JPH10125024A - Method for assembling magnetic head suspension - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method for assembling a magnetic head suspension using a load beam having a flexure or a flexure structure, namely a suspension top end element, manufactured at a layout pitch different from the load beam or a mount plate, namely a suspension rear end element. SOLUTION: In a method for assembling a magnetic head suspension having an element functioning as a flexure, a load beam and a mount plate, and structured so as to support a magnetic head, a suspension top end element containing a flexure 3 coupled at a specific distance pitch by a tiebar 1 is prepared, and a coupling part 2 between the tiebar 1 and the suspension 3 top end element or the tiebar 1 is deformed to change a direction of a face of the suspension 3 top end element for a face of the tiebar 1, and the suspension 3 top end element is secured to the load beam or the mount plate, and next the suspension 3 top end element is separated from the tiebar 1.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method for assembling a suspension for a magnetic head, and more particularly to a method for assembling a front end including a flexure to a rear end connected to a mount plate.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, as shown in FIG. 8, a suspension for a magnetic head used in a magnetic disk drive or the like has a mount plate 11 fixed to one end of a suspension 20 on which a required load beam 21 is formed. At the end, a flexure 22 is provided, and the flexure 22 is connected to a slider 23 having a magnetic head.

A lead 24 for electrically connecting the magnetic head element formed on the slider 23 to an external circuit is appropriately supported by a support fork 25 provided on the load beam 21. The magnetic head suspension assembly is mounted on an actuator arm 12.

In recent years, a magnetic head suspension employing a load beam having a flexure structure in which a flexure 22 and a load beam 21 are integrally formed has been used.

The assembling of such a suspension for a magnetic head is performed as shown in FIG. First, components such as the flexure 3 and the load beam 5 are prepared at a common layout pitch, and a component connected to so-called tie-bar portions 1A and 1B made of the same material as these components is prepared. Next, while being connected to the tie bar, processing such as various bending and laser bonding is appropriately performed. Thereafter, the tie bars 1A and 1B are cut off to obtain a suspension.

The load beam is larger than the layout pitch of the flexure because the width of the load beam is wider than that of the flexure, and it is necessary to form bent portions on both right and left sides to secure rigidity. Layout pitch is required.

[0007]

The layout pitch of the flexure, which is smaller than the load beam, can be formed narrower than the layout pitch of the load beam, thereby reducing the cost.

However, in the conventional method employing a common layout pitch as described above, it is impossible to reduce the layout pitch of only the flexure to increase the number of products that can be manufactured from the same area, thereby reducing cost. There is a problem that can not be achieved.

This problem is also common to a magnetic head suspension employing a load beam having a flexure structure in which the flexure 22 and the load beam 21 are integrally formed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and has been made by manufacturing a load beam having a flexure or a flexure structure, that is, a suspension tip element at a different layout pitch from a load beam or a mount plate, that is, a suspension rear end element. It is an object of the present invention to provide a method of assembling a suspension for a magnetic head performed by using the above.

[0011]

In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, there is provided an element which functions as a flexure, a load beam and a mount plate according to claim 1, and is configured to support a magnetic head. In a method of assembling a suspension for a magnetic head, a suspension tip element including the flexure connected by a tie bar at a predetermined distance pitch is prepared, and a joint between the tie bar and the suspension tip element, or the tie bar is deformed and processed. Changing the orientation of the surface of the suspension tip with respect to the face of the tie bar, fixing the suspension tip to the load beam or the mount plate, and then separating the suspension tip from the tie bar. Suspension assembly The orientation of the suspension tip element with respect to the tie bar in the method for assembling a suspension for a magnetic head according to claim 1, wherein the surface of the suspension tip element is centered on its longitudinal direction. 4. A method of assembling a suspension for a magnetic head according to claim 3, wherein the orientation of the suspension tip element with respect to the tie bar in the method of assembling a suspension for a magnetic head according to claim 1. 5. The method for assembling a suspension for a magnetic head according to claim 4, wherein the surface of the suspension tip element is bent so as to change to a position at a desired angle with respect to the surface of the tie bar.
2. The suspension according to claim 1, wherein the tie bar is deformed so that the suspension tip elements radially expand at a predetermined angle pitch from each other, and the tie bar and the suspension tip element are fed by a predetermined angle. A method of assembling a suspension for a magnetic head, comprising sequentially fixing a tip element to the load beam or the mount plate, and then separating the suspension tip element from the tie bar.

[0012]

FIG. 1 shows a flexure supply member including a flexure and a tie bar connecting the flexure as an example of a suspension tip element used in the present invention. That is, the tie bar 1 extending in the horizontal direction in the drawing has flexures 3 arranged at an appropriate distance pitch on one side edge thereof by the connecting portion 2. The reason why the flexure 3 is provided only on one side edge of the tie bar 1 is to take into consideration the workability at the time of attachment to the load beam.
The flexure supply member 4 having such a configuration is manufactured by performing an etching or punching process on a springy metal.

FIGS. 2 and 3 show the deformation of the connecting portion 2 in the first embodiment of the present invention. In the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the connecting portion 2 is twisted using a tool (not shown) so that the surface of the flexure 3 is different from the surface of the tie bar 1 by 90 degrees. As a result, the flexures 3 are arranged so as to overlap each other at a predetermined distance pitch in the thickness direction.

FIG. 3 is a view for explaining the operation of attaching the flexure to the load beam. As shown in FIG. 3, the flexure supply member 4 is arranged so that the tie bar 1 is vertical, and the connecting portion 2 is twisted so that the two surfaces of the flexure 3 face upward and downward, respectively.

