Patent · US Expired

Head assembly having short circuit pattern short-circuiting a pair of lead lines

US5991121A · kind A · utility

16Cited by
12References
12Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateAug 4, 1997
Grant dateNov 23, 1999
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 4, 2017

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG11B5/39
  • WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A head assembly includes a suspension, a head slider having a magnetoresistive element mounted on a tip end of the suspension, and a pair of lead lines disposed on the suspension and having ends connected to the magnetoresistive element. The head assembly also has an easily breakable short circuit pattern disposed on the suspension and connecting said lead lines to each other. When the head assembly is handled by itself, because the lead lines are short-circuited by the short circuit pattern, a current produced due to an electrostatic charge buildup flows through the short circuit pattern and is prevented from flowing through the magnetoresistive element. After the head assembly is installed on an actuator arm, the short circuit pattern is broken, electrically disconnecting the lead lines from each other.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.