Magnetic Head Suspension

• US 20080192383A1
• Filed: 02/08/2008
• Published: 08/14/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Suncall Corporation
• Original Assignee: Suncall Corporation
• Inventors: Fujimoto, Yasuo, Mashimo, Kenji, TAKASUGI, Satoru
• Granted Patent: US 8,203,807 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 360/244.2
• 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

The present invention provides a magnetic head suspension, wherein a supporting portion such as an arm or base plate includes a pair of supporting pieces extending from its opposite sides in the widthwise direction to a tip-end side of the suspension, and a concave portion which is defined by the pair of supporting pieces and is opened toward the tip-end side of the suspension, there is provided an elastically-deformable elastic plate which is connected to the pair of supporting pieces at a first end and a second end in the widthwise direction of the magnetic head suspension, the member forming the load beam portion is connected to the elastic plate, and the elastic plate forms the load bending portion.

Claims

1. A magnetic head suspension comprising a load bending portion generating a load for pressing a magnetic head slider toward a disk surface, a load beam portion transmitting the load to the magnetic head slider, a supporting portion supporting the load beam portion through the load bending portion, and a flexure portion connected to the load beam portion and supporting the magnetic head slider,

wherein the supporting portion includes a pair of supporting pieces extending from its opposite sides in the widthwise direction to a tip-end side of the suspension, and a concave portion which is defined by the pair of supporting pieces and is opened toward the tip-end side of the suspension,

there is provided an elastically-deformable elastic plate which is connected to the pair of supporting pieces at a first end and a second end in the widthwise direction of the magnetic head suspension,

the member forming the load beam portion is connected to the elastic plate, and

the elastic plate forms the load bending portion.

2. A magnetic head suspension according to claim 1, wherein the elastic plate is twisted such that a tip end of a center area positioned between the first and second ends comes close to the disk surface in a state where the first and second ends are respectively connected to the pair of supporting pieces to be bound.

3. A magnetic head suspension according to claim 1,

wherein the pair of supporting pieces are bended at bended positions between their base ends and tip ends in such a manner that their tip ends come close to the disk surface, and

the elastic plate is connected to the pair of supporting pieces at portions closer to the tip ends than the bended positions.

4. A magnetic head suspension according to claim 1,

wherein the elastic plate includes first and second connected areas which are respectively connected to the pair of supporting pieces, and a center area extending between the first and second connected areas, and

the center area includes a center connected portion to which a member forming the load beam portion is connected, a first extending portion extending between the center connected portion and the first connected area, and a second extending portion extending between the center connected portion and the second connected area, the second extending portion being symmetrical with respect to the first extending portion with a longitudinal center line of the magnetic head suspension as a reference.

5. A magnetic head suspension according to claim 4, wherein the center connected portion has a width greater than those of the first and second extending portions.

6. A magnetic head suspension according to claim 5, wherein the center connected portion is extended toward both a tip-end side and a base-end side of the suspension with the first and second extending portions as a reference.

7. A magnetic head suspension according to claim 4, wherein each of the first and second extending portions has, at both a tip-end side and a base-end side, outer curved portions having a width gradually increased with decreasing distance to the corresponding connected area, and inner curved portions having a width gradually increased with decreasing distance to the center connected portion.

8. A magnetic head suspension according to claim 4,

wherein the center connected portion of the elastic plate integrally includes a tip-end-side flat-surface portion which is positioned on a tip-end side of the suspension and which is connected to a member forming the load beam portion at an attitude parallel to the member forming the load beam portion, a center flat-surface portion which is extended from the tip-end-side flat-surface portion toward the base-end side of the suspension and which is inclined with respect to the tip-end-side flat-surface portion such that it gradually separates from the member forming the load beam portion with increasing distance from the tip-end side toward the base-end side and to which the first and second extending portions are connected, and a base-end-side flat-surface portion which is extended toward the base-end side of the suspension from the center flat-surface portion through a bending portion and which is connected to the member forming the load beam portion, and

the center flat-surface portion is positioned within the same plane as the plane in which there exist the first and second extending portions and the first and second connected areas in a state before the magnetic head suspension is mounted to a data storage device, and the first and second extending portions are twisted to generate the load in a state where the magnetic head suspension is operated after being mounted to the data storage device.

9. A magnetic head suspension according to claim 4, further comprising a restraint plate connected to the supporting portion so as to be positioned on a side of a member forming the load beam portion opposite from the elastic plate in a direction orthogonal to the disk surface with the member forming the load beam portion sandwiched between the restraint plate and the elastic plate,

wherein the restraint plate has a single or plurality of protrusion portion which contacts with the member forming the load beam portion on a load bending center line of the first and second extending portions along the widthwise direction of the suspension, and

the single or plurality of protrusion portion is placed to be symmetrical with the longitudinal center line as a reference.

10. A magnetic head suspension according to claim 9,

wherein the restraint plate has the single protrusion portion, and

the single protrusion portion is contacted with the member forming the load beam portion over a predetermined distance in the widthwise direction of the magnetic head suspension.

