Magnetic head suspension assembly fabricated with integral load beam and flexure

Abstract

A magnetic head suspension assembly is fabricated with an integral piece which includes a load beam section, a flexure section, a rest mount section and a leaf spring section between the load beam and rear mount. A tongue extends from the load beam to the flexure and has a down-facing load dimple which contacts the non-air bearing surface of an attached air bearing slider. The flexure includes narrow thin legs adjacent to a cutout that delineates the load beam tongue. The head suspension is characterised by a high first bending mode frequency and low pitch and roll stiffness.

1. A magnetic head suspension assembly including an air bearing slider and at least one transducer disposed on said slider for transducing data that is recorded and read out from a surface of a rotating magnetic disk drive comprising:
 a single integral planar piece of a specified thickness comprising,    a load beam section formed with a narrowed end;    a flexure section formed with two spaced narrow legs defining a cutout portion therebetween, said legs extending from said narrowed end of said load beam section, and a lateral ear spaced from said load beam section connecting said legs;    a tongue extending from said end of said narrowed load beam section, said tongue being disposed between said legs of said flexure section, said tongue having a free end within said flexure section, said tongue being formed with a load dimple;    said air bearing slider being bonded to said lateral ear and in contact with said load dimple;    whereby load transfer is effectively separated from the gimballing action of said slider so that pitch and roll stiffness is effectively reduced.    
     
     
       2. An assembly as in  claim 1 , wherein said head slider has a top non-air bearing surface attached to said flexure section. 
     
     
       3. An assembly as in  claim 2 , including means formed with said lateral ear for supporting said attached head slider. 
     
     
       4. An assembly as in  claim 3 , wherein said supporting means comprises outriggers or a split tongue. 
     
     
       5. An assembly as in  claim 3 , wherein said supporting means comprises said lateral ear that connects said narrow legs. 
     
     
       6. An assembly as in  claim 2 , wherein said slider is about 0.0110 inch high, 0.0400 inch long and 0.0200-0.0260 inch wide. 
     
     
       7. An assembly as in  claim 2 , wherein said top non-air bearing surface of said slider is formed with a platform and step adjacent to said platform. 
     
     
       8. An assembly as in  claim 7 , wherein said platform of said slider is about 0.0336 inch long and said step is about 0.0015 inch high. 
     
     
       9. An assembly as in  claim 2 , including a load dimple formed in said tongue. 
     
     
       10. An assembly as in  claim 9 , wherein said load dimple is hemispherical in shape and faces down into contact with said top surface of said slider. 
     
     
       11. An assembly as in  claim 1 , wherein said single integral planner piece including said tongue is about 0.0012 to 0.0015 inch thick and said narrow legs are about 0.0010 inch thick. 
     
     
       12. An assembly as in  claim 1 , wherein said load beam section is shaped as a truncated triangle. 
     
     
       13. An assembly as in  claim 1 , including a mount section at the rear end of said load beam section for enabling mounting said suspension to an actuator arm; and
 a leaf spring section between said rear mount section and said load beam section for providing flexibility to said suspension.    
     
     
       14. An assembly as in  claim 13 , including a swage plate joined to said mount section for providing rigidity to said rear end of said suspension assembly. 
     
     
       15. An assembly as in  claim 13 , including front flanges formed along the edges of said load beam section and rear flanges formed along the edges of said rear mount section with a hiatus between said front and rear flanges. 
     
     
       16. An assembly as in  claim 15 , wherein said front flanges are formed with shallow U-shaped channels, and electrical wiring without tubing is positioned within said channels. 
     
     
       17. An assembly as in  claim 13 , including a cutout in said leaf spring section for providing flexibility to said suspension. 
     
     
       18. An assembly as in  claim 1 , further including an apertured extension formed at the rear end of said suspension assembly for enabling attachment to an actuator of a disk drive without a separate head arm to enable pivoting of said suspension assembly. 
     
     
       19. An assembly as in  claim 1 , including a damping material on said load beam. 
     
     
       20. An assembly as in  claim 1 , including at least one load/unload tab formed at the sides of said load beam section. 
     
     
       21. An assembly as in  claim 2 , wherein said top non-air bearing surface is substantially flat. 
     
     
       22. An assembly as in  claim 21 , wherein said lateral ear includes bent sections for contacting with said top surface of said slider. 
     
     
       23. Apparatus for supporting a slider comprising:
   a single piece of elongated material of a first thickness, the single piece of elongated material having a distal end and a proximate end:        a shaped opening in the single piece of elongated material adjacent the distal end; the shaped opening defining;        a transverse section disposed at the distal end of the single piece of elongated material, the transverse section having a slider mounting surface;        first and second flexure beams connected to the transverse section, the first and second flexure beams having a second thickness that is less than the first thickness;        a tongue that extends between the first and second flexure beams, the tongue including a load point protrusion that extends in a direction substantially normal to a bottom surface of the tongue.     
     
     
       24. The apparatus of  claim 23 , wherein the second thickness is approximately  0 . 0010  inches. 
     
     
       25. The apparatus of  claim 23 , wherein the transverse section, the first and second flexure beams, and the tongue lie in the same general plane. 
     
     
       26. The apparatus of  claim 23 , wherein the load point protrusion is disposed along a centerline extending between the first and second flexure beams. 
     
     
       27. The apparatus of  claim 23 , wherein the load point protrusion is offset a distance from a centerline extending between the first and second flexure beams. 
     
     
       28. The apparatus of  claim 27 , wherein the distance is greater than zero inches, but less than or equal to  0 . 006  inches. 
     
     
       29. Apparatus for supporting a slider comprising:
   a single piece of elongated material of a first thickness, the single piece of elongated material having a distal end and a proximate end;        a shaped opening in the single piece of elongated material adjacent the distal end; the shaped opening defining:      a transverse section disposed at the distal end of the single piece of elongated material, the transverse section having a slider mounting surface;        first and second flexure beams connected to the transverse section;        a tongue that extends between the first and second flexure beams, the tongue including a load point protrusion that extends in a direction substantially normal to a bottom surface of the tongue; and          wherein the transverse section, the first and second flexure beams, and the tongue lie in the same general plane.     
     
     
       30. The apparatus of  claim 29 , wherein the first and second flexure beams have a second thickness that is less than the first thickness. 
     
     
       31. The apparatus of  claim 30 , wherein the second thickness is approximately  0 . 0010  inches. 
     
     
       32. The apparatus of  claim 29 , wherein the load point protrusion is disposed along a centerline extending between the first and second flexure beams. 
     
     
       33. The apparatus of  claim 29 , wherein the load point protrusion is offset a distance from a centerline extending between the first and second flexure beams. 
     
     
       34. The apparatus of  claim 33 , wherein the distance is greater than zero inches, but less than or equal to  0 . 006  inches. 
     
     
       35. The apparatus of  claim 29 , wherein the shaped opening is U- shaped.