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Magnetic disk storage module with multiple sets of actuator arms for simultaneous read/write operations at different circumferential locations within the disk stack

  • US 5,343,347 A
  • Filed: 09/14/1992
  • Issued: 08/30/1994
  • Est. Priority Date: 05/01/1992
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. Magnetic disk storage apparatus comprising a stack of closely spaced magnetic disks each having opposed flat faces for carrying magnetically encoded data, means for rotating said disks, a first set of actuator arms each having a fixed end and a distal end, each of said arms being pivotably mounted at its fixed end for joint pivotal movement about a first actuator pivot axis extending adjacent to said stack of disks and parallel to the axis of rotation of the disks so that the arms extend within the stack between the spaced disks, a second set of actuator arms each having a fixed end and a distal end, each of said arms of the second set being pivotably mounted at its fixed end for joint pivotal movement independent of said first set of actuator arms about a second actuator pivot axis extending adjacent to said stack of disks and parallel to the axis of rotation of the disks so that the arms extend within the stack between the spaced disks, said second actuator pivot axis being separate and spaced from said first actuator pivot axis, a magnetic transducer head carried by each of said arms of both said first and second sets at its distal end for recording magnetically encoded data on or reading magnetically encoded data from one of the faces of one of the disks with each face of each disk having one head in read/write communication therewith, at least one of said actuator arms of each set having a drive arm rigidly attached thereto at the fixed end thereof and with the longitudinal axis of the drive arm extending away from the actuator arm along a line at an angle about the associated actuator pivot axis with the longitudinal axis of the actuator arm, and means carried by the distal end of each of said drive arms for providing pivotal movement thereto, said angle between the longitudinal axis of each drive arm and the longitudinal axis of the actuator arm from which it projects being less than 90 degrees so that the drive arm and actuator arm are generally arranged at acute angles with a plane that passes through said actuator pivot axis tangentially to the edges of said disks, said drive arms extending in opposed directions outwardly of said stack of disks so that said first set of actuator arms records on or reads from disk faces at one circumferential location on the disks and the second set of actuator arms records on or reads from disk faces at a second circumferential location on the disks angularly spaced from the first circumferential location about the axis of rotation of the disk stack.

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