11. A magnetic head suspension according to claim 4, further comprising a restraint plate connected to the supporting portion so as to be positioned on a side of a member forming the load beam portion opposite from the elastic plate in a direction orthogonal to the disk surface with the member forming the load beam portion sandwiched between the restraint plate and the elastic plate,

the restraint plate includes a connected surface connected to the surface of the supporting portion opposite from the disk surface, a coupling surface folded in such a direction that it comes close to the disk surface from the connected surface, and a contact surface which is folded from the free-end side of the coupled surface and which is connected to the surface of the member forming the load beam portion opposite from the disk surface in a surface-to-surface manner, and

a border line between the coupling surface and the contact surface is positioned on a load bending center line of the first and second extending portions along the widthwise direction of the suspension and is symmetrical with the longitudinal center line as a reference.

12. A magnetic head suspension according to claim 1, wherein a member forming the load beam portion includes a connected area to which the elastic plate is connected, a tip-end area extending from the connected area toward the tip-end side of the suspension, and a base-end area extending from the connected area toward the base-end side of the suspension.

13. A magnetic head suspension according to claim 12,

wherein the member forming the load beam portion has flange portions which are provided at the opposite sides thereof in the widthwise direction of the suspension and which extend so as to be across the elastic plate, and

the flange portions have heights gradually decreased as they go from the base end to the tip end.

14. A magnetic head suspension according to claim 12,

wherein the elastic plate includes first and second connected areas which are respectively connected to the pair of supporting pieces, and a center area extending between the first and second connected areas,

the center area includes a center connected portion to which a member forming the load beam portion is connected, a first extending portion extending between the center connected portion and the first connected area, and a second extending portion extending between the center connected portion and the second connected area, the second extending portion being symmetrical with respect to the first extending portion with a longitudinal center line of the magnetic head suspension as a reference,

the base-end area of the member forming the load beam portion is provided with a balance mass member, and

a length Lg and a length La have a relationship of 0≦

Lg≦

0.3×

La, the length Lg being a length in the longitudinal direction of the magnetic head suspension between a center of gravity of an assembly formed by the load beam portion, the flexure portion and the balance mass member, and a load bending center line of the first and second extending portions along the widthwise direction of the suspension, and the length La being a length in the longitudinal direction of the suspension between the load bending center line and the center of gravity of a tip-end side portion of the assembly which is closer to the tip-end side of the suspension than the load bending center line.

15. A magnetic head suspension according to claim 14, further comprising a restriction plate connected to the supporting portion so as to be positioned on a side closer to the disk surface than the base-end side area of the load beam portion,

wherein the restriction plate is placed to overlap with at least a portion of the balance mass member in a plan view.

16. A magnetic head suspension according to claim 14, wherein the balance mass member includes a connected portion connected to the load beam portion and a base-end-side bending portion positioned on a side closer to the base-end side of the suspension than the connected portion, and

the balance mass member is configured so that its portion extending from the base-end-side bending portion up to a base-end edge is gradually separated from the disk surface with decreasing distance to the base-end edge than the connected portion.

17. A magnetic head suspension according to claim 16, wherein the base-end-side bending portion has a thickness smaller than those of the other areas of the balance mass member.

18. A magnetic head suspension according to claim 12, further comprising a signal wiring member which has an insulation layer and a conductive layer and which is integrally laminated on the flexure portion,

wherein the signal wiring member includes a load-beam-portion side area supported directly or indirectly by the load beam portion, a supporting-portion side area supported directly or indirectly by the supporting portion, and an aerial area extending in air between the load-beam-portion side area and the supporting-portion side area,

the load-beam-portion side area and the aerial area are symmetrical with the longitudinal center line of the magnetic head suspension as a reference, and

the aerial area has at least one direction changing portion.

19. A magnetic head suspension according to claim 14, further comprising a signal wiring member which has an insulation layer and a conductive layer and which is integrally laminated on the flexure portion,

wherein the signal wiring member includes a load-beam-portion side area supported directly or indirectly by the load beam portion, a supporting-portion side area supported directly or indirectly by the supporting portion, and an aerial area extending in air between the load-beam-portion side area and the supporting-portion side area, and

the load-beam-portion side area and the aerial area are symmetrical with the longitudinal center line of the magnetic head suspension as a reference, and are placed to substantially surround the balance mass member in a plan view.

20. A magnetic head suspension according to claim 1, wherein the elastic plate is integrally formed with a member forming the flexure portion.

21. A magnetic head suspension according to claim 20,

wherein the flexure portion is provided with a signal wiring member which has an insulation layer and a conductive layer and which is integrally laminated on the flexure portion,

the elastic plate includes first and second connected areas which are respectively connected to the pair of supporting pieces, and a center area extending between the first and second connected areas,

the center area includes a center connected portion to which a member forming the load beam portion is connected, a first extending portion extending between the center connected portion and the first connected area, and a second extending portion extending between the center connected portion and the second connected area, the second extending portion being symmetrical with respect to the first extending portion with a longitudinal center line of the magnetic head suspension as a reference, and

the first and second extending portions are provided with attenuation members which are integrally laminated thereon and which are made of the same materials as those of the insulation layer and the conductive layer.

