WO2010151538A1 - Recessed base plate for data transducer suspension - Google Patents

Recessed base plate for data transducer suspension Download PDF

Info

Publication number
WO2010151538A1
WO2010151538A1 PCT/US2010/039484 US2010039484W WO2010151538A1 WO 2010151538 A1 WO2010151538 A1 WO 2010151538A1 US 2010039484 W US2010039484 W US 2010039484W WO 2010151538 A1 WO2010151538 A1 WO 2010151538A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
structural element
suspension assembly
structural
microactuator
assembly
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Ceased
Application number
PCT/US2010/039484
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Michael Allen Greminger
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Seagate Technology LLC
Original Assignee
Seagate Technology LLC
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Seagate Technology LLC filed Critical Seagate Technology LLC
Priority to JP2012517652A priority Critical patent/JP5615356B2/en
Publication of WO2010151538A1 publication Critical patent/WO2010151538A1/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Ceased legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G11—INFORMATION STORAGE
    • G11B—INFORMATION STORAGE BASED ON RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN RECORD CARRIER AND TRANSDUCER
    • G11B5/00—Recording by magnetisation or demagnetisation of a record carrier; Reproducing by magnetic means; Record carriers therefor
    • G11B5/48—Disposition or mounting of heads or head supports relative to record carriers ; arrangements of heads, e.g. for scanning the record carrier to increase the relative speed
    • G11B5/4806—Disposition or mounting of heads or head supports relative to record carriers ; arrangements of heads, e.g. for scanning the record carrier to increase the relative speed specially adapted for disk drive assemblies, e.g. assembly prior to operation, hard or flexible disk drives
    • G11B5/4833—Structure of the arm assembly, e.g. load beams, flexures, parts of the arm adapted for controlling vertical force on the head
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G11—INFORMATION STORAGE
    • G11B—INFORMATION STORAGE BASED ON RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN RECORD CARRIER AND TRANSDUCER
    • G11B5/00—Recording by magnetisation or demagnetisation of a record carrier; Reproducing by magnetic means; Record carriers therefor
    • G11B5/48—Disposition or mounting of heads or head supports relative to record carriers ; arrangements of heads, e.g. for scanning the record carrier to increase the relative speed
    • G11B5/4806—Disposition or mounting of heads or head supports relative to record carriers ; arrangements of heads, e.g. for scanning the record carrier to increase the relative speed specially adapted for disk drive assemblies, e.g. assembly prior to operation, hard or flexible disk drives
    • G11B5/4873—Disposition or mounting of heads or head supports relative to record carriers ; arrangements of heads, e.g. for scanning the record carrier to increase the relative speed specially adapted for disk drive assemblies, e.g. assembly prior to operation, hard or flexible disk drives the arm comprising piezoelectric or other actuators for adjustment of the arm
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G11—INFORMATION STORAGE
    • G11B—INFORMATION STORAGE BASED ON RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN RECORD CARRIER AND TRANSDUCER
    • G11B5/00—Recording by magnetisation or demagnetisation of a record carrier; Reproducing by magnetic means; Record carriers therefor
    • G11B5/48—Disposition or mounting of heads or head supports relative to record carriers ; arrangements of heads, e.g. for scanning the record carrier to increase the relative speed
    • G11B5/54—Disposition or mounting of heads or head supports relative to record carriers ; arrangements of heads, e.g. for scanning the record carrier to increase the relative speed with provision for moving the head into or out of its operative position or across tracks
    • G11B5/55—Track change, selection or acquisition by displacement of the head
    • G11B5/5521—Track change, selection or acquisition by displacement of the head across disk tracks
    • G11B5/5552—Track change, selection or acquisition by displacement of the head across disk tracks using fine positioning means for track acquisition separate from the coarse (e.g. track changing) positioning means
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G11—INFORMATION STORAGE
    • G11B—INFORMATION STORAGE BASED ON RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN RECORD CARRIER AND TRANSDUCER
    • G11B5/00—Recording by magnetisation or demagnetisation of a record carrier; Reproducing by magnetic means; Record carriers therefor
    • G11B5/48—Disposition or mounting of heads or head supports relative to record carriers ; arrangements of heads, e.g. for scanning the record carrier to increase the relative speed
    • G11B5/58—Disposition or mounting of heads or head supports relative to record carriers ; arrangements of heads, e.g. for scanning the record carrier to increase the relative speed with provision for moving the head for the purpose of maintaining alignment of the head relative to the record carrier during transducing operation, e.g. to compensate for surface irregularities of the latter or for track following
    • G11B5/596—Disposition or mounting of heads or head supports relative to record carriers ; arrangements of heads, e.g. for scanning the record carrier to increase the relative speed with provision for moving the head for the purpose of maintaining alignment of the head relative to the record carrier during transducing operation, e.g. to compensate for surface irregularities of the latter or for track following for track following on disks

