Patent · US Expired

Disc drive actuation system having an injection molded magnetic micro-actuator with metal beam inserts and its method of fabrication

US6198606A · kind A · utility

68Cited by
13References
20Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMar 30, 2000
Grant dateMar 6, 2001
Priority date
Expiry dateMar 30, 2020

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG11B5/483
  • WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A method of fabricating a disc drive actuation system having a head level magnetic micro-actuation assembly utilizing flexible beam inserts and the disc drive actuation system thereby produced are provided. The method comprises the steps of: (a) forming a mold with a first cavity for a micro-actuator body and a second cavity for a slider body; (b) placing a plurality of magnets in a magnet keeper; (c) placing the magnet keeper in the second cavity of the mold; (d) etching a flexible beam insert from a flexible material such as sheet stainless steel; (e) placing the flexible beam insert into the mold, (f) filling the mold with a fluid; (g) solidifying the fluid to form the micro-actuator body and the slider body; (h) removing the micro-actuator body and slider body from the mold; and (i) inserting a slider into the slider body, thereby forming the magnetic micro-actuator assembly; and (j) installing the magnetic micro-actuator assembly into a disc drive assembly, and thereby producing the disc drive actuation system having a head level magnetic micro-actuator assembly utilizing flexible beam inserts. This fabrication process involves a single injection-molding step, a tremendous cos…

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