Protecting a magnetoresistive head against electrostatic discharge

An apparatus for protecting a magnetoresistive (MR) head against electrostatic discharge, comprising:

• a support assembly having a front end configured to couple to the MR head and a back end configured to connect to an actuator assembly, the support assembly comprising a deformable surface carrying inputs configured to be coupled electrically to the MR head, wherein the support assembly inputs are shorted together by being positioned in electrical contact with each other when the deformable surface is relaxed and are unshorted by being spaced apart for an open electrical connection between such inputs when the deformable surface is deformed.

An apparatus for protecting a magnetoresistive (MR) head against electrostatic discharge, comprising:

• a support assembly having a front end configured to couple to the MR head and a back end configured to connect to an actuator assembly, the support assembly comprising a deformable surface carrying first and second inputs configured to be coupled electrically to the MR head, wherein the support assembly inputs are shorted together when the deformable surface is relaxed and are unshorted when the deformable surface is deformed by longitudinally stretching the deformable surface.

An apparatus for protecting a magnetoresistive (MR) head against electrostatic discharge, comprising:

• a support assembly having a front end configured to couple to the MR head and a back end configured to connect to an actuator assembly, the support assembly comprising a deformable surface carrying first and second inputs configured to be coupled electrically to the MR head, wherein the support assembly inputs are shorted together when the deformable surface is relaxed and are unshorted when the deformable surface is deformed by deforming a region of the deformable surface located between the support assembly inputs.

An apparatus for protecting a magnetoresistive (MR) head against electrostatic discharge, comprising:

• a support assembly having a front end configured to couple to the MR head and a back end configured to couple to an actuator assembles the support assembly comprising a deformable surface carrying input pads configured to couple electrically to the MR head, the deformable surface being characterized be a relaxed state in which the MR head is shorted and a deformed state in which the MR head is unshorted, wherein the MR head may be repeatedly shorted and unshorted by repeatedly relaxing and deforming the deformable surface;
• and
• wherein the relaxed state of the deformable surface is characterized by a closed electrical connection between all of the input pads and the deformed state of the deformable surface is characterized by an open electrical connection between all of the input pads.

An apparatus for protecting a magnetoresistive (MR) head against electrostatic discharge, comprising:

• a support assembly having a front end configured to couple to the MR head and a back end configured to connect to an actuator assembly the support assembly comprising a deformable surface carrying first and second inputs configured to be coupled electrically to the MR head, wherein the support assembly inputs are shorted together when the deformable surface is relaxed and are unshorted when the deformable surface is deformed;
• and
• wherein the deformable surface carries one or more additional inputs configured to be coupled electrically to the MR head, wherein all of the support assembly inputs are shorted together when the deformable surface is relaxed and are unshorted when the deformable surface is deformed.

A method for protecting a magnetoresistive (MR) head against electrostatic discharge, comprising:

• providing a support assembly for coupling to an actuator assembly and the MR head, the support assembly having a deformable surface that carries inputs configured to be coupled electrically to the MR head, the deformable surface being in a relaxed state to cause the inputs to be shorted together by being positioned in electrical contact with each other;
• and
• unshorting the the inputs by deforming the deformable surface of the support assembly to cause the inputs to be spaced apart for an open electrical connection between such inputs.

A method for protecting a magnetoresistive (MR) head against electrostatic discharge, comprising:

• unshorting the MR head by deforming a deformable surface of a support assembly having a front end configured to couple to the MR head and a back end configured to couple to an actuator assembly, wherein the deformable surface carries inputs to couple electrically to the MR head and unshorting the MR head comprises unshorting the inputs by deforming a region of the deformable surface located between the support assembly inputs;
• and
• shorting the MR head by relaxing the support assembly.