Disk drive suspension assembly with a hinge arm attached at a recessed surface

• US 7,898,770 B1
• Filed: 05/18/2010
• Issued: 03/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: JP Morgan Chase Bank, N.A. (JP Morgan Chase & Co)
• Original Assignee: Western Digital Technologies Incorporated (Western Digital Corporation)
• Inventors: Pan, Tzong-Shii, McCaslin, Martin J., Chen, Yih-Jen D., Zhang, Yiduo, Lawson, Drew B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Miller; Brian E
• Application Number:
  US12/782,555
• Time in Patent Office: 287 Days
• Field of Search: 360/244.2, 360/244.5, 360/244.8, 360/294.4, 360/266.1
• US Class Current: 360/244.5
• 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

A disk drive suspension assembly includes a load beam, a first hinge arm, a second hinge arm, a base plate, and a flexure that includes a head mounting surface. The base plate has a first base plate layer that includes a first base plate side and an opposing second base plate side. The first base plate side has a main base plate surface and a recessed base plate surface parallel to and offset from the main base plate surface. A first hinge arm is attached to the main base plate surface. A second hinge arm is attached to the recessed base plate surface. The first and second hinge arms are attached to the load beam. The base plate has a first thickness at the main base plate surface and a second thickness at the recessed base plate surface that is the same as the first thickness.

Claims

1. A disk drive comprising:

an actuator having at least one actuator arm; and

a suspension assembly attached to the at least one actuator arm, the suspension assembly comprising;

a base plate having a first base plate layer, the first base plate layer including a first base plate side and an opposing second base plate side, the first base plate side having a main base plate surface and a recessed base plate surface parallel to and offset from the main base plate surface;

a first hinge arm attached to the main base plate surface;

a second hinge arm attached to the recessed base plate surface;

a load beam, the first and second hinge arms being further attached to the load beam; and

a flexure including a head mounting surface coupled to the load beam;

wherein the base plate has a first thickness at the main base plate surface and a second thickness at the recessed base plate surface that is the same as the first thickness.

2. The disk drive of claim 1 wherein the recessed base plate surface is offset from the main base plate surface in the range of 30 microns to 100 microns.

3. The disk drive of claim 1 wherein the second hinge arm is offset in relation to the load beam where the second hinge arm is attached to the recessed base plate surface.

4. The disk drive of claim 1 wherein the recessed base plate surface is offset from the main base plate surface by an amount equal to a thickness of the load beam.

5. The disk drive of claim 1 further including a shim between the second hinge arm and the load beam, the shim having a shim thickness in the range of 15 microns to 70 microns.

6. The disk drive of claim 5 wherein the recessed base plate surface is offset from the main base plate surface by an amount equal to the sum of a thickness of the load beam and the shim thickness.

7. The disk drive of claim 1 wherein the load beam has a first load beam side and an opposing second load beam side, the first load beam side has a main load beam surface and a recessed load beam surface parallel to and offset from the main load beam surface, the flexure extends along the base plate and the load beam.

8. The disk drive of claim 7 wherein the first hinge arm is attached to the main load beam surface.

9. The disk drive of claim 7 wherein the second hinge arm is attached to the recessed load beam surface.

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

a base plate having a first base plate layer, the first base plate layer including a first base plate side and an opposing second base plate side, the first base plate side having a main base plate surface and a recessed base plate surface parallel to and offset from the main base plate surface;

a first hinge arm attached to the main base plate surface;

a second hinge arm attached to the recessed base plate surface;

a load beam, the first and second hinge arms being further attached to the load beam; and

a flexure including a head mounting surface coupled to the load beam;

wherein the base plate has a first thickness at the main base plate surface and a second thickness at the recessed base plate surface that is the same as the first thickness.

11. The suspension assembly of claim 10 wherein the recessed base plate surface is offset from the main base plate surface in the range of 30 microns to 100 microns.

12. The suspension assembly of claim 10 wherein the first hinge arm and the load beam are both a single component having material continuity rather than an assembly of subcomponents.

13. The suspension assembly of claim 12 wherein the second hinge arm and the load beam are both a single component having material continuity rather that an assembly of subcomponents.

14. The suspension assembly of claim 10 wherein the second hinge arm is offset in relation to the load beam where the second hinge arm is attached to the recessed base plate surface.

15. The suspension assembly of claim 10 wherein the recessed base plate surface is offset from the main base plate surface by an amount equal to a thickness of the load beam.

16. The suspension assembly of claim 10 further including a shim between the second hinge arm and the load beam, the shim having a shim thickness in the range of 15 microns to 70 microns.

17. The suspension assembly of claim 16 wherein the recessed base plate surface is offset from the main base plate surface by an amount equal to the sum of a thickness of the load beam and the shim thickness.

18. The suspension assembly of claim 10 wherein the load beam has a first load beam side and an opposing second load beam side, the first load beam side has a main load beam surface and a recessed load beam surface parallel to and offset from the main load beam surface, the flexure extends along the base plate and the load beam.

19. The suspension assembly of claim 18 wherein the first hinge arm is attached to the main load beam surface.

20. The suspension assembly of claim 18 wherein the second hinge arm is attached to the recessed load beam surface.