Co-located gimbal-based dual stage actuation disk drive suspensions with offset motors

• US 8,675,314 B1
• Filed: 08/21/2013
• Issued: 03/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hutchinson Technology Incorporated (TDK Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Hutchinson Technology Incorporated (TDK Corporation)
• Inventors: Bjorstrom, Jacob D., Miller, Mark A.
• Primary Examiner(s): MILLER, BRIAN E
• Application Number:
  US13/972,137
• Time in Patent Office: 209 Days
• Field of Search: 360/294.4, 360/294.3, 360/245.3, 360/245.1, 360/245, 360/264.3, 360/264.5
• US Class Current: 360/294.3
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 5/483 Piezoelectric devices between head and arm, e.g. for fine adjustment
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 5/5552 using fine positioning means for track acquisition separate from the coarse (e.g. track changing) positioning means

Abstract

Various embodiments concern a dual stage actuation suspension that comprises a loadbeam having a load point projection. The suspension further comprises a gimbal assembly having a point of contact that is in contact with the load point projection such that the gimbal assembly can gimbal about the load point projection. The gimbal assembly is cantilevered from the loadbeam and has an axis of rotation aligned with the load point projection and the point of contact. The suspension further comprises a pair of motors mounted on the gimbal assembly and positioned proximal of the point of contact. The pair of motors is mounted between a tongue and a pair of spring arms to rotate the tongue about the point of contact and the load point projection. The loadbeam further comprises a void into which the pair of motors extends.

Claims

1. A dual stage actuation suspension, comprising:

a loadbeam comprising a load point projection;

a gimbal assembly, the gimbal assembly cantilevered from the loadbeam and in contact with the load point projection at a point of contact on the gimbal assembly such that the gimbal assembly can gimbal about the load point projection, the gimbal assembly comprising;

a pair of spring arms that cantilever the gimbal assembly from the loadbeam, each spring arm comprising an outer arm portion, an inner arm portion, and a distal bend that connects the outer arm portion to the inner arm portion;

a tongue positioned between the pair of spring arms; and

a pair of struts that respectively connect the pair of spring arms to the tongue, each strut connected to the inner arm portion of the spring arm to which the strut respectively connects, both of the struts oriented along an axis that intersects the point of contact; and

a pair of motors, the motors mounted on the tongue and respectively mounted on the pair of spring arms, each motor of the pair of motors located entirely proximal of the load point projection.

2. The suspension of claim 1, wherein the tongue forms a T shape or a Y shape and thereby comprises two branches on which the pair of motors are respectively mounted.

3. The suspension of claim 1, wherein each strut of the pair of struts is configured to bend to rotate the tongue about the load point protection when the pair of motors is activated.

4. The suspension of claim 1, wherein the tongue, the spring arms, and the pair of struts are all formed from a sheet of metal that structurally supports the gimbal assembly.

5. The suspension of claim 4, wherein the pair of struts are the only part of the sheet of metal that connects between the pair of spring arms and the tongue.

6. The suspension of claim 4, wherein the two narrowest sections of the sheet of metal define the pair of struts.

7. The suspension of claim 1, wherein the load point projection comprises a dimple.

8. The suspension claim 1, further comprising a slider mounted on the gimbal assembly.

9. The suspension of claim 1, wherein the loadbeam comprises a major planar portion and a void within the major planar portion, and wherein the pair of motors extends through the void and above the major planar portion.

10. The suspension of claim 9, wherein each motor of the pair of motors comprises a major planar portion that is orientated parallel with the major planar portion of the loadbeam.

11. The suspension of claim 9, wherein each motor of the pair of motors comprises a proximal end and a distal end and each of the proximal end and the distal end extends through the void above the major planar portion of the loadbeam.

12. The suspension of claim 9, wherein each motor of the pair of motors has a first length and a first width, the void has a second length and a second width, and first length is less than the second length and the first width is less than the second width.

