System, method, and apparatus for preventing rotation of a disk clamp while being assembled to the hub of a spindle motor in a hard disk drive and fastener centering features

• Main Authors: TATARAKIS EMMANUEL N, WONG STANLEY YEN, HANSSEN STEVEN ALF, SHEN JR-YI
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 05.04.2005
• Edition: 7
• Subjects: GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; INFORMATION STORAGE; INFORMATION STORAGE BASED ON RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN RECORDCARRIER AND TRANSDUCER; PHYSICS; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ARTCOLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS

A disk clamp for securing disks to the hub of a spindle motor in a disk drive has symmetrically spaced apart countersunk apertures in the top surface of the disk clamp. The apertures enable the disk clamp to maintain a proper orientation before the fasteners are attached. This design overcomes issues related to rotation and displacement of the clamp while it is being fastened to the hub, and reduces the complexity of the tooling and fixtures required to complete the assembly. Less tooling complexity also allows multi-fastener driver systems to be employed so that all of the fasteners required to complete the assembly may be simultaneously attached and driven into the disk clamp. The countersunk apertures on the disk clamp are designed to couple with tapered sleeves on the installation tool to quickly and precisely center the fasteners in the disk clamp while providing anti-rotation torque for the disk clamp.