Patent application number | Description | Published |
20100321827 | SLIDER WITH STABILIZING CONTACT FINGER - A slider includes a slider body having an air bearing surface, a first contact finger, and a transducing head. The first contact finger extends from the slider body and has a contact surface area of between about 2 square microns to about 20 square microns. The transducing head is supported by the slider body near the first contact finger and extends from the air bearing surface by a distance less than that of the first contact finger. | 12-23-2010 |
20140023108 | USING FIRST AND SECOND RESISTIVE SENSOR BIAS LEVELS TO DETECT HEAD-TO-DISK CONTACT AND/OR CLEARANCE - A bias signal is applied to a resistive thermal sensor located proximate a magnetic media reading surface of a magnetic sensor. The bias signal is modulated between first and second bias levels. First and second resistances of the resistive thermal sensor corresponding to the first and second bias levels are measured. Based a difference between the first and second resistances caused by in increase in thermal conductivity between the magnetic sensor and a medium as the magnetic head gets closer to the medium, at least one of a spacing and a contact between the magnetic sensor and the medium are determined. | 01-23-2014 |
20140254344 | Contact Detection - A method of detecting a contact between a transducing head and a storage medium is provided. The method applies an input signal, having a select power level and known frequency, to an actuator for actuating the head. An output signal is obtained in response to the input signal. At least one signal component is extracted from the output signal at the same or a harmonic of the same known frequency as the input signal applied to the actuator. Whether the at least one extracted signal component indicates a contact between the head and the medium is determined. The power level of the applied wave pattern is increased incrementally until the extracted signal component indicates a contact between the head and the storage medium. | 09-11-2014 |
20140269819 | CONTACT DETECTION USING LASER MODULATION - An apparatus is arranged to detect contact between an air bearing surface of a transducer and a medium using a modulated thermal sensor signal. A laser source produces modulated laser light. A thermal sensor is disposed at or near the air bearing surface and is subject to cyclic heating by the modulated laser light. The thermal sensor is configured to produce the modulated sensor signal in response to the cyclic heating. | 09-18-2014 |
20140347760 | HEAD TRANSDUCER WITH MULTIPLE RESISTANCE TEMPERATURE SENSORS FOR HEAD-MEDIUM SPACING AND CONTACT DETECTION - A head transducer, configured to interact with a magnetic recording medium, includes a first sensor having a temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) and configured to produce a first sensor signal, and a second sensor having a TCR and configured to produce a second sensor signal. One of the first and second sensors is situated at or near a close point of the head transducer in relation to the magnetic recording medium, and the other of the first and second sensors spaced away from the close point. Circuitry is configured to combine the first and second sensor signals and produce a combined sensor signal indicative of one or both of a change in head-medium spacing and head-medium contact. Each of the sensors may have a TCR with the same sign (positive or negative) or each sensor may have a TCR with a different sign. | 11-27-2014 |
20140355150 | HEAD TRANSDUCER WITH MULTIPLE RESISTANCE TEMPERATURE SENSORS FOR HEAD-MEDIUM SPACING AND CONTACT DETECTION - A head transducer, configured to interact with a magnetic recording medium, includes a first sensor having a temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) and configured to produce a first sensor signal, and a second sensor having a TCR and configured to produce a second sensor signal. One of the first and second sensors is situated at or near a close point of the head transducer in relation to the magnetic recording medium, and the other of the first and second sensors spaced away from the close point. Circuitry is configured to combine the first and second sensor signals and produce a combined sensor signal indicative of one or both of a change in head-medium spacing and head-medium contact. Each of the sensors may have a TCR with the same sign (positive or negative) or each sensor may have a TCR with a different sign. | 12-04-2014 |
20150036469 | LASER OPTICAL POWER MONITORING USING THERMAL SENSOR OF A HEAD TRANSDUCER - A light source is configured to produce light, a waveguide is optically coupled to the light source and configured to direct the light to an intended focus location, and a slider is configured to use the light as an energy source for heating a region of a magnetic recording medium. A thermal sensor is situated on the slider at a location outside of a light path that includes the intended focus location. The thermal sensor is configured for sensing a short time constant change in temperature resulting from light source heating of the thermal sensor, wherein the sensed change in thermal sensor temperature is representative of optical intensity of the light delivered to the intended focus location. | 02-05-2015 |
20150062754 | WRITER CORE INCORPORATING THERMAL SENSOR HAVING A TEMPERATURE COEFFICIENT OF RESISTANCE - A writer core of a transducer is configured to interact with a magnetic recording medium and comprises an upper core and a lower core. At least one of the upper and lower cores comprises a return pole having a return shield. The apparatus also comprises a writer pole between the upper and lower cores, and a writer gap defined between the writer pole and the return shield. The apparatus further comprises a sensor element within one of the upper and lower cores that includes the writer gap. The sensor element has a temperature coefficient of resistance and is configured to sense for a change in temperature indicative of one or both of a change in spacing and contact between the transducer and the magnetic recording medium. | 03-05-2015 |