Apparatus to buffer vibration and support an actuator of a hard disk drive

An actuator supporting apparatus of a hard disk drive includes a pivot bearing including an inner ring, an outer ring, and a rolling member, which are installed coaxially, to support an actuator arm to pivot. The actuator supporting apparatus also includes a support structure to support upper and lower surfaces of the inner ring, and a buffer member interposed between at least one of the upper and lower surfaces of the inner ring and the support structure, to buffer vibrations and impacts. Thus, a feature of buffering vibrations and impacts by the buffer member is not changed and is constantly maintained, regardless of accumulation of manufacture allowance or a change in the environment. Also, a problem in reliability of a product due to deterioration of structural strength, which occurs in the conventional actuator supporting apparatus, does not occur in the actuator supporting apparatus of the present invention.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of Korean Application No. 2002-8307, filed Feb. 16, 2002, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a hard disk drive, and more particularly, to an apparatus to support an actuator of a hard disk drive to pivot in a radius direction of a hard disk.

2. Description of the Related Art

In general, a hard disk drive which is an auxiliary memory device of a computer includes a hard disk that rotates at a high speed by a spindle motor installed inside the hard disk drive, and an actuator that has a magnetic head to record/reproduce data on/from a track of the hard disk.

The actuator is installed to pivot around a predetermined pivot shaft. A bobbin and a coil installed at one end of the actuator is moved by an operation of a voice coil motor so that the magnetic head installed at the other end of the actuator moves to a desired track position and records/reproduces data on/from the hard disk. Here, the magnetic head which moves above both sides of a hard disk is lifted by a flow of air on a surface of the hard disk as the hard disk rotates at a high speed and moves, maintaining a fine gap with the hard disk. When the hard disk drive stops or electric power is cut off during the above operation, the actuator moves to a parking area located in an inner circumferential side of the hard disk, so that damage to the hard disk due to contact with the disk and the magnetic head is prevented.

FIG. 1shows a conventional hard disk drive operating as described above.FIG. 2illustrates a vertical structure of an actuator supporting apparatus adopted in the hard disk drive of FIG.1.

Referring toFIG. 1, a hard disk drive includes a housing1having a base2and a cover3. A hard disk4in which predetermined information is recorded or reproduced, and an actuator6having a magnetic head5to record and reproduce information are installed in the housing1. Also, a voice coil motor7to pivot the actuator6by an electrostatic force is installed in the housing1. The actuator6includes a suspension8to support the magnetic head5to face a recording surface of the hard disk4, and an actuator arm9to support an end portion of the suspension8and to pivot by the voice coil motor7in a radial direction of the hard disk4. The actuator arm9is supported to pivot by an actuator supporting apparatus10installed in the housing1.

The actuator supporting apparatus10, as shown inFIG. 2, includes a pivot bearing14including an inner ring11, an outer ring12, and a rolling member13interposed between the inner ring11and the outer ring12, to support the actuator arm9to pivot. The pivot bearing14is fixed on an upper surface of the base2by a first coupling member15coupled to a mounting boss2avertically extended from the base2. A damper17interposed between the cover3and the first coupling member15is fixed to the first coupling member15by a second coupling member16that is complementarily coupled to the first coupling member15. Here, the damper17includes a plate18having a predetermined strength and an adhesive layer19deposited on the plate18. The damper17adheres to the cover3by an adhesive force of the adhesive layer19. Also, the adhesive layer19buffers vibrations and impacts transferred between the housing1and the actuator arm9.

However, in the above conventional actuator supporting apparatus10, due to accumulated manufacture allowance of constituent parts of the actuator supporting apparatus10, as shown inFIG. 2, a gap may occur between the damper17and the first coupling member15. Here, when the second coupling member16is coupled to the first coupling member15, the damper17interposed between the first coupling member15and the second coupling member15receives a force acting downward and is pushed toward the first coupling member15and closely fixed thereto. Thus, a coupling force between the damper17and the cover3adhering to each other becomes weak so that the coupling between the damper17and the cover3is loose. The loose coupling between the damper17and the cover3deteriorates a feature of buffering vibrations and impacts by the damper17. Also, the adhesive force of the adhesive layer19decreases by a change in environment, in particular, at a high temperature, so that the feature of buffering vibrations and impacts by the damper17is further lowered. Also, the lowering of the coupling force between the cover3and the damper17lowers a structural strength of the actuator supporting apparatus10which may deteriorate reliability of a product.

Therefore, an actuator supporting apparatus having a new structure is needed which may not only support the actuator to pivot, but also buffer vibrations and impacts between the housing and the actuator arm, regardless of accumulated allowance of a product or a change in the external environment.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, it is an aspect of the present invention to provide an apparatus to support an actuator to pivot and effectively reduce vibrations and impacts between a housing and the actuator.

