Hard disk drive suspension employing a vertical offset to reduce track mis-registration induced by disk vibration

• US 7,408,743 B1
• Filed: 04/29/2005
• Issued: 08/05/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Magnecomp Corporation (TDK Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Magnecomp Corporation (TDK Corporation)
• Inventors: McCaslin, Martin John, Thaveeprungsriporn, Visit, Footrakul, Sitthipong, Sittipongpanich, Khampon
• Primary Examiner(s): Watko; Julie Anne
• Application Number:
  US11/119,363
• Time in Patent Office: 1,194 Days
• Field of Search: 360/244.8
• US Class Current: 360/244.8
• 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: Y10T 29/49025 Making disc drive
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49027 Mounting preformed head/core onto other structure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4903 with bonding
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49032 Fabricating head structure or component thereof
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49037 Using reference point/surface to facilitate measuring
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53122 including deforming means

Abstract

Apparatus and method for reading and writing information onto a hard disk drive is provided. The apparatus includes a suspension assembly for a hard disk drive. The suspension assembly includes at least two spring extensions that couple to a proximal portion of a load beam. These spring extensions are disposed by a vertical offset and couple to the load beam on opposite sides of a longitudinal axis of the load beam. The method for operating a disk drive apparatus includes following by a suspension assembly from a reference position to a second position a vertical movement of a rotating disk. The suspension assembly is predisposed to move from the reference position to the second position by a vertical offset between a first and second spring extensions of the suspension assembly. A read/write head coupled to the suspension assembly is in closer alignment to a selected track during the vertical movement in the second position than if the first and second spring extensions are disposed to be co-planar.

Claims

1. A suspension assembly for a hard disk drive, the suspension assembly comprising:

a hinge member comprising a first spring extension and a second spring extension, each of the first and second spring extensions extending in a longitudinal direction, the first spring extension being disposed by a vertical offset from the second spring extension; and

a load beam having a first end and a second end, a length in the longitudinal direction being defined between the first end and the second end,

wherein the first spring extension and the second spring extension couple to the load beam on opposite sides of a longitudinal axis of the load beam at about the second end, and a proximal edge of the load beam at the second end thereof is oriented substantially horizontally.

2. The suspension assembly of claim 1 further comprising a first spacer layer underlying the first spring extension, wherein the vertical offset is defined by a thickness of the first spacer layer.

3. The suspension assembly of claim 1 wherein the second end of the load beam is asymmetric about the longitudinal axis.

4. The suspension assembly of claim 1 wherein the vertical offset is in a range of about 10 microns to about 120 microns.

5. The suspension assembly of claim 1 wherein the vertical offset is configured to dispose the first spring extension closer to a rotating platter than the second spring extension.

6. The suspension assembly of claim 5 wherein the first spring extension is configured to be disposed closer to a center of rotation of the rotating platter than the second spring extension.

7. The suspension assembly of claim 1 wherein the first and second extensions extend in parallel to the load beam.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a first spacer layer underlying the first spring extension, wherein the offset is defined by a thickness of the first spacer layer.

9. An apparatus comprising the assembly of claim 1 and further comprising a data disk, and a slider mounted to said load beam, wherein said slider and said load beam are arranged to read data from the data disk.

10. A suspension assembly for a hard disk drive, the suspension assembly comprising:

a hinge member comprising a first spring extension and a second spring extension, each of the first and second spring extensions extending in a longitudinal direction, the first spring extension being disposed by a vertical offset from the second spring extension;

a load beam having a first end and a second end, a length in the longitudinal direction being defined between the first end and the second end,

a first spacer layer underlying the first spring extension, wherein the vertical offset is defined by a thickness of the first spacer layer; and

a second spacer layer overlaying a portion of the load beam at a situs for coupling the first spring extension;

wherein the first spring extension and the second spring extensions couple to the load beam on opposite sides of a longitudinal axis of the load beam at about the second end.

