Head suspension assembly having improved frequency response, accurate head positioning and minimized flying variation

Abstract

A load beam is joined by its proximal end to a rigid actuator arm. The load beam has stiffening flanges projecting from its longitudinal edges. The flanges have a Z-axis measurement or height of at most about 0.4 mm. The flanges terminate co-extensive with the load beam surface. The distal end of the load beam has a load bearing dimple with a Z-axis height of at least about 0.10 mm. The flexure is attached to a distal end of the load beam. The load beam distal end may be narrower than the flexure. Longitudinal load beam edges in the base plate region may have a rail or tabs for supporting head connection. The load beam spring region may have a central area of reduced thickness. The load beam may have alignment and assembly tooling features. The flexure and the actuator base plate may be welded to the load beam, or the mounting arm and the load beam may be a unitary one-piece structure. Each flange may have a U-shaped or V-shaped cross-sectional profile, or each flange may taper from a minimum depth at a load beam proximal end to a maximum depth at a load beam distal end. The flexure may have areas of reduced thickness on the flexure arms.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A head suspension assembly for attachment to a rigid actuator arm and for supporting a read/write head, said head suspension assembly comprising, in combination: a load beam having a proximal end, a distal end, a first surface, a second opposing surface, stiffening flanges projecting from longitudinal edges of the load beam, and a load bearing dimple at the distal end, the proximal end joined to the rigid arm, the stiffening flanges having a maximum depth of about 0.4 mm from the first surface, and the flanges terminating co-extensive with the second opposing surface of the load beam, each flange tapering from a minimum depth at a proximal end thereof adjacent the load beam proximal end to the maximum depth at a distal end thereof, and the dimple having a minimum height of about 0.1 mm from the first surface; and   a flexure means attached at the distal end of the first surface of the load beam and interfacing with the dimple.   
     
     
       2. A head suspension assembly according to claim 1, adapted and arranged to operably support loads through a dimple/flexure interface onto the read/write head ranging from about 30 mN to about 70 mN. 
     
     
       3. A head suspension assembly according to claim 1, wherein a width of the distal end of the load beam element is less than a width of the flexure, thereby allowing gimballing of the flexure arms to be unobstructed by the load beam. 
     
     
       4. A head suspension assembly according to claim 1, wherein a portion of the load beam adjacent the proximal end of the load beam is provided with a support means for read-write head connection means along a longitudinal edge of the load beam. 
     
     
       5. A head suspension assembly according to claim 4, wherein the support means is a longitudinal bracket. 
     
     
       6. A head suspension assembly according to claim 4, wherein the support means is one or more supporting tabs. 
     
     
       7. A head suspension assembly according to claim 1, wherein a spring region of the load beam element is provided with an area of reduced thickness therein. 
     
     
       8. A head suspension assembly according to claim 1, wherein the load beam is provided with tooling features to facilitate accurate angular placement in suspension alignment, slider bonding alignment and alignment of the load beam to the rigid arm. 
     
     
       9. A head suspension assembly according to claim 8, wherein a tooling feature for alignment of the load beam to the rigid arm is one or more proximally extending tabs at a proximal end of the load beam. 
     
     
       10. A head suspension assembly according to claim 8, wherein a tooling feature for suspension alignment or slider bonding alignment is one or more apertures in the load beam element. 
     
     
       11. A head suspension assembly according to claim 1, wherein the flexure and an actuator base plate are each welded to the load beam. 
     
     
       12. A head suspension assembly according to claim 1, wherein each flange has a U-shaped cross-sectional profile and the maximum depth of from about 0.25 to about 0.37 mm. 
     
     
       13. A head suspension assembly according to claim 1, wherein each flange has a V-shaped cross-sectional profile and the maximum depth of about 0.25 mm, suitable for supporting either tubed or tubeless read/write head interconnection means. 
     
     
       14. A head suspension assembly according to claim 1, in which the flanges are provided with extending tabs to provide further support to read/write interconnection means. 
     
     
       15. A head suspension assembly according to claim 1, wherein areas of reduced thickness are provided on the flexure. 
     
     
       16. A head suspension assembly according to claim 1, wherein a length of the load beam from a center of an actuator boss to a center of the load dimple is between about 17.8 to 18.3 mm. 
     
     
       17. A head suspension assembly according to claim 1, wherein one flange terminates at a point proximal of the distal end of the load beam to facilitate a smaller head-to-hub distance or to allow increased clearance for lift and drive merge tooling. 
     
     
       18. A head suspension assembly according to claim 17, wherein the flexure and an actuator base plate are each attached to the load beam by weldment. 
     
     
       19. A head suspension assembly for attachment to a rigid arm, said head suspension assembly comprising, in combination: a load beam having a proximal end, a distal end, stiffening flanges projecting from longitudinal edges of the load beam, a first surface, a second opposing surface, a spring region adjacent the proximal end, the spring region having an area of reduced thickness, tooling features located adjacent the proximal end and located just proximal of the distal end, and a load beam dimple at the distal end, the proximal end joined to the rigid arm, the flanges having a maximum depth of about 0.4 mm from the first surface, the flanges terminating co-extensive with the second opposing surface, each flange having a depth of 0 at a proximal end thereof adjacent the load beam proximal end and the maximum depth at a distal end of each flange, the dimple having a minimum height of about 0.1 mm from the first surface, the distal end of the load beam having a width less than a width of the flexure attached thereto, the proximal end of the load having a support means for supporting read/write head interconnection means along a longitudinal edge thereof; and   the flexure means attached to the distal end of the first surface of the load beam and interfacing with the dimple.   
     
     
       20. A head suspension assembly according to claim 19, wherein the tooling feature in the proximal end of the load beam is a pair of tooling tabs. 
     
     
       21. A head suspension assembly according to claim 19, wherein tooling features in the distal end of the load beam are tooling apertures. 
     
     
       22. A head suspension assembly according to claim 19, wherein each flange has a U-shaped cross-sectional profile and a maximum depth of from about 0.25 to about 0.37 mm. 
     
     
       23. A head suspension assembly according to claim 19, wherein each flange has a V-shaped cross-sectional profile and a maximum depth of about 0.25 mm, suitable for supporting either tubed or tubeless read/write head interconnection means. 
     
     
       24. A head suspension assembly according to claim 19, wherein a flange is cut back to facilitate a smaller head-to-hub distance or to allow increased clearance for lift and drive merge tooling.