Disk Drive Flexure Wiring via Piercing Conductor Coupling
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing disk drive flexures with attached electronic units, such as thermal assist devices, have complex wiring configurations that increase costs and complicate the connection of conductors, making it difficult to ensure electrical insulation and maintain the flatness and thickness of the tongue portion.
Innovation Solution
A disk drive flexure with a metal base, an insulating layer, and a conductor group, where the electrical circuit portion is formed on the metal base and connected to the attached electronic unit through a conductor coupling portion that pierces the insulating layer, allowing separate arrangement of slider and electronic unit conductors on different surfaces, simplifying the wiring configuration and ensuring adequate distance between conductors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If all conductors are formed on the same surface in a single-layer type wiring portion, then the wiring configuration is simplified, but the distance between conductors becomes too small to ensure electrical insulation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from a two-dimensional planar arrangement of all conductors to a three-dimensional configuration where conductors are arranged on opposite surfaces of the insulating layer. This dimensional change allows conductors that would be close together on the same surface to be separated by the thickness of the insulating layer, ensuring adequate electrical insulation while maintaining a compact structure.
2Device complexity
If conductors for slider and attached electronic unit are arranged on the same surface, then wiring is simplified, but the tongue portion thickness increases due to overlapping sections
Solution Approach 1:
The patent distributes conductors across opposite surfaces of the insulating layer rather than arranging them on the same surface. This eliminates the need for overlapping wiring sections that would increase tongue portion thickness, while still achieving simplified wiring configuration through the single-layer approach on each surface.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution simplifies the wiring configuration, ensures sufficient distance between conductors for effective electrical insulation, and reduces the thickness and weight of the tongue portion, making the manufacturing process more straightforward and cost-effective.
Implementation Method 1
a conductor coupling portion formed by plating for example. The conductor coupling portion pierces the insulating layer in a thickness direction and electrically couples the electrical circuit portion with the conductor connected to the attached electronic unit
Data Source
AI summary
A flexure includes a metal base and a wiring portion. The wiring portion is constituted of an insulating layer, a conductor group, and others. A tongue portion is formed to a main portion of the metal base. A slider including an attached electronic unit is disposed to the tongue portion. The conductor group includes conductors electrically connected to the slider and conductors electrically connected to the attached electronic unit. Island-shaped electrical circuit portions are formed on the metal base. The electrical circuit portions are electrically independent from the main portion of the metal base. The conductors for the attached electronic unit are electrically conductive with respect to the electrical circuit portions through conductor coupling portions piercing the insulating layer. The electrical circuit portions are connected to terminal portions of the attached electronic unit.