Digital device configuration and method

• US 20030081353A1
• Filed: 12/06/2002
• Published: 05/01/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Elite Gaming Tech LLC (Alpha Alpha Intellectual Partners LLC)
• Original Assignee: Convergent Systems Solutions, LLC
• Inventors: Fletcher, John F.
• Granted Patent: US 6,791,799 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 360/255
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0605 by facilitating the interaction with a user or administrator
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0625 Power saving in storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0634 by changing the state or mode of one or more devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0653 Monitoring storage devices or systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0674 Disk device
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 19/042 due to external shock or vibration
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 19/044 by using a data buffer
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 21/22 while the head is out of operative position
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 5/486 with provision for mounting or arranging electrical conducting means or circuits on or along the arm assembly
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 5/54 with provision for moving the head into or out of its operative position or across tracks
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A digital data storage apparatus includes a housing defining a housing interior. A rotatable magnetic media and head arrangement for accessing the media are supported in the housing interior. A flexible circuit stiffener defines a stiffener plane and is directly attached to the housing. A ramp arrangement is directly attachable to the flexible circuit stiffener and is configured for receiving the actuator arm in a parked position when so attached. The ramp arrangement includes an indexing arrangement for engaging the housing in a way which positions the ramp arrangement within at least one controlled tolerance relative to the head arrangement. In one feature, the indexing arrangement is resiliently biased against the housing. In a related feature, the housing defines a ramp indexing recess and an indexing pin of the ramp arrangement is resiliently biased into the indexing recess to locate the indexing pin with the controlled tolerance.

Claims

1. A digital data storage apparatus, comprising:

a housing defining a housing interior;

a rotatable magnetic media supported for rotation within the housing interior;

a head arrangement supported within the housing interior, including an actuator arm configured for pivotally accessing the rotatable media and for pivotally moving to a parked position from an access position;

a flexible circuit arrangement including a flexible circuit stiffener which is directly attached to said housing within the housing interior, said flexible circuit stiffener having a major surface defining a stiffener plane; and

a ramp arrangement that is directly attachable to the flexible circuit stiffener and which ramp arrangement is configured for receiving the actuator arm in said parked position when so attached, said ramp arrangement further including an indexing arrangement for engaging the housing in a way which positions the ramp arrangement within at least one controlled tolerance relative to the head arrangement.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said housing includes a base plate and said flexible circuit stiffener is directly attached to the base plate so as to indirectly support the ramp arrangement on said base plate.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said ramp arrangement is formed including a first portion for receiving the actuator arm in said parked position and a second portion for attaching the ramp arrangement to the flexible circuit stiffener.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said ramp arrangement is integrally formed including said first and second portions and said indexing arrangement.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said indexing arrangement of the ramp arrangement and said flexible circuit stiffener are cooperatively configured such that attachment of the ramp arrangement to the flexible circuit stiffener captures at least a portion of the indexing arrangement between the housing and the flexible circuit stiffener so as to resiliently bias the indexing arrangement against the housing.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said indexing arrangement is resiliently biased in a way which establishes a first controlled tolerance between the ramp arrangement and the housing in a direction that is at least generally normal to the stiffener plane.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said housing defines a ramp indexing recess and said indexing arrangement of said ramp arrangement includes a ramp indexing pin which is resiliently biased into the ramp indexing recess to locate the ramp indexing pin with said first controlled tolerance.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said indexing arrangement is configured for cooperating with said housing to position an indexing location on the ramp arrangement within a first controlled tolerance in the stiffener plane.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said housing defines a ramp indexing recess and said indexing arrangement of said ramp arrangement includes a ramp indexing pin which is receivable in the ramp indexing recess to locate the ramp indexing pin in the stiffener plane with said first controlled tolerance.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the ramp arrangement is rotatable from an initial position, with the ramp indexing pin received in the ramp indexing recess, to a locked position at which said first controlled tolerance is provided and wherein said indexing arrangement and said flexible circuit stiffener are cooperatively configured such that rotation of the ramp arrangement to the locked position resiliently biases the ramp indexing pin into the ramp indexing recess by capturing at least a portion of the ramp indexing arrangement between the housing and the flexible circuit stiffener to establish a second controlled tolerance between the ramp arrangement and the housing in a direction that is at least generally normal to the stiffener plane.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the ramp arrangement is rotatable from an initial position with the ramp indexing pin initially received in the ramp indexing recess to a locked position and said flexible circuit stiffener includes a side margin and wherein said ramp arrangement includes a stop configuration for engaging the side margin in a way which at least prevents further rotation of the ramp arrangement into the side margin.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said stop configuration defines a slot for receiving the side margin of the flexible circuit stiffener thereby preventing further rotation of the ramp arrangement into the flexible circuit stiffener and further serving in the locked position to limit movement of the ramp arrangement in a direction that is at least generally normal to the stiffener plane.

13. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the ramp arrangement is rotatable from an initial position, with the ramp indexing pin received in the ramp indexing recess, to a locked position which provides said first controlled tolerance and wherein the actuator arm is intended to contact said ramp arrangement at a target landing point when moving to said parked position with the ramp in said locked position and a radial line is defined between the target landing point and the ramp indexing pin in the locked position such that an angle of rotation about the ramp indexing pin moves an actual landing point on the ramp arrangement away from the target landing point responsive to a cosine of the angle of rotation.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said second portion of said ramp arrangement includes a locking pin which is laterally spaced from said ramp indexing pin and said flexible circuit stiffener defines a locking pin aperture such that the locking pin is positionable in the locking pin aperture by rotating the ramp arrangement to the locked position about the ramp indexing pin to resiliently rotationally bias the ramp arrangement against the flexible circuit stiffener in a way which rotationally fixes the position of the ramp arrangement in the stiffener plane and wherein said angle of rotation is controlled at least in part by a second controlled tolerance between the locking pin and the locking pin aperture.

15. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the ramp arrangement is at least initially rotatable about the ramp indexing pin with the ramp indexing pin received in the ramp indexing recess for use in installing the ramp arrangement on the flexible circuit stiffener.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the ramp arrangement is rotatable from an initial position, with the ramp indexing pin rotationally received in the ramp indexing recess, to a locked position and the flexible circuit stiffener defines a through opening for receiving the ramp indexing pin prior to insertion of the ramp indexing pin into the ramp indexing recess.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the ramp indexing pin and the through opening of the flexible circuit stiffener include a T-lock configuration for cooperating with said housing to limit movement of the ramp arrangement in the locked position in a direction that is at least generally normal to the stiffener plane.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein said ramp indexing pin includes a pair of opposing, outwardly extending locking arms as part of said T-lock configuration.

19. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the ramp arrangement is at least initially rotatable about the indexing location from an initial position to a locked position and the flexible circuit stiffener and the ramp arrangement cooperatively define a locking arrangement to fix a rotational position of the ramp arrangement about the indexing location within a second controlled tolerance.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein said locking arrangement includes a locking pin which is laterally spaced from said ramp indexing pin and said flexible circuit stiffener defines a locking pin aperture such that the locking pin is positionable in the locking pin aperture by rotating the ramp arrangement to the locked position about the ramp indexing pin to resiliently rotationally bias a contact area of the ramp arrangement against the flexible circuit stiffener in a way which rotationally fixes the position of the ramp arrangement in the stiffener plane.

21. A digital data storage apparatus, comprising:

a housing defining a housing interior and including a base plate defining an indexing recess;

a rotatable magnetic media supported on the base plate for rotation within the housing interior;

a head arrangement including an elongated actuator arm configured for pivotally accessing the rotatable media within the housing interior and for pivotally moving to a parked position from an access position;

a flexible circuit arrangement including a flexible circuit stiffener which is fixedly attached to said base plate, said flexible circuit stiffener including a side margin and having at least one major surface defining a stiffener plane, said flexible circuit stiffener further defining a through-opening passing through said major surface and a locking pin aperture which is laterally spaced from said through-opening; and

a ramp arrangement that is integrally formed including (i) a first portion for receiving the actuator arm in said parked position, (ii) a second portion receivable in said through-opening for attaching the ramp arrangement directly to the flexible circuit stiffener such that the ramp arrangement is indirectly supported by said base plate, (iii) an indexing pin for receipt in the indexing recess and (iv) a locking pin that is laterally spaced apart from said indexing pin;

