49results about "Arm with actuators" patented technology

A flexure includes a body portion including a first metal base, a terminal portion electrically connected to an actuator, and a connection portion connecting the body portion with the terminal portion and not including the first metal base. The wiring portion includes a base insulating layer, a conductor layer provided on the base insulating layer, and a cover insulating layer covering the conductor layer. The cover insulating layer includes a first cover portion provided on the connection portion, and the base insulating layer includes a first base portion provided on the connection portion and having a thickness smaller than a thickness of the first cover portion.

A hard disk drive suspension includes first piezoelectric elements provided at a first position, and second piezoelectric elements provided at a second position. A conductor is connected to the first piezoelectric elements. Conductors are connected to the second piezoelectric elements, respectively. A measurement device includes a vibration signal generation unit which supplies vibration signals to the second piezoelectric elements, a vibration measurement unit which detects vibration generated at the suspension, and a ground connection unit. The conductor electrically connected to the first piezoelectric elements is connected to a ground via a resistor of a ground connection unit.

A gimbal head assembly (HGA), such as that used in a hard disk drive (HDD), comprises a load beam formed with proximal openings and a bend coupled to the load beam. The bend includes a tongue section to which a fine actuator is coupled, and the tongue section includes corner sections proximal to the fine actuator. Each opening of the load beam is shaped and positioned to overlap the corner section of the bend, preventing contact between the load beam and the corner section in response to shock events. This creates a gimbal clearance of the bend relative to the load beam, protecting the integrity of the piezoelectric fine actuator elements from, for example, non-operational shock events.

A data storage device includes a stack of data storage disks, a head stack assembly, and a piezoelectric motor. The head stack assembly includes an arm, a load beam, a head and a tail. The arm is configured for pivotal motion about a longitudinal axis of an actuator shaft. The load beam is attached to the arm. The head is attached to the load beam and is configured to interact with a surface of one of the disks, the surface defining an x-y plane. The tail is disposed on an opposite side of the actuator shaft from the arm and has a first engagement surface that is parallel to the x-y plane. The piezoelectric motor includes a piezoelectric element and a contact tip. The piezoelectric element comprises a first mounting surface. The contact tip is disposed at the first mounting surface and frictionally contacts the engagement surface.

A head gimbal assembly (HGA), such as for a hard disk drive (HDD), includes: a load beam formed to have a proximal opening therethrough; and a flexure coupled with the load beam, where the flexure includes a tongue portion to which a fine actuator is coupled, and the tongue portion includes a corner portion proximal to the fine actuator. Each opening of the load beam is shaped and positioned to cover the corner portion of the flexure to avoid contact between the load beam and the corner portion in response to an impact event. A flexure gimbal clearance relative to the load beam is thereby achieved to protect the integrity of the piezoelectric elements of the fine actuator from, for example, non-operational impact events.

A suspension assembly comprises a load beam including a proximal end terminating in a hinge, a gimbal assembly mounted to the load beam, a base plate, and PZT actuators. The base plate comprising a distal portion connected to the hinge, a proximal portion, and a neck portion disposed between the distal portion and the proximal portion, wherein the neck portion comprising side edges facing away from each other, wherein the side edges, the distal portion and the proximal portion define openings, wherein each of the side edges includes a protrusion at a center of the neck portion facing one of the openings. Each of the PZT actuators is disposed in one of the openings and mounted to the proximal portion and the distal portion.

A head gimbal assembly includes a gimbal having a base portion and a tongue that are joined together by a neck portion, a circuit mounted on the gimbal, a slider mounted on the tongue and electrically connected to the circuit, a first PZT actuator having a proximal end mounted on a first bonding site of the circuit and a distal end mounted on a second bonding site of the circuit, and a second PZT actuator having a proximal end mounted on a third bonding site of the circuit and a distal end mounted on a fourth bonding site of the circuit. The first and third bonding sites do not overlap with and are not directly supported by the base portion. The second and fourth bonding sites overlap with and are directly supported by the tongue.

A suspension assembly includes a load beam terminating in a hinge, a gimbal assembly mounted to the load beam, and a base plate connected to the hinge and including an opening. A PZT actuator is disposed in the opening and includes opposing first and second ends. The PZT actuator includes an active region and an inactive region each extending between opposite first and second ends, a PZT material disposed in both the active region and the inactive region, and first and second electrodes, and an active region configured to cause active expansion and contraction of the PZT material in the active region in response to a voltage difference applied to the first electrode and the second electrode, and configured to not cause active expansion and contraction of the PZT material in the inactive region in response to a voltage difference applied to the first electrode and the second electrode of the PZT actuator.

