Patent ID: 8116041

Claim:
In a hard disk drive (HDD) having a magnetic head, an actuator assembly that supports and positions the magnetic head, and a flexible printed circuit (FPC) electronically coupled to the magnetic head and having opposite major side surfaces, an FPC holding mechanism comprising: an FPC holder constituted by a protrusion at a side of the actuator assembly, the FPC holder defining a guide groove through which the FPC extends, and the FPC holder including a first side support plate confronting one of the major side surfaces of the FPC; a second side support plate attached to the FPC holder; means for supporting the second side support plate so as to be rotatable, while remaining attached to the FPC holder, about an axis between a first position and a second position relative to the first side support plate, the second side support plate being juxtaposed with the first side support plate and confronting the other major side surface of the FPC, and a portion of the FPC being interposed between the side support plates when the second side support plate is in the first position thereof such that lateral movement of said portion of the FPC in a direction perpendicular to the direction of its width is inhibited by the side support plates, and the second side support plate extending laterally with respect to the first side support plate when the second side support plate is in the second position thereof such that the FPC can be bent laterally with respect to the first side support plate at a location adjacent the first side support plate; and at least two arms each having a proximate end at which the arm is integral with and extends from a respective one of the side support plates, and a distal end, the arms extending across said portion of the FPC in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the width of said portion of the FPC and disposed adjacent upper and lower edges of the FPC, respectively, when the second side support plate is in the first position thereof such that movement of the FPC in the direction of its width is inhibited by the arms, and the distal end of at least one of the arms, which extends from a respective one of the side support plates, comprising a hook that is hooked onto the other of the side support plates and detachably connects the side support plate of the FPC holder to the second side support plate when the second side support plate is in the first position thereof.