Dynamic magnetic information storage or retrieval – Fluid bearing head support – Disk record
Reexamination Certificate
1998-10-27
2001-07-24
Cao, Allen T. (Department: 2754)
Dynamic magnetic information storage or retrieval
Fluid bearing head support
Disk record
C360S245700
Reexamination Certificate
active
06266212
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to disk drive suspensions, and more particularly to disk drive suspensions in which the flexure tongue is tethered to the flexure against unwanted excursions by the flexure tongue in operation of the disk drive suspension.
RELATED ART
Disk drive suspensions comprise a load beam mounted to an actuator, the load beam having a base portion which is mounted to the actuator, a spring portion which exerts the desired suspension pre-load, and a rigid portion generally projecting from the spring portion. The rigid portion of the load beam carries relatively more compliant member termed a flexure. Typically the flexure comprises a relatively less compliant portion called the frame or “outrigger” portion, and a relatively more compliant portion called the tongue; the tongue being generally cantilevered from the flexure frame. A slider and head, herein referred to as a slider, is carried by the flexure tongue, the tongue itself being in dimple contact with the load beam to enable various attitudes of the tongue and slider combination above the disk drive disk.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Keeping the slider from unwanted contact with the disk is a major desideratum in suspension load beam design. Because the flexure tongue is by necessity highly flexible occasions may arise when the excursions of the flexure tongue and its associated slider are too great and there is contact between the slider and disk. Various solutions including reducing the easy flexibility of the tongue or blocking necessary movements of the tongue are counterproductive. The need is to retain all the properties of the flexure tongue and yet limit unduly extended excursions of the tongue and its slider. It is an object of this invention to provide apparatus and method which modifies the disk drive suspension in a manner to limit undue excursions of the flexure tongue, and yet retains the desirable properties of the flexure and flexure tongue.
This and other objects of the invention are realized in a disk drive suspension comprising a load beam having a base for attachment to an actuator, a spring portion and a rigid portion, a flexure attached to the load beam rigid portion, the flexure comprising an outrigger defining frame and a tongue having a proximate end and a distal end, the flexure tongue proximate end being attached to the frame and movable therewith, the tongue distal end being movable independent of the flexure frame over a desired excursion range, and a tether connecting the tongue portion distal end to the flexure frame in excursion limiting relation beyond the desired range.
In this and like embodiments, typically, the tether comprises a flexible connection between the flexure tongue distal end and the flexure frame, the flexibility of the connection being limited to block tongue distal end excursions beyond the desired range; the tether comprises a flexible connection anchored to the flexure frame and the tongue distal end in blocking relation to distal end excursions beyond the desired range; the tether comprises a portion of the flexure frame constructed and arranged to elongate in response to flexure frame-independent movement of the tongue distal end within the desired range; the flexure frame, flexure tongue, and tether comprise portions of a unitary web of spring steel; and/or the excursion range subtends an angle of 0 to 3 degrees.
In a further embodiment, the invention provides a disk drive suspension comprising a load beam having a base for attachment to an actuator, a spring portion and a rigid portion therebeyond, a flexure frame attached to the load beam rigid portion, a flexure tongue having a proximate end attached to the flexure frame and a distal end, the tongue distal end being movable independent of the flexure frame over a desired excursion range, and a tether connecting the tongue portion distal end to the flexure frame in excursion limiting relation beyond the desired range.
In this and like embodiments, typically, the tether comprises a separately defined portion of the flexure frame, the flexure frame portion has a first dimension within the a flexure frame and is constructed and arranged to elongate beyond its the first dimension in response to movement of the tongue distal end through its excursion range; the tether comprises a separately defined portion of the flexure frame, is sinuous along its length in the plane of the flexure frame for elongation as needed to tether the tongue distal end; the tether comprises a separately defined portion of the flexure frame, is locally bifurcated into at least two segments, the tether segments being separated along at least a portion of the length of the tether in the plane of the flexure frame to effectively shorten the length of the tether in the plane of the flexure from its elongated length out of the plane of the flexure; the tether comprising a separately defined portion of the flexure frame has a locally deflected shape having a length L
2
but extending over a shorter length L
1
within the plane of the flexure frame, the tether being elongatable to extend to its length L
2
out of the plane of the flexure frame in response to excursions of the tongue distal end in tether connected relation; the tether comprises a flexible connection between the flexure tongue distal end and the flexure frame, the flexibility of the connection being limited to block tongue distal end excursions beyond the desired range; the tether is free of interconnection with the load beam beyond the flexure frame; the flexure frame, flexure tongue, and tether comprise portions of a unitary web of spring steel; and/or the excursion range subtends an angle of 0 to 3 degrees.
In a further embodiment the invention provides a disk drive suspension flexure comprising a frame and a tongue having a proximate end and a distal end, the flexure defining a tether attached to the tongue distal portion, the tether comprising a separately movable section of the flexure frame. In this and like embodiments, typically, the tether is locally deflected within the plane of the flexure to have a length L
2
extending over a shorter length L
1
, the tether being elongatable to extend its length L
2
out of the plane of the flexure frame in response to excursions of the tongue distal end.
In its method aspects, the invention provides the method of limiting flexure tongue excursions from a flexure frame to within a desired range, including defining an elongatable section within the flexure frame, attaching the section to the flexure tongue portion undergoing the greatest excursions, and elongating the flexure frame section in response to tongue excursions to no more than the maximum elongation of the flexure frame section.
REFERENCES:
patent: 6-28802 (1994-02-01), None
patent: 6-168555 (1994-06-01), None
patent: 6-195851 (1994-07-01), None
Bachand Louis J.
Cao Allen T.
Magnecomp Corp.
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