A head gimbal assembly (HGA), such as for a hard disk drive (HDD), includes a load beam formed with proximal openings therethrough and a flexure coupled with the load beam, where the flexure includes a tongue portion to which a fine actuator is coupled and the tongue portion includes corner portions proximal to the fine actuator. Each opening of the load beam is shaped and positioned to overlay the corner portion of the flexure to avoid contact between the load beam and the corner portion in response to shock events. Flexure gimbal clearance relative to the load beam is thereby enabled to protect the integrity of the fine actuator piezoelectric elements from non-operational shock events for example.

To provide a disk device capable of suppressing fluctuations in a gap between a recording medium and a head and improving reliability.SOLUTION: According to an embodiment, a disk device includes: a disk-shaped recording medium; a magnetic head having a heater that adjusts a gap between a write head, a read head, and the recording medium; a suspension assembly that supports the magnetic head; a microactuator including a piezoelectric element provided in the suspension assembly; and a controller that sets a driving voltage of the piezoelectric element according to the difference between the piezoelectric element and a touchdown output at driving, and the piezoelectric element and a touchdown output at non-driving.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

A suspension of an embodiment includes a first actuator including a piezoelectric element, a second actuator including a piezoelectric element, and a third actuator including a piezoelectric element. A first conductor supplies a first alternating current to the first actuator. A second conductor supplies a second alternating current to the second actuator. A third conductor supplies a third alternating current with a phase opposite to the second alternating current to the third actuator. The first conductor includes a first and a second proximity portions. The first proximity portion extends along the second conductor in the longitudinal direction of the wiring unit. The second proximity portion extends along the third conductor in the longitudinal direction of the wiring unit.

A head gimbal assembly (HGA), such as for a hard disk drive (HDD), includes a load beam formed with proximal openings therethrough and a flexure coupled with the load beam, where the flexure includes a tongue portion to which a fine actuator is coupled and the tongue portion includes corner portions proximal to the fine actuator. Each opening of the load beam is shaped and positioned to overlay the corner portion of the flexure to avoid contact between the load beam and the corner portion in response to shock events. Flexure gimbal clearance relative to the load beam is thereby enabled to protect the integrity of the fine actuator piezoelectric elements from non-operational shock events for example.

Embodiments provide a magnetic disk drive and control method capable of preventing degradation of microactuator components. When adjusting the position of a magnetic head using a microactuator, the magnetic disk drive control unit applies a third voltage value based on the second voltage value to the microactuator when the absolute value of the first voltage value applied to the microactuator is corrected based on hysteresis and the absolute value of the second voltage value applied to the microactuator is positive. Furthermore, the control unit operates at least one of the voice coil motor and / or the microactuator other than the microactuator applying the third voltage value to adjust for any shortfall in adjustment by the microactuator.

The invention provides a microactuator assembly and a suspension for a disk drive. A PZT microactuator (e.g., for a hard disk drive) has a restraint layer bonded on its side opposite to the side on which the PZT is mounted. The restraint layer includes a stiff and resilient material, such as stainless steel. The restraint layer may cover most or all of the top of the PZT, electrically connected to the PZT where it is not covered by the restraint layer. The constraining layer reduces bending of the PZT at the time of installation, thereby increasing the effective stroke length, or reverses the sign of the bending, thereby further increasing the effective stroke length of the PZT. The constraining layer may be one or more active PZT material layers having an opposite direction of action to the primary PZT layer. The restraint layer may be thinner than the primary PZT layer.

A suspension assembly includes a load beam, a base plate connected to the load beam, and a single actuator disposed in an opening of the base plate. The single actuator is formed of a crystal material that expands along a first axis and contracts along a second orthogonal axis, and expands along the second axis and contracts along the first axis in response to respective first and second bias voltages. The single actuator is configured to flex the base plate when expanding along the first axis to rotate the load beam in a first rotational direction about a center of rotation located along the load beam, and flex the base plate when expanding along the second axis to rotate the load beam in a second, opposite rotational direction about the center of rotation.

According to one embodiment, a disk device includes a disk-shaped recording medium, a magnetic head including a write head, a read head, and a heater configured to adjust a gap between the magnetic head and the recording medium, a suspension assembly supporting the magnetic head, a micro actuator including a piezoelectric element on the suspension assembly, and a controller configured to set a drive voltage of the piezoelectric element in accordance with a difference between a touchdown output in time of driving the piezoelectric element and a touchdown output in time of non-driving the piezoelectric element.

