Suspension with flexure mounted microactuator

• US 7,006,333 B1
• Filed: 06/27/2002
• Issued: 02/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Magnecomp Corporation (TDK Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Magnecomp Corporation (TDK Corporation)
• Inventors: Summers, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): KLIMOWICZ, WILLIAM JOSEPH
• Application Number:
  US10/186,045
• Time in Patent Office: 1,342 Days
• Field of Search: 360/294.4, 360/245.3, 360/245.4, 360/245.7, 360/245.9, 360/245, 310/311, 310/323.01
• US Class Current: 360/294.4
• 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 5/5552 using fine positioning means for track acquisition separate from the coarse (e.g. track changing) positioning means
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 5/596 for track following on disks G11B5/5526, G11B5/5552, G11B5/5565, G11B5/5582 take precedence

Abstract

The invention provides a disk drive suspension. The suspension has a load beam and a flexure having a frame and a tongue portion having a base and a tongue. The flexure mounts one or more microactuators in opposed or offset relation for shifting the base of the flexure tongue portion relative to the flexure frame and thus positionally adjusting the tongue and the slider fixed to the tongue with respect to the disk that is in operating proximity to the slider.

Claims

1. A disk drive suspension having a suspension longitudinal axis and comprising a beam portion and a flexure carried by the beam portion, the flexure comprising an interiorly open frame and a tongue portion supported by the frame, the tongue portion including a base and a tongue, the tongue being adapted to support a slider in operating proximity to a disk, and an electrodynamic microactuator having a longitudinal axis, said microactuator being disposed with its said longitudinal axis normal to said suspension longitudinal axis and fixed to the frame and to the tongue for shifting the tongue left and right relative to the suspension longitudinal axis and the flexure frame, whereby the slider is shifted relative to the disk by the microactuator.

2. A disk drive suspension having a suspension longitudinal axis and comprising a beam portion and a flexure carried by the beam portion, the beam portion including a dimple, the flexure comprising an interiorly open frame and a tongue portion supported by the frame, the tongue portion including a base and a cantilevered tongue in gimballing relation with the dimple, the tongue being adapted to support a slider in operating proximity to a disk, and an electrodynamic microactuator having a longitudinal axis extending transversely to said suspension longitudinal axis, said microactuator being fixed to the frame and to the tongue portion base for shifting the tongue relative to the flexure frame, whereby the slider is shifted relative to the disk by the microactuator.

3. The disk drive suspension according to claim 2, in which the electrodynamic microactuator is a piezoelectric crystal.

4. The disk drive suspension according to claim 2, including also a second microactuator, the second microactuator comprising a piezoelectric crystal.

5. The disk drive suspension according to claim 2, in which the electrodynamic microactuator is a first microactuator and located along the suspension longitudinal axis to the left of the dimple, and including also a second electrodynamic microactuator having a longitudinal axis located along and normal to said suspension longitudinal axis to the right of the dimple and fixed to the frame and to the tongue portion base in transversely opposed and spaced relation to the first electrodynamic microactuator for shifting the tongue relative to the flexure frame in cooperation with the first electrodynamic microactuator.

6. The disk drive suspension according to claim 5, in which the first and second electrodynamic microactuators are located one distally and one proximally of the dimple.

7. The disk drive suspension according to claim 2, in which the electrodynamic microactuator is located to the left of the dimple, and including also a second electrodynamic microactuator having a longitudinal axis normal to said suspension longitudinal axis, said second microactuator being located to the right of the dimple and fixed to the frame and to the tongue portion base in laterally spaced, opposed relation to the first microactuator for shifting the tongue relative to the flexure frame in cooperation with the first microactuator.

8. The disk drive suspension according to claim 7, in which the first and second electrodynamic microactuators are located distally of the dimple.

9. The disk drive suspension according to claim 7, in which the first and second electrodynamic microactuators are located proximally of the dimple.

10. The disk drive suspension according to claim 2, in which the electrodynamic actuator comprises a piezoelectric crystal microactuator, the piezoelectric crystal microactuator being a first microactuator and located along the longitudinal axis of said suspension and to the left of the dimple, and including also a second piezoelectric crystal microactuator having a longitudinal axis normal to said suspension longitudinal axis and located along said axis to the right of the dimple fixed to the frame and to the tongue portion base in spaced relation to the first microactuator for shifting the tongue relative to the flexure frame in cooperation with the first microactuator.

11. The disk drive suspension according to claim 10, in which the first and second piezoelectric crystal microactuators are located one distally and one proximally of the dimple.

12. The disk drive suspension according to claim 10, in which the second piezoelectric crystal microactuator is in laterally spaced, opposed relation to the first microactuator for shifting the tongue relative to the flexure frame in cooperation with the first microactuator.

13. The disk drive suspension according to claim 12, in which the first and second piezoelectric crystal microactuators are located distally of the dimple.

14. The disk drive suspension according to claim 10, in which the first and second electrodynamic microactuators are located proximally of the dimple.

15. The disk drive suspension according to claim 2, including also a flexible circuit conductor extended along the suspension.

