Appeal 2007-0592
Application 10/263,001
1 particularly heavy on the inside surface of the ‘U’ shaped
2 micro-actuator where the interior forces are strongest. Particles
3 generated on the ‘U’ shaped micro-actuator may interfere with
4 the operation of the actuator.
5 (Specification 3).
6 Appellant’s Figure 3 describes:
7 [O]ne embodiment of a hard disk drive head gimbal assembly (HGA)
8 with a ‘U’-shaped microactuator. In one embodiment, a slider 302 is
9 bonded at two points 304 to a ‘U’-shaped micro-actuator 306. In a
10 further embodiment, the ‘U’-shaped micro-actuator has a piezoelectric
11 Lead Zirconate Titanate (PZT) beam (arm) 308 on each side of a
12 Zirconia support frame (actuator base) 310.
13
14 (Specification 5).
15
16 Appellant’s Figure 4 illustrates “one embodiment of the ‘U’ shaped
17 micro-actuator 306. A support frame 310 supports two piezoelectric Lead
18 Zirconate Titanate (PZT) beams 308.” (Specification 5).
19 In one embodiment of Appellant’s invention, “an encapsulation
20 coating is applied to the ‘U’ shaped micro-actuator to prevent particle
21 generation.” (Specification 6).
22 In a further embodiment of Appellant’s invention, “the encapsulation
23 coating is made of a soft and tenacious material, such as gold, platinum,
24 epoxy resin, etc. The encapsulation coating can be applied to the support
25 frame 310 with any of a variety of techniques including printing, spraying,
26 sputtering, electric plating, electricless plating, or chemical vapor
27 deposition.” (Specification 6).
28 Appellant admits that the prior art includes “a ‘U’ shaped micro-
29 actuator.” (Specification 2; Figures 1 and 2).
4
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Last modified: September 9, 2013