A flexure of a suspension for a disk drive includes a metal base and a wiring portion provided along the metal base and including a base insulation layer, a conductor layer overlaid on the base insulation layer, and a cover insulation layer overlaid on the conductor layer. The flexure includes a first area on which an electronic component is mounted and a second area aligned alongside the first area, and the first area includes a thin-walled portion which overlaps the electronic component and having a thickness less than a thickness of the second area.

A tape drive device includes a head member, a tape drive mechanism moving a tape, a suspension member supporting the head member, piezoelectric units, a drive voltage supply circuit applying a voltage to a piezoelectric element, and a controller. Each of the piezoelectric units includes a piezoelectric element. The controller determines a state of a head unit, based on a piezoelectric output generated at the piezoelectric element provided in the suspension member.

A method of manufacturing a piezoelectric microactuator having a wrap-around electrode includes forming a piezoelectric element having a large central electrode on a top face, and having a wrap-around electrode that includes the bottom face, two opposing ends of the device, and two opposing end portions of the top face. The device is then cut through the middle, separating the device into two separate piezoelectric microactuators each having a wrap-around electrode.

To provide a head driving device capable of stably holding a head member and functioning as an actuator for fine movement.SOLUTION: A head driving device 10A includes a head support unit 16 for supporting a head member 17, a first beam 21, a second beam 22, a first piezoelectric unit 51 including a pair of piezoelectric elements 51a and 51b, and a second piezoelectric unit 61 including a pair of piezoelectric elements 61a and 61b. When a voltage is applied to the piezoelectric elements 51a and 51b of the first piezoelectric unit 51, the piezoelectric elements 51a and 51b are deformed to move a tip 21b of the first beam 21. The piezoelectric elements 61a and 61b of the second piezoelectric unit 61 are also deformed when the voltage is applied, to move a tip 22b of the second beam 22 in a direction same as that of the tip 21b of the first beam 21.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

To provide a measuring device that can suppress the effects of crosstalk. [Solution] A suspension 10A for a hard disk drive, as an example of a workpiece, has piezoelectric elements 30R and 30L provided at a first position and piezoelectric elements 40R and 40L provided at a second position. Conductors 33 are connected to the piezoelectric elements 30R and 30L. Conductors 41 and 42 are connected to the piezoelectric elements 40R and 40L, respectively. The measuring device 100 has an excitation signal generation unit that supplies excitation signals S1 and S2 to the piezoelectric elements 40R and 40L, a vibration measurement unit that detects vibrations generated in the suspension 10A, and a ground connection unit 113. Conductors 33 that are in conductivity with the non-excitation piezoelectric elements 30R and 30L are connected to ground GND via the resistor R1 of the ground connection unit 113.

To provide a microactuator for suspensions for disk devices, and an assembly for the microactuator.SOLUTION: In a dual stage actuated (DSA) suspension 40, a piezoelectric actuator assembly 39 includes: a first PZT layer 41 including a top surface and a bottom surface; a second PZT layer 42 including a top surface and a bottom surface, the bottom surface of the second PZT layer disposed over the top surface of the first PZT layer; a third PZT layer 43 including a top surface and a bottom surface, the bottom surface of the third PZT layer disposed over the top surface of the second PZT layer; a first electrode 46A; a second electrode 46B; a third electrode 46C; and a fourth electrode 46D. The third electrode is configured to be shorter than the second electrode such that the active PZT length of the second PZT layer and the third PZT layer is shorter than the active PZT length of the first PZT layer.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4A

A hard disk drive suspension (10A) includes first piezoelectric elements (30R, 30L) provided at a first position and second piezoelectric elements (40R, 40L) provided at a second position. A conductor (33) is connected to the first piezoelectric elements (30R, 30L). Conductors (41, 42) are respectively connected to the second piezoelectric elements (40R, 40L). The measurement device (100) includes a vibration signal generation unit that supplies vibration signals (S1, S2) to the second piezoelectric elements (40R, 40L), a vibration measurement unit that detects vibration generated by the suspension (10A), and a ground connection unit (113). A conductor (33) electrically connected to the first piezoelectric elements (30R, 30L) is grounded (GND) through a resistor (R1) of a ground connection unit (113).

PZT microactuators, such as those used in hard disk drives, have a constraining layer bonded to the side opposite the PZT mounting surface. The constraining layer is made of a stiff, resilient material, such as stainless steel. The constraining layer covers most or all of the top surface of the PZT and provides electrical connections to the PZT not covered by the constraining layer. The constraining layer increases the effective stroke length by reducing the bending of the attached PZT, or further increases the effective stroke length by reversing the sign of bending. The constraining layer may be one or more active layers of PZT material that act in the opposite direction to the main PZT layer. The constraining layer may be thinner than the main PZT layer.

