# US 11,900,973 B2 · Disk drive suspension including a damper material attached to a load beam and to an outrigger of a flexure

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 11,900,973 B2
- Document ID: US11900973B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 18/083,791
- Filed: 2022-12-19
- Published: 2023-06-22
- Granted: 2024-02-13
- Earliest claimed: 2021-12-20
- Assignees: NHK Spring Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Nhk Spring Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Hiroshi Nakayama; Masao Hanya; Tatsuhiko Nishida
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11900973B2

## CPC

- 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 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 33/08: Insulation or absorption of undesired vibrations or sounds
- 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

According to an embodiment, a disk drive suspension includes a load beam, a flexure including a tongue on which a slider is mounted and an outrigger connected to the tongue, and overlapping the load beam, and a damper material attached to the load beam and the outrigger. Further, the damper material has a single-layer structure of a viscoelastic material.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A disk drive suspension comprising:
a load beam;
a flexure comprising a tongue on which a slider is to be mounted, and an outrigger connected to the tongue, the flexure overlapping the load beam; and
a damper material attached to the load beam and the outrigger,
wherein:
the damper material has a single-layer structure of a viscoelastic material,
the load beam comprises a first surface and a second surface on an opposite side of the first surface,
the outrigger comprises a third surface at least partially facing the second surface, a fourth surface on an opposite side of the third surface, and a side surface connecting the third surface and the fourth surface, and
the damper material is attached to each of the second surface, the fourth surface and the side surface.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The disk drive suspension of claim 1, wherein:
the second surface includes a curved surface formed in an edge portion of the load beam, and
the damper material is attached to the curved surface.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The disk drive suspension of claim 2, wherein the damper material is provided at a position at which the outrigger and the edge portion intersect as seen in plan view.

### Claim 4

A disk drive suspension comprising:
a load beam;
a flexure comprising a tongue on which a slider is to be mounted, and an outrigger connected to the tongue, the flexure overlapping the load beam; and
a damper material attached to the load beam and the outrigger,
wherein:
the damper material has a single-layer structure of a viscoelastic material,
the flexure comprises a distal end portion secured to the load beam, and
the damper material is attached to the outrigger and the distal end portion, and is also attached to, of the load beam, an area located between the outrigger and the distal end portion as seen in plan view.

### Claim 5

A disk drive suspension comprising:
a load beam;
a flexure comprising a tongue on which a slider is to be mounted, and an outrigger connected to the tongue, the flexure overlapping the load beam; and
a damper material attached to the load beam and the outrigger,
wherein:
the damper material has a single-layer structure of a viscoelastic material,
the damper material comprises a fifth surface attached to the load beam and the outrigger, and a sixth surface on an opposite side of the fifth surface, and
the sixth surface is exposed to atmosphere around the damper material.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The disk drive suspension of claim 1, wherein:
a gap is formed between the outrigger and the load beam at least in part of an area in which the load beam, the outrigger and the damper material overlap each other.

### Claim 7 (depends on 5)

The disk drive suspension of claim 5, wherein:
the load beam comprises a first surface, and a second surface on an opposite side of the first surface,
the outrigger comprises a third surface at least partially facing the second surface, and a fourth surface on an opposite side of the third surface, and
the damper material is attached to each of the first surface and the third surface.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The disk drive suspension of claim 7, wherein:
the load beam comprises an aperture which penetrates between the first surface and the second surface, and
the damper material is attached to the third surface through the aperture.