Patent ID: 8031438
Filing Date: 2011-10-04
Classification: G11B

Abstract:
1. A hard disk drive (HDD) comprising: a base; a swing arm supported on the base so as to be rotatable about an axis of rotation, the swing arm defining a notch at a rear end portion of the swing arm; a magnetic head supported by the swing arm at a front end portion of the swing arm, wherein the swing arm is rotatable between a parked position at which the magnetic head is parked, and an operating position at which the magnetic head is positioned so as to carry out a read/write operation; a voice coil motor (VCM) coil extending along a rear end portion of the swing arm; at least one magnet supported on the base and juxtaposed with the VCM coil in the direction of the axis of rotation of the swing arm; and a latch lever disposed adjacent the rear end portion of the swing arm, the latch lever being mounted to the base so as to be rotatable about an axis of rotation, and the latch lever including a hook at a front end portion of the latch lever, and a magnet disposed on the front end portion of the latch lever, the hook of the latch lever and the notch in the rear end of the swing arm being positioned relative to each other such that the latch lever is rotatable about its axis of rotation between a latched position at which the hook of the latch lever is located within the notch in the rear end portion of the swing arm when the swing arm is in its parked position so as to arrest rotation of the swing arm in one direction about the axis of rotation of the swing arm while the magnetic head is parked, and an unlatched position at which the hook will not interfere with the swing arm during its rotation in said one direction, and the magnet of the latch lever facing a section of the VCM coil when the swing arm is in its parked position and the latch lever is in its latched position, whereby when the hard disk drive is started, the latch lever is rotated about its axis of rotation by a force exerted thereon due to an interaction between the magnetic field generated by the magnet of the latch lever and current flowing through the section of the VCM coil faced by the magnet of the latch lever.