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 rear 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 characterized by a high first bending mode frequency and low pitch and roll stiffness.

1. A magnetic  head suspension assembly including  comprising:
 an air bearing slider and  having at least one transducer disposed on said slider  mounted thereon for transducing data that is recorded and read out from a surface of a rotating magnetic disk drive comprising:  disc; 
 a single integral planar  piece of a specified thickness  of material comprising, : 
 a load beam section formed with a narrowed end;  
 a flexure section formed with  having a shaped opening which defines two spaced narrow legs defining a cutout portion therebetween, said legs extending  flexure beams that extend in a longitudinal direction from said narrowed end of said load beam section, and a lateral ear spaced  said flexure section further including a transverse section spaced in said longitudinal direction from said load beam section, said transverse section connecting said legs  flexure beams;  
 a load point tongue extending from said narrowed end of said narrowed  load beam section into said shaped opening such that said flexure beams and load point tongue lie substantially in the same plane, said load point tongue being disposed substantially between said legs of said  flexure section, said tongue  beams and having a free end within said flexure section,  shaped opening, said load point tongue being formed with  having a load dimple  supporting protrusion;  
 said air bearing slider being bended to said lateral ear  transverse section 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  supporting protrusion.  
 
     
     
       2. An assembly as in  claim 1 , wherein said head  air bearing slider has a top non-air bearing surface attached to said flexure section  transverse 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 air bearing 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 a 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   1 , wherein said beam section and said transverse section have a first thickness. 
     
     
       10. An assembly as in  claim 9 , wherein said load dimple  supporting protrusion 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 planar piece including said tongue is about 0.0012 to 0.0015 inch thick and said narrow legs are about 0.0010 inch thick   9 , wherein said flexure beams have a second thickness which is thinner than said first thickness. 
     
     
       12. An assembly as in  claim 1 , wherein said load beam section is shaped as a truncated triangle  flexure beams are substantially parallel to said longitudinal direction so that said opening is substantially U- shaped . 
     
     
       13. An assembly as in  claim 1 ,  claims  1 ,  2 ,  6 ,  7 ,  8 ,  9 ,  10 ,  11  or  12 , wherein said load beam section has a rear end opposite said narrowed end, and further including:
   a leaf spring section attached at a first end to said rear end of said load beam section, said leaf spring section providing a load force to said air bearing slider through said load supporting protrusion; and   
 including  a mount section at the rear end of said load beamattached to a second end of said leaf spring section for enabling mounting said suspensionattachment 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    1 , wherein said load beam section has a rear end opposite said narrowed end and further including:
   a leaf spring section attached at a first end to said rear end of said load beam section, said leaf spring section providing a load force to said air bearing slider through said load supporting protrusion;    
   a mount section attached to a second end of said leaf spring section for attachment to an actuator arm; and    
 a swage plate joined to said mount section for providing rigidity to said rear end of said suspension assembly  attachment to said actuator arm.  
 
     
     
       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   1 , wherein said load beam section has first and second sides, at least one of said sides having a flange integral therewith. 
     
     
       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  said flange comprises a channel which accommodates an electrical wire. 
     
     
       17. An assembly as in claim  13 , including a cutout in   1 , wherein said load beam section has a rear end opposite said narrowed end and further including:
   a leaf spring section attached at a first end to said rear end of said load beam section, said leaf spring section providing a load force to said air bearing slider through said load supporting protrusion, wherein  said leaf spring section for providing flexibility to said suspensionincludes a trapezoidal- like opening; and    
   a mount section attached to a second end of said leaf spring section for attachment to an actuator arm .  
 
     
     
       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  wherein said load supporting protrusion is located along a centerline of said air bearing slider. 
     
     
       19. An assembly as in  claim 1 ,  claims  1 ,  2 ,  6 ,  7 ,  8 ,  9 ,  10 ,  11  or  12 , further including a damping material on  element attached to said load beam section. 
     
     
       20. An assembly as in claim  1    15 , further including at least one load/unload tab formed at the sides of said  on at least one of said 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  transverse section includes bent sections for contacting with said top surface of said slider  attachment to said air bearing slider. 
     
     
       23. An assembly as in  claim 1  wherein said load point protrusion is offset a distance from a centerline extending between said flexure beams. 
     
     
       24. An assembly as in  claim 23  wherein said distance is greater than zero inches, but less than or equal to  0 . 006  inches.