Snap-in assembly of suspension limiter having both high shock and load/unload cycle capability

A snap-fit disk drive suspension comprising a load beam and a flexure secured to said load beam, said flexure having a tongue opposing said load beam and adapted to carry a slider, a limiter comprising a cooperating slot and tab structure, said structure including the tab carried by said flexure tongue and the slot in said load beam, said structure limiting excursions of said tongue relative to said load beam, said tab being offset from said slot said tab being adapted when deflected to snap into said slot in tongue excursion limiting relation without relative axial displacement of said load beam and flexure.

A snap-fit disk drive suspension comprising a load beam and a flexure secured to said load beam, said flexure having a tongue opposing said load beam and adapted to carry a slider, a limiter comprising a cooperating slot and tab structure defined on said flexure tongue and load beam to limit excursions of said tongue relative to said load beam, said limiter comprising a tab offset from said slot, said tab being adapted when deflected to snap into said slot in tongue excursion limiting relation without relative axial displacement of said load beam and flexure, said slot having an edge margin, said tab being deflectable by engagement with said slot edge margin, said slot being arranged to receive said tab in its deflected condition and to retain said tab in its undetected condition, said tab resiliently returning to its said undeflected condition upon being received in said slot, whereby excursions of said tongue from said load beam are limited by the engagement of said tab with said load beam.

A snap-fit disk drive suspension comprising a load beam and a flexure secured to said load beam, said flexure having a tongue opposing said load beam and adapted to carry a slider, a limiter comprising cooperating slot and tab structures including a plurality of tabs extending from said tongue and a slot for each tab defined by said load beam to limit excursions of said tongue relative to said load beam, said limiter tabs being offset from their respective slots, said tabs being adapted when deflected to snap into their respective slots, each said slot having an edge margin, each said tab being deflectable by engagement with its respective said slot edge margin, said slots being arranged to receive said tabs in their deflected condition and to retain said tabs in their normally upright condition, said tabs resiliently returning to their said upright condition upon being received in said slots, whereby excursions of said tongue from said load beam are limited by the engagement of said tabs with said load beam slots.

A snap-fit disk drive suspension comprising a load beam and a flexure, said flexure having a tongue, said flexure tongue being limited to a predetermined travel excursion relative to said load beam by a limiter structure disposed at an angle relative to said flexure, said limiter structure being fixed to said flexure and having a free outer end deflectable relative to said inner end between undeflected and deflected conditions, said load beam having an opening arranged to pass said limiter structure outer end through said load beam in its deflected but not its undeflected condition, said load beam opening having a surrounding edge margin, said limiter structure being resilient to return to its said undeflected condition upon passage of its said outer end through said load beam opening, said limiter structure outer end being shaped to engage said load beam opening edge margin in the undeflected condition of said limiter structure outer end responsive to said predetermined travel excursion of said flexure tongue.

A snap-fit disk drive suspension comprising a load beam and a flexure, said flexure having a tongue, said flexure tongue being limited to apredetermined travel excursion relative to said load beam by a limiter structure fixed to said flexure tongue and having an inner end and a hook-shaped free outer end deflectable relative to said inner end between undeflected and deflected conditions, said load beam having an opening arranged to pass said limiter structure outer end through said load beam in its deflected but not its undeflected condition, said load beam opening having a surrounding edge margin, said limiter structure being resilient to return to its said undetected condition upon passage of its said outer end through said load beam opening, said limiter structure outer end being shaped to engage said load beam opening edge margin in the undeflected condition of said limiter structure outer end responsive to said predetermined travel excursion of said flexure tongue.

A snap-fit disk drive suspension comprising a load beam and a flexure tongue, said flexure tongue being limited to a predetermined travel excursion relative to said load beam by a limiter structure, said limiter structure having an inner end and being fixed to said flexure tongue and a T-shaped free outer end deflectable relative to said inner end between undeflected and deflected conditions, said load beam having an opening arranged to pass said limiter structure outer end through said load beam in its deflected but not its undeflected condition, said load beam opening having a surrounding edge margin, said limiter structure being resilient to return to its said