Low z-height loader for a head gimbal assembly
US5986451A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 30, 1996 |
| Grant date | Nov 16, 1999 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 30, 2016 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG11B5/6005
- WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A method and apparatus for loading and unloading a slider onto the surface of a substrate. The present invention includes a suspension assembly that supports a slider having an air bearing surface. The suspension assembly is coupled to a guide rod that is biased toward a first, second and third bearing. The guide rod remains in continuous contact with at least two bearings. Movement of the slider toward or away from the substrate surface is accomplished by changing the position of one or more of the bearings. In this manner, a set of pivot points acting upon the guide rod is varied as the slider is rotated toward or away from the disk surface such that the axis of rotation of the slider varies as the slider is rotated toward or away from the substrate surface. The loader is also configured to minimize the lateral movement of the slider along the surface of the substrate as the slider is loaded or unloaded from the substrate surface.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.