Head signal supply/retrieval structure for magnetic disc drive

Abstract

A disk drive having a connection structure between a head and a main flexible printed circuit sheet, allowing a signal to be supplied to and taken out of a head in response to size reduction and thickness reduction of the disk drive. The disk drive includes an actuator arm rotatably mounted in a housing, and a suspension having a base end portion fixed to a front end portion of the actuator arm and a front end portion for supporting the head. The main flexible printed circuit sheet is fixed at its one end portion to the actuator arm. An interconnection flexible printed circuit sheet is mounted along one side surface of the actuator arm so as to extend substantially parallel to the upper surface of the actuator arm, and connects terminals of the suspension and terminals of the main flexible printed circuit sheet.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION1. Field of the InventionThe present invention relates generally to a magnetic disk drive, and more particularly to a connection structure for supplying a write signal to a magnetic head or retrieving a signal read by the magnetic head from the magnetic disk drive to external equipment.2. Description of the Related ArtIn recent years, size reduction and thickness reduction have been advanced in a magnetic disk drive as a kind of external storage for a computer. Further, low power consumption in such a magnetic disk drive is also desired. In addition, an improvement in recording density of a magnetic disk is also demanded to obtain a large storage capacity, and the number of disks to be mounted in the disk drive is accordingly increasing.In a magnetic disk drive for a computer, a contact start and stop (CSS) system defining the .[.relation.]. .Iadd.relationship .Iaddend.between a head and a disk is generally adopted. In this system, while the disk is being ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a disk drive having a connection structure between a head and a main FPC which can supply a write signal to the head and take out a read signal from the head with high reliability in response to size reduction and thickness reduction of the disk drive.

Since the interconnection flexible printed circuit sheet is mounted along the side surface of the actuator arm so as to extend substantially parallel to the upper surface of the actuator arm, the width of the interconnection flexible printed circuit sheet is not limited by the thickness of the actuator arm. Accordingly, an interconnection flexible printed circuit sheet having a relatively large width can be used, so that a required number of signal lines can be easily ensured and the pattern width of each signal line can be made .[.enough large.]. .Iadd.large enough.Iaddend..

Problems solved by technology

However, in the recent magnetic disk drive designed to reduce its size and thickness, sufficient space for installation of the terminals is difficult to ensure.

For these reasons, it is undesirable to use .[.the.]. lead wires for the connection between the terminals of the suspension and the terminals of the main FPC.

Accordingly, in the above prior art method where the interconnection FPC is attached to the side surface of the actuator arm, the width of the interconnection FPC is decreased with a decrease in thickness of the actuator arm to cause a problem such that it is difficult to ensure a necessary number of signal lines in the interconnection FPC and the pattern width of each signal line is reduced.

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