Definitions

  • the density of data stored on media in data transducing systems continues to increase, requiring more precise positioning of the transducing head.
  • head positioning is accomplished by operating an actuator arm with a large scale actuation motor, such as a voice coil motor, to position a head on a flexure at the of the suspension arm.
  • the large scale motor lacks sufficient resolution to effectively accommodate high data density.
  • a high resolution head positioning mechanism, or microactuator is advantageous to accommodate the high data density.
  • data transducing systems are developed for diverse applications, including portable electronics for example, it is often desirable to provide a device that has a small vertical thickness.
  • a piezoelectric element and a suspension stiffening element are employed that increase vertical thickness. Increased vertical thickness limits the interconnect options to the piezeoelectric element and also has a negative effect on the shock performance of the device, in addition to increasing the weight and footprint of the device. A design that allows for dual stage actuation with reduced vertical thickness compared to prior dual stage designs would be desirable.
  • the present invention is directed to a suspension assembly for a data transducing system that includes a dual-stage actuation system for positioning a data transducer.
  • a first structural element of the suspension assembly includes a plate portion and a boss tower that is connectable to a main actuator of the dual- stage actuation system.
  • a second structural element of the suspension assembly includes a recess that receives the plate portion of the first structural element, an opening through which the boss tower extends for connection to the main actuator of the dual- stage actuation system, and a flexible region to which a microactuator element of the dual-stage actuation system is connected.
  • the suspension assembly also includes a support structure connected to the flexible region of the second structural element that carries the data transducer, and an electrical circuit connection system for making electrical connections to the data transducer and to the microactuator of the dual-stage actuation system.
  • FIG. 1 is a top view of a suspension assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention used with a first version of a dual stage actuation system.
  • FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the suspension assembly shown in FIG. 1.
  • FIG. 3 is a top perspective view of the suspension assembly shown in FIG. 1.
  • FIG. 4 is a bottom perspective view of the suspension assembly shown in FIG. 1.
  • FIG. 5 is a top view of a suspension assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention used with a second version of a dual stage actuation system.
  • FIG. 6 is a bottom view of the suspension assembly shown in FIG. 5.
  • FIG. 7 is a top perspective view of the suspension assembly shown in FIG. 5.
  • FIG. 8 is a bottom perspective view of the suspension assembly shown in FIG. 5.
  • FIG. 9 is a side view of a suspension assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention, showing its total vertical thickness.
  • FIG. 10 is a side view of a suspension assembly according to another embodiment of the present invention, showing its total vertical thickness.
  • FIG. 11 is a side view of a different suspension assembly, showing its total vertical thickness.
  • FIG. 1 is a top view
  • FIG. 2 is a bottom view
  • FIG. 3 is a top perspective view
  • FIG. 4 is a bottom perspective view, of suspension assembly 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention, used with a first version of a dual stage actuation system.
  • the dual stage actuation system employs a main actuator (not shown) for coarse positioning of data transducer 12 via movement of an actuator arm (not shown) that connects to suspension 10, and also employs microactuator element 14 for fine, higher resolution positioning of data transducer 12.
  • microactuator element 14 is a piezoelectric element that is responsive to electrical signals to move the support assembly that carries data transducer 12, which includes load beam 16 and flexure 18.
  • Data transducer 12 is electrically connected via conductive traces carried by flex circuit 20.
  • the location of transducer 12 on suspension 10 shown in FIG. 1 is just one possible embodiment; for example, transducer 12 could be located further away from load beam 16 on flexure 18 in some embodiments.
  • microactuator element 14 may require stiffener 22 to be employed so that data transducer 12 can be positioned with the required frequency and resonance response needed to effectively read and write data.
  • stiffener 22 In many prior designs, the stiffener and the base plate (for connection to the actuator arm) each had a vertical height of 5 milli-inches (mils) or more, so that the total vertical height of the suspension assembly would be well over 10 mils. In some applications, this results in a stiff ener-to-media clearance that is quite small, resulting in poor shock resistance performance, and limiting the options for electrical interconnection to the microactuator element.
  • suspension assembly 10 employs stiffener 22 having recess 24, within which base plate 26 is located.
  • Boss tower 28 extends through opening 30 in stiffener 22 for connection to the actuator arm in a conventional manner, although boss tower 28 has more vertical height than in prior designs because it extends through stiffener 22.
  • Stiffener 22 may include asymmetrical mounting tabs for connection to symmetrically located microactuator element 14.
  • base plate 26 and microactuator element 14 are both located proximate the same side of stiffener 22 (opposite the actuator arm), in recessed areas of stiffener 22.
  • This configuration reduces the vertical height of suspension assembly 10, and also reduces the total weight of suspension assembly due to the removal of material from stiffener 22, with only a minimal penalty in the resonance performance of suspension assembly 10 (which is compensated for by the use of microactuator element 14 to achieve fine positioning with high frequency performance).
  • the reduced vertical height and weight of suspension assembly 10 improves the shock resistance of the device.
  • Base plate 26 is shown having a generally circular shape, which minimizes the total area of base plate 26 and of generally corresponding recess 24 in stiffener 22 for receiving base plate 26.
  • base plate 26 may have other shapes and sizes (such as polygons, ovals, etc.), and recess 24 in stiffener 22 may have a shape and size which generally corresponds to the shape and size of base plate 26.
  • Other variations in the relationship between the shape and size of base plate 26 and recess 24 in stiffener 22 are contemplated by the present invention as well.
  • FIG. 5 is a top view
  • FIG. 6 is a bottom view
  • FIG. 7 is a top perspective view
  • FIGS. 5-8 is a bottom perspective view, of suspension assembly 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention, used with a second version of a dual stage actuation system.
  • the system shown in FIGS. 5-8 is nearly identical to the system shown in FIGS. 1-4, except that dual microactuator elements 14a and 14b (FIGS. 5-8) are used in place of microactuator element 14 shown in FIGS. 1-4.
  • Stiffener 22a (FIGS. 5-8) is a reconfigured version of stiffener 22 shown in FIGS. 1-4 to account for the use of dual microactuator elements 14a and 14b.
  • microactuator element 14 in FIGS. 1-4 was shown as being located in a recessed portion of stiffener 22, microactuator elements 14a and 14b in FIGS. 5-8 are located proximate the side opposite data transducer 12 of stiffener 22a. In other embodiments, more than two microactuator elements may be used.
  • FIGS. 9 and 10 are side views of suspension assembly 10 according to embodiments of the present invention
  • FIG. 11 is a side view of a non-recessed base plate suspension assembly, showing the total vertical thickness of both assemblies for purposes of comparison.
  • Vertical thickness is measured from a high point where the actuator arm attaches to the suspension, to a low point at the interface between the stiffener and load beam (with the lowest component typically being the flex circuit), shown in FIGS. 9-11 as T Vert -
  • the configuration shown in FIG. 9 employs microactuator element 14 on the bottom of a recessed portion of stiffener 22, while the configuration shown in FIG. 10 employs microactuator element 14 on top of stiffener 22.
  • suspension assembly 10 allows the total vertical thickness TV ert of suspension assembly 10 to be reduced to less than 10 mils.
  • suspension assembly 10 as shown in FIG. 9, has a total vertical thickness T Vert of about 8.5 mils.
  • suspension assembly 10 (FIG. 9) includes stiffener 22 (5.9 mils), base plate 26 (5 mils), load beam 16 (1 mil), and flex circuit 20 (1.6 mils).
  • Flex circuit 20 includes a stainless steel layer (0.7 mils), a polyimide layer (0.4 mils), and a copper layer (0.5 mils).
  • the vertical thickness of suspension assembly 10 is composed of stiffener 22, load beam 16, and flex circuit 20; base plate 26 does not add to the vertical thickness because it is located in recess 24 of stiffener 22.
  • the non- recessed base plate suspension assembly shown in FIG. 11 has a total vertical thickness Tv ert of about 12.6 mils.
  • the non-recessed base plate suspension assembly shown in FIG. 11 includes stiffener 122 (5 mils), base plate 126 (5 mils), load beam 116 (1 mil), and flex circuit 120 (1.6 mils). In this assembly, base plate 126 and stiffener 122 both add to the total vertical thickness.
  • Stiffener 22 shown in FIGS. 9 and 10 is thicker than stiffener 122 shown in FIG. 11 (e.g., by 0.9 mils). This additional thickness is provided to improve the resonance performance of suspension assembly 10, resulting in only a small reduction in resonance performance for the configuration shown in FIGS. 9 and 10 compared to the configuration shown in FIG. 11.
  • flex circuit 20 may be moved to the top of stiffener 22 in the region adjacent base plate 26. In this configuration, flex circuit 20 passes through an opening in stiffener 22 or load beam 16 to reach the bottom of load beam 16 where the data transducer is carried. This configuration results in a lower vertical thickness component from stiffener 22 to the media (which in many systems is the dimension of interest for shock resistance), although its assembly is slightly more complex.
  • stiffener 22 and base plate 26 are both composed of stainless steel. Base plate 26 is typically formed by a stamping process, while stiffener 22 (and specifically, recess 24 in stiffener 22) is formed by a process such as etching.
  • Boss tower 28 is typically connected to the actuator arm by a process such as swaging, as is known in the art.
  • Base plate 26 may be attached to stiffener 22 in a number of ways, including by laser welding, conductive adhesive, or other attachment methods generally known in the art.