16. A disk drive suspension having a suspension longitudinal axis and comprising a beam portion and a flexure carried by the beam portion, the flexure comprising an interiorly open frame in a first plane adjacent to the beam portion, and a tongue portion having a base disposed generally in a second plane and flexibly coupled to the frame, and a tongue, the tongue being disposed parallel to the first plane, the tongue being connected via the tongue portion base to the frame in cantilevered relation, the tongue being adapted to support a slider in operating proximity to a disk, and an electrodynamic microactuator having a longitudinal axis and a first portion fixed to the frame and a second portion fixed to the tongue portion base, the microactuator being disposed with its said longitudinal axis normal to said suspension longitudinal axis and arranged to shift the tongue relative to the flexure frame, whereby the slider is shifted relative to the disk.

17. The disk drive suspension according to claim 16, in which the microactuator is a first microactuator, and including also a second electrodynamic microactuator having a longitudinal axis normal to the suspension longitudinal axis and having first and second portions fixed to the frame and to the tongue portion base respectively and in spaced relation to the first microactuator, the first and second microactuators acting cooperatively to shift the tongue relative to the flexure frame.

18. The disk drive suspension according to claim 17, in which the suspension has left and right sides, the first microactuator being disposed on the suspension left side and the second microactuator being disposed on the suspension right side spaced from and opposed to the first microactuator.

19. The disk drive suspension according to claim 18, in which the suspension has left and right sides and a dimple intermediate the sides, the first microactuator being disposed on the suspension left side and the second microactuator being disposed on the suspension right side spaced from the first microactuator, the first and second microactuators being relatively offset along the longitudinal axis of the flexure frame to be distal and proximate of the dimple respectively.

20. The disk drive suspension according to claim 18, in which the suspension has left and right sides and a dimple intermediate the sides, the first microactuator being disposed on the suspension left side and the second microactuator being disposed on the suspension right side spaced from the first microactuator, the first and second microactuators being opposed along the longitudinal axis of the flexure frame and proximate of the dimple.

21. The disk drive suspension according to claim 18, in which the suspension has left and right sides and a dimple intermediate the sides, the first microactuator being disposed on the suspension left side and the second microactuator being disposed on the suspension right side spaced from the first microactuator, the first and second microactuators being distal to the dimple.

22. The disk drive suspension according to claim 16, including also a slider carried by the flexure tongue, and a flexible circuit conductor extended along the suspension and coupled to the slider.

23. A disk drive suspension having a suspension longitudinal axis and comprising a load beam having a beam portion, a flexure carried by the beam portion, and a dimple at the distal end of the beam portion, the flexure comprising a frame extending in a first plane adjacent to the beam portion, the frame having an open interior, and a tongue portion comprising a base and tongue generally within the open interior and extending substantially in a second plane, a tether folded on itself to be extensible elongatably and contractably coupling the tongue to the frame, the tongue being in gimballing contact with the dimple, the tongue supporting a slider adapted to fly in operating proximity to a disk, and an electrodynamic microactuator having a longitudinal axis normal to said suspension longitudinal axis and a first portion fixed to the frame and a second portion fixed to the tongue, the microactuator acting to shifting the tongue left and right relative to said suspension longitudinal axis and the flexure frame, whereby the slider is shifted relative to the disk.

24. The disk drive suspension according to claim 23, including also a plurality of said tethers elongatably and contractably coupling the tongue to the frame.

25. The disk drive suspension according to claim 23, in which the microactuator is a first microactuator, and including also a second microactuator having a longitudinal axis disposed normal to said suspension longitudinal axis and first and second portions fixed to the frame and to the tongue respectively and in spaced relation to the first microactuator, the first and second microactuators acting cooperatively to shift the tongue relative to the suspension longitudinal axis and the flexure frame.

26. The disk drive suspension according to claim 25, in which the suspension has left and right sides, the first microactuator being disposed on the suspension left side and the second microactuator being disposed on the suspension right side spaced from and opposed to the first microactuator.

27. The disk drive suspension according to claim 25, in which the suspension has left and right sides, the first microactuator being disposed on the suspension left side and proximate to the dimple, the second microactuator being disposed on the suspension right side distal to the dimple and spaced from and offset relative to the first microactuator along the longitudinal axis of the frame.

28. The disk drive suspension according to claim 23, including also a flexible circuit conductor extended along the suspension and coupled to the slider.

29. A method of shifting a suspension flexure tongue having a longitudinal axis relative to a frame on which the tongue is supported, including disposing a microactuator with its longitudinal axis normal to the tongue longitudinal axis, fixing one portion of a microactuator to the frame, fixing a second spaced portion of the microactuator to the tongue, and actuating the microactuator to shift the tongue relative to the frame.

30. The method according to claim 29, the microactuator being a first microactuator, including also disposing a second microactuator with its longitudinal axis normal to said tongue longitudinal axis, fixing one portion of the second microactuator onto the frame, fixing a second portion of the second microactuator onto the tongue, and cooperatively actuating the first and second microactuators to shift the tongue relative to the frame.

31. The method according to claim 30, including also maintaining the first and second microactuators in opposed relation across the tongue portion.

32. The method according to claim 30, including also maintaining the first and second microactuators in offset opposed relation.

33. The method according to claim 29 including also supporting said tongue relative to the frame by an elongatable tether.