32. A magnetic head suspension according to claim 1,

wherein the pair of supporting pieces have base-end portions which are positioned on the base-end side of the suspension, and tip-end portions which are positioned on the tip-end side of the suspension than the base-end portions and to which the elastic plate is connected, and

the base-end portions have widths greater than those of the tip-end portions.

22. A magnetic head suspension comprising a load bending portion generating a load for pressing a magnetic head slider toward a disk surface, a load beam portion transmitting the load to the magnetic head slider, a supporting portion supporting the load beam portion through the load bending portion and including a concave portion which is defined by a pair of supporting pieces extending from opposite sides of the supporting portion in the widthwise direction to a tip-end side of the suspension and which is opened toward the tip-end side of the suspension, and a flexure portion connected to the load beam portion and supporting the magnetic head slider, the suspension further comprising

an elastically-deformable elastic plate having first and second ends in a widthwise direction of the suspension respectively connected to the pair of supporting pieces, and

a balance mass member including a center portion which is connected to the elastic plate, a tip-end portion which is positioned on a tip-end side of the suspension than the center portion and which is connected to a base-end portion of the load beam portion, and a base-end portion which is positioned on a base-end side of the suspension than the center portion,

wherein the elastic plate includes first and second connected areas which are respectively connected to the pair of supporting pieces, and a center area extending between the first and second connected areas, and

the center area includes a center connected portion to which the balance mass member is connected, a first extending portion extending between the center connected portion and the first connected area, and a second extending portion extending between the center connected portion and the second connected area, so that the elastic plate forms the load bending portion.

23. A magnetic head suspension according to claim 22, wherein each of the first and second extending portions has, at both a tip-end side and a base-end side, outer curved portions having a width gradually increased with decreasing distance to the corresponding connected area, and inner curved portions having a width gradually increased with decreasing distance to the center connected portion.

24. A magnetic head suspension according to claim 22, wherein a member forming the load beam portion integrally includes a flange area having a center flat-plate portion positioned at the center in the widthwise direction of the suspension and a pair of flange portions provided at the opposite sides of the center flat-plate portion in the widthwise direction of the suspension, an elastic-plate area forming the elastic plate, and a flat-plate shaped coupling area which couples the center flat-plate portion of the flange area to a tip-end edge of the center connected portion of the elastic plate.

25. A magnetic head suspension according to claim 24, wherein the tip-end portion of the balance mass member is connected to the center flat-plate portion of the load beam portion, at a state where the tip-end portion of the balance mass member is interposed between the pair of flange portions.

26. A magnetic head suspension according to claim 25, wherein the balance mass member has a tip-end-side bending portion at a portion corresponding to the coupling area.

27. A magnetic head suspension according to claim 26, wherein the coupling area has a width smaller than that of the base-end portion of the flange area.

28. A magnetic head suspension according to claim 22, wherein the balance mass member includes a base-end-side bending portion at the base-end portion, and is configured so that its portion extending from the base-end-side bending portion up to a base-end edge is gradually separated from the disk surface with decreasing distance to the base-end edge.

29. A magnetic head suspension according to claim 26, wherein the bending portion has a thickness smaller than those of the other areas of the balance mass member.

30. A magnetic head suspension according to claim 22,

wherein the center connected portion of the elastic plate includes a tip-end-side flat-surface portion which is positioned on a tip-end side of the suspension and which is connected to the center portion of the balance mass member at an attitude parallel to the center portion of the balance mass member, a center flat-surface portion which is extended from the tip-end-side flat-surface portion toward the base-end side of the suspension and which is inclined with respect to the tip-end-side flat-surface portion such that it gradually separates from the center portion of the balance mass member with increasing distance from the tip-end side toward the base-end side and to which the first and second extending portions are connected, and a base-end-side flat-surface portion which is extended toward the base-end side of the suspension from the center flat-surface portion through a bending portion and which is connected to the center portion of the balance mass member at an attitude parallel to the center portion of the balance mass member, and

the center flat-surface portion is positioned within the same plane as the plane in which there exist the first and second extending portions and the first and second connected areas in a state before the magnetic head suspension is mounted to a data storage device, and the first and second extending portions are twisted to generate the load in a state where the magnetic head suspension is operated after being mounted to the data storage device.

31. A magnetic head suspension according to claim 22, wherein a length Lg and a length La has a relationship of 0≦

Lg≦

0.3×

La, the length Lg being a length in the longitudinal direction of the magnetic head suspension between a center of gravity of an assembly formed by the load beam portion, the flexure portion and the balance mass member, and a load bending center line of the first and second extending portions along the widthwise direction of the suspension, and the length La being a length in the longitudinal direction of the suspension between the load bending center line and the center of gravity of a tip-end side portion of the assembly which is closer to the tip-end side of the suspension than the load bending center line.