Landscapes

  • Supporting Of Heads In Record-Carrier Devices (AREA)
  • Moving Of The Head To Find And Align With The Track (AREA)

Abstract

A suspension assembly with reduced total vertical thickness is provided for a data transducing system that includes a dual-stage actuation system for positioning a data transducer. A first structural element of the suspension assembly includes a plate portion and a boss tower that is connectable to a main actuator of the dual-stage actuation system. A second structural element of the suspension assembly includes a recess that receives the plate portion of the first structural element, an opening through which the boss tower extends for connection to the main actuator of the dual-stage actuation system, and a flexible region to which a microactuator element of the dual-stage actuation system is connected. The suspension assembly also includes a support structure connected to the flexible region of the second structural element that carries the data transducer, and an electrical circuit connection system for making electrical connections to the data transducer and to the microactuator of the dual-stage actuation system.

Description

RECESSED BASE PLATE FOR DATA TRANSDUCER SUSPENSION
BACKGROUND
The density of data stored on media in data transducing systems continues to increase, requiring more precise positioning of the transducing head. Conventionally, in many systems, head positioning is accomplished by operating an actuator arm with a large scale actuation motor, such as a voice coil motor, to position a head on a flexure at the of the suspension arm. The large scale motor lacks sufficient resolution to effectively accommodate high data density. A high resolution head positioning mechanism, or microactuator, is advantageous to accommodate the high data density. As data transducing systems are developed for diverse applications, including portable electronics for example, it is often desirable to provide a device that has a small vertical thickness. However, for dual stage systems that include a large scale actuation motor and a suspension-level microactuator, a piezoelectric element and a suspension stiffening element are employed that increase vertical thickness. Increased vertical thickness limits the interconnect options to the piezeoelectric element and also has a negative effect on the shock performance of the device, in addition to increasing the weight and footprint of the device. A design that allows for dual stage actuation with reduced vertical thickness compared to prior dual stage designs would be desirable.
SUMMARY The present invention is directed to a suspension assembly for a data transducing system that includes a dual-stage actuation system for positioning a data transducer. A first structural element of the suspension assembly includes a plate portion and a boss tower that is connectable to a main actuator of the dual- stage actuation system. A second structural element of the suspension assembly includes a recess that receives the plate portion of the first structural element, an opening through which the boss tower extends for connection to the main actuator of the dual- stage actuation system, and a flexible region to which a microactuator element of the dual-stage actuation system is connected. The suspension assembly also includes a support structure connected to the flexible region of the second structural element that carries the data transducer, and an electrical circuit connection system for making electrical connections to the data transducer and to the microactuator of the dual-stage actuation system.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a top view of a suspension assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention used with a first version of a dual stage actuation system. FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the suspension assembly shown in FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is a top perspective view of the suspension assembly shown in FIG. 1.
FIG. 4 is a bottom perspective view of the suspension assembly shown in FIG. 1.
FIG. 5 is a top view of a suspension assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention used with a second version of a dual stage actuation system.
FIG. 6 is a bottom view of the suspension assembly shown in FIG. 5.
FIG. 7 is a top perspective view of the suspension assembly shown in FIG. 5.
FIG. 8 is a bottom perspective view of the suspension assembly shown in FIG. 5.
FIG. 9 is a side view of a suspension assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention, showing its total vertical thickness.
FIG. 10 is a side view of a suspension assembly according to another embodiment of the present invention, showing its total vertical thickness.
FIG. 11 is a side view of a different suspension assembly, showing its total vertical thickness. DETAILED DESCRIPTION
FIG. 1 is a top view, FIG. 2 is a bottom view, FIG. 3 is a top perspective view, and FIG. 4 is a bottom perspective view, of suspension assembly 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention, used with a first version of a dual stage actuation system. The dual stage actuation system employs a main actuator (not shown) for coarse positioning of data transducer 12 via movement of an actuator arm (not shown) that connects to suspension 10, and also employs microactuator element 14 for fine, higher resolution positioning of data transducer 12. In the example shown in FIGS. 1-4, microactuator element 14 is a piezoelectric element that is responsive to electrical signals to move the support assembly that carries data transducer 12, which includes load beam 16 and flexure 18. Data transducer 12 is electrically connected via conductive traces carried by flex circuit 20. The location of transducer 12 on suspension 10 shown in FIG. 1 is just one possible embodiment; for example, transducer 12 could be located further away from load beam 16 on flexure 18 in some embodiments.
The use of microactuator element 14 may require stiffener 22 to be employed so that data transducer 12 can be positioned with the required frequency and resonance response needed to effectively read and write data. In many prior designs, the stiffener and the base plate (for connection to the actuator arm) each had a vertical height of 5 milli-inches (mils) or more, so that the total vertical height of the suspension assembly would be well over 10 mils. In some applications, this results in a stiff ener-to-media clearance that is quite small, resulting in poor shock resistance performance, and limiting the options for electrical interconnection to the microactuator element.
As shown in FIGS. 1-4, suspension assembly 10 employs stiffener 22 having recess 24, within which base plate 26 is located. Boss tower 28 extends through opening 30 in stiffener 22 for connection to the actuator arm in a conventional manner, although boss tower 28 has more vertical height than in prior designs because it extends through stiffener 22. Stiffener 22 may include asymmetrical mounting tabs for connection to symmetrically located microactuator element 14.