The foregoing and/or other aspects of the present invention are achieved by providing an actuator supporting apparatus of a hard disk drive including a pivot bearing having an inner ring, an outer ring, and a rolling member, which are installed coaxially, to support an actuator arm to pivot. The apparatus also includes a support structure to support upper and lower surfaces of the inner ring, and a buffer member interposed between at least one of the upper and lower surfaces of the inner ring and the support structure, to buffer vibrations and impacts.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring toFIG. 3, an actuator supporting apparatus100of a hard disk drive according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a pivot bearing120including an inner ring121, an outer ring122, and a plurality of rolling members123arranged in two vertical rows between the inner ring121and the outer ring122, which are installed coaxially. The actuator supporting apparatus100also includes a support structure110including a first coupling member112coupled to a base111where the inner ring121is accommodated, and a mounting boss111avertically extending from the base111, to support upper and lower surfaces of the inner ring121. The actuator supporting apparatus100includes a second coupling member150coupled to the first coupling member112to fix a cover140to the first coupling member112, and a buffer member160interposed between a flange portion112aof the first coupling member112, and an upper surface of the inner ring121, to reduce vibrations and impacts.

Here, as the upper and lower surfaces of the inner ring121are supported by the upper surface of the base111and the flange portion112aof the first coupling member112, the actuator arm130is supported to pivot.

Also, the buffer member160interposed between the flange portion112aof the first coupling member112and the upper surface of the inner ring121absorbs vibration energy and impacts transferred between the cover140and the pivot bearing120, so that vibrations and impacts transferred between the cover140and the actuator arm130are reduced.

FIGS. 4A and 4Bare perspective views for explaining embodiments of the buffer members. Referring toFIGS. 4A and 4B, the buffer members160aand160beach includes a plate161having a predetermined strength and a damping member162deposited at at least one of both side surfaces of the plate161.FIG. 4Ashows the buffer member160awhere the damping member162is deposited on one side surface of the plate161.FIG. 4Bshows the buffer member160bwhere the damping member162is deposited on both side surfaces of the plate161.

FIGS. 5A and 5Bare sectional views of additional embodiments of the buffer member. Referring toFIG. 5A, a buffer member160cincludes the plate161where a groove161ahas a uniform width and a predetermined depth, and the damping member162is inserted in the groove161aof the plate161. Also, as shown inFIG. 5B, the buffer member160dmay include the damping member162inserted in the groove161aformed in both side surfaces of the plate161.

According to the actuator supporting apparatus100as described above, the buffer member160is interposed between the flange portion112aof the first coupling member112and the upper surface of the inner ring121of the pivot bearing120. Since the cover140is directly fixed to the first coupling member112by the second coupling member150, a feature of buffering vibrations and impacts by the buffer member160is not changed and is constantly maintained, regardless of accumulation of manufacture allowance of parts forming the actuator supporting apparatus100or a change in the environment.

Next, referring toFIG. 6, an actuator supporting apparatus200of a hard disk drive, according to another embodiment of the present invention includes the pivot bearing120including the inner ring121, the outer ring122, and a plurality of the rolling members123arranged in two vertical rows between the inner ring121and the outer ring122, which are installed coaxially, to support the actuator arm130to pivot. The actuator supporting apparatus200also includes the support structure110including the first coupling member112coupled to the base111where the inner ring121is accommodated and the mounting boss111avertically extending from the base111, to support upper and lower surfaces of the inner ring121. The actuator supporting apparatus200includes the second coupling member150coupled to the first coupling member112to fix the cover140to the first coupling member112, and a buffer member260interposed between the upper surface of the base111and the lower surface of the inner ring121to buffer vibrations and impacts. Here, the same buffer members160a,160b,160c, and160das shown inFIGS. 4A,4B,5A, and5B are used as the buffer member260. Since the same reference numerals as those shown inFIG. 3substantially indicate the same elements as shown inFIG. 6, detailed descriptions thereof will be omitted herein.

According to the actuator supporting apparatus200having the above-described structure, the buffer member260absorbs vibration energy and impacts transferred between the base111and the pivot bearing120, so that the vibrations and impacts transferred between the base111and the actuator arm130are reduced.

Referring toFIG. 7, an actuator supporting apparatus300of a hard disk drive, according to another embodiment of the present invention includes the pivot bearing120including the inner ring121, the outer ring122, and a plurality of the rolling members123arranged in two vertical rows between the inner ring121and the outer ring122, which are installed coaxially, to support the actuator arm130to pivot. The actuator supporting apparatus300also includes the support structure110including the first coupling member112coupled to the base111where the inner ring121is accommodated and the mounting boss111avertically extending from the base111, to support upper and lower surfaces of the inner ring121. The actuator supporting apparatus300includes the second coupling member150coupled to the first coupling member112to fix the cover140to the first coupling member112, and a buffer member360to buffer vibrations and impacts respectively interposed between the flange portion112aof the first coupling member112and the upper surface of the inner ring121of the pivot bearing120, and between the upper surface of the base111and the lower surface of the inner ring121. Here, since the same reference numerals as those shown inFIG. 3indicate the same elements as shown inFIG. 7, detailed descriptions thereof will be omitted herein.

According to the actuator supporting apparatus300having the above-described structure, the buffer member360absorbs vibration energy and impacts transferred not only between the cover140and the pivot bearing120, but also between the base111and the pivot bearing120, so that the vibrations and impacts transferred between the cover140and the base111, the cover140and the actuator arm130, and the base111and the actuator arm130are reduced.

As described above, in the parts forming the actuator supporting apparatus of a hard disk drive according to the present invention, a feature of buffering vibrations and impacts by the buffer member is not changed and constantly maintained, regardless of accumulation of manufacture allowance or a change in the environment. Also, a problem in reliability of a product due to deterioration of structural strength, which occurs in the conventional actuator supporting apparatus, does not occur in the actuator supporting apparatus of the present invention.