Slide microactuator using C-shaped piezoelectric element

摘要

A microactuator device for effecting fine positioning of a transducing head with respect to a selected track on a disk having: a C-shaped piezoelectric element having opposite ends, wherein one end of the piezoelectric element is affixed or connected to one end of the slider, and the other end is affixed or connected to the flexure member for obtaining rotational movement of the piezoelectric element to enable faster and more accurate tracking of the disk by head transducer. Alternately, the C-shaped piezoelectric element has one end affixed or connected to suspension mount plate and other end affixed or actuator arm to obtain larger head movement for further enhanced track following. The C-shaped element could be multiple layered or be shaped like a horizontal or vertical spiral to further increase the element and head movement and tracking accuracy along with faster seek and travel.