In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-4, base plate 26 and microactuator element 14 are both located proximate the same side of stiffener 22 (opposite the actuator arm), in recessed areas of stiffener 22. This configuration reduces the vertical height of suspension assembly 10, and also reduces the total weight of suspension assembly due to the removal of material from stiffener 22, with only a minimal penalty in the resonance performance of suspension assembly 10 (which is compensated for by the use of microactuator element 14 to achieve fine positioning with high frequency performance). The reduced vertical height and weight of suspension assembly 10 improves the shock resistance of the device.
Base plate 26 is shown having a generally circular shape, which minimizes the total area of base plate 26 and of generally corresponding recess 24 in stiffener 22 for receiving base plate 26. In other embodiments, base plate 26 may have other shapes and sizes (such as polygons, ovals, etc.), and recess 24 in stiffener 22 may have a shape and size which generally corresponds to the shape and size of base plate 26. Other variations in the relationship between the shape and size of base plate 26 and recess 24 in stiffener 22 are contemplated by the present invention as well. FIG. 5 is a top view, FIG. 6 is a bottom view, FIG. 7 is a top perspective view, and FIG. 8 is a bottom perspective view, of suspension assembly 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention, used with a second version of a dual stage actuation system. The system shown in FIGS. 5-8 is nearly identical to the system shown in FIGS. 1-4, except that dual microactuator elements 14a and 14b (FIGS. 5-8) are used in place of microactuator element 14 shown in FIGS. 1-4. Stiffener 22a (FIGS. 5-8) is a reconfigured version of stiffener 22 shown in FIGS. 1-4 to account for the use of dual microactuator elements 14a and 14b. In addition, while microactuator element 14 in FIGS. 1-4 was shown as being located in a recessed portion of stiffener 22, microactuator elements 14a and 14b in FIGS. 5-8 are located proximate the side opposite data transducer 12 of stiffener 22a. In other embodiments, more than two microactuator elements may be used.
FIGS. 9 and 10 are side views of suspension assembly 10 according to embodiments of the present invention, and FIG. 11 is a side view of a non-recessed base plate suspension assembly, showing the total vertical thickness of both assemblies for purposes of comparison. Vertical thickness is measured from a high point where the actuator arm attaches to the suspension, to a low point at the interface between the stiffener and load beam (with the lowest component typically being the flex circuit), shown in FIGS. 9-11 as TVert- The configuration shown in FIG. 9 employs microactuator element 14 on the bottom of a recessed portion of stiffener 22, while the configuration shown in FIG. 10 employs microactuator element 14 on top of stiffener 22. The configuration shown in FIG. 9 allows the total vertical thickness TVert of suspension assembly 10 to be reduced to less than 10 mils. For example, suspension assembly 10, as shown in FIG. 9, has a total vertical thickness TVert of about 8.5 mils. Specifically, suspension assembly 10 (FIG. 9) includes stiffener 22 (5.9 mils), base plate 26 (5 mils), load beam 16 (1 mil), and flex circuit 20 (1.6 mils). Flex circuit 20 includes a stainless steel layer (0.7 mils), a polyimide layer (0.4 mils), and a copper layer (0.5 mils). The vertical thickness of suspension assembly 10 is composed of stiffener 22, load beam 16, and flex circuit 20; base plate 26 does not add to the vertical thickness because it is located in recess 24 of stiffener 22. The configuration of suspension assembly 10 shown in FIG. 10 has also has a low vertical thickness TVert-suspension-Region (less than 10 mils) in the region near boss tower 28, due to base plate 26 being located in recess 24 of stiffener 22. The vertical thickness Tvert in the region where microactuator 14 is attached to stiffener 22 is greater than in the configuration shown in FIG. 9, but vertical thickness is a less important parameter in that region of suspension 10, and the greater vertical thickness in that region is acceptable in many applications. In comparison, the non- recessed base plate suspension assembly shown in FIG. 11 has a total vertical thickness Tvert of about 12.6 mils. The non-recessed base plate suspension assembly shown in FIG. 11 includes stiffener 122 (5 mils), base plate 126 (5 mils), load beam 116 (1 mil), and flex circuit 120 (1.6 mils). In this assembly, base plate 126 and stiffener 122 both add to the total vertical thickness.
Stiffener 22 shown in FIGS. 9 and 10 is thicker than stiffener 122 shown in FIG. 11 (e.g., by 0.9 mils). This additional thickness is provided to improve the resonance performance of suspension assembly 10, resulting in only a small reduction in resonance performance for the configuration shown in FIGS. 9 and 10 compared to the configuration shown in FIG. 11.
In an alternative embodiment of suspension assembly shown in FIG. 9, flex circuit 20 may be moved to the top of stiffener 22 in the region adjacent base plate 26. In this configuration, flex circuit 20 passes through an opening in stiffener 22 or load beam 16 to reach the bottom of load beam 16 where the data transducer is carried. This configuration results in a lower vertical thickness component from stiffener 22 to the media (which in many systems is the dimension of interest for shock resistance), although its assembly is slightly more complex. In exemplary embodiments of the configurations of suspension assembly 10 described herein, stiffener 22 and base plate 26 are both composed of stainless steel. Base plate 26 is typically formed by a stamping process, while stiffener 22 (and specifically, recess 24 in stiffener 22) is formed by a process such as etching. Boss tower 28 is typically connected to the actuator arm by a process such as swaging, as is known in the art. Base plate 26 may be attached to stiffener 22 in a number of ways, including by laser welding, conductive adhesive, or other attachment methods generally known in the art.
While the invention has been described with reference to an exemplary embodiment(s), it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the invention. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the invention without departing from the essential scope thereof. Components referred to as being on "top," "above," on "bottom" or "below" are only used for clarification, and other designs that change these relative positions are also part of the present invention. Therefore, it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiment(s) disclosed, but that the invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

