Disk drive suspension with reduced off-track error

• US 7,570,458 B1
• Filed: 05/06/2005
• Issued: 08/04/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Magnecomp Corporation (TDK Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Magnecomp Corporation (TDK Corporation)
• Inventors: Coon, Warren
• Primary Examiner(s): Renner; Craig A
• Application Number:
  US11/123,446
• Time in Patent Office: 1,551 Days
• Field of Search: 360/265.9, 360/266, 360/244.5, 360/244.6, 360/244.7, 360/245.1
• US Class Current: 360/244.5
• 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

Abstract

Apparatus for a disk drive having an actuator controlled suspension in operative association with a disk. The suspension mounting plane datum plane and suspension datum plane diverge at an acute angle. When the suspension is subjected to use conditions including seek operations and disk-induced turbulent wind flow conditions and induce sway forces and torsion forces that produce lateral off-track motions of the slider gap, the extension of the suspension datum plane substantially through the slider center of mass minimizes sway forces, and lateral off track motion of the slider gap is minimized. Error from torsion forces is minimized by having the dimple center of curvature coincide with a horizontal plane including the slider gap and having the dimple longitudinal axis extend through the slider center of mass, so that both sway and torsion force sources of track misregistration are addressed.

Claims

1. A disk drive suspension comprising a load beam having a proximate region comprising a base portion extending in a mounting datum plane and also extending in a suspension datum plane at an angle to said mounting datum plane, and a distal region comprising a hinge portion and a beam portion, a flexure carried by said suspension distal region and supporting a slider in gimballing relation with said beam portion for operative association of said slider with a disk;

wherein said slider has a center of mass, and

a dimple for gimballing said slider relative to said beam portion, said suspension datum plane extending substantially through said slider center of mass.

2. The disk drive suspension according to claim 1, including also a mounting plate for mounting said suspension base portion to an actuator.

3. The disk drive suspension according to claim 1, wherein said slider center of mass lies in a vertical plane, and said dimple having a longitudinal axis, said dimple longitudinal axis being substantially coincident with said slider center of mass vertical plane.

4. The disk drive suspension according to claim 3, including a mounting plate for mounting said suspension base portion to an actuator.

5. A disk drive suspension comprising a load beam having a proximate region comprising a base portion extending in a mounting datum plane and also extending in a suspension datum plane at an angle to said mounting datum plane, and a distal region comprising a hinge portion and a beam portion, a flexure carried by said suspension distal region and supporting a slider in gimballing relation with said beam portion for operative association of said slider with a disk;

wherein said slider has a write gap extending in a horizontal plane, and

a dimple for gimballing said slider relative to said beam portion, said dimple having a center of curvature, said dimple center of curvature being substantially coincident with said write gap horizontal plane.

6. The disk drive suspension according to claim 5, wherein said slider has a center of mass, said suspension datum plane extending substantially through said slider center of mass.

7. The disk drive suspension according to claim 5, including a mounting plate for mounting said suspension base portion to an actuator.

8. A disk drive suspension comprising a load beam having a proximate region comprising a base portion extending in a mounting datum plane and also extending in a suspension datum plane at an angle to said mounting datum plane, and a distal region comprising a hinge portion and a beam portion, a flexure carried by said suspension distal region and supporting a slider in gimballing relation with said beam portion for operative association of said slider with a disk;

and

a mounting plate for mounting said suspension base portion to an actuator;

wherein said slider has a center of mass, said suspension datum plane extending substantially through said slider center of mass.

9. The disk drive suspension according to claim 8, including also a dimple for gimballing said slider relative to said beam portion.

10. The disk drive suspension according to claim 9, wherein said slider has a write gap extending in a horizontal plane, said dimple having a center of curvature, said dimple center of curvature being substantially coincident with said slider gap horizontal plane.

11. The disk drive suspension according to claim 10, wherein said slider center of mass lies in a vertical plane, said dimple having a longitudinal axis, said dimple longitudinal axis being substantially coincident with said slider center of mass vertical plane.