11. A hard disk apparatus, the apparatus comprising:

a voice coil motor;

an arm member having a first arm end and a second arm end, the second arm end coupled to the voice coil motor;

a hinge member comprising a first spring extension and a second spring extension, the first spring extension being disposed by an offset in a first direction from the second spring extension;

a load beam having a first end and a second end, a length being defined between the first end and the second end;

a first spacer layer underlying the first spring extension, wherein the offset is defined by a thickness of the first spacer layer;

a second spacer layer underlying the first spring extension at a situs of coupling with the load beam;

a gimbal coupled to the load beam at about said first end;

a read/write head coupled to the gimbal; and

a rotating platter disposed away in the first direction from the load beam,

wherein the first direction is perpendicular to the rotating platter, and

the first spring extension and the second spring extension couple to the load beam on opposite sides of a longitudinal axis of the load beam at about the second end.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the thickness of the first spacer layer is about a thickness of the second spacer layer.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the offset is in the range of about 10 microns to about 120 microns.

14. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the offset is at least about 10 microns.

15. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein a rotational speed of the disk is greater than about 5,000 rpm.

16. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the disk comprises tracks to store information.

17. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the disk comprises ferromagnetic material.

18. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the disk comprises optical material.

19. An improved suspension assembly for a hard disk drive, the hard disk drive including at least one magnetic disk, a surface of the disk defining a disk plane, the disk rotating about an axis of rotation, the suspension assembly including a slider coupled to an actuator arm by at least first and second hinge members, wherein the improvement comprises:

a first spacer member disposed adjacent a first end of one of said hinge members;

a second spacer member disposed adjacent a second end of said one of said hinge members;

said first and second spacer members together offsetting said one of said hinge members from the other one of said hinge members such that said hinge members are generally parallel to one another and are offset from one another relative to the disk plane;

the first hinge member being disposed closer to the disk plane and closer to the axis of rotation of the disk, than is the second hinge member.

20. An improved suspension assembly for a hard disk drive, the hard disk drive including at least one magnetic disk, a surface of the disk defining a disk plane, the disk rotating about an axis of rotation, the suspension assembly including a slider coupled to an actuator arm by at least first and second hinge means, wherein the improvement comprises:

spacer means to raise a first end and a second and opposite end of said first hinge means;

said spacer means offsetting said first hinge means from said second hinge means such that said first and second hinge means are generally parallel to one another and are offset from one another relative to the disk plane.

21. A suspension assembly for a hard disk drive, the suspension assembly including:

a load beam having a slider mounted thereto for reading data from a disk; and

first and second hinge means for mounting the load beam to an actuator arm while maintaining a proximal edge of said load beam substantially horizontal;

said first and second hinge means being vertically offset from one another by a spacer means underneath at least one end of said first hinge means.

22. A suspension assembly for a hard disk drive, the suspension assembly including:

a load beam having a slider mounted thereto for reading data from a disk; and

first and second hinge means for mounting the load beam to an actuator arm while maintaining a proximal edge of said load beam substantially horizontal;

said first and second hinge means being vertically offset from one another by at least one spacer disposed between a first end of said first hinge means and said load beam, and further disposed between a second and opposite end of said first hinge means and a surface to which said second end of said first hinge means is mounted.

23. A suspension assembly for a hard disk drive, the suspension assembly including:

a load beam having a slider mounted thereto for reading data from a disk; and

first and second hinge means for mounting the load beam to an actuator arm while maintaining a proximal edge of said load beam substantially horizontal;

said first and second hinge means being vertically offset from one another by a first spacer disposed between a first end of said first hinge means and said load beam, and a second spacer disposed between an opposite end of said first hinge means and a plate to which said opposite end is mounted.

24. A suspension assembly for a hard disk drive, the suspension assembly comprising:

a first hinge;

a second hinge, the second hinge being disposed by a vertical offset from the first hinge; and

a load beam,

wherein;

the first hinge and the second hinge couple to a proximal portion of the load beam on opposite sides of a longitudinal axis of the load beam, said first and second hinges holding proximal corners of said load beam at the same vertical level; and

the first and second hinges are coupled to a top side and a bottom side of the load beam, respectively.