Connector for flexible printed circuit boards, head actuator provided with the same, and disk drive

A head actuator of a disk drive comprising:

• a bearing portion;
• two arms each having a proximal end portion attached to the bearing portion, and a distal end portion supporting a head, extending from the bearing portion, the arms being opposed to each other across a given space;
• first flexible printed circuit boards fixed individually on the respective arms, connected electrically to the respective heads, and extending from the heads to the proximal end portions of the arms;
• a second flexible printed circuit board connected to the first flexible printed circuit boards;
• and
• a male connector attached to the second flexible printed circuit board, wherein
• each of the first flexible printed circuit boards including a connecting portion provided at the proximal end portion of the arm and having first contacts formed by exposing a part of a conductor pattern, a plurality of short-circuit contacts and a short-circuit piece which contacts with the plurality of short-circuit contacts so as to turn the conductor pattern into a closed loop,
• the respective connecting portions on the two arms being opposed to each other across a given space to constitute a female connector, and
• the male connector including a projection and a pressing portion configured to be fitted between the connecting portions of the female connector, and second contacts provided on the projection and connected to a conductor pattern of the second flexible printed circuit board, the second contacts being arranged so as to contact with the first contacts when the projection is fitted between the connecting portions, and the pressing portion being arranged so as to press and detach the short-circuit piece from the short-circuit contacts and release the closed loop when the pressing portions are fitted between the connecting portions.

A disk drive comprising:

• a disk;
• a head configured to write in and retrieving information from the disk;
• a head actuator supporting the head for movement with respect to the disk;
• a substrate unit configured to input and output signals with respect to the head;
• a main flexible printed circuit board extending from the substrate unit and connected to the head actuator;
• and
• a male connector attached to the main flexible printed circuit board, wherein
• the head actuator including a bearing portion;
• two arms each having a proximal end portion attached to the bearing portion, and a distal end portion supporting the head, extending from the bearing portion, the arms being opposed to each other across a given space;
• and relay flexible printed circuit boards fixed individually on the respective arms, connected electrically to the respective heads, and extending from the heads to the proximal end portions of the arms,
• each of the relay flexible printed circuit boards including a connecting portion provided at the proximal end portion of the arm and having first contacts formed by exposing a part of a conductor pattern, a plurality of short-circuit contacts and a short-circuit piece which contacts with the plurality of short-circuit contacts so as to turn the conductor pattern into a closed loop, the connecting portions being opposed to each other across a given space to constitute a female connector, and
• the male connector including a projection and a pressing portion which are configured to be fitted between the connecting portions of the female connector, and second contacts provided on the projection and connected to a conductor pattern of the second flexible printed circuit board, the second contacts being arranged so as to contact with the first contacts when the projection is fitted between the connecting portions, and the pressing portions being arranged so as to press and detach the short-circuit piece from the short-circuit contacts and release the closed loop, when the pressing portion is fitted between the connecting portions.