Adhesive bonding and miscellaneous chemical manufacture – Surface bonding means and/or assembly means therefor – Automatic and/or material-triggered control
Reexamination Certificate
1995-06-16
2001-05-01
Ball, Michael W. (Department: 1733)
Adhesive bonding and miscellaneous chemical manufacture
Surface bonding means and/or assembly means therefor
Automatic and/or material-triggered control
C156S363000, C156S379800, C156S542000, C156S562000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06223798
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a magnetic head chip bonding device for bonding plural magnetic head chips to a base member. More particularly, it relates to positioning adjustment of respective magnetic head chips.
2. Background of the Invention
A composite magnetic head, including plural magnetic head chips T
1
, has an erasure magnetic head chip and a reproducing magnetic head chip or a recording magnetic head chip, bonded with an adhesive
60
to a common base member B
1
, as shown in
FIGS. 1 and 2
.
In order to secure the magnetic head chips to the base member in this manner, it becomes necessary to effect positioning adjustment of the gap-to-gap distance, parallelism, track positions or the like to high accuracy for each of the magnetic head chips.
Such setting or adjustment is performed in the following manner, as shown in
FIGS. 3 and 4
(i) Referring to
FIG. 3
, a distance X between a magnetic gap g
1
of a magnetic head chip T
1
and the lateral surface of the base member B
1
is adjusted. The direction of this adjustment is hereinafter referred to as an X-axis direction. At this time, a distance c between the magnetic gaps g
1
of the respective magnetic head chips T
1
is adjusted, as shown in FIG.
4
.
ii) Referring to
FIG. 3
, a distance Y between the magnetic gap g
1
of the magnetic head gap T
1
and the rear surface of the base member B
1
is adjusted. The direction of this adjustment is hereinafter referred to as a Y-axis direction. At this time, an offset e in protrusion along the Y-axis of the magnetic head chips T
1
is adjusted, as shown in
FIG. 3
, for aligning the protrusion of the respective magnetic head chips T
1
.
(iii) Referring to
FIG. 4
, a distance Z between track edges E of the magnetic head chips T
1
and the upper surface of the base member B
1
is adjusted. The direction of this adjustment is referred to hereinafter as a Z-axis direction. At this time, an offset d between the track edges e along the Z-axis of the respective magnetic head chips T
1
is adjusted, as shown in
FIG. 4
, for aligning the track edges E of the respective magnetic head chips T
1
.
(iv) Referring to
FIG. 4
, a tilt g of the gaps g
1
of the magnetic head chips T
1
is adjusted. This adjustment is referred to hereinafter as azimuth adjustment.
(v) Referring to
FIG. 3
, rotation &thgr; of the magnetic head chips T
1
on the upper surface of the base B
1
about the Z-axis direction as an axis of rotation is adjusted. The direction of this rotation is hereinafter referred to as a &thgr;-direction.
When bonding the plural magnetic head chips to the base member by such adjustment, the following method has so far been used.
The first method is to employ a pair of holding tools
61
, such as electromagnetic collets, for positioning the magnetic head chips T
1
, which are bonded in the floating state without being contacted with the base member B
1
.
With this first bonding method, an UV curable adhesive
62
is applied to pre-set points on the base member B
1
to which the magnetic head chips T
1
are to be bonded. The upper surfaces of the magnetic head chips T
1
are brought into contact with the holding tools
61
, such as the above-mentioned electromagnetic collets, and thereby held magnetically. The holding tools
61
are moved along the X-axis, Y-axis, Z-axis and the &thgr;-axis for shifting the magnetic head chips T
1
to pre-set positions on the base member B
1
. At this time, the magnetic head chips T
1
are placed over the base member B
1
via the adhesive
62
, such that the magnetic head chips T
1
are not contacted with the base member B
1
, as shown in FIG.
