Flexure Bias-Free End Lift Suspension

Not Applicable.

This invention has to do with disk drive suspensions, and more particularly with load beams for disk drive suspension. More particularly, the invention relates to load beams having an improved lifting feature. In general, the invention load beams have a lift feature which is small in dimension, light in weight, located at the tip of the load beam and that does not unduly increase load beam mass. Further, the invention load beams are constructed and arranged to provide a lifting locus without biasing the flexure by decoupling the flexure support tongue from the load beam continued extents that support the lift tip.

The loading and unloading of the slider or other read write device from a disk drive disk surface involves the lifting of the suspension carrying the device relative to the disk surface. This has been accomplished by lifting at the middle of the suspension or at the distal end. Generally, previous efforts whether at the middle or the end of the suspension are not easy to manufacture. Where ramps are used in the middle of the suspension for example, for relative displacement of the suspension and the ramp cam surface, added mass may affect suspension dynamics and interfere with the suspension load beam body. The distal or front-end lift technique also uses a ramp or cam that engages the lift tip projecting from the suspension. This type of lift has been criticized for adverse effects on the gimballing movement of the slider under the flexure. The flexure tongue has in previous efforts at a front lift experienced a bias at the dimple engaging the slider from the physical association of the tongue with the lift tip support. In manufacturing, formation of the lifter may adversely affect pitch and roll static attitude change and flatness. The presence of the lift tip may interfere with the flexure movement. In either case, previously known distal end lift tips have unduly limited performance of the suspension.

It is an object therefore of the present invention to provide a distal end lift tip for a suspension in which problems of the prior art are avoided. It is a further object to provide a novel distal lift tip for a disk drive suspension. A further object is to provide an end lift tip formed in a manner as to avoid biasing the flexure tongue and flexure. Yet another object is to provide a front end-lift feature in a suspension load beam free of change in pitch static and roll static attitudes. A further object is to provide a novel disk drive suspension having a lift tip supported by load beam continued extents that are free of coupling to the flexure support tongue and do not bias the tongue.

These and other objects of the invention to become apparent hereinafter, are realized in liftable disk drive suspension load beam comprising a base portion, a spring portion, an elongated beam portion, and a lift tip beyond the elongated beam portion; the beam portion having a longitudinally disposed flexure support tongue defining an attachment locus for attaching a flexure in cantilevered relation and having a situs for gimballing dimple contact with the flexure, the beam portion having left and right continued extents on either side of the tongue, the continued extents being free of connection to the flexure support tongue fore and aft of the flexure attachment locus, the extents being joined beyond the attachment locus to support the lift tip from the elongated beam portion, the flexure tongue providing the flexure freedom of gimballing movement free of interference from the lift tip and the continued extents.

In this and like embodiments, typically, the load beam portions, the continued extents and the lift tip are unitary and formed from a common web of metal, the flexure support tongue is formed along the longitudinal axis of the load beam, the tongue-defined flexure attachment locus is a second flexure attachment locus, the elongated beam portion defining a first attachment locus inboard of the second attachment locus and the flexure support tongue, the elongated beam portion has a distal terminus and defines left and right edge rails each having a distal terminus adjacent the beam portion distal terminus, the left and right continued extents projecting beyond the beam portion distal terminus to support the lift tip and/or the left and right continued extents have respective reduced width sections between the lift tip and the beam portion distal terminus.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, the invention provides a liftable disk drive suspension load beam of spring steel and comprising a base portion, a spring portion, an elongated beam portion having left and right edge rails, and a lift tip beyond the elongated beam portion; the beam portion having a longitudinally disposed flexure support tongue defining an attachment locus for attaching a flexure in cantilevered relation and having a situs for gimballing dimple contact with the flexure, the beam portion having left and right continued extents on either side of the tongue, the continued extents being free of connection to the flexure support tongue fore and aft of the flexure attachment locus, the extents being joined beyond the attachment locus to support the lift tip from the elongated beam portion, the flexure tongue providing the flexure freedom of gimballing movement free of interference from the lift tip and the continued extents.

In this and like embodiments, typically, the continued extents and the lift tip are unitary and formed from a common web of stainless spring steel, the flexure support tongue is formed along the longitudinal axis of the load beam, the tongue-defined flexure attachment locus is a second flexure attachment locus, the elongated beam portion defining a first attachment locus inboard of the second attachment locus and the flexure support tongue, the elongated beam portion has a distal terminus, the left and right continued extents projecting beyond the beam portion distal terminus circumferentially of the flexure to support the lift tip, the left and right continued extents have respective reduced width sections between the lift tip and the beam portion distal terminus, and the lift tip has left and right edge rails.