Disc drive shunting device
View Patent ↗An electrostatic discharge protection device can protect a head gimbal assembly circuit from electrostatic discharge. The device includes a housing and a shunt positioned within the housing. The shunt includes a pair of electrical contacts and the shunt has a first position in which the electrical contacts are in electrical communication with the circuit and a second position in which the electrical contacts are removed from electrical communication with the circuit. The shunt can be placed in its first position to protect the head gimbal assembly against electrostatic discharge and is moved into its second position to permit testing operations of the head gimbal assembly. The shunt is then returned to its first position.
1. An electrostatic discharge protection device for protecting a head gimbal assembly circuit from electrostatic discharge, the device comprising:
a housing; and
a shunt positioned within the housing, the shunt comprising a pair of electrical contacts, the shunt having a first position within the housing in which the electrical contacts are in electrical communication with the circuit and a second position within the housing in which the electrical contacts are not in electrical communication with the circuit;
wherein the shunt can be reversibly moved between the first position and the second position.
2. The electrostatic discharge protection device of claim 1 , wherein the device can be used in a head gimbal assembly testing apparatus.
3. The electrostatic discharge protection device of claim 1 , wherein the shunt provides a limited resistance of less than about 0.1 ohms between the electrical contacts when the shunt is in its first position.
4. The electrostatic discharge protection device of claim 1 , wherein the shunt protects against electrostatic discharges that are between about 2 and 5 volts.
5. The electrostatic discharge protection device of claim 1 , further comprising a deshunting rail that is configured to accept and support a portion of the pair of electrical contacts when the shunt is in its second position.
6. The electrostatic discharge protection device of claim 5 , wherein the deshunting rail is configured to lift the pair of electrical contacts so that electrical communication between the shunt and the circuit is broken.
7. The electrostatic discharge protection device of claim 1 , further comprising a deshunting pin that is reversibly removable from a shunted position in which the pair of electrical contacts are in electrical communication with the circuit to an unshunted position in which the pair of electrical contacts are not in electrical communication with the circuit.
8. The electrostatic discharge protection device of claim 1 , wherein the shunt is configured to protect a head gimbal assembly and the shunt provides a limited resistance between the electrical contacts that are in electrical communication with the head gimbal assembly's reader circuit.
9. The electrostatic discharge protection device of claim 8 , wherein the shunt further provides a limited resistance between the electrical contacts that are in electrical communication with the head gimbal assembly's writer circuit.
10. The electrostatic discharge protection device of claim 1 , wherein the housing is configured to snap onto a printed circuit board.
11. An electrostatic discharge protection device comprising:
means for electrically communicating with a circuit to be protected; and
at least one of a deshunting rail and a deshunting pin for reversibly shorting a portion of the circuit to be protected by lifting the means for electrically communicating relative to the circuit during operation of the device so as to electrically separate the means for electrically communicating and the circuit, and returning the means for electrically communicating from the lifted position relative to the circuit to a position in which the means for electrically communicating and the circuit are electrically connected.
12. The electrostatic discharge protection device of claim 11 , wherein the means for electrically communicating with the circuit to be protected comprises a shunt having a pair of electrical contacts that are moveable from a first position in which the electrical contacts are in electrical communication with the circuit to be protected to a second position in which the electrical contacts are not in electrical communication with the circuit to be protected.
13. An electrostatic discharge protection device comprising:
means for electrically communicating with a circuit to be protected; and
means for reversibly shorting a portion of the circuit to be protected comprising one of a deshunting rail and a deshunting pin.