Slide microactuator using C-shaped piezoelectric element
View Patent ↗A microactuator device for effecting fine positioning of a transducing head with respect to a selected track on a disk having: a C-shaped piezoelectric element having opposite ends, wherein one end of the piezoelectric element is affixed or connected to one end of the slider, and the other end is affixed or connected to the flexure member for obtaining rotational movement of the piezoelectric element to enable faster and more accurate tracking of the disk by head transducer. Alternately, the C-shaped piezoelectric element has one end affixed or connected to suspension mount plate and other end affixed or actuator arm to obtain larger head movement for further enhanced track following. The C-shaped element could be multiple layered or be shaped like a horizontal or vertical spiral to further increase the element and head movement and tracking accuracy along with faster seek and travel.
1. A disk drive secondary actuating system comprising a flexure with a fixed portion, a slider carrying a transducing head, and a microactuator device for effecting fine positioning of the transducing head, wherein the microactuator device comprises a circular C-shaped piezoelectric element having opposite ends,
wherein one end of the piezoelectric element is affixed or connected to one end of the slider,
wherein the other end of the piezoelectric element is affixed or connected to the flexure for obtaining movement of the transducing head to enable fine tracking of the disk,
wherein the C-shaped piezoelectric element comprises multiple layers of piezoelectric material stacked along an axial direction, and
wherein said axial direction is perpendicular to a plane of movement of said slider.
2. The disk drive system of claim 1 , wherein the C-shaped piezoelectric element is alternatively shaped like a spiral for large head movement for increased off track correction and higher recording density,
wherein a first end selected from the one end and the other end is located in a center of the piezoelectric element, and wherein a second end selected from the one end and the other end is located in a periphery of the piezoelectric element.
3. The disk drive system of claim 1 , wherein the C-shaped piezoelectric element comprises opposite ends, wherein one end of the piezoelectric element is affixed or connected to a mount plate attached to a load beam, and wherein the other end of the piezoelectric element is affixed or connected to an arm member for obtaining rotational movement of the head transducer to enable tracking on the disk.
4. The disk drive system of claim 3 , wherein the C-shaped piezoelectric element is alternatively disposed within the mount plate.
5. A microactuator device comprising:
a slider carrying a head transducer;
a flexure member attached to a load beam; and
a C-shaped piezoelectric element having opposite ends,
wherein one end of the piezoelectric element is affixed or connected to one end of the slider,
wherein another end of the piezoelectric element is affixed or connected to the flexure member for obtaining off track movement of the head transducer to enable tracking of a disk,
wherein the C-shaped piezoelectric element has multiple layers of piezoelectric material stacked along an axial direction, and
wherein said axial direction is perpendicular to a plane of movement of said slider.
6. The microactuator device of claim 5 , wherein the C-shaped piezoelectric element is alternatively shaped like a spiral for large head movement for increased off track correction and higher recording density,
wherein a first end selected from the one end and the other end is located in a center of the piezoelectric element, and wherein a second end selected from the one end and the other end is located in a periphery of the piezoelectric element.