Terminal Bender for Stable Piezoelectric Connection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing terminal designs for piezoelectric elements in magnetic disk drives face challenges in stabilizing the angle and securing parallelism between the terminal and the piezoelectric element, leading to inadequate connection and potential short circuits, while also requiring a significant amount of conductive adhesive that increases costs and causes oozing.
Innovation Solution
A terminal with a bend formed by a plastically deformed supportive metal layer, which includes an insulating layer and a wiring layer, is used to connect the terminal to the piezoelectric element, ensuring a stable bend and reducing the need for excessive conductive adhesive.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the terminal wiring part is made with low rigidity to quickly follow deformation of the piezoelectric element, then the adaptability to piezoelectric element deformation is improved, but the ability to form a stable bend and secure parallelism deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The terminal wiring part is divided into two functional segments: a bend formation part with higher rigidity that maintains stable bend angles and parallelism, and a terminal main part with lower rigidity that quickly follows piezoelectric element deformation. This segmentation allows each part to optimize its mechanical properties for its specific function.
Solution Approach 2:
Different rigidity characteristics are assigned to different locations of the terminal wiring part. The bend formation part has higher rigidity to maintain geometric stability, while the terminal main part has lower rigidity to adapt to deformation. This local differentiation of mechanical properties resolves the contradiction between stability and adaptability.
2Reliability
If the supportive metal layer is removed from the terminal wiring part to achieve low rigidity and prevent short circuits, then the short-circuit prevention is improved, but the ability to form a stable bend deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The terminal wiring part is segmented such that the bend formation part retains the supportive metal layer for geometric stability, while the terminal main part removes the supportive metal layer for low rigidity and short-circuit prevention. This spatial segmentation of material layers resolves the contradiction between bend stability and short-circuit prevention.
Solution Approach 2:
The insulating layer serves as an intermediary that allows the supportive metal layer to be present in the bend formation part without causing short circuits, as it electrically isolates the metal layer from the actuator base while still permitting mechanical bending stability.
3Reliability
If a bend is formed in the terminal wiring part to bring the terminal main part closer to the piezoelectric element, then the connection stability is improved, but the bend angle stability and parallelism deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The rigidity parameter is changed locally in the bend formation part by retaining the supportive metal layer, which enables the formation of precise bends with stable angles. This parameter change allows the bend to maintain geometric precision while still bringing the terminal main part closer to the piezoelectric element for improved connection stability.
4Reliability
If the amount of conductive adhesive is increased to bridge the gap between the piezoelectric element and terminal, then the connection coverage is improved, but the cost and adhesive oozing increase
Solution Approach 1:
The terminal wiring part is pre-formed with a bend that proactively reduces the gap between the terminal main part and the piezoelectric element before adhesive application. This preliminary geometric adjustment minimizes the required adhesive amount and prevents oozing, while still achieving complete connection coverage.
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
The solution provides a stable and secure connection between the terminal and the piezoelectric element, preventing short circuits and minimizing the use of conductive adhesive, thus enhancing the reliability and efficiency of the connection while maintaining low rigidity for deformation alignment.
Implementation Method 1
a terminal bender that is made of a supportive metal layer, is arranged along a part of the terminal wiring part in an extending direction thereof, and is plastically deformed to form a bend in the part of the terminal wiring part
Implementation Method 2
The piezoelectric element is arranged between a base plate and a load beam in the head suspension, and in proportion to a voltage applied thereto, deforms to precisely move the head at a front end of the load beam relative to the base plate
Data Source
AI summary
A terminal includes a terminal wiring part extending from a flexure and having an insulating layer and a wiring layer formed on the insulating layer, a terminal main part formed at a front end of the terminal wiring part and connected to a piezoelectric element arranged to face the terminal main part, and a terminal bender that is made of a supportive metal layer, is arranged along a part of the terminal wiring part in an extending direction thereof, and is plastically deformed to form a bend in the part of the terminal wiring part so as to bring the terminal main part closer to the piezoelectric element.