# US 8,770,463 B1 · Head gimbal assembly carrier with adjustable protective bar

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- Number: US 8,770,463 B1
- Document ID: US8770463B1
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B1
- Application number: 13/898,262
- Filed: 2013-05-20
- Granted: 2014-07-08
- Earliest claimed: 2013-05-20
- Assignees: Western Digital Technologies, Inc.
- Applicants: Western Digital Technologies, Inc.
- Inventors: Wachira Puttichaem; Udom Konyong
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8770463B1

## CPC

- G11B 5/1272: {Assembling or shaping of elements (G11B5/1278 takes precedence)}
- B23K 1/0016: {Soldering of electronic components}
- B23K 1/085: {Wave soldering}
- B23K 3/0653: {with wave generating means, e.g. nozzles, jets, fountains}
- G11B 5/4826: {Mounting, aligning or attachment of the transducer head relative to the arm assembly, e.g. slider holding members, gimbals, adhesive (G11B5/484 takes precedence; details of head housings or structures G11B5/10, G11B5/127; adjustment relative to the record carrier G11B5/56)}
- B23K 2101/42: Printed circuits
- G11B: INFORMATION STORAGE BASED ON RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN RECORD CARRIER AND TRANSDUCER (recording measured values in a way that does not require playback through a transducer G01D9/00; recording or playback apparatus using mechanically marked tape, e.g. punched paper tape, or using unit records, e.g. punched or magnetically marked cards G06K; transferring data from one type of record carrier to another G06K1/18; circuits for coupling output of reproducer to radio receiver H04B1/20; gramophone pick-ups or like acoustic electromechanical transducers or circuits therefor H04R)
- B23K: SOLDERING OR UNSOLDERING; WELDING; CLADDING OR PLATING BY SOLDERING OR WELDING; CUTTING BY APPLYING HEAT LOCALLY, e.g. FLAME CUTTING; WORKING BY LASER BEAM

## Abstract

A head gimbal assembly (HGA) carrier comprises a body; an HGA mounting location on the body to mount an HGA mounting member to the body; and an adjustable protective bar coupled to the body, the adjustable protective bar being moveable from a first position to a second position to provide access to an HGA mounted on the HGA mounting member.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A head gimbal assembly (HGA) carrier, comprising:
a body;
an HGA mounting pin member; and
an adjustable protective bar coupled to the body, the adjustable protective bar being moveable from a first position in which the adjustable protective bar extends beyond a leading tip of an HGA to a second position to provide access to the HGA mounted on the HGA mounting member.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The HGA carrier of claim 1, wherein, in the second position, the adjustable protective bar is behind the leading tip of the HGA.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The HGA carrier of claim 1, wherein, in the first position, the adjustable protective bar provides access to a first side of the HGA for a first solder operation.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The HGA carrier of claim 3, wherein, in the second position, the adjustable protective bar provides access to a second side of the HGA for a second solder operation.

### Claim 5

A head gimbal assembly (HGA) carrier, comprising:
a body;
an HGA mounting member; and
an adjustable protective bar coupled to the body, the adjustable protective bar being moveable from a first position to a second position to provide access to an HGA mounted on the HGA mounting member; and
a guide pin coupled to the adjustable protective bar and sliding within a guide hole in the body from the first position to the second position.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The HGA carrier of claim 5, further comprising an adjustment pin coupled to the guide pin and accessible outside the body to move the guide pin and the adjustable protective bar from the first position to the second position.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The HGA carrier of claim 6, further comprising a retainer coupled to the body to releasable retain the guide pin.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The HGA carrier of claim 7, wherein the retainer comprises a ball spring plunger.

### Claim 9

A head gimbal assembly (HGA) carrier, comprising:
a body;
an HGA mounting pin member; and
a means for preventing deformation of the HGA mounting pin member in a first position in which the adjustable protective bar is in front of a leading tip of an HGA and for providing access to the HGA mounted on the HGA mounting member in a second position.