On the other hand, in a state where the load beams 5 are connected by tie bars, a mount plate 6 is fixed to the lower surface of the end opposite to the end to which the flexure 3 is attached, and is sent in the horizontal direction.

Therefore, the feed of the flexure 3 and the feed of the load beam 5 are performed in a direction orthogonal to each other by a feed mechanism (not shown). The flexure 3 is attached.

FIGS. 4 and 5 show a modified shape of the connecting portion 2 according to the second embodiment of the present invention. In the second embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, the connecting portion 2 is bent using a tool (not shown) so that the surface of the flexure 3 is different from the surface of the tie bar 1 by 90 degrees. In the case of the drawing, if every other flexure 3 pitch is the same as the load beam pitch, every other flexure 3 is distributed to one side of the tie bar 1 and the other side to connect the flexure 3 to the other side. It is bent at the base of 2. Thus, the flexures 3 are arranged so as to belong to the same plane even if they are divided on both sides of the tie bar 1.

Then, as shown in FIG.
Is attached to the load beam 5. In this case, flexure 3
Are parallel to the surface of the load beam 5, that is, the surface of the tie bar 1 is perpendicular to the surface of the load beam 5. When the flexure 3 is positioned at a position where the flexure 3 overlaps with the load beam 5, all the flexures 3 on one side of one tie bar 1 overlap with the load beam 5. For this reason, the feed direction of the flexure 3 and the feed direction of the load beam 5 become the same. Therefore,
The flexure 3 and the load beam 5 are sent by a feed mechanism (not shown), and the flexure 3 is attached to the load beam 5 by a bonding device (not shown) by a method such as laser bonding.

FIGS. 6 and 7 show a deformed shape of the connection structure between flexures according to the third embodiment of the present invention. In the third embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, the tie bars 1 are warped in the width direction while maintaining a flat state in the thickness direction so that the flexures 3 are radially arranged at a predetermined equiangular pitch. I do. To this end, the tie bar 1 is guided so that one side in the width direction is extended and the other side is compressed while the flexure supply member 4 is being fed.

Then, as shown in FIG.
Is attached to the load beam 5. In this case, the flexure supply member 4 is fed while being rotated about a predetermined point, and is overlapped with the load beam 5 when the flexure 3 reaches in the radial direction of the rotation center. That is, although the load beam 5 moves in parallel, the flexure 3 makes a rotational movement, so that only one point overlaps the two. When they overlap, the flexure 3 is attached to the load beam 5 by a bonding device (not shown) by a method such as laser bonding.

[0021]

As described above, according to the present invention, when a suspension tip element, that is, a flexure or a load beam having a flexure structure is attached to a suspension rear end element, that is, a load beam or a mount plate, the suspension tip element is deformed and attached. There is no need to adjust the layout pitch of the suspension tip element to the pitch of the load beam or mount plate, and a higher density pitch can be achieved. For this reason, the number of products per material area of the suspension tip element can be increased, and as a result, it is possible to contribute to a reduction in manufacturing cost of the magnetic head suspension.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory view showing a flexure supply member including a flexure as an example of a suspension tip element used in the present invention and a tie bar connecting the flexure.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a deformation state of a connecting portion 2 between the flexure and the load beam according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of a joining operation between the flexure and the load beam according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a deformation state of a connection portion 2 between a flexure and a load beam according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of a joining operation between a flexure and a load beam according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing a deformation state of a connection portion 2 between a flexure and a load beam according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of a joining operation between a flexure and a load beam according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory view showing an exploded view of the structure of a conventional suspension for a magnetic head.

FIG. 9 is an explanatory view showing a joining operation between a suspension front end element and a suspension rear end element in a conventional magnetic head suspension in which a flexure and a load beam are integrated.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1, 1A, 1B Tie bar 2 Connecting part 3 Flexure 4 Flexure supply member 11 Mount plate 12 Actuator arm 21 Load beam 22 Flexure 23 Slider 24 Lead wire 25 Support fork

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A method of assembling a magnetic head suspension having elements that function as a flexure, a load beam, and a mount plate and configured to support a magnetic head, wherein the suspensions are connected at predetermined pitches by tie bars. A suspension tip element including the flexure is prepared, a joint between the tie bar and the suspension tip element, or the tie bar is deformed to change a direction of a surface of the suspension tip element with respect to a surface of the tie bar. A method of assembling a suspension for a magnetic head, comprising: fixing an element to the load beam or the mount plate; and separating the suspension tip element from the tie bar. 2. The method of assembling a suspension for a magnetic head according to claim 1, wherein the direction of the suspension tip element with respect to the tie bar is set such that the surface of the suspension tip element is centered on the longitudinal direction of the suspension tie bar. A method for assembling a suspension for a magnetic head, wherein the suspension is changed to a state in which it is twisted at a desired angle. 3. The method of assembling a suspension for a magnetic head according to claim 1, wherein the direction of the suspension tip element with respect to the tie bar is adjusted to a position at which the surface of the suspension tip element forms a desired angle with the surface of the tie bar. A method of assembling a magnetic head suspension that bends to change. 4. The method of assembling a magnetic head suspension according to claim 1, wherein the tie bar is deformed so that the suspension tip elements radially expand at a predetermined angle pitch with each other, and the tie bar and the suspension tip element are fixed. A method for assembling a suspension for a magnetic head, comprising: sequentially feeding the suspension tip element to the load beam or the mount plate; and separating the suspension tip element from the tie bar.