Integral load beam push-pull microactuator

Details Integral load beam push-pull microactuator Integral load beam push-pull microactuator

1999-11-08

2001-10-02

Tupper, Robert S. (Department: 2652)

Dynamic magnetic information storage or retrieval

Head mounting

For adjusting head position

C360S294600

Reexamination Certificate

active

06297936

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a disc drive microactuator, and more particularly to a high resolution head positioning mechanism that is integrated into a disc drive load beam.
The density of concentric data tracks on magnetic discs continues to increase (that is, the width of data tracks and radial spacing between data tracks are decreasing), requiring more precise radial positioning of the head. Conventionally, head positioning is accomplished by operating an actuator arm with a large-scale actuation motor, such as a voice coil mctor, to radially position a head on a flexure at the end of the actuator arm. The largc-scalc motor lacks sufficient resolution to effectively accommodate high track-density discs. Thus, a high resolution head positioning mechanism, or microactuator, is necessary to accommodate the more densely spaced tracks.
One promising design for high resolution head positioning involves employing a high resolution microactuator in addit on to the conventional lower resolution actuator motor, thereby effecting head positioning through dual-stage actuation. Various microactuator designs have been considered to accomplish high resolution head positioning. One such design is disclosed in U.S. application Ser. No. 09/289,024 filed Apr. 9, 1999 for “Unitary Synchronous Flexure Microactuator” by R. Kant and F. M. Stefansky, and another similar design is disclosed in U.S. application Ser. No. 09/359,109 filed Jul. 22, 1999 for “Low-Stress Disc Drive Microactuator Cradle” by F. M. Stefansky and R. Kant, both of which are hereby incorporated by reference. These designs each include a microactuator cradle that carries the entire micro-electronic machine (MEM) that supports the slider and generates high resolution displacement of the slider. The microactuator cradle is mounted to a load beam connected to an actuator arm, which is coarsely positioned by a main actuator and supports the entire cradle and slider structure over the surface of a disc. There is a continuing need in the art for improved microactuator designs, to achieve desired characteristics for operation in a disc drive system.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention employs a microactuator in a disc drive system to finely position a transducing head adjacent to a selected track of a rotatable disc. The disc drive includes an actuator arm, a load beam attached to the actuator arm, and a flexure supporting a slider carrying the transducing head adjacent to a surface of the rotatable disc. The microactuator is formed integrally with the load beam, and is attached to the flexure so that displacement effected by the microactuator deflects a portion of the load beam to finely position the flexure and the head-carrying slider with respect to the selected track of the rotatable disc.


REFERENCES:
patent: 3924268 (1975-12-01), McIntosh et al.
patent: 4374402 (1983-02-01), Blessom et al.
patent: 4651242 (1987-03-01), Hirano et al.
patent: 4764829 (1988-08-01), Makino
patent: 4914725 (1990-04-01), Belser et al.
patent: 5021906 (1991-06-01), Chang et al.
patent: 5034828 (1991-07-01), Ananth et al.
patent: 5177652 (1993-01-01), Yamaguchi et al.
patent: 5189578 (1993-02-01), Mori et al.
patent: 5303105 (1994-04-01), Jorgenson
patent: 5364742 (1994-11-01), Fan et al.
patent: 5375033 (1994-12-01), MacDonald
patent: 5521778 (1996-05-01), Boutaghou
patent: 5657188 (1997-08-01), Jurgenson et al.
patent: 5745319 (1998-04-01), Takekado et al.
patent: 5764444 (1998-06-01), Imamura et al.
patent: 5781381 (1998-07-01), Koganezawa et al.
patent: 5796558 (1998-08-01), Hanrahan et al.
patent: 5801472 (1998-09-01), Wada et al.
patent: 5805375 (1998-09-01), Fan et al.
patent: 5856896 (1999-01-01), Berg et al.
patent: 5867347 (1999-02-01), Knight et al.
patent: 5896246 (1999-04-01), Budde et al.
patent: 5898541 (1999-04-01), Boutaghou et al.
patent: 5898544 (1999-04-01), Krinke et al.
patent: 5920441 (1999-07-01), Cunningham et al.
patent: 0 412 221 B1 (1989-11-01), None
patent: 63-122069 (1988-05-01), None
patent: 02-263369 (1989-04-01), None
patent: 04-134681 (1992-05-01), None
patent: 04-368676 (1992-12-01), None
patent: 05-094682 (1993-04-01), None
patent: 06-020412 (1994-01-01), None
patent: 07-085621 (1995-03-01), None
“Silicon Micromachined Electromagnetic Microactuators for Rigid Disk Drives” by Tang et al,IEEE Transactions on Magnetics, vol. 31, No. 6, Nov. 1995.
“Magnetic Recording Head Positioning at Very High Track Densities Using a Microactuator-Based, Two-Stage Servo System” by Fan et al.,IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics, vol. 42, No. 3, Jun. 1995.
“A Flexural Piggyback Milli-Actuator for Over 5 Gbit/in2Density Magnetic Recording” by Koganezawa et al,IEEE Transactions on Magnetics, vol. 32, No. 5, Sep. 1996.
“Transverse Mode Electrostatic Microactuator for MEMS-Based HDD Slider” by Imamura et al,IEEE1996.
“An Experiment for Head Positioning System Using Submicron Track-width GMR Head” by Yoshikawa et al.,IEEE Transactions on Magnetics, vol. 32, No. 5, Sep. 1996.
“Micro Electrostatic Actuators in Dual-Stage Disk Drives with High Track Density” by Tang et al.,IEEE Transactions on Magnetics, vol. 32, No. 5, Sep. 1996.
“Piezoelectric Microactuator Compensating for Off-Track Errors in Magnetic Disk Drives” by Imamura et al,Advance Information Storage Systems, vol. 5, pp 119-125.
“A Dual-Stage Magnetic Disk Drive Actuator Using a Piezoelectric Device for a High Density” by Mori et al.,IEEE Transactions on Magnetics, vol. 27, No. 6, Nov. 1991.
“Dynamic Loading Criteria for 3-1/2 Inch Inline HDD Using Multilayer Piezoelectric Load/Unload Mechanism” by Kajitani et al.,IEEE Transactions on Magnetics, vol. 27, No. 6, Nov. 1991.
“Design, Fabrication, and Testing of Silicon Microgimbals for Super-Compact Rigid Disk Drives” by Temesvary et al.,Journal of Microelectromechanical Systems, vol. 4, No. 1, Mar. 1995.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

Rating

Integral load beam push-pull microactuator does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.

If you have personal experience with Integral load beam push-pull microactuator, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Integral load beam push-pull microactuator will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2609061