an attachment arrangement forming one part of said second portion and another part of the through opening of the flexible circuit stiffener, both of which are cooperatively arranged in a T-lock configuration, for resiliently biasing the indexing pin into the indexing recess in the locked position at least to establish a first controlled tolerance of the ramp arrangement relative to the housing and head arrangment in a direction that is at least generally normal to the stiffener plane and to fix said ramp indexing pin in the stiffener plane within a second controlled tolerance with the ramp arrangement being rotatable from an initial position with the ramp indexing pin initially received in the ramp indexing recess to a locked position and further including a stop configuration, for engaging the side margin of the flexible circuit arrangement in a way which at least prevents further rotation of the ramp arrangement into the side margin, said locking pin rotatably moving with the ramp arrangement to the locked position such that the locking pin is positionable in the locking pin aperture to resiliently rotationally bias the stop configuration of the ramp arrangement against the flexible circuit stiffener, said actuator arm being intended to contact said ramp arrangement at a target contact point when moving to said parked position, with the ramp arrangement in the locked position, so that a radial line is defined between the target contact point and the ramp indexing pin such that an angle of rotation about the ramp indexing pin moves an actual contact point on the ramp arrangement responsive to a cosine of the angle of rotation and said angle of rotation is controlled, at least in part, by a third controlled tolerance between the locking pin and the locking pin aperture.

22. In producing a digital data storage apparatus, a method comprising the steps of:

providing a housing defining a housing interior and a rotatable magnetic media supported for rotation within the housing interior;

configuring a head arrangement in the housing interior to include an actuator arm arranged for pivotally accessing the rotatable media and for pivotally moving to a parked position from an access position;

directly attaching a flexible circuit stiffener, forming part of a flexible circuit arrangement, to said housing within the housing interior, said flexible circuit stiffener having a major surface defining a stiffener plane; and

providing a ramp arrangement that is directly attachable to the flexible circuit stiffener and which ramp arrangement is configured for receiving the actuator arm in said parked position when so attached, and configuring said ramp arrangement for engaging the housing using an indexing arrangement in a way which positions the ramp arrangement with at least one controlled tolerance relative to the head arrangement.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein said housing includes a base plate and the step of directly attaching the flexible circuit stiffener attaches the flexible circuit stiffener directly to the base plate such that said base plate indirectly supports the ramp arrangement.

24. The method of claim 22 including the step of forming said ramp arrangement including a first portion for receiving the actuator arm in said parked position and a second portion for attaching the ramp arrangement to the flexible circuit stiffener.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein the step of forming the ramp arrangement integrally forms the ramp arrangement having the first portion, the second portion and the indexing arrangement.

26. The method of claim 22 wherein said flexible circuit stiffener includes at least one major surface defining a stiffener plane and including the step of cooperatively configuring said second portion of the ramp arrangement and said flexible circuit stiffener such that attachment of the ramp arrangement to the flexible circuit stiffener captures at least a portion of the indexing arrangement between the housing and the flexible circuit stiffener to resiliently bias the indexing arrangement against the housing.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein the resilient biasing step biases the indexing arrangement against the housing in a way which establishes a first controlled tolerance between the ramp arrangement and the housing in a direction that is at least generally normal to the stiffener plane.

28. The method of claim 27 including the steps of defining a ramp indexing recess using said housing and forming a ramp indexing pin as part of the indexing arrangement of said ramp arrangement for resiliently biasing the indexing pin into the ramp indexing recess to locate the ramp indexing pin, and thereby the ramp arrangement, with said first controlled tolerance.

29. The method of claim 22 including the step of configuring said indexing arrangement for cooperating with said housing to position an indexing location on the ramp arrangement with a first controlled tolerance in the stiffener plane.

30. The method of claim 29 including the steps of forming said housing to define a ramp indexing recess and forming said indexing arrangement of said ramp arrangement to include a ramp indexing pin which is resiliently biased into the ramp indexing recess by attachment of the ramp arrangement to the flexible circuit stiffener to fix the ramp indexing pin with said first controlled tolerance.

31. The method of claim 30 including the steps of rotating the ramp arrangement from an initial position, with the ramp indexing pin initially received in the ramp indexing recess, to a locked position at which said first controlled tolerance is provided and cooperatively configuring said indexing arrangement and said flexible circuit stiffener such that rotation of the ramp arrangement to the locked position resiliently biases the ramp indexing pin into the ramp indexing recess by capturing at least a portion of the ramp indexing arrangement between the housing and the flexible circuit stiffener to establish a second controlled tolerance between the ramp arrangement and the housing in a direction that is at least generally normal to the stiffener plane.

