US5482381A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Actuator assembly having labyrinth seal
Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC
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Filing: 1994-06-16
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Granted: 1996-01-09
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Expires: 2014-06-16
Abstract
Abstract An actuator assembly for a computer disk drive includes a pivot shaft which defines a pivot axis for the actuator assembly, a pivotable actuator which encircles the pivot shaft, a bearing assembly disposed between the pivot shaft and the actuator, and a labyrinth seal adjacent to a lower edge of the bearing assembly. The labyrinth seal is incorporated into the pivot shaft and includes an axially extending ridge which is disposed in facing relation to a lower edge of the bearing assembly. The labyrinth seal also includes a reservoir disposed radially inwardly of the axially extending ridge, and a flange which extends radially outwardly of the axially extending ridge. The flange includes both axially and radially-facing surfaces which are disposed in facing relation to oppositely facing surfaces of the actuator. Very small air gaps are maintained between the labyrinth seal and the actuator assembly, on the order of 0.003 to 0.005 inch, in order to eliminate or minimize any actuator bearing lubricant migration or out-gassing into the disk drive assembly. An actuator shaft washer seal is provided adjacent to the upper edge of the bearing assembly. The actuator shaft washer seal is fixed to the actuator and extends radially inwardly toward the pivot shaft.
Inventors
- 👤 Richard G. Krum
- 👤 Eldon L. Nelson
- 👤 Khosrow Mohajerani
- 👤 Michael B. Moir
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-24 16:00
CPC Classifications
G; G11; G11B; G11B5/00; G11B5/48; G11B5/54; G11B5/55; G11B5/5521; F; F16; F16C; F16C33/00; F16C33/72; F16C33/76; F16C33/80; F16C2370/00; F16C2370/12
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 20
Claim 1
Independent Claim
126 words
An actuator assembly for a computer disk drive, comprising: a pivot shaft fixed relative to a housing for the computer disk drive, the pivot shaft defining a pivot axis for the actuator assembly; an actuator generally encircling at least a portion of the pivot shaft, the actuator including an arm assembly which extends toward a stack of data storage disks, and being pivotable about the pivot axis; a bearing assembly having upper and lower edges, an inner race fixed to the pivot shaft, and an outer race fixed to the actuator; and a labyrinth seal adjacent to an edge of the bearing assembly, including an axially extending ridge disposed in facing relation to an edge of the outer race and separated therefrom by an air gap.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
126 words
An actuator assembly for a computer disk drive, comprising: a pivot shaft fixed relative to a housing for the computer disk drive, the pivot shaft defining a pivot axis for the actuator assembly; an actuator generally encircling at least a portion of the pivot shaft, the actuator including an arm assembly which extends toward a stack of data storage disks, and being pivotable about the pivot axis; a bearing assembly having upper and lower edges, an inner race fixed to the pivot shaft, and an outer race fixed to the actuator; and a labyrinth seal adjacent to an edge of the bearing assembly, including an axially extending ridge disposed in facing relation to an edge of the outer race and separated therefrom by an air gap.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
21 words
The actuator assembly of claim 1, wherein the labyrinth seal includes a reservoir disposed radially inwardly of the axially extending ridge.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
39 words
The actuator assembly of claim 2, wherein the labyrinth seal includes a flange extending radially outwardly of the axially extending ridge, the flange including an axially-facing surface disposed in facing relating to an oppositely axially-facing surface of the actuator.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
27 words
The actuator assembly of claim 3, wherein the labyrinth seal flange includes a radially-facing surface disposed in facing relation to an oppositely radially-facing surface of the actuator.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
16 words
The actuator assembly of claim 2, wherein the labyrinth seal is incorporated into the pivot shaft.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
21 words
The actuator assembly of claim 5, wherein the labyrinth seal is disposed adjacent to the lower edge of the bearing assembly.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
21 words
The actuator assembly of claim 6, including an actuator shaft washer seal adjacent to the upper edge of the bearing assembly.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
25 words
The actuator assembly of claim 7, wherein the actuator shaft washer seal is fixed to the actuator and extends radially inwardly toward the pivot shaft.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
16 words
The actuator assembly of claim 6, wherein the air gap is between 0.003 and 0.005 inch.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
55 words
The actuator assembly of claim 9, wherein the labyrinth seal includes a flange extending radially outwardly of the axially extending ridge, the flange including an axially-facing surface disposed in facing relation to an oppositely axially-facing surface of the actuator, and a radially-facing surface disposed in facing relation to an oppositely radially-facing surface of the actuator.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
161 words
An actuator assembly for a computer disk drive, comprising: a pivot shaft fixed relative to a housing for the computer disk drive, the pivot shaft defining a pivot axis for the actuator assembly; an actuator generally encircling at least a portion of the pivot shaft, the actuator including an arm assembly which extends toward a stack of data storage disks, and being pivotable about the pivot axis; a bearing assembly disposed between the pivot shaft and the actuator, the bearing assembly including upper and lower shielded bearings defining, respectively, upper and lower edges of the bearing assembly, each of the bearings including an inner race fixed to the pivot shaft, and an outer race fixed to the actuator; and a labyrinth seal incorporated into the pivot shaft and disposed adjacent to the lower edge of the bearing assembly, including an axially extending ridge disposed in facing relation to an edge of the outer race and separated therefrom by an air gap.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
