US 6,473,259 B1 · Disk head height control

Abstract

A disk head fly height adjustment method includes positioning a disk head over a surface of a rotating data storage disk and dynamically altering a load point of the disk head by changing an electrical force applied to an active element mounted to a head-gimbal assembly. A data storage apparatus includes a head assembly having a data transfer head coupled to a gimbal and an active element coupling the head assembly and a suspension. The active element is configured to exert a force between the head assembly and the suspension in response to an electrical force applied to the active element. The active element can dynamically shift a load point of a disk head. Shifting the load point can alter the pitch of the disk head and, consequently, the fly height of the head.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A disk head fly height adjustment method comprising:

positioning a disk head over a surface of a rotating data storage disk, the head being coupled to a mounting surface and positioned by movement of an assembly comprising a suspension coupled to the mounting surface;
and
dynamically altering the disk head fly height by altering a load point of the disk head using an active element to change a force applied between the suspension and the mounting surface.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Disk head height control

Life of this patent

Disk head height control

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20