13. A dual stage actuation suspension, comprising:

a loadbeam comprising a load point projection, a major planar portion, and a void;

a gimbal assembly, the gimbal assembly cantilevered from the loadbeam and in contact with the load point projection at a point of contact on the gimbal assembly such that the gimbal assembly can gimbal about the load point projection, the gimbal assembly comprising;

a pair of spring arms that cantilever the gimbal assembly from the loadbeam;

a tongue positioned between the pair of spring arms; and

a pair of struts that respectively connect the pair of spring arms to the tongue; and

a pair of motors, each motor comprising a proximal end and a distal end, the pair of motors mounted on the tongue and respectively mounted on the pair of spring arms, each motor of the pair of motors located entirely proximal of the load point projection, the pair of motors configured to rotate the tongue relative to the pair of spring arms by activation of the motors, the pair of motors projecting from the gimbal assembly into the void of the loadbeam such that the proximal end and the distal end of each motor projects into the void and each motor is one or both of co-planar with the loadbeam and extends above the major planar portion.

14. The suspension of claim 13, wherein each motor of the pair of motors comprises a major planar portion that is orientated parallel with a major planar portion of the loadbeam.

15. The suspension of claim, 14, wherein each of the proximal end and the distal end extends through the void to be partially above the major planar portion of the loadbeam.

16. The suspension of claim 13, wherein the tongue forms a T shape or a Y shape and thereby comprises two branches on which the motors of the pair of motors are respectively mounted.

17. The suspension of claim 13, wherein each strut of the pair of struts is configured to bend to rotate the tongue about the load point protection when the pair of motors is activated.

18. The suspension of claim 13, wherein the tongue, the spring arms, and the pair of struts are all formed from a sheet of metal that structurally supports the gimbal assembly.

19. The suspension of claim 18, wherein the pair of struts are the only part of the sheet of metal that connects between the pair of spring arms and the tongue.

20. The suspension of claim 18, wherein the two narrowest sections of the sheet of metal define the pair of struts.

21. The suspension of claim 13, wherein the load point projection comprises a dimple.

22. The suspension of claim 13, further comprising a slider mounted on the gimbal assembly.

23. The suspension of claim 13, wherein each strut of the pair of struts is oriented along an axis that intersects the point of contact.

24. The suspension of claim 13, wherein each motor of the pair of motors has a first length and a first width, the void has a second length and a second width, and first length is less than the second length and the first width is less than the second width.

25. A dual stage actuation suspension, comprising:

a loadbeam;

a gimbal assembly, the gimbal assembly cantilevered from the loadbeam such that the gimbal assembly can gimbal, the gimbal assembly comprising;

a pair of spring arms that cantilever the gimbal assembly from the loadbeam;

a tongue positioned between the pair of spring arms, the tongue having a longitudinal axis; and

a pair of struts that respectively connect the pair of spring arms to the tongue, each strut elongated along a longitudinal axis of the strut, the longitudinal axes of both of the struts longitudinally oriented along an axis that is transverse to the longitudinal axis of the tongue; and

a pair of motors, the motors mounted on the tongue and respectively mounted on the pair of spring arms, each motor of the pair of motors located entirely proximal of the pair of struts, wherein each strut of the pair of struts is configured to bend to rotate the tongue about an axis of rotation that extends through the tongue when the pair of motors is activated.

26. The suspension of claim 25, wherein the tongue, the spring arms, and the pair of struts are all formed from a sheet of metal that structurally supports the gimbal assembly.

27. The suspension of claim 25, wherein the axis of rotation about which the tongue rotates when the motors are activated is located directly between the pair of struts.

28. The suspension of claim 25, wherein the loadbeam comprises a major planar portion and a void within the major planar portion, and wherein the pair of motors extends through the void and above the major planar portion.

29. A dual stage actuation suspension, comprising:

a gimbal, the gimbal assembly comprising;

a pair of spring arms, each spring arm comprising an outer arm portion, an inner arm portion, and a distal bend that connects the outer arm portion to the inner arm portion;

a tongue positioned between the pair of spring arms, the tongue having a longitudinal axis; and

a pair of struts that respectively connect the pair of spring arms to the tongue, the pair of struts located proximal of the distal bends of the spring arms, each strut connected to the inner arm portion of the spring arm to which it respectively connects, each strut having a longitudinal axis, the longitudinal axes of both of the struts longitudinally oriented along an axis that is transverse to the longitudinal axis of the tongue; and

a pair of motors, the motors mounted on the tongue and respectively mounted on the pair of spring arms, wherein each strut of the pair of struts is configured to bend to rotate the tongue when the pair of motors is activated.

30. The suspension of claim 29, wherein the tongue, the pair of spring arms, and the pair of struts are all formed from a sheet of metal that structurally supports the gimbal assembly.