161 words
An actuator assembly for a computer disk drive, comprising: a pivot shaft fixed relative to a housing for the computer disk drive, the pivot shaft defining a pivot axis for the actuator assembly; an actuator generally encircling at least a portion of the pivot shaft, the actuator including an arm assembly which extends toward a stack of data storage disks, and being pivotable about the pivot axis; a bearing assembly disposed between the pivot shaft and the actuator, the bearing assembly including upper and lower shielded bearings defining, respectively, upper and lower edges of the bearing assembly, each of the bearings including an inner race fixed to the pivot shaft, and an outer race fixed to the actuator; and a labyrinth seal incorporated into the pivot shaft and disposed adjacent to the lower edge of the bearing assembly, including an axially extending ridge disposed in facing relation to an edge of the outer race and separated therefrom by an air gap.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
21 words
The actuator assembly of claim 11, wherein the labyrinth seal includes a reservoir disposed radially inwardly of the axially extending ridge.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
39 words
The actuator assembly of claim 12, wherein the labyrinth seal includes a flange standing radially outwardly of the axially extending ridge, the flange including an axially-facing surface disposed in facing relating to an oppositely axially-facing surface of the actuator.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
27 words
The actuator assembly of claim 13, wherein the labyrinth seal flange includes a radially-facing surface disposed in facing relation to an oppositely radially-facing surface of the actuator.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
21 words
The actuator assembly of claim 14, including an actuator shaft washer seal adjacent to the upper edge of the bearing assembly.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
25 words
The actuator assembly of claim 15, wherein the actuator shaft washer seal is fixed to the actuator and extends radially inwardly toward the pivot shaft.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
257 words
An actuator assembly for a computer disk drive, comprising: a pivot shaft fixed relative to a housing for the computer disk drive, the pivot shaft defining a pivot axis for the actuator assembly; an actuator generally encircling at least a portion of the pivot shaft, the actuator including an arm assembly which extends toward a stack of data storage disks, and being pivotable about the pivot axis; a bearing assembly disposed between the pivot shaft and the actuator, the bearing assembly including upper and lower shielded bearings defining, respectively, upper and lower edges of the bearing assembly, each of the bearings including an inner race fixed to the pivot shaft, and an outer race fixed to the actuator; a labyrinth seal incorporated into the pivot shaft and disposed adjacent to the lower edge of the bearing assembly, the labyrinth seal including an axially extending ridge disposed in facing relation to an edge of the outer race and separated therefrom by an air gap between 0.003 and 0.005 inch, a reservoir disposed radially inwardly of the axially extending ridge, and a flange extending radially outwardly of the axially extending ridge, the flange including an axially facing surface disposed in facing relation to an oppositely axially-facing surface of the actuator, and a radially-facing surface disposed in facing relation to an oppositely radially-facing surface of the actuator; and an actuator shaft washer seal adjacent to the upper edge of the bearing assembly, the actuator shaft washer seal being fixed to the actuator and extending radially inwardly toward the pivot shaft.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
257 words
An actuator assembly for a computer disk drive, comprising: a pivot shaft fixed relative to a housing for the computer disk drive, the pivot shaft defining a pivot axis for the actuator assembly; an actuator generally encircling at least a portion of the pivot shaft, the actuator including an arm assembly which extends toward a stack of data storage disks, and being pivotable about the pivot axis; a bearing assembly disposed between the pivot shaft and the actuator, the bearing assembly including upper and lower shielded bearings defining, respectively, upper and lower edges of the bearing assembly, each of the bearings including an inner race fixed to the pivot shaft, and an outer race fixed to the actuator; a labyrinth seal incorporated into the pivot shaft and disposed adjacent to the lower edge of the bearing assembly, the labyrinth seal including an axially extending ridge disposed in facing relation to an edge of the outer race and separated therefrom by an air gap between 0.003 and 0.005 inch, a reservoir disposed radially inwardly of the axially extending ridge, and a flange extending radially outwardly of the axially extending ridge, the flange including an axially facing surface disposed in facing relation to an oppositely axially-facing surface of the actuator, and a radially-facing surface disposed in facing relation to an oppositely radially-facing surface of the actuator; and an actuator shaft washer seal adjacent to the upper edge of the bearing assembly, the actuator shaft washer seal being fixed to the actuator and extending radially inwardly toward the pivot shaft.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1999-01-08 | 1999-07-10 | 2000-01-09 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2003-01-08 | 2003-07-10 | 2004-01-09 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2007-01-08 | 2007-07-10 | 2008-01-09 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |