초록 ▼

A slider lifter for a disc drive is disclosed which utilizes an element of a shape memory alloy to lift multiple transducer heads away from the surfaces of a plurality of stacked discs. The slider lifter includes a support post and a pair of opposing combs carried by the post. The combs are adapted

A slider lifter for a disc drive is disclosed which utilizes an element of a shape memory alloy to lift multiple transducer heads away from the surfaces of a plurality of stacked discs. The slider lifter includes a support post and a pair of opposing combs carried by the post. The combs are adapted to move in opposite directions between first and second relative positions. In one of the relative positions, the combs engage the flexures to physically lift the transducers carried by the flexures from the surfaces of their associated discs. A biasing mechanism cooperates with shape memory alloy having martensitic and austenitic phase conditions to move the combs back and forth between the first and second positions. When the shape memory element is in a first phase condition, the biasing means forces the combs to their first relative position and when the shape memory alloy element is in the second phase condition, the combs are held in their second relative position. The shape memory alloy element is selectively heated to control its phase condition.

대표청구항 ▼

A slider lifter arrangement for a disc drive assembly including a frame, a plurality of vertically aligned, spaced apart rotatable information storage discs, each information storage disc having top and bottom storage surfaces, a multiplicity of vertically aligned flexure arms each carrying a slider

A slider lifter arrangement for a disc drive assembly including a frame, a plurality of vertically aligned, spaced apart rotatable information storage discs, each information storage disc having top and bottom storage surfaces, a multiplicity of vertically aligned flexure arms each carrying a slider transducer for transferring information between a particular disc surface and an external system, the flexure arms being designed such that when the discs are rotating at an operational speed, each slider flies above the surface of its associated disc surface and wherein when the disc is stopped, the sliders rest on the surface of their associated discs, and a head positioning means for positioning the sliders relative to the information storage discs, the slider lifter comprising: a support post coupled to the frame; a pair of opposing comb members carried by the post, each said comb member having a plurality of stacked fingers each extending outwardly to engage one of said flexures, the comb members being adapted for movement in opposite directions between first and second positions relative to one another, wherein in one of said relative positions, the fingers engage their associated flexures to physically lift the associated sliders from their associated disc surfaces; biasing means for urging the comb members towards the first relative position; a shape memory alloy element having martensitic and austenitic phase conditions, the shape memory alloy element cooperating with the biasing means such that when the shape memory element is in a first phase condition, the biasing means forces the comb members to their first relative position and wherein when the shape memory alloy element is in a second phase condition, the comb members are held in their second relative position; and transform means for heating the shape memory alloy element to change the state of the shape memory alloy element from one of said phase conditions to the other phase condition.