Slider that dynamically adjusts the head-to-disk spacing in a disk drive
US7773346B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 14, 2006 |
| Grant date | Aug 10, 2010 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jan 27, 2029 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG11B5/6005
- WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A disk drive includes a drive circuitry, a storage disk and a slider. The storage disk has a data surface, and the slider magnetically interacts with the storage disk to transmit a signal between the storage disk and the drive circuitry. The slider includes a leading surface, an opposed trailing surface, a data transducer positioned near the trailing surface, and a piezoelectric element. The piezoelectric element receives a driving voltage from the drive circuitry to adjust a distance between the data transducer and the data surface. The piezoelectric element can form a portion of the trailing surface. The slider includes a slider body that forms a portion of the trailing surface, and a portion of the piezoelectric element can be coplanar with the portion of the trailing surface formed by the slider body. Further, at least a portion of the piezoelectric element can be constrained by the slider body. The piezoelectric element can include an exposed surface that is substantially parallel with the leading surface. The slider body can have an element cavity that completely receives the piezoelectric element. In one embodiment, the piezoelectric element has only one substantially planar…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.