12. A disk drive suspension comprising a load beam having a proximate region comprising a base portion extending in a mounting datum plane and defining a suspension datum plane, and a distal region comprising a hinge portion and a beam portion, a flexure carried by said suspension distal region and supporting a slider in gimballing relation with said beam portion for operative association of said slider with a disk, and a mounting plate for attaching said load beam base portion to an actuator, said mounting plate defining said mounting datum plane, said suspension datum plane extending in angled relation to said mounting datum plane;

wherein said slider has a center of mass, said suspension datum plane extending through said slider center of mass.

13. The disk drive suspension of according to claim 12, wherein the mounting plate is free of aperturing providing a strain concentration.

14. The disk drive suspension of according to claim 12, wherein the angled relation is an angle of about 0.5 degrees to about 5 degrees.

15. The disk drive suspension according to claim 12, including a dimple for gimballing said slider relative to said beam portion.

16. A disk drive suspension comprising a load beam having a proximate region comprising a base portion extending in a mounting datum plane and defining a suspension datum plane, and a distal region comprising a hinge portion and a beam portion, a flexure carried by said suspension distal region and supporting a slider in gimballing relation with said beam portion for operative association of said slider with a disk, and a mounting plate for attaching said load beam base portion to an actuator, said mounting plate defining said mounting datum plane, said suspension datum plane extending in angled relation to said mounting datum plane;

wherein said slider has a center of mass; and

a dimple for gimballing said slider relative to said beam portion, said suspension datum plane extending substantially through said slider center of mass.

17. The disk drive suspension according to claim 16, wherein said center of mass of said slider lies in a vertical plane, and said dimple having a longitudinal axis, said dimple longitudinal axis being substantially coincident with said slider center of mass vertical plane.

18. A disk drive suspension comprising a load beam having a proximate region comprising a base portion extending in a mounting datum plane and defining a suspension datum plane, and a distal region comprising a hinge portion and a beam portion, a flexure carried by said suspension distal region and supporting, a slider in gimballing relation with said beam portion for operative association of said slider with a disk, and a mounting plate for attaching said load beam base portion to an actuator, said mounting plate defining said mounting datum plane, said suspension datum plane extending in angled relation to said mounting datum plane;

wherein said slider has a write gap extending in a horizontal plane; and

a dimple for gimballing said slider relative to said beam portion, said dimple having a center of curvature, said dimple center of curvature being substantially coincident with said write gap horizontal plane.

19. The disk drive suspension according to claim 18, wherein said slider has a center of mass lying in a vertical plane, wherein said dimple has a longitudinal axis, said dimple longitudinal axis being substantially coincident with said slider center of mass vertical plane.

20. A disk drive suspension comprising a load beam having a proximate region comprising a base portion extending in a mounting datum plane and defining a suspension datum plane, and a distal region comprising a hinge portion and a beam portion, a flexure carried by said suspension distal region and supporting a slider in gimballing relation with said beam portion for operative association of said slider with a disk, and a mounting plate for attaching said load beam base portion to an actuator, said mounting plate defining said mounting datum plane, said suspension datum plane extending in angled relation to said mounting datum plane;

wherein a center of mass of said slider lies in a vertical plane, and

a dimple for gimballing said slider relative to said beam portion, said dimple having a longitudinal axis, said dimple longitudinal axis being substantially coincident with said slider center of mass vertical plane;

wherein said suspension datum plane extends through said slider center of mass.

21. The disk drive suspension according to claim 20, wherein said slider has a write gap extending in a horizontal plane, said dimple having a center of curvature, said dimple center of curvature being substantially coincident with said slider write gap horizontal plane.

22. A disk drive suspension comprising a load beam having a proximate region comprising a base portion defining a suspension datum plane, and a distal region comprising a hinge portion and a beam portion, a flexure carried by said suspension distal region and supporting a slider having a center of mass, a dimple providing gimballing contact of said slider with said beam portion for operative association of said slider with a disk extending in a disk plane, and a mounting plate for attaching said load beam base portion to an actuator, said mounting plate defining a mounting datum plane, said suspension datum plane extending in angled relation to said mounting datum plane;

wherein said suspension datum plane extends through said slider center of mass and said hinge and beam portions lie outside said suspension datum plane.

