Dynamic magnetic information storage or retrieval – Head mounting – Disk record
Reexamination Certificate
1999-07-20
2002-12-31
Miller, Brian E. (Department: 2754)
Dynamic magnetic information storage or retrieval
Head mounting
Disk record
C360S234600, C360S245200, C360S294100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06501623
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a method for assembling an actuator device for a hard disk, the actuator comprising a read/write transducer, a microactuator, and a suspension, and the actuator device obtained using the method.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
As is known, an actuator device for a hard disk recently has been proposed. The actuator device is provided with a double actuation stage to finely control a position of a read/write head with respect to the hard disk to be read or written. An example of a known actuator device
1
with a double actuation stage is shown schematically in
FIGS. 1 and 2
. In detail, in
FIG. 1
, the actuator device
1
for a hard disk
7
comprises a motor
2
(also called a “voice coil motor”), to which at least one suspension
5
formed by a lamina is fixed in a projecting manner. At its free end, the suspension
5
supports a read/write (R/W) transducer
6
(see, e.g.,
FIG. 2
) (also known as a “slider”) which in an operative condition, is disposed facing a surface of the hard disk
7
(see, e.g., FIG.
1
). The R/W transducer
6
is rigidly connected to a coupling (called a “gimbal”
8
), through a microactuator
9
interposed between the gimbal
8
and the R/W transducer
6
. On one of its lateral surfaces, the R/W transducer
6
, formed by a ceramic material body (e.g., AlTiC), further has a read/write head
10
(which is magneto/resistive and inductive) which forms the actual read/write device.
In the actuator device
1
, a first actuation stage is formed by the motor
2
that moves an assembly formed by the suspension
5
and the R/W transducer
6
across the hard disk
7
during track seeking, and a second actuation stage is formed by the microactuator
9
that finely controls a position of the R/W transducer
6
during tracking.
An embodiment of the microactuator
9
of a rotary electrostatic type is shown in diagrammatic form in
FIG. 3
, wherein the microactuator
9
is shown only in part, given its axial symmetry. The microactuator
9
comprises a stator
17
integral with a die accommodating the microactuator
9
and bonded to the gimbal
8
, and a rotor
11
intended to be bonded to the R/W transducer
6
and capacitively coupled to the stator
17
.
The rotor
11
comprises a suspended mass
12
of a substantially circular shape and a plurality of movable arms
13
extending radially towards the outside from the suspended mass
12
. Each movable arm
13
has a plurality of movable electrodes
14
extending in a substantially circumferential direction and spaced at a same distance from each other. The rotor
11
further comprises anchoring and elastic suspension elements (shown as springs
15
) for supporting and biasing the rotor
11
through fixed regions
16
.
The stator
17
comprises a plurality of fixed arms
18
a
,
18
b
extending radially and each bearing a plurality of fixed electrodes
19
. In particular, associated with each movable arm
13
is a pair of fixed arms formed by the fixed arm
18
a
and the fixed arm
18
b
. The fixed electrodes
19
of each pair of fixed arms
18
a
,
18
b
extend towards the associated movable arm
13
and are intercalated or interleaved with the movable electrodes
14
. The fixed arms
18
a
are all disposed on a same side of the respective movable arms
13
(on the right side in the example shown in
FIG. 3
) and are all polarized at a same potential via biasing regions
20
a
. Similarly, the fixed arms
18
b
are all disposed on the other side of the respective movable arms
13
(on the left side in the example shown in
FIG. 3
) and are all biased at a same potential through biasing regions
20
b
. The fixed arms
18
a
and
18
b
are biased at different potentials to generate two different potential differences with respect to the movable arms
13
and to cause the rotor to rotate in one direction or the other.
In the assembly of
FIG. 2
, there is a problem that the microactuator
9
is exposed to an external environment, and is therefore not protected against dielectric particles that can prevent the microactuator
9
from functioning satisfactorily. In addition, in the actuator device
1
, electrostatic interference may arise between a high voltage (of approximately 80 V) used for the actuation and the read/write head
10
, thus preventing, or at least jeopardizing, satisfactory functioning of the read/write head
10
.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An advantage of the invention is to provide an actuator device that addresses the problems described above currently affect known devices.
According to embodiments of the present invention, a method is provided for assembling an actuator device for a hard disk, the actuator device comprising a read/write (R/W) transducer, a microactuator, and a suspension plate.
The method comprises connecting the microactuator to a first face of the suspension plate and projecting the R/W transducer from a second face of the suspension plate opposite to the first face. The connecting comprises placing a strip of adhesive material between a body accommodating the microactuator and the suspension plate and activating the strip.
In an embodiment of the invention, the suspension plate has a through-hole having a larger size than the R/W transducer. Before the connecting the microactuator to the first face of the suspension plate, the method further comprises assembling the R/W transducer to the microactuator and inserting the R/W transducer in the through-hole.
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Mastromatteo Ubaldo
Sassolini Simone
Vigna Benedetto
Zerbini Sarah
Jorgenson Lisa K.
Miller Brian E.
Robert Iannucci Seed IP Law Group PLLC
STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
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