32. The method of claim 30 wherein said flexible circuit stiffener includes a side margin and said method includes the steps of rotating the ramp arrangement from an initial position, with the ramp indexing pin initially received in the ramp indexing recess, to a locked position such that a stop configuration of the ramp arrangement engages the side margin of the flexible circuit stiffener in a way which at least prevents further rotation of the ramp arrangement into the side margin.

33. The method of claim 30 including the steps of rotating the ramp arrangement from an initial position, with the ramp indexing pin received in the ramp indexing opening, to a locked position and configuring said flexible circuit stiffener and said ramp indexing pin to cooperatively limit movement of the ramp arrangement, in said locked position, in a direction that is at least generally normal to the stiffener plane.

34. The method of claim 30 including the steps of rotating the ramp arrangement from an initial position, with the ramp indexing pin initially received in the ramp indexing recess, to a locked position and arranging said flexible circuit stiffener to include a side margin and forming said second portion of the ramp arrangement to include a stop configuration for engaging the side margin in a way which at least prevents further rotation of the ramp arrangement into the side margin.

35. The method of claim 30 including the steps of configuring said stop configuration to define a slot for receiving the side margin of the flexible circuit arrangement thereby preventing further rotation of the ramp arrangement and further serving in the locked position to limit movement of the ramp arrangement in a direction that is at least generally normal to the stiffener plane.

36. The method of claim 30 including the steps of rotating the ramp arrangement from an initial position, with the ramp indexing pin received in the ramp indexing recess, to a locked position which provides said first controlled tolerance such that the actuator arm is intended to contact said ramp arrangement at a target landing point when moving to said parked position with the ramp in said locked position and so that a radial line is defined between the target landing point and the ramp indexing pin in the locked position causing an angle of rotation about the ramp indexing pin, in the locked position, to move an actual landing point on the ramp arrangement away from the target landing point responsive to a cosine of the angle of rotation.

37. The method of claim 36 including the step of configuring said ramp arrangement to include a locking pin which is laterally spaced from said ramp indexing pin and defining a locking pin aperture in said flexible circuit stiffener such that the locking pin is positionable in the locking pin aperture by rotating the ramp arrangement to the locked position about the ramp indexing pin to resiliently rotationally bias the ramp arrangement against the flexible circuit stiffener in a way which rotationally fixes the position of the ramp arrangement in the stiffener plane and wherein said angle of rotation is controlled, at least in part, by a second specified tolerance between the locking pin and the locking pin aperture.

38. The method of claim 30 including the step of configuring the ramp arrangement to be at least initially rotatable about the ramp indexing pin with the ramp indexing pin received in the ramp indexing recess for use in installing the ramp arrangement on the flexible circuit stiffener.

39. The method of claim 38 wherein the ramp arrangement is configured for rotation from an initial position, with the ramp indexing pin rotationally received in the ramp indexing recess, to a locked position and including the step of defining a through opening in the flexible circuit stiffener for receiving the ramp indexing pin prior to insertion of the ramp indexing pin into the ramp indexing recess.

40. The method of claim 39 including the step of arranging the ramp indexing pin and the through opening of the flexible circuit stiffener to include a T-lock configuration for cooperating with said housing to limit movement of the ramp arrangement in the locked position in a direction that is at least generally normal to the stiffener plane.

41. The method of claim 30 including the steps of configuring the ramp arrangement for rotation about the indexing location from an initial position to a locked position and forming the flexible circuit stiffener and said second portion of the ramp arrangement to cooperatively fix a rotational position of the ramp arrangement about the indexing location within a second controlled tolerance.

42. The method of claim 41 including the steps of forming said second portion of said ramp arrangement to include a locking pin which is laterally spaced from said ramp indexing pin and further forming said flexible circuit stiffener to define a locking pin aperture such that the locking pin is positionable in the locking pin aperture by rotating the ramp arrangement to the locked position about the indexing location to at least generally rotationally fix the position of the ramp arrangement in the stiffener plane.