# US 11,308,982 B1 · Curved outer gimbal strut > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,308,982 B1 - Document ID: US11308982B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 17/332,690 - Filed: 2021-05-27 - Granted: 2022-04-19 - Earliest claimed: 2020-12-18 - Assignees: Seagate Technology LLC - Applicants: Seagate Technology LLC - Inventors: Mark Pallay - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11308982B1 ## CPC - G11B 5/4826: {Mounting, aligning or attachment of the transducer head relative to the arm assembly, e.g. slider holding members, gimbals, adhesive (G11B5/484 takes precedence; details of head housings or structures G11B5/10, G11B5/127; adjustment relative to the record carrier G11B5/56)} - G11B 5/4833: {Structure of the arm assembly, e.g. load beams, flexures, parts of the arm adapted for controlling vertical force on the head (G11B5/484 takes precedence)} - G11B: INFORMATION STORAGE BASED ON RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN RECORD CARRIER AND TRANSDUCER (recording measured values in a way that does not require playback through a transducer G01D9/00; recording or playback apparatus using mechanically marked tape, e.g. punched paper tape, or using unit records, e.g. punched or magnetically marked cards G06K; transferring data from one type of record carrier to another G06K1/18; circuits for coupling output of reproducer to radio receiver H04B1/20; gramophone pick-ups or like acoustic electromechanical transducers or circuits therefor H04R) ## Abstract A head gimbal assembly for supporting a disk drive includes a slider, a load beam, a ring gimbal affixed to the load beam, and a flexure. The gimbal includes a curved outer gimbal strut comprising a protrusion located between a first straight section of the curved outer gimbal strut and a second straight section of the curved outer gimbal strut. The flexure includes a first end extending along the load beam through a center region of a longitudinal axis of the head gimbal assembly and second end that includes a plurality of bond pads electrically coupled to the slider. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A head gimbal assembly for a hard disk drive, the head gimbal assembly comprising: a slider; a load beam; and a gimbal affixed to the load beam, the gimbal comprising: a connector region configured to couple the gimbal to the load beam at a distal end of the load beam; a central tongue region, wherein the slider is coupled to the central tongue region of the gimbal; a microactuator; an inner gimbal strut located at a proximal end of the load beam; and a curved outer gimbal strut comprising an outer gimbal portion coupled to the inner gimbal strut and which lies outside the central tongue region, the outer gimbal portion including a protrusion; and an inner gimbal block disposed between the outer gimbal portion and the microactuator, wherein the inner gimbal strut is coupled to the curved outer gimbal strut adjacent to the inner gimbal block. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The head gimbal assembly of claim 1, wherein the outer gimbal portion comprises: a first straight section; and a second straight section, wherein the protrusion is located between the first straight section and the second straight section. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The head gimbal assembly of claim 2, wherein the curved outer gimbal strut includes a straight outer gimbal portion that couples the outer gimbal portion to the connector region. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The head gimbal assembly of claim 3, wherein the outer gimbal portion comprises an inner edge and an outer edge, wherein the inner edge is parallel to the outer edge in the first straight section and in the second straight section. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The head gimbal assembly of claim 4, wherein a radius of the outer edge of the outer gimbal portion is greater than a radius of the inner edge of the outer gimbal portion in the protrusion. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The head gimbal assembly of claim 4, wherein a distance between an inner edge of the curved outer gimbal strut and an outer edge of the curved outer gimbal strut is constant. ### Claim 7 (depends on 4) The head gimbal assembly of claim 4, wherein the protrusion further comprises a first curved section, a second curved section and a third curved section. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The head gimbal assembly of claim 1, wherein the protrusion is u-shaped. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The head gimbal assembly of claim 1, wherein the protrusion protrudes away from the slider. ### Claim 10 A gimbal for a head gimbal assembly for a hard disk drive, the gimbal comprising: a central tongue region configured to support a slider that includes a writer configured to write data to a magnetic media and a reader configured to read data from the magnetic media; a connector region configured to couple the gimbal to a load beam; a straight inner gimbal strut located at a proximal end of the load beam; a curved outer gimbal strut comprising an outer gimbal portion that is coupled to the inner gimbal strut and which lies outside the central tongue region, the outer gimbal portion including a protrusion; and an inner gimbal block disposed between the outer gimbal portion and a microactuator, wherein the inner gimbal strut is coupled to the curved outer gimbal strut adjacent to the inner gimbal block. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The gimbal of claim 10, wherein the outer gimbal portion comprises: a first straight section; and a second straight section, wherein the protrusion is located between the first straight section and the second straight section. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The gimbal of claim 11, wherein the protrusion further comprises a first curved section, a second curved section and a third curved section. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The gimbal of claim 11, wherein the curved outer gimbal strut includes a straight outer gimbal portion that couples the outer gimbal portion to the connector region. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The gimbal of claim 13, wherein the outer gimbal portion comprises an inner edge and an outer edge, wherein the inner edge is parallel to the outer edge in the first straight section and in the second straight section. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The gimbal of claim 14, wherein a radius of the outer edge of the outer gimbal portion is greater than a radius of the inner edge of the outer gimbal portion in the protrusion. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The gimbal of claim 14, wherein a distance between an inner edge of the curved outer gimbal strut and an outer edge of the curved outer gimbal strut is constant. ### Claim 17 (depends on 10) The gimbal of claim 10, wherein the protrusion is u-shaped. ### Claim 18 (depends on 10) The gimbal of claim 10, wherein the protrusion protrudes away from the slider.