Head element support apparatus with elastic material

• US 20060203391A1
• Filed: 03/07/2006
• Published: 09/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TDK Corporation
• Original Assignee: ALPS Electric Company Limited (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Motonishi, Michiharu
• Granted Patent: US 7,545,606 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 360/244.900
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 5/4826 Mounting, aligning or attachment of the transducer head relative to the arm assembly, e.g. slider holding members, gimbals, adhesive G11B5/484 takes precedence; details of head housings or structures G11B5/10, G11B5/127; adjustment relative to the record carrier G11B5/56
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 5/4833 Structure of the arm assembly, e.g. load beams, flexures, parts of the arm adapted for controlling vertical force on the head G11B5/484 takes precedence

Abstract

A head element support apparatus having a load beam including a first elastic member, a second elastic member. The elastic members are fixedly joined together at a joining portion. The first elastic member has a first elastically deformable portion, the second elastic member has a second elastically deformable portion, and the bending rigidity of the first elastically deformable portion is lower than the bending rigidity of the second elastically deformable portion. The second elastically deformable portion is deformable about an intermediate pivot. The balance between a floating force and a load pressure, acting on a slider, may be maintained, and consequently, and the slider may move in a rolling direction and a pitching direction.

Claims

1. A head element support apparatus provided with a load beam, the load beam having a head element provided with at least one of a magnetic recording unit or a magnetic reproducing unit, gimbals having the head element fixed thereto, and a supporting point for the head element fixed to the gimbals,

wherein the load beam is configured such that a first elastic member having a mounting portion for fixation at a base thereof and a second elastic member having the supporting point at a tip thereof are connected to each other, each of the first elastic member and the second elastic member has an elastically deformable portion, and a first bending rigidity of the elastically deformable portion of the first elastic member is lower than a second bending rigidity of the elastically deformable portion of the second elastic member.

2. The head element support apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein an intermediate supporting point that supports the second elastic member is provided between the first elastic member and the second elastic member.

3. The head element support apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein the supporting point and the intermediate supporting point are located on a centerline that divides the load beam into two in its widthwise direction.

4. The head element support apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein a bending rigidity of a joining portion between the first elastic member and the second elastic member is higher than the first and second bending rigidities.

5. The head element support apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first or the second elastic members has portions of a side edge thereof bent at an angle with respect to a plane of the respective elastic member.

6. The head element support apparatus according to claim 1, where the bending rigidity of at least one of the first or the second elastic members is determined by the size and configuration of an aperture therein, the aperture being located on a centerline that divides the load beam into two in its widthwise direction.

7. The head element support apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the first elastic member and the second elastic member are connected by spot welding or by an adhesive to form the joining portion.

8. A head element support apparatus provided with a load beam, the load beam having a head element provided with at least one of a magnetic recording unit or a magnetic reproducing unit, gimbals having the head element fixed thereto, and a supporting point for the head element fixed to the gimbals,

wherein the load beam is configured such that a first elastic member having a mounting portion for fixation at a base thereof and a second elastic member having the supporting point at a tip thereof are connected to each other, each of the first elastic member and the second elastic member has an elastically deformable portion, and an intermediate supporting point that supports the second elastic member is provided between the first elastic member and the second elastic member.

9. The head element support apparatus according to claim 8, wherein at least one of the first or the second elastic members has portions of a side edge thereof bent at an angle with respect to a plane of the respective elastic member.

10. The head element support apparatus according to claim 8, where a bending rigidity of at least one of the first or the second elastic members is determined by the size and configuration of an aperture therein, the aperture being located on a centerline that divides the load beam into two in its widthwise direction.

11. The head element support apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the first elastic member and the second elastic member are connected by spot welding or by an adhesive.

12. A method of manufacturing a head support element, the method comprising:

providing a first elastic member;

providing a second elastic member;

joining the first elastic member to the second elastic member in a joining portion; and

attaching a magnetic head to an end of the second elastic element, the end being distal from the joining portion.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the first and second elastic members are joined by spot welding or by using adhesive.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising forming a supporting point at the end of the second elastic element.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising forming a supporting point at an end of first elastic member, the end of the first elastic member being disposed between the joining region and the magnetic head.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein attaching the magnetic head comprises disposing a gimbal between the magnetic head and the end of the second elastic element.