 22 wherein the second member is pivotally movable relative to the first member between the undocked and docked states.
- 67. The disk drive assembly of claim 66 wherein the first member is defined by an upper rack assembly having an upper plate and the second member is defined by a lower rack assembly having a lower plate.
- 68. The disk drive assembly of claim 66 wherein the first member is defined by a lower rack assembly having a lower plate and the second member is defined by an upper rack assembly having an upper plate.
- 69. The disk drive assembly of claim 22 wherein the magnetic storage cartridge includes a magnetic storage disk rotatable with a spindle about a first axis and a read/write head rotatable about a second axis spaced from the first axis, and wherein one of the first and second members includes a spindle motor having a spindle translation interface releasably engageable with the spindle of the magnetic storage disk in the docked state of the first and second members for rotating the magnetic storage disk about the first axis.
- 70. The disk drive assembly of claim 69 wherein the second member includes the spindle motor and spindle translation interface.
- 71. The disk drive assembly of claim 70 wherein the first member is defined by an upper rack assembly having an upper plate and the second member is defined by a lower rack assembly having a lower plate, and wherein the spindle and spindle translation interface are mounted on the lower plate.
- 72. The disk drive assembly of claim 71 wherein the upper and lower rack assemblies include upper and lower polarized magnets that operate to rotate the read/write head about the second axis.
- 73. The disk drive assembly of claim 71 wherein one of the first and second members includes a connector pad engageable with a corresponding connector pad of the magnetic storage cartridge in the docked state for controlling pivotal movement of the read/write head about the second axis and transferring data to and from the magnetic storage disk.
- 74. The disk drive assembly of claim 73 wherein the second member includes the spindle motor, the spindle translation interface and the connector pad.
- 75. The disk drive assembly of claim 74 wherein the first member is defined by an upper rack assembly having an upper plate and the second member is defined by a lower rack assembly having a lower plate, and wherein the spindle, the spindle translation interface and the connector pad are mounted on the lower plate.
- 76. The disk drive assembly of claim 73 wherein the corresponding connector pad is covered by a shutter movable between an open state that provides access to the corresponding connector pad and a closed state that prevents access to the corresponding connector pad, and wherein the shutter is only in the opened state in the docked state.
- 77. The disk drive assembly of claim 22 wherein the magnetic storage cartridge includes a magnetic storage disk rotatable with a spindle about a first axis, a read/write head rotatable about a second axis spaced from the first axis, a head-crash stop assembly, a head load/unload assembly and printed circuit board assembly.
- 78. The disk drive assembly of claim 22 wherein each of the first and second members includes:
a rack member; and a plate member, wherein the plate member is formed from a material that absorbs at least one of vibration, noise and heat.
- 79. The disk drive assembly of claim 78 wherein each plate member is formed of a material that absorbs vibrations, noise and heat.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This Non-Provisional Utility Patent Application claims the benefit of the filing date of U.S. Provisional Application Serial No. 60/212,040, filed Jun. 16, 2000, entitled “DISK DRIVE SYSTEM WITH ENCLOSED REMOVABLE CARTRIDGE OF VOICE COIL/HAD/DISK ASSEMBLY.”
Provisional Applications (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
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60212040 |
Jun 2000 |
US |