Suspension assembly with resilient shock bumpers for a disk drive device

• US 6,072,664 A
• Filed: 04/02/1998
• Issued: 06/06/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Global Storage Technologies Netherlands BV (Western Digital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Aoyagi, Akihiko, Albrecht, David W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tupper, Robert S.
• Application Number:
  US09/054,173
• Time in Patent Office: 796 Days
• Field of Search: 360/104
• US Class Current: 360/244.5
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/08 Insulation or absorption of undesired vibrations or sounds
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 5/5582 system adaptation for working during or after external perturbation, e.g. in the presence of a mechanical oscillation caused by a shock

Abstract

When an unexpected shock is applied to the personal computer, a sharp edge of the load beam or a sharp edge of the flexure is contacted or collided to the surface of the magnetic recording disk to damage its surface, so that a desired read/write operation is not performed.

The head support mechanism is divided into the three portions, i.e. a rear portion one end of which can be pivotally mounted, a front portion supporting a slider including a read/write head for reading data from the magnetic recording disk or writing data to the magnetic recording disk, and a flexible hinge portion connecting the rear portion and the front portion. In according to the present invention, a protection layer is provided on a surface of the rear portion opposing to the recording disk at a position adjacent to the flexible hinge portion. The protection layer is provided on a surface of the front portion opposing to the recording disk at a position adjacent to the flexible hinge portion. At least one extruded portions are provided on a surface of the rear portion opposing to the recording disk at position adjacent to the flexible hinge portion. The rear portion includes a metal plate opposing to the magnetic recording disk, and the metal plate is mechanically deformed to form the extruded portion, and the extruded portion is coated by an resilient layer made of a material selected from a group consisting of polyimide, rubber, epoxy resin, silicone rubber, polyvinylchloride, polybutadiene and polyetherurethane.

Claims

1. A suspension assembly comprising:

a front portion, and a rear portion, said front portion supporting a slider including a head for reading data from a recording disk or writing data to said recording disk; and

a flexible hinge portion connecting said rear portion and said front portion, characterized in that a protection layer is provided on a surface having at least one extruded dimple portion on said rear portion opposing to said recording disk at a position adjacent to said flexible hinge portion.

2. A suspension assembly according to claim 1, wherein said protection layer is made of a resilient material.

3. A suspension assembly according to claim 2, wherein said resilient material is selected from a group consisting of polyimide, epoxy resin, polyetherurethane, rubber, silicone rubber, polyvinylchloride, or polybutadiene.

4. A suspension assembly comprising:

a front portion and a rear portion, said front portion supporting a slider including a head for reading data from a recording disk or writing data to said recording disk; and

a flexible hinge portion connecting said rear portion and said front portion, characterized in that at least one extruded dimple portion is provided on a surface of said rear portion opposing to said recording disk at a position adjacent to said flexible hinge portion.

5. A suspension assembly according to claim 4, wherein two extruded dimple portions are provided on said surface of said rear portion opposing to said recording disk at said position adjacent to said flexible hinge portion.

6. A suspension assembly according to claim 5, wherein said rear portion includes a metal plate opposing to said recording disk, and said metal plate is mechanically deformed to form said extruded dimple portion, and said extruded dimple portion is coated by an resilient layer.

7. A suspension assembly according to claim 6, wherein said resilient layer is made of a material selected from a group consisting of polyimide, epoxy resin, polyetherurethane, rubber, silicone rubber, polyvinylchloride, or polybutadiene.

8. A suspension assembly according to claim 5, wherein said rear portion includes a metal plate opposing to said recording disk, and said extruded dimple portion is formed by an resilient layer on a flat portion of said metal plate.

9. A suspension assembly according to claim 8, wherein said resilient layer is made of a material selected from a group consisting of polyimide, epoxy resin, polyetherurethane, rubber, silicone rubber, polyvinylchloride, or polybutadiene.

10. A suspension assembly comprising:

a mount plate one end of which is pivotally mounted;

a load beam having rear portion fixed to said mount plate, and the front portion, and having a flexible hinge portion between said rear portion and said front portion; and

a metal plate including first portion and second portion, said first portion being fixed on said rear portion of said load beam and said second portion being fixed on said front portion of said load beam, said second portion supporting a slider including a read/write head for reading data from a recording disk or writing data to said recording disk, characterized in that two extruded dimple portions are provided in said first portion of said metal plate to oppose to said recording disk at position adjacent to said flexible hinge portion, and said extruded portion includes a neck portion extending from said first portion, a dimple connected to said neck portion, and an resilient layer on said dimple, and said rear portion of said load beam includes an aperture a diameter of which is larger than a diameter of said dimple at a position underside of said dimple.

11. A suspension assembly according to claim 10, wherein said resilient layer is made of a material selected from a group consisting of polyimide, epoxy resin, polyetherurethane, rubber, silicone rubber, polyvinylchloride, or polybutadiene.

12. A disk drive device comprising:

a recording disk for recording data;

a suspension assembly;

said suspension assembly comprising;

a front portion and a rear portion, said front portion supporting a slider including a head for reading data from a recording disk or writing data to said recording disk, and a flexible hinge portion connecting said rear portion and said front portion, characterized in that a protection layer is provided on a surface having at least one extruded dimple portion on said rear portion opposing to said recording disk at a position adjacent to said flexible hinge portion.

13. A disk drive device comprising:

a recording disk for recording data;

a suspension assembly;

said suspension assembly comprising;

a front portion and a rear portion, said front portion supporting a slider including a head for reading data from a recording disk or writing data to said recording disk, and a flexible hinge portion connecting said rear portion and said front portion, characterized in that two extruded dimple portions are provided on a surface of said rear portion opposing to said recording disk at a position adjacent to said flexible hinge portion.