Patent ID: 7922418

Claim:
A method of assembling a hard disk drive apparatus which comprises an inner component comprising a bearing mounted on a shaft to form a rotatable pivot and an outer component comprising an arm forming a housing having a bore therein, which outer component mates with the inner component by locating the rotatable pivot in the bore, the method comprising: mounting a tolerance ring either on the bearing of the inner component or in the bore of the outer component, the tolerance ring comprising an annular band having a plurality of radially extending projections which are compressible between the inner and outer components; mating the inner and outer components of the hard disk drive apparatus, thereby compressing the projections on the tolerance ring between the bearing and the housing to provide an interferance fit between the inner and outer components; and compressing the projections on the tolerance ring causes the tolerance ring to be in a generally flattened portion of its compression force/retention force characteristic, wherein: the projections exhibit significant plastic behaviour when compressed between the inner and outer components, and compressing is performed such that the tolerance ring is under a compressive force not greater than 3500 N.