US 12,592,250 B2 · Suspension flexure forming for gimbaling clearance

Abstract

A suspension assembly for a hard disk drive includes a load beam coupled with a corresponding flexure via a centerline weld at a distal portion of the flexure, where the flexure further includes a gimbal portion at least in part formed away from the load beam in proximity to the centerline weld. The gimbal portion may be formed away from the load beam by way of mechanical forming prior to welding to the load beam and/or at least lateral portions may be formed away from the load beam by way of laser irradiation to the flexure subsequent to welding to the load beam. In either case, clearance between the pivoting gimbal flexure and the corresponding load beam around the vicinity of the centerline weld attachment point is enabled, to provide freedom from interference between the parts and stable resonance modes throughout the media load z-height variations.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A hard disk drive (HDD) suspension assembly comprising:

a load beam;
and
a flexure coupled with the load beam via a centerline weld at a longitudinally distal portion of the flexure, the flexure further comprising a gimbal portion connected with the distal portion via a neck portion and in a longitudinally proximal direction from the distal portion, wherein at the neck portion at least part of the gimbal portion of the flexure is permanently deformed vertically away from the load beam at a location proximally adjacent the neck portion and lateral relative to the centerline weld and at which the at least part of the gimbal portion overlaps with the load beam.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Suspension flexure forming for gimbaling clearance

Life of this patent

Suspension flexure forming for gimbaling clearance

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20