Electromagnet-actuated head latching apparatus

Claim 1

In a disk drive device including a moveable head assembly having at least one head moveable over a predetermined range to position said head along a disc and further moveable in response to an off-power condition to retract said head, apparatus for latching said head at a retracted position for said off-power conditions, comprising: a magnetically attractable latch element movable between a first, unlatched position out of contact with said head assembly during motion of the latter over said range and a second, latched position in latching contact with said head assembly for latching said head at said retracted position; electromagnet means including a solenoid which is substantially continuously actuated during power-on conditions and a elongated flux carrying core, said core including both bias means for urging said latch element away from said unlatched position and anchoring means for anchoring both said solenoid and said latch element; said electromagnet means being energized during power-on conditions for attracting said latch element from said latched position and for holding the same at said unlatched position against the urging of said bias means; and means responsive to an off-power condition for deactuating said electromagnet means to release said latch element; whereby when said head assembly moves to retract said head, said latch element moves to said latched position and thereafter prevents movement of said head assembly to maintain said head at said retracted position during off-power conditions.