Patent ID: 7616407

Claim:
A disk drive apparatus comprising: a base; a disk-shaped recording medium arranged on the base; a drive motor provided on the base which supports and rotates the recording medium; a head configured to perform information processing to the recording medium; a carriage which is provided on the base and supports the head to be movable with respect to the recording medium, the carriage being movable between a predetermined retracted position wherein the head is located on an outer periphery side of the recording medium and an information processing position wherein the head is located on the recording medium; a fixing stop which is provided on the base and abuts the carriage when the carriage moves to the retracted position and positions the carriage at the retracted position; and a latch mechanism configured to latch the carriage and hold it at the retracted position when the carriage receives an external force in state that the carriage moves to the retracted position, the latch mechanism including a latch member, which is supported on the base to be movable between a latch position wherein the latch member is capable of latching the carriage and a release position wherein the latch member releases the latch, and a latch stop provided on the base and configured to regulate the movement of the latch member in a direction of the latch position, the latch member having a first abutment portion which abuts the carriage and moves the latch member from the release position to the latch position according to the movement of the carriage, when the carriage moves from the information processing position to the retracted position, a latch hook capable of latching the carriage at the latch position, and a second abutment portion which confronts to the latch hook with a gap at the latch position.