23. The disk drive suspension according to claim 22, wherein said dimple has a center of curvature and a longitudinal axis, said slider has a write gap extending in a first plane substantially parallel with the plane of said disk and lying in a second plane normal to said first plane, said first plane substantially including said dimple center of curvature and said second plane being substantially parallel with said dimple longitudinal axis.

24. The disk drive suspension according to claim 22, wherein said slider has a write gap extending in a plane substantially parallel with the plane of said disk, said dimple having a center of curvature, said dimple center of curvature being substantially coincident with said slider gap plane.

25. The disk drive suspension according to claim 22, wherein said dimple has a longitudinal axis, said dimple longitudinal axis being substantially coincident with a vertical plane including said slider center of mass.

26. A disk drive suspension having minimized off-track error from sway forces, said suspension comprising a load beam having a proximate region comprising a base portion extending in a suspension datum plane, and a distal region comprising a hinge portion and a beam portion, a flexure carried by said suspension distal region and supporting a slider having a center of mass in gimballing relation with said beam portion for operative association of said slider with a disk, and a mounting plate for attaching said load beam base portion to an actuator, said mounting plate defining a mounting datum plane, said suspension datum plane extending in angled relation to said mounting datum plane and through said slider center of mass in sway force induced off-track error minimizing relation.

27. The disk drive suspension according to claim 26, including also a dimple for said gimballing of said slider, said dimple having a center of curvature and a longitudinal axis, said slider having a write gap extending in a plane substantially parallel with said disk plane, said slider write gap plane including said dimple center of curvature, said dimple longitudinal axis extending through said slider center of mass.

28. A disk drive suspension having minimized off-track error from torsion forces, said suspension comprising a load beam having a proximate region comprising a base portion extending in a suspension datum plane, and a distal region comprising a hinge portion and a beam portion extending outside of said suspension datum plane, a flexure carried by said suspension distal region and supporting a slider having a center of mass in gimballing relation with said beam portion for operative association of said slider with a disk, a mounting plate for attaching said load beam base portion to an actuator, said mounting plate defining a mounting datum plane, said suspension datum plane extending in angled relation to said mounting datum plane, said slider defining a write gap extending in a horizontal plane substantially parallel to said disk, and a dimple between said flexure and said beam portion in slider gimballing relation, said dimple having a center of curvature substantially within said slider gap horizontal plane to apply torsion forces through said slider gap in off track error from torsion forces-minimizing relation.

29. The disk drive suspension according to claim 28, wherein said suspension datum plane extends through said slider center of mass.

30. A disk drive suspension having minimal lateral response to sway forces from seek operations and/or disk induced turbulent air flow over the suspension, said suspension being adapted for mounting by a mounting plate defining a mounting datum plane, said suspension comprising a load beam supportable by said mounting plate and defining along its longitudinal axis a suspension datum plane disposed at an acute angle to said mounting datum plane, a flexure supported by said load beam, and a flexure-mounted slider in gimballing association with said load beam, said slider having a write gap and a center of mass, said suspension datum plane extending substantially through said slider center of mass;

wherein said write gap extends in a horizontal plane; and

a dimple for gimballing said slider relative to said beam, said dimple having a center of curvature, said dimple center of curvature being substantially coincident with said write gap horizontal plane.

31. A suspension for a disk drive comprising a slider having a write gap extending in a horizontal plane and a center of mass, a load beam for supporting said slider, said load beam having a base portion, a hinge portion and a beam portion carrying a flexure mounting said slider, a dimple in engagement with said flexure for slider gimballing, a mounting plate mounting said load beam base portion at a surface defining a mounting datum plane, said dimple having a center of curvature substantially in the horizontal plane of the slider gap and a longitudinal axis substantially in a vertical plane of said center of mass, a suspension datum plane including a part of said base portion and extending substantially through said slider center of mass, said suspension datum plane being angled relative to said mounting datum plane.