Electro-mechanical latch
First Claim
1. An electro-mechanical latch comprising:
- a solenoid including an armature movable from a normally biased first position to a second position in response to an electrical current applied to said solenoid, said armature when in said first position being adapted to latch a device in a parked position, said armature when in said second position, being non-interactive with said device;
means for holding said armature in said second position in response to said armature being moved to said second position upon application of said current to allow subsequent removal of said current; and
means for releasing holding of said armature in response to said device returning to said parked position whereby said armature returns to sad normally biased first position to latch said device.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An electro-mechanical latch includes a solenoid having an armature movable from a normally biased first position to a second position in response to an electrical current applied to the solenoid, and means for holding the armature in the second position to allow subsequent removal of the current from the solenoid. When the armature is in its first position, it is adapted to latch a device in a parked position. The armature is non-interactive with said device in its second position. The electro-mechanical latch of the present invention further includes means for releasing the holding of the armature in response to the device returning to its parked position whereby the armature returns to its normally biased first position to latch the device. An important advantage of the present invention is that the current need be applied to the solenoid only for moving the armature to release the device. The current may then be removed since the armature will be held in a position which is non-interactive with the device.
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Citations
30 Claims
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1. An electro-mechanical latch comprising:
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a solenoid including an armature movable from a normally biased first position to a second position in response to an electrical current applied to said solenoid, said armature when in said first position being adapted to latch a device in a parked position, said armature when in said second position, being non-interactive with said device; means for holding said armature in said second position in response to said armature being moved to said second position upon application of said current to allow subsequent removal of said current; and means for releasing holding of said armature in response to said device returning to said parked position whereby said armature returns to sad normally biased first position to latch said device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 12)
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6. In a disk drive having a rotatably mounted actuator, an electro-mechanical latch for latching said actuator in a parked position and for allowing rotational displacement of said actuator during read/write access of said disk drive, said actuator being adapted to be engaged by said electro-mechanical latch, said latch comprising:
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a solenoid including an armature movable from a normally biased first position to a second position in response to an electrical current applied to said solenoid, said armature when in said first position being adapted to engage said actuator to hold said actuator in a parked position, said armature when in such second position being non-interactive with said actuator; means for holding said armature in said second position a response to said armature being moved to said second position upon application of such current to allow subsequent removal of said current; and means for releasing holding of said armature in response to said actuator returning to said parked position whereby said armature returns to said normally biased first position to latch said actuator. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. An electro-mechanical latch comprising:
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a solenoid, including an armature movable from a normally biased first position to a second position in response to an electrical current applied to said solenoid, said armature when in said first position being adapted to latch device in a parked position, said armature when in second position being non-interactive with said device; a first lever rotatable between a normally biased engaging position and a release position about a first axis of rotation, said first lever having a first arm extending radially from said axis and a second arm extending radially from said axis, said first arm having a distal end adapted to engage said armature when said armature is moved into said second position in response to said current to allow subsequent removal of said current; and a second lever rotatable between a set position and a triggering position about a second axis of rotation, said second lever having a first arm extending radially from said second axis and a second arm extending radially from said second axis, said first arm of said second lever having a distal end and occupying said parked position, said device upon entering said parked position displacing said distal end of said first arm of said second lever to move said second lever into said triggering position, said second arm of said first lever and said second arm of said second lever each having a distal end operatively coupled to each other such that such first lever is moved to said release position in response to said second lever being moved into said triggering position whereby said armature returns to said second position to latch said device. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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Specification