CLAIMS:
1. A suspension assembly that includes a dual-stage actuation system for positioning a data transducer, the suspension assembly comprising: a first structural element comprising: a plate portion; and a boss tower that is connectable to a main actuator of the dual- stage actuation system; a second structural element comprising: a recess that receives the plate portion of the first structural element; an opening through which the boss tower extends; and a flexible region to which a microactuator element of the dual- stage actuation system is connected; a support structure connected to the flexible region of the second structural element that carries the data transducer; and an electrical circuit connection system for making electrical connections to the data transducer and to the microactuator of the dual-stage actuation system.
2. The suspension assembly of claim 1, wherein the boss tower is connectable to the main actuator of the dual-stage actuation system on a first side of the suspension assembly, and the recess in the second structural element that receives the plate portion of the first structural element is located on a second side of the suspension assembly opposite the first side.
3. The suspension assembly of claim 1, wherein the support structure includes a load beam connected to the flexible region of the second structural element and a flexure connected to the load beam that carries the data transducer.
4. The suspension assembly of claim 1, wherein the plate portion of the first structural element has a circular outer perimeter shape.
5. The suspension assembly of claim 1, wherein the first structural element and the second structural element are composed of stainless steel.
6. The suspension assembly of claim 1, wherein a total vertical thickness of the suspension assembly in a region where the second structural element connects to the support structure is less than 10 milli-inches.
7. The suspension assembly of claim 1, wherein the recess in the second structural element is an etched portion of the second structural element.
8. The suspension assembly of claim 1, wherein the microactuator element comprises at least one piezoelectric element.
9. The suspension assembly of claim 8, wherein the microactuator element comprises two piezoelectric elements.
10. The suspension assembly of claim 1, wherein the second structural element has a greater vertical thickness than the plate portion of the first structural element.
11. A structural assembly for connecting a main actuator portion to a microactuator portion, the structural assembly comprising: a first structural element comprising: a plate portion; and a boss tower that is connectable to the main actuator portion; and a second structural element comprising: a recess that receives the plate portion of the first structural element; an opening through which the boss tower extends for connection to the main actuator portion; and a flexible region to which the microactuator portion is connected.
12. The structural assembly of claim 11, wherein the boss tower is connectable to the main actuator portion on a first side of the structural assembly, and the recess in the second structural element that receives the plate portion of the first structural element is located on a second side of the structural assembly opposite the first side.
13. The structural assembly of claim 11, wherein the microactuator portion comprises: at least one microactuator element connected to the flexible region of the second structural element; a load beam connected to the flexible region of the second structural element; a flexure connected to the load beam; and a data transducer carried by the flexure.
14. The structural assembly of claim 13, wherein the at least one microactuator element comprises at least one piezoelectric element.
15. The structural assembly of claim 11, wherein the plate portion of the first structural element has a circular outer perimeter shape.
16. The structural assembly of claim 11, wherein the recess in the second structural element is an etched portion of the second structural element.
17. The structural assembly of claim 11, wherein the first structural element and the second structural element are composed of stainless steel.
18. The structural assembly of claim 11, wherein the second structural element has a greater vertical thickness than the plate portion of the first structural element.
19. A suspension assembly that includes a dual-stage actuation system for positioning a data transducer, the suspension assembly comprising: a first structural element comprising: a circular plate portion; and a circular boss tower that is connectable to a main actuator of the dual-stage actuation system; a second structural element comprising: a recess with a circular shape that receives the circular plate portion of the first structural element; a circular opening through which the circular boss tower extends; and a flexible region to which at least two microactuator elements of the dual- stage actuation system are connected; a support structure connected to the flexible region of the second structural element that carries the data transducer; and a flexible electrical circuit connection system for making electrical connections to the data transducer and to the at least two microactuator elements of the dual-stage actuation system.
20. The suspension assembly of claim 19, wherein the at least two microactuator elements comprise at least two piezoelectric elements.
PCT/US2010/039484 2009-06-25 2010-06-22 Recessed base plate for data transducer suspension Ceased WO2010151538A1 (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
JP2012517652A JP5615356B2 (en) 2009-06-25 2010-06-22 Recessed base plate for data transducer suspension