6
. In this state, UV rays are radiated for curing the adhesive
62
. After the adhesive
62
is cured, the holding tools
61
are separated away from the magnetic head chips T
1
to complete the bonding of the magnetic head chips T
1
.
However, since the contact area between the holding tools
61
and the magnetic head chips T
1
is small, it is difficult to support the magnetic head chips in parallel with one another, such that sufficient azimuth adjustment cannot be achieved and azimuth defects tend to be incurred. On the other hand, it is difficult to apply the adhesive
62
uniformly such that differences in thickness are produced and the adhesive tends to be contracted in variable amounts at the time of curing of the adhesive
62
. The result is offset in step difference adjustment and defects in track height. In addition, the holding tools
61
need to be secured until the adhesive
62
is cured to some extent, so that productivity cannot be improved.
The second method consists in gripping the lateral surfaces of the magnetic head chips T
1
with a pair of holding tools
63
formed of a magnetic alloy for supporting and positioning the magnetic head chips T
1
under the magnetism of the holding tools
63
as shown in FIG.
7
. The magnetic head chips T
1
are retained by a pair of magnetic head retention units
64
for provisionally holding the magnetic head chips T
1
on the base member B
1
. The magnetic head chips T
1
are subsequently bonded to the base member B
1
.
In carrying out the second method, a pair of the holding tools
63
formed of magnetic alloy are used to grip the lateral sides of the magnetic head chips T
1
for supporting the magnetic head chips T
1
using the magnetism produced by the holding tools
63
. The magnetic holding tools
63
are moved along the X-axis, Y-axis, Z-axis and along the &thgr;-axis for shifting the magnetic head chips T
1
to pre-set positions on the base member B
1
. After completion of the positioning, magnetic head chip retention units
64
are applied against the upper surfaces of the magnetic head chips T
1
under pressure for holding the magnetic head chips T
1
against the base member B
1
. With the magnetic head chips T
1
temporally held on the base B
1
by the magnetic head chip retention units
64
, the holding tools are detached from the magnetic head chips T
1
. An instantaneous adhesive is applied on and around the magnetic head chips T
1
for securing the magnetic head chips T
1
. After curing of the instantaneous adhesive, the magnetic head chip retention units
64
are detached and moved away from the magnetic head chips T
1
to complete the bonding of the magnetic head chips.
With the present second method, since the holding tools
63
and the magnetic head chips T
1
are held in contact with each other by magnetism only, the magnetic head chips T
1
are unstable in attitude and cannot be positioned accurately. In addition, when the holding tools
63
are removed from the magnetic head chips T
1
after completion of positioning of the magnetic head chips, the magnetic head chips T
1
are retained solely by the magnetic head chip retention units
64
. Thus the magnetic head chips T
1
tend to shift when the holding tools
63
are separated (disconnected) from the magnetic head chips T
1
. In addition, since the magnetic head chip retention units
64
contact the magnetic head chips T
1
when separating the holding tools
63
away from the magnetic head chip retention units
64
after the end of positioning of the magnetic head chips T
1
, the magnetic head chips T
1
tend to be shifted by contact with the magnetic head chip retention units
64
.
The third bonding method consists in temporally retaining the magnetic head chips T
1
set on the base member B
1
using magnetic head chip retention units
65
and finely adjusting the positions of the magnetic head chips T
1
manually. The magnetic head chips are bonded in the thus adjusted positions, as shown in FIG.
7
.
First, the operator sets the magnetic head chips T
1
as with pincers on the base member B
1
and presses the magnetic head chip retention units
65
against the upper surfaces of the magnetic head chips T
1
for provisionally holding the magnetic head chips T
1
. The operator then manipulates metal rods
66
(see
FIG. 8
) having pointed ends with both hands and, holding both sides of the magnetic head chips T
1
therewith, shifts the magnet
Mori Michihiro
Shibata Keiichi
Ball Michael W.
Haran John T.
Kananen Ronald P.
Rader Fishman & Grauer
Sony Corporation
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