Disc drive with improved head pitch adjustment

Details Disc drive with improved head pitch adjustment Disc drive with improved head pitch adjustment

2001-06-13

2002-12-10

Davis, David (Department: 2652)

Dynamic magnetic information storage or retrieval

Head mounting

For adjusting head position

Reexamination Certificate

active

06493192

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to disc drive data storage devices. In particular the present invention relates to suspension and electrical connections for heads used in disc drive storage devices.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In a prior art disc drive storage device illustrated in
FIG. 1
, a slider
12
with a read/write head slides over an air bearing on a disc surface. An arm on a head assembly (not illustrated) provides a load force at gimbal point
13
on the slider
12
. The load force is generally perpendicular to the disc surface and presses the slider toward the disc surface. A pitch axis
24
that is generally perpendicular to the direction of disc movement under the slider
12
passes through gimbal point
13
. The load force holds the slider
12
in close proximity to the disc. The slider
12
is mounted to a microactuator
16
, and the microactuator
16
is mounted by way of microactuator mounting arms
14
to a flexible strut (not illustrated in FIG.
1
). The microactuator
16
has microactuator electrical contacts
22
along a microactuator contact axis
26
that is general parallel with pitch axis
24
. The microactuator
16
is placed between the slider
12
and the electrical contacts
22
. When the pitch of slider
12
is adjusted around the pitch axis
24
, the electrical contacts
22
deflect an amount
28
as a result of the adjustment around the pitch axis
24
. The deflection
28
is large because of the relatively large spacing between the pitch axis
24
and the contact axis
26
.
A first flex circuit
18
is connected to the slider
12
near the pitch axis
24
and flexes a relatively small amount with pitch adjustments of slider
12
. A second flex circuit
20
, however is connect to the microactuator electrical contacts
22
along axis
26
. The second flex circuit
20
deflects a larger amount
28
. When the second flex circuit
20
is deflected this larger amount
28
, it exerts an undesired restraining force tending to resist or interfere with the pitch adjustment of slider
12
. The adjustment of the slider
12
around the pitch axis
24
is restrained and pitch alignment of the slider
12
with the underlying disc is compromised.
A method and apparatus are needed to allow pitch adjustment of a read/write head with reduced interference from a flex circuit connected to a microactuator in which the read/write head is mounted.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A disc drive is disclosed that includes a disc and a voice coil motor having an arm. Attached to the arm is a first end of a beam. The beam has a second end that includes a window frame and a gimbal region. The disc drive also has a gimbal strut that includes a bridge underlying the gimbal region of the beam. A flex circuit is attached to the gimbal strut. The disc drive also includes a read/write head that has a preload region under the bridge and a slider surface on the disc.
The disc drive further includes a microactuator that has a main body, microactuator arms bonded to the read/write head, and mount arms bonded to the bridge. The microactuator has electrical contacts connected to the flex circuit. The electrical contacts are disposed between the main body of the microactuator and the gimbal region.
The electrical contacts are positioned close to the pitch axis, and little deflection of the flex circuit is present during pitch adjustments of the read/write head. Mechanical interference from the flex circuit is reduced and an improved adjustment of the pitch is obtained. Additional features and benefits will become apparent with a careful review of the following drawings and the corresponding detailed description.


REFERENCES:
patent: 5850320 (1998-12-01), Warmka et al.
patent: 5856896 (1999-01-01), Berg et al.
patent: 5991122 (1999-11-01), Tangren et al.
patent: 6011671 (2000-01-01), Masse et al.
patent: 6055132 (2000-04-01), Arya et al.
patent: 6078473 (2000-06-01), Crane et al.
patent: 6078476 (2000-06-01), Magee et al.
patent: 6122149 (2000-09-01), Zhang et al.
patent: 6157522 (2000-12-01), Murphy et al.
patent: 6163434 (2000-12-01), Zhang
patent: 6166890 (2000-12-01), Stefansky et al.
patent: 6201668 (2001-03-01), Murphy
patent: 6246552 (2001-06-01), Soeno et al.
patent: 6351354 (2002-02-01), Bonin
patent: 0 840 291 (1998-05-01), None
patent: 0 977 180 (2000-02-01), None
patent: 11259998 (1999-09-01), None
“Electrostatic Microactuator and Design Consideration for HDD Applications”, by L.-S. Fan et al.,IEEE, 1999, pp. 1000-1005.

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