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US12/491,951 US8254062B2 (en) 2008-10-20 2009-06-25 Recessed base plate for data transducer suspension
US12/491,951 2009-06-25

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO2010151538A1 true WO2010151538A1 (en) 2010-12-29

Family

ID=42731954

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/US2010/039484 Ceased WO2010151538A1 (en) 2009-06-25 2010-06-22 Recessed base plate for data transducer suspension

Country Status (3)

Country Link
US (1) US8254062B2 (en)
JP (1) JP5615356B2 (en)
WO (1) WO2010151538A1 (en)

Families Citing this family (30)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JP3222120B2 (en) 1991-09-05 2001-10-22 ヤマハ発動機株式会社 Bicycle with electric motor
JP3141342B2 (en) 1995-11-13 2001-03-05 本田技研工業株式会社 Electric assisted bicycle
JP3067098B2 (en) 1997-06-09 2000-07-17 ヤマハ発動機株式会社 Bicycle with electric motor
JP2973109B2 (en) 1998-05-25 1999-11-08 本田技研工業株式会社 Bicycle with drive assist device
JP2010225247A (en) * 2009-03-25 2010-10-07 Hitachi High-Technologies Corp Magnetic head positioning device, magnetic head inspection device, and magnetic disk inspection device
US8885299B1 (en) 2010-05-24 2014-11-11 Hutchinson Technology Incorporated Low resistance ground joints for dual stage actuation disk drive suspensions
US8570688B1 (en) * 2010-11-08 2013-10-29 Magnecomp Corporation Electrical connections to a microactuator in a hard disk drive suspension
US8498082B1 (en) 2011-03-23 2013-07-30 Magnecomp Corporation DSA suspension with improved microactuator stroke length
US8310790B1 (en) 2011-06-11 2012-11-13 Nhk Spring Co., Ltd Remote drive rotary head dual stage actuator
WO2013138619A1 (en) 2012-03-16 2013-09-19 Hutchinson Technology Incorporated Mid-loadbeam dual stage actuated (dsa) disk drive head suspension
US8730621B2 (en) 2012-07-09 2014-05-20 Seagate Technology Llc Solder ball bridge, and methods of making
WO2014035591A1 (en) 2012-08-31 2014-03-06 Hutchinson Technology Incorporated Damped dual stage actuation disk drive suspensions
JP6251745B2 (en) 2012-09-14 2017-12-20 ハッチンソン テクノロジー インコーポレイテッドＨｕｔｃｈｉｎｓｏｎ Ｔｅｃｈｎｏｌｏｇｙ Ｉｎｃｏｒｐｏｒａｔｅｄ Gimbal-type flexible member having two-stage starting structure and suspension
WO2014059128A2 (en) 2012-10-10 2014-04-17 Hutchinson Technology Incorporated Co-located gimbal-based dual stage actuation disk drive suspensions with dampers
US8941951B2 (en) 2012-11-28 2015-01-27 Hutchinson Technology Incorporated Head suspension flexure with integrated strain sensor and sputtered traces
US8891206B2 (en) 2012-12-17 2014-11-18 Hutchinson Technology Incorporated Co-located gimbal-based dual stage actuation disk drive suspensions with motor stiffener
US8896969B1 (en) 2013-05-23 2014-11-25 Hutchinson Technology Incorporated Two-motor co-located gimbal-based dual stage actuation disk drive suspensions with motor stiffeners
US8717712B1 (en) 2013-07-15 2014-05-06 Hutchinson Technology Incorporated Disk drive suspension assembly having a partially flangeless load point dimple
US8896970B1 (en) 2013-12-31 2014-11-25 Hutchinson Technology Incorporated Balanced co-located gimbal-based dual stage actuation disk drive suspensions
US8867173B1 (en) 2014-01-03 2014-10-21 Hutchinson Technology Incorporated Balanced multi-trace transmission in a hard disk drive flexure
US9135936B1 (en) 2014-03-22 2015-09-15 Magnecomp Corporation Microactuated suspension with spring bias acting on conductive adhesive bond for improved reliability
US9070392B1 (en) 2014-12-16 2015-06-30 Hutchinson Technology Incorporated Piezoelectric disk drive suspension motors having plated stiffeners
US9318136B1 (en) 2014-12-22 2016-04-19 Hutchinson Technology Incorporated Multilayer disk drive motors having out-of-plane bending
US9296188B1 (en) 2015-02-17 2016-03-29 Hutchinson Technology Incorporated Partial curing of a microactuator mounting adhesive in a disk drive suspension
CN107735834B (en) 2015-06-30 2019-11-19 哈钦森技术股份有限公司 Disk drive head suspension structure with improved reliability
US9646638B1 (en) 2016-05-12 2017-05-09 Hutchinson Technology Incorporated Co-located gimbal-based DSA disk drive suspension with traces routed around slider pad
US10937452B2 (en) * 2018-04-11 2021-03-02 Magnecomp Corporation Disk drive suspension configured for vertical coupling and windage control
US11227630B2 (en) * 2020-03-19 2022-01-18 Western Digital Technologies, Inc. Swage plate assembly with swage boss insert
US11501797B2 (en) 2020-05-15 2022-11-15 Magnecomp Corporation Actuator joint with non-straight edge
US20220415347A1 (en) * 2021-06-29 2022-12-29 Seagate Technology Llc Low force actuator with a coupler piece and constrained layer construction

Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20010043443A1 (en) * 2000-05-22 2001-11-22 Nhk Spring Co., Ltd. Suspension for disc drive
US6597538B1 (en) * 1999-12-15 2003-07-22 Nhk Spring Co., Ltd. Suspension for disk drive
US6885525B1 (en) * 1999-10-27 2005-04-26 Tdk Corporation Magnetic head positioning mechanism with longitudinal piezo-electric elements
US20090086379A1 (en) * 2007-09-27 2009-04-02 Nhk Spring Co., Ltd. Head suspension and piezoelectric actuator

Family Cites Families (43)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JPS60136978A (en) * 1983-12-26 1985-07-20 Hitachi Ltd Connecting structure of magnetic head support arm
US5225949A (en) * 1992-02-26 1993-07-06 Hewlett-Packard Company Disk drive transducer suspension assembly of reduced thickness
US5805382A (en) * 1996-06-21 1998-09-08 International Business Machines Corporation Integrated conductor magnetic recording head and suspension having cross-over integrated circuits for noise reduction
US6372315B1 (en) * 1998-01-07 2002-04-16 Intri-Plex Technologies, Inc. All-metal base plate having a pronged hub for press-in attachment of a load beam assembly to a head actuator arm of a disk drive
US6063508A (en) * 1998-02-25 2000-05-16 Intri-Plex Technologies, Inc. Swageable base plate with gram load offset and adjustment feature
JP3926043B2 (en) * 1998-08-07 2007-06-06 日本発条株式会社 Manufacturing method of suspension for disk drive
US6252743B1 (en) * 1998-11-02 2001-06-26 Read-Rite Corporation Read/write positioning arm with interspaced amplifier chips
US6160684A (en) * 1998-11-12 2000-12-12 Read-Rite Corporation Head suspension having tabs and force isolation welds for gram load reduction during swaging
US6233124B1 (en) * 1998-11-18 2001-05-15 Seagate Technology Llc Piezoelectric microactuator suspension assembly with improved stroke length
US6215625B1 (en) * 1999-01-04 2001-04-10 Read-Rite Corporation Apparatus and method for adhesive bridge suspension attachment
US6466412B1 (en) * 1999-04-26 2002-10-15 Hutchinson Technology Incorporated Head suspension having tapered processing holes and method for aligning tooling during suspension manufacture
US6501625B1 (en) * 1999-06-29 2002-12-31 Hutchinson Technology Incorporated Disk drive suspension with multi-layered piezoelectric actuator controlled gram load
US6239953B1 (en) * 1999-10-15 2001-05-29 Magnecomp Corp. Microactuated disk drive suspension with heightened stroke sensitivity
JP3744297B2 (en) * 2000-01-21 2006-02-08 東海ゴム工業株式会社 Fluid-filled cylindrical mount and manufacturing method thereof
JP3716164B2 (en) * 2000-02-14 2005-11-16 株式会社日立グローバルストレージテクノロジーズ Head support mechanism
JP2001266517A (en) * 2000-03-24 2001-09-28 Hitachi Ltd Magnetic disk drive
US6404593B1 (en) * 2000-04-05 2002-06-11 Magnecomp Corp. Two-piece load beam mount system
US6469869B1 (en) * 2000-04-14 2002-10-22 Magnecomp Corporation Low mass baseplate for disk drive suspension
US7024754B1 (en) * 2000-10-10 2006-04-11 Maxtor Corporation Method of assembling an actuator assembly of a disk drive and of reducing torque out retention values in subsequent de-swaging
JP4297313B2 (en) * 2000-10-30 2009-07-15 日本発條株式会社 Disk drive suspension
US6728072B1 (en) * 2001-03-06 2004-04-27 Hutchinson Technology, Inc. Intergral base plate with boss tower
WO2002091366A1 (en) * 2001-05-03 2002-11-14 Seagate Technology Llc Attachment and microactuation aids in a liminated suspension
US6894876B1 (en) * 2001-08-01 2005-05-17 Magnecomp Corporation Microactuated suspension with shear transmission of force
US6778362B1 (en) * 2001-08-31 2004-08-17 Hutchinson Technology, Inc. Hinged load beam with torsional spring
US7038888B2 (en) * 2002-07-30 2006-05-02 Seagate Technology Llc Piezo-electric microactuator for dual stage actuator
US7218481B1 (en) * 2002-10-07 2007-05-15 Hutchinson Technology Incorporated Apparatus for insulating and electrically connecting piezoelectric motor in dual stage actuator suspension
US7023667B2 (en) * 2002-10-07 2006-04-04 Hitachi Global Storage Technologies Netherlands B.V. Dual stage suspension with PZT actuators arranged to improve actuation in suspensions of short length
US6961210B2 (en) * 2003-03-28 2005-11-01 Esgw Holdings Limited Data storage device with a low profile spindle motor
US7746600B2 (en) * 2003-04-08 2010-06-29 Seagate Technology Llc Encapsulant for a disc drive component
US6930861B2 (en) * 2003-04-08 2005-08-16 Seagate Technology Llc Encapsulant for microactuator suspension
JP4031401B2 (en) * 2003-08-05 2008-01-09 日本発条株式会社 Disk drive suspension
US7280319B1 (en) * 2005-01-31 2007-10-09 Western Digital Technologies, Inc. Suspension assembly with piezoelectric microactuators electrically connected to a folded flex circuit segment
CN1828727A (en) * 2005-02-28 2006-09-06 新科实业有限公司 Micro-driver and magnetic head tabs combination and disk drive unit thereof
US7663841B2 (en) * 2005-02-28 2010-02-16 Seagate Technology Llc Resonance control features for a head gimbal assembly
JP4346091B2 (en) * 2005-03-31 2009-10-14 日本発條株式会社 Head suspension
US7417830B1 (en) * 2005-08-31 2008-08-26 Magnecomp Corporation Head gimbal assembly with dual-mode piezo microactuator
US7595965B1 (en) * 2005-11-18 2009-09-29 Magnecomp Corporation Single PZT actuator for effecting rotation of head suspension loads
US7719798B2 (en) * 2006-02-14 2010-05-18 Sae Magnetics (H.K.) Ltd. Rotational micro-actuator integrated with suspension of head gimbal assembly, and disk drive unit with the same
US7459835B1 (en) * 2006-03-06 2008-12-02 Magnecomp Corporation Loading-protected bending microactuator in additive suspensions
KR100773739B1 (en) * 2006-07-28 2007-11-09 삼성전자주식회사 Head Gimbal Assembly and Hard Disk Drive with the Same
US8169745B2 (en) * 2007-07-25 2012-05-01 Sae Magnetics (H.K.) Ltd. Head gimbal assembly having balanced weight, and disk drive unit with the same
JP5100589B2 (en) * 2008-09-19 2012-12-19 日本発條株式会社 Head suspension
US8144435B2 (en) * 2008-10-20 2012-03-27 Seagate Technology Llc Cost reduced microactuator suspension

