Patent ID: 6134085
Filing Date: 2000-10-17
Classification: G11B

Abstract:
An actuator assembly for use in a disc drive to support a head adjacent a rotatable disc, the actuator assembly comprising:an actuator arm having a planar surface through which a bore normally extends, the bore having a bore interior surface;a suspension assembly which supports the head and which comprises a plate from which a boss normally extends, the boss having a boss central opening and a boss exterior surface, the boss extending into the bore; anda locking member disposed within the boss central opening and comprising a shape memory material having martensitic and austenitic phase conditions, wherein when the locking member is in the martensitic phase condition the boss loosely fits within the bore so that a gap exists between the boss exterior surface and the bore interior surface, and wherein when the locking member transitions to the austenitic phase condition the locking member expands to selectively deform the boss so that a first locking feature comprising a portion of the boss exterior surface contactingly engages a second locking feature comprising a corresponding portion of the bore interior surface and the gap is maintained between respective remaining portions of the boss exterior surface and the bore interior surface.