Independent clamping spacers in a disc drive assembly

DETAILED DESCRIPTION The present invention is directed to an apparatus and method for improving mechanical shock resistance of a disc drive.
As exemplified by preferred embodiments, a disc drive includes a spindle motor with a rotatable hub having a circumferentially extending hub outer surface and a disc support member.
The rotatable hub is configured to rotate at least first and second discs.
One or more clamping spacers provide inter-disc spacing as well as independent clamping of the discs to the spindle motor hub.
Each clamping spacer includes a circumferentially extending body portion having a hub contact surface rigidly affixed to the hub outer surface.
The clamping spacer further includes top and bottom spring flanges (also referred to as "first" and "second" spring flanges) which extend radially from the body portion away from the spindle motor hub so that the body portion and the spring flanges form a generally c-shaped cross-section.
Once the clamping spacer is affixed to the spindle motor above the first disc and below the second disc, the bottom spring flange exerts a first clamping force upon the first disc and the top spring flange independently exerts a second clamping force upon the second disc.
This fixing of the clamping spacer directly to the spindle motor hub radially isolates each disc from the remaining discs.
Preferably, the discs are assembled by loading the first disc onto the spindle motor hub to bring the first disc to rest upon the disc support member.
The first clamping spacer is next assembled onto the spindle motor hub.
This is preferably carried out by affixing the first clamping spacer to the hub outer surface while applying an axially directed clamping force to the first clamping spacer so that, once the first clamping spacer is affixed to the hub outer surface, the desired clamping force is exerted upon the first disc by the bottom spring flange of the first clamping spacer.
The second disc is loaded onto the spindle motor hub and brought to rest onto the top spring flange of the first clamping spacer