Abstract: When a piezoelectric element is deformed in the direction of decreasing a flying height, a pressure at a trailing pad increases, and the flying height of a magnetic head is not efficiently decreased and may be increased conversely in some occasions. A position of contact between a suspension and a dimple is set toward a leading edge with respect to a piezoelectric element, and a pad for generating a positive pressure is disposed between the dimple and the piezoelectric element in addition to a trailing pad. Fluctuations of a positive pressure generated toward the leading edge with respect to the dimple are thus suppressed when the piezoelectric element is deformed.

Abstract: [Problem] In a thermally assisted magnetic recording head support mechanism, an increase in the temperature of a heat source for supplying an optical near-field transducer with light, due to heat generation by the heat source, is checked while holding back an increase in weight of a slider and lessening transmission loss of light. [Solution] The thermally assisted magnetic recording head support mechanism is made up such that a suspension 5 has one end holding a slider 4 on which a magnetic head 3 having a read element 31, write element 32, and an optical near-field transducer 34 is mounted, and the other end of the suspension 5 is held by a carriage 6.

Abstract: There is provided a compact optical disc apparatus having a small footprint actuator. A tracking coil of a swing arm-type actuator is disposed substantially perpendicular to an arm and on the opposite side to an optical disc loading slot with respect to the line connecting the center of rotation of the optical disc to the center of swing movement of the actuator. A pair of permanent magnets are disposed such that they face the tracking coil and they are opposite in polarity. The tracking coil is disposed on both the permanent magnets such that the tracking coil straddles the boundary of the pair of permanent magnets.

Abstract: A process for fabricating a mold for an aspherical microlens having a desired aspherical and smooth surface, the lens having an effective diameter of 1 mm or smaller and a thickness of 0.5 mm or greater. A double-layer mask layer is formed on a single crystal silicon substrate, and anisotropic etching and isotropic etching are carried out using a first mask layer so as to form a concave portion that is a little smaller than the size of a desired microlens mold. Isotropic etching is then carried out using a second mask layer so as to enlarge the concave portion, thereby obtaining a microlens mold having desired dimensions.

Abstract: In this light distribution control device in order to provide a vehicular lighting fixture for an Adaptive Frontlighting System (AFS) in which a lot of light distribution patterns can be set without making the entire lighting fixture larger, beams which link said movable substrates to said inner frames and beams which link said inner frames to said outer frame are mutually orthogonal, and a light distribution pattern is set by deforming under torsion the beams which link said movable substrates to said inner frames and the beams which link said inner frames to said outer frame, and swinging each of said movable substrates with respect to said outer frame in the biaxial directions independently.

Abstract: A small-sized optical disc drive includes one voice coil motor magnet within which a tracking coil and two focusing coils are disposed such that the tracking coil straddles the two poles of permanent magnets that are adjacently disposed. The two focusing coils are disposed on either side of the tracking coil, with each of the two focusing coils being only disposed over one of the permanent magnets.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of making a mold for manufacturing a microlens having a smooth surface and an arbitrary aspherical surface, or more specifically, an aspheric microlens of dimensions such that an aperture is equal to or less than 1 mm and a thickness is equal to or more than 0.5 mm. A mask layer having plural circular apertures with different sizes formed therein for a mold for one lens is formed on a silicon substrate. Plural holes are formed for the lens in the silicon substrate by applying anisotropic dry etching to a surface to be processed, which is the surface having the mask layer formed thereon. The depths of the respective holes vary depending on the sizes of the circular apertures. Isotropic etching is performed to remove sidewalls of the plural holes with different depths formed in the silicon substrate, thereby merging the holes into one hole corresponding to the lens.

Abstract: A head support mechanism includes a head to read/write information, and an actuator for moving the head. Flanges are provided on opposite sides of a load beam of the head support mechanism, and at least one recessed portion is provided on the load beam. A thickness of the load beam at the at least one recessed portion is smaller than a thickness at other portions of the load beam at least one of oscillation damping material and an IC circuit is arranged in the at least one recessed portion.

Abstract: A head support mechanism includes a head to write/read information, and a head support member to support the head. The head support member has parts delimiting an opening at a portion thereof in which opposing parts which delimit the opening in a width direction of the head support member are elastically deformable. Protrusions are formed on edges of the opening, and piezoelectric elements are mounted on the protrusions to enable deforming of the head support member in a direction of positioning of the head.

