Head transducer with multiple resistance temperature sensors for head-medium spacing and contact detection

US9390741B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• SAEGATE TECHNOLOGY LLC · US

Inventors

• Michael Thomas Johnson · Minneapolis, US
• Dongming Liu · Eden Prairie, US
• Huazhou Lou · Eden Prairie, US
• Declan Macken · Eden Prairie, US
• Timothy W. Stoebe · Minnetonka, US
• James Gary Wessel · Savage, US
• Xuan Zheng · Tainan, TW

Key dates

• Filing date: May 22, 2015
• Grant date: Jul 12, 2016
• Expiry date: May 22, 2035

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G11B7/121
• WIPO field: Audio-visual technology
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

A head transducer, configured to interact with a magnetic recording medium, includes a first sensor having a temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) and configured to produce a first sensor signal, and a second sensor having a TCR and configured to produce a second sensor signal. One of the first and second sensors is situated at or near a close point of the head transducer in relation to the magnetic recording medium, and the other of the first and second sensors spaced away from the close point. Circuitry is configured to combine the first and second sensor signals and produce a combined sensor signal indicative of one or both of a change in head-medium spacing and head-medium contact. Each of the sensors may have a TCR with the same sign (positive or negative) or each sensor may have a TCR with a different sign.