Method and apparatus coupling at least one piezoelectric device to a slider in a hard disk drive for microactuation

A method comprising the step of:

• operating a head gimbal assembly (160) to move a slider (500) coupled to a flexure cable (200) through a slider mounting face (1010) coupled to an offset mounting face (1020),
• with said offset mounting face coupled with at least one piezoelectric device (300) at a first contact region 302 and a second contact region 304, and
• with said flexure cable including said slider mounting face coupled to said offset mounting face and configured to provide electrical stimulus to a first terminal (306) and a second terminal (308) of said piezoelectric device, comprising the steps of:
• applying a first potential difference by said flexure cable between said first terminal and said second terminal to electrically stimulate said piezoelectric device to contract to apply a first asymmetric force from between said first contact region and said second contact region and across said offset mounting face to move said slider in a first direction (1080) through a second mechanical coupling (960);
• and
• applying a second potential difference by said flexure cable between said first terminal and said second terminal to electrically stimulate said piezoelectric device to expand to apply a second asymmetric force from between said first contact region and said second contact region and across said offset mounting face to move said slider in a second direction (1082);
• wherein by said offset mounting face provides an asymmetry between a first contact region and a second contact region to said slider mounting face;
• wherein said first contact region and said second contact region each couple to said piezoelectric device through a first mechanical coupling (962).

A head gimbal assembly, comprising:

• a piezolectric device (300) including a first terminal (306) and a second terminal (308);
• a flexure cable (200) including a slider mounting face (1010) coupled to an offset mounting face (1020) first mechanically coupled (962) to said piezoelectric device between a first contact region (1022) and a second contact region (1024);
• a slider (500) second mechanically coupling (962) to said slider mounting face;
• means for applying a first potential difference by said flexure cable between said first terminal and said second terminal to electrically stimulate said piezoelectric device to contract to apply a first asymmetric force between said first contact region and said second contact region across said offset mounting face to move said slider in a first direction (1080) through said second mechanical coupling;
• and
• means for applying a second potential difference by said flexure cable between said first terminal and said second terminal to electrically stimulate said piezoelectric device to contract to apply a second asymmetric force between said first contact region and said second contact region across said offset mounting face to move said slider in a second direction (1082).

A method comprising the step of:

• moving a slider (500) in a direction (1082) through a flexure cable with said slider mounted on a slider mounting face (1010) by a mechanical coupling (960), said slider mounting face coupled to an offset mounting face (1020) and coupled to at least one piezoelectric device (300),
• with said offset mounting face for said piezoelectric device providing an asymmetry between a first contact region (1022) and a second contact region (1024) coupling to said piezoelectric device, and
• with said flexure cable including said slider mounting face coupled to said offset mounting face and configured to provide electrical stimulus to a first terminal (306) and a second terminal (308) of said piezoelectric device,
• wherein the step of moving comprises the step of:
• applying a potential difference by said flexure cable between said first terminal and said second terminal to electrically stimulate said piezoelectric device to expand and apply an asymmetric force across said offset mounting face to move said slider in said direction.