Abstract: In this light distribution control device in order to provide a vehicular lighting fixture for an Adaptive Frontlighting System (AFS) in which a lot of light distribution patterns can be set without making the entire lighting fixture larger, beams which link said movable substrates to said inner frames and beams which link said inner frames to said outer frame are mutually orthogonal, and a light distribution pattern is set by deforming under torsion the beams which link said movable substrates to said inner frames and the beams which link said inner frames to said outer frame, and swinging each of said movable substrates with respect to said outer frame in the biaxial directions independently.

Abstract: A head support mechanism includes a head to write/read information, and a head support member to support the head. The head support member has parts delimiting an opening at a portion thereof in which opposing parts which delimit the opening in a width direction of the head support member are elastically deformable. Protrusions are formed on edges of the opening, and piezoelectric elements are mounted on the protrusions to enable deforming of the head support member in a direction of positioning of the head.

Abstract: A head support mechanism includes a slider equipped with a magnetic head to read/write information from/to a magnetic disk, a load beam to provide the slider with an appropriate load, the load beam being flexible in a direction substantially perpendicular to the disk, and a microactuator mounting portion equipped with a microactuator. A first actuator fixing portion, which connects the microactuator mounting portion to a carriage, and a second actuator fixing portion on the magnetic head side of the microactuator mounting portion, which connects the microactuator mounting portion to the load beam, are coupled by two arm portions of the microactuator mounting portion. The microactuator is mounted on the microactuator mounting portion so that the microactuator does not come into contact with the microactuator mounting portion between the first actuator fixing portion and the second actuator fixing portion.

Abstract: A head support mechanism includes a slider equipped with a magnetic head to read/write information from/to a magnetic disk, a load beam to provide the slider with an appropriate load, the load beam being flexible in a direction substantially perpendicular to the disk, and a microactuator mounting portion equipped with a microactuator. A first actuator fixing portion, which connects the microactuator mounting portion to a carriage, and a second actuator fixing portion on the magnetic head side of the microactuator mounting portion, which connects the microactuator mounting portion to the load beam, are coupled by two arm portions of the microactuator mounting portion. The microactuator is mounted on the microactuator mounting portion so that the microactuator does not come into contact with the microactuator mounting portion between the first actuator fixing portion and the second actuator fixing portion.

Abstract: A magnetic disk apparatus of the present invention is equipped with a microactuator for micro motion using piezoelectric elements in addition to a coarse adjustment actuator such as a voice coil motor or the like, eliminates parts that slide between the microactuator and surrounding members, and alleviates stress on the piezoelectric elements even if an impact is given to the magnetic disk apparatus. Thus, a first actuator fixing portion on a carriage side and a second actuator fixing portion on a magnetic head side of a microactuator mounting portion are coupled with a plurality of flexible coupling portions and coupling portions are placed outside the microactuator in substantially symmetric with respect to a centerline in a longitudinal direction of a suspension.

Abstract: In a magnetic head supporting apparatus having a second actuator for fine movement in addition to a first actuator having a voice coil motor for coarse movement, the second actuator is fixed so as to bridge the upper surface of a suspension and the upper surface of a suspension supporting member to support the suspension, and the second actuator is a plate-shaped structure which has two polarization regions separated by a non-polarized region and is formed by laminating piezoelectric flat plates in which the polarizing directions and the directions of electric fields to be applied are thickness directions. Thus, a magnetic disk apparatus which can be driven by a low voltage, a displacement in the vertical direction of the suspension is small, a productivity is high, and a recording density is high can be realized.

Abstract: A disk drive capable of controlling two or more high-response small-stroke precise-movement actuators and a low-response large-stroke rough-movement actuator to be operated in cooperation with each other so that two or more heads can be fast and precisely positioned at a time by those actuators. The disk drive includes a rough-movement actuator having a stroke enough to cover all disk, a first precise-movement actuator having a small stroke, and a second precise-movement actuator having a small stroke, wherein a head is positioned at a track on a disk surface by the first precise-movement actuator, at the same time a head is positioned at a track on a second disk surface by the second precise-movement actuator, and the rough-movement actuator is operated to follow and to be brought to a center position between the located heads.

Abstract: In a magnetic head supporting apparatus having a second actuator for fine movement in addition to a first actuator having a voice coil motor for coarse movement, the second actuator is fixed so as to bridge the upper surface of a suspension and the upper surface of a suspension supporting member to support the suspension, and the second actuator is a plate-shaped structure which has two polarization regions separated by a non-polarized region and is formed by laminating piezoelectric flat plates in which the polarizing directions and the directions of electric fields to be applied are thickness directions. Thus, a magnetic disk apparatus which can be driven by a low voltage, a displacement in the vertical direction of the suspension is small, a productivity is high, and a recording density is high can be realized.