Patent Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US6885525B1 (en) * 1999-10-27 2005-04-26 Tdk Corporation Magnetic head positioning mechanism with longitudinal piezo-electric elements
US6597538B1 (en) * 1999-12-15 2003-07-22 Nhk Spring Co., Ltd. Suspension for disk drive
US20010043443A1 (en) * 2000-05-22 2001-11-22 Nhk Spring Co., Ltd. Suspension for disc drive
US20090086379A1 (en) * 2007-09-27 2009-04-02 Nhk Spring Co., Ltd. Head suspension and piezoelectric actuator

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
US20100097727A1 (en) 2010-04-22
US8254062B2 (en) 2012-08-28
JP2012531696A (en) 2012-12-10
JP5615356B2 (en) 2014-10-29

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
US8254062B2 (en) Recessed base plate for data transducer suspension
US8144435B2 (en) Cost reduced microactuator suspension
CN1685400B (en) Method and apparatus for integrating dual stage microactuator and suspension design for hard disk drive
US6587310B1 (en) Magnetic head suspension with single layer preshaped trace interconnect
US7177119B1 (en) Microactuated head suspension with ring springs
US5864445A (en) Hygrothermal load compensating structures in an integrated lead suspension
US6614627B1 (en) Magnetic disk apparatus
US6262868B1 (en) Method and structures used for connecting recording head signal wires in a microactuator
JP6356682B2 (en) Suspension with two-stage operation structure
US20040181932A1 (en) System and method for manufacturing a hard disk drive suspension flexure and for preventing damage due to electrical arcing
US8699186B1 (en) DSA suspension with mid-load beam mounted dual actuators
US20020080527A1 (en) Multilayer suspension, head gimbal assembly and manufacturing method of head gimbal assembly
KR20000004950A (en) Multipiece intergrated suspension assembly for a magnetic storage system
US9251817B1 (en) Microactuator grounding through oversized via in a disk drive suspension flexure circuit
WO2002069330A1 (en) Head gimbal assembly
US12387752B2 (en) Suspension damping
CN101083083B (en) Flexure for minimizing fly height modulation of disk drive near-contact recording slider
US7209325B2 (en) Suspension damping method with minimum impact on preload stiffness
US9111559B1 (en) Gimbal based DSA suspension with microactuator attached from load beam side of flexure
WO2021183663A1 (en) Low profile suspension design
JPH09153263A (en) Integrated lead suspension
WO2021231953A1 (en) Actuator joint with non-straight edge
JP4106315B2 (en) Low cost head and gimbal assembly
JP2002329378A (en) Suspension and head gimbals assembly having this suspension
US7099118B2 (en) One-piece suspension assembly including interconnect

Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
121 Ep: the epo has been informed by wipo that ep was designated in this application

Ref document number: 10738064

Country of ref document: EP

Kind code of ref document: A1

WWE Wipo information: entry into national phase

Ref document number: 2012517652

Country of ref document: JP

NENP Non-entry into the national phase

Ref country code: DE

122 Ep: pct application non-entry in european phase

Ref document number: 10738064

Country of ref document: EP

Kind code of ref document: A1