Patent ID: 7535679

Claim:
An actuator latch apparatus to lock and unlock an actuator in a disk drive, to maintain a read/write head in a parking zone when the disk drive is stopped, the disk drive having the actuator including a swing arm rotatably mounted on a base member, a VCM coil coupled to one end portion of the swing arm, and a magnet arranged to face the VCM coil, the actuator latch apparatus comprising: a notch positioned at one end portion of the swing arm; a latch lever rotatably installed in the base member, the latch lever including a latch pivot, a latch arm that is provided at a first side of the latch pivot and has a hook to be caught by the notch when the actuator is locked, a counterbalance provided at a second side of the latch pivot, and a damping arm protruding from a portion between the latch arm and the counterbalance; a first core provided at a first end portion of the swing arm to apply a torque to the swing arm in a first direction by a magnetic force of the magnet; and a second core provided at the counterbalance of the latch lever to apply a torque to the latch lever in the first direction by a magnetic force of the magnet, wherein the damping arm of the latch lever is deformed elastically when contacted by the swing arm during parking of the head, the swing arm rotating in the first direction when the head is parked, such that an impact due to a contact with the swing arm is reduced.