A thin-film piezoelectric material elements are arranged on a thin-film piezoelectric material substrate. The thin-film piezoelectric material substrate includes an insulator on Si substrate including a substrate including silicon and an insulating layer on a surface of the substrate. The thin-film piezoelectric material element includes a thin-film laminated part on a top surface of the insulating layer. The thin-film laminated part includes a YZ seed layer including yttrium and zirconium, and formed on the top surface; a lower electrode film laminated on the YZ seed layer; a piezoelectric material film including lead zirconate titanate, shown by a formula Pb (ZrxTi(1-x)) O3(0≤x≤1), and an upper electrode film laminated on the piezoelectric material film. The thin-film laminated part further includes an upper piezoelectric-material protective-film, laminated on the upper side of the upper electrode film.

To provide a multi-layer actuator configuration to reduce out-of-plane motion and obtain good performance characteristics.SOLUTION: A multi-layer microactuator (PZT) 14 includes first to third active piezoelectric layers 131 to 133. The first active piezoelectric layer has a top surface and a bottom surface. The second active piezoelectric layer has a top surface and a bottom surface on the top surface of the first active piezoelectric layer. The third active piezoelectric layer has a top surface and a bottom surface on the top surface of the second active piezoelectric layer. The first and second active piezoelectric layers define a first effective electrode length 131D, and similarly the second and third active piezoelectric layers define a second effective electrode length 131D that is longer than the first effective electrode length.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Piezoelectric thin film containing a metal oxide of perovskite-like crystals, wherein the metal oxide contains bismuth, potassium, titanium, iron and the element M; the element M is at least one of the elements magnesium and nickel; all perovskite-like crystals in the piezoelectric thin film are tetragonal crystals with perovskite structure; and a (001) plane of the tetragonal crystals is oriented in the direction of the surface normal of the piezoelectric thin film, where the metal oxide has the chemical formula x(Bi α K 1-α )TiO3-yBi(M β Ti 1-β )O3-zBiFeO3, where each of x, y and z is a positive real number; x+y+z = 1; α is greater than 0 and less than 1; β is greater than 0 and less than 1; M by Mg γ No 1-γ is presented; and γ is 0 or greater and 1 or less.

According to one embodiment, a disk device includes a load beam, a first protrusion, a flexure, a slider, and a second element. The first protrusion protrudes from the load beam away from a rotation axis in a first direction. The flexure includes a mounting part supported by the first protrusion. The slider is mounted on the mounting part, and includes a first element that reads and writes information from and to a magnetic disk, and a floating surface facing the magnetic disk. The second element is attached to the slider apart from a geometric center of the floating surface in the first direction. On a projection plane as viewed in a direction orthogonal to the floating surface, a contact position between the first protrusion and the mounting part is located between a geometric center of the slider and a center of gravity of the second element.

To provide a suspension for a disk drive that can reduce crosstalk in the wiring section. [Solution] The suspension 10A has a first actuator (piezoelectric elements 30R, 30L), a second actuator (piezoelectric element 40R), and a third actuator (piezoelectric element 40L). The first conductor 33 supplies a first alternating current to the first actuator. The second conductor 41 supplies a second alternating current to the second actuator. The third conductor 42 supplies a third alternating current to the third actuator that is in the opposite phase to the second alternating current. The first conductor 33 has a first proximity portion 45 and a second proximity portion 46. The first proximity portion 45 extends along the second conductor 41 in the longitudinal direction of the wiring portion 21. The second proximity portion 46 extends along the third conductor 42 in the longitudinal direction of the wiring portion 21.

The present disclosure proposes a multi-layer PZT microactuator with an active PZT restraint layer for a DSA suspension. A PZT microactuator (e.g., for a hard disk drive) has a restraint layer bonded on its side opposite to the side on which the PZT is mounted. The restraint layer includes a stiff and resilient material, such as stainless steel. The restraint layer may cover most or all of the top of the PZT, electrically connected to the PZT where it is not covered by the restraint layer. The constraining layer reduces bending of the PZT at the time of installation, thereby increasing the effective stroke length, or reverses the sign of the bending, thereby further increasing the effective stroke length of the PZT. The constraining layer may be one or more active PZT material layers having an opposite direction of action to the primary PZT layer. The restraint layer may be thinner than the primary PZT layer.