The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Nov. 23, 1999
Filed:
Apr. 07, 1997
Seagate Technology, Inc., Scotts Valley, CA (US);
Abstract
A device for reading and recording magnetic data includes an aerodynamically supported slider with an air bearing surface, and a transducer mounted to the slider for movement toward and away from the air bearing surface responsive to changes in the slider operating temperature. In one embodiment, the transducer movement is primarily due to a difference in thermal expansion coefficients between a transducing region of the slider incorporating the transducer, and the remainder of the slider body. In another embodiment, a strip of thermally expansive material is incorporated into the slider near the transducer to contribute to the displacement by its own expansion. A temperature control circuit, coupled to the strip of thermally expansive material or to a resistance heating element on the slider, employs a variable current source to control the slider temperature and transducer displacement. Nominal slider operating temperatures can be set to achieve a predetermined transducer flying height, to compensate for variations in flying heights among batch fabricated sliders. Optionally, a temperature sensor can be employed to measure the slider operating temperatures and provide a temperature sensitive input to the temperature control circuit.