Pressure-adjusting lapping element

摘要

A pressure-adjusting lapping element is included as a structural component of a carrier assembly in a lapping head. The lapping element includes actuator nodes that permit fine tuning of a lapping force applied through the lapping element to a work piece. An actuator assembly is directly attached to the lapping element and manipulates the individual actuator nodes. The lapping element further includes whippletree structure to permit a desired degree of flexibility in the lapping element to respond to force inputs at the actuator nodes.

主权项

1. A pressure-adjusting lapping element comprising:
a structural region; and a whippletree region, the whippletree region including:
two or more actuator nodes;one or more element deflection channels oriented between the actuator nodes and the structural region permitting the whippletree region to deflect in response to an applied force at one or more of the actuator nodes; andone or more node separation channels oriented between the individual actuator nodes and permitting the actuator nodes to deflect independently in response to the applied force at the actuator nodes.