Suspension with integral constrained and sandwiched layer damping

A method of manufacturing a vibration dampened disk drive suspension member, comprising:

• forming a laminate structure having first and second primary layers sandwiching an intermediate damping layer that lies between said primary layers;
• said first and second primary layers being made of a structural load bearing material;
• said damping layer being made of a viscoelastic damping material;
• forming one or more integral constrained layer damping elements on said laminate structure, each of said integral damping elements including:
• a constraining layer portion formed by partially etching one or both of said primary layers to a selected depth at a selected location on said laminate structure to define an area of reduced primary layer thickness;
• and
• a constrained damping layer portion provided by an area of said damping layer that lies in interfacial engagement with said constraining layer;
• and
• wherein one of said integral damping elements has a constraining layer portion formed by an area of reduced primary layer thickness that also defines a load beam hinge.

In a disk drive suspension assembly mounting a transducer-carrying slider, said suspension assembly comprising:

• a suspension member formed from a composite laminate structure that includes first and second primary layers sandwiching an intermediate damping layer that lies between said primary layers;
• said first and second primary layers being made of a structural load bearing material;
• said damping layer being made of a viscoelastic damping material;
• one or more integral constrained layer damping elements disposed on said laminate structure, each of said integral damping elements including:
• a constraining layer portion provided by an area of reduced primary layer thickness at a selected location on said laminate structure;
• and
• a constrained damping layer portion provided by an area of said damping layer that lies in interfacial engagement with said constraining layer portion.

In a disk drive suspension assembly mounting a transducer-carrying slider, said suspension assembly comprising:

• a suspension member formed from a composite laminate structure that includes first and second primary layers sandwiching an intermediate damping layer that lies between said primary layers;
• said first and second primary layers being made of a structural load bearing material;
• said damping layer being made of a viscoelastic damping material;
• one or more integral constrained layer damping elements disposed on said laminate structure, each of said integral damping elements including:
• a constraining layer portion provided by an area of reduced primary layer thickness at a selected location on said laminate structure;
• and
• a constrained damping layer portion provided by an area of said damping layer that lies in interfacial engagement with said constraining layer portion;
• and
• wherein one of said integral damping elements has a constraining layer portion provided by an area of reduced primary layer thickness that also defines a load beam hinge.

In a disk drive having a housing, a rotatable magnetic recording medium in the housing, an actuator carrying an actuator arm, a suspension assembly, a slider and a read/write transducer, said suspension assembly comprising:

• a suspension member formed from a composite laminate structure that includes first and second primary layers sandwiching an intermediate damping layer that lies between said primary layers;
• said first and second primary layers being made of a structural load bearing material;
• said damping layer being made of a viscoelastic damping material;
• one or more integral constrained layer damping elements disposed on said laminate structure, each of said integral damping elements including:
• a constraining layer portion provided by an area of reduced primary layer thickness at a selected location on said laminate structure;
• and
• a constrained damping layer portion provided by an area of said damping layer that lies in interfacial engagement with said constraining layer portion.

In a disk drive having a housing, a rotatable magnetic recording medium in the housing, an actuator carrying an actuator arm, a suspension assembly, a slider and a read/write transducer, said suspension assembly comprising:

• a suspension member formed from a composite laminate structure that includes first and second primary layers sandwiching an intermediate damping layer that lies between said primary layers;
• said first and second primary layers being made of a structural load bearing material;
• said damping layer being made of a viscoelastic damping material;
• one or more integral constrained layer damping elements disposed on said laminate structure, each of said integral damping elements including:
• a constraining layer portion provided by an area of reduced primary layer thickness at a selected location on said laminate structure;
• and
• a constrained damping layer portion provided by an area of said damping layer that lies in interfacial engagement with said constraining layer portion;
• and
• wherein one of said integral damping elements has a constraining layer portion provided by an area of reduced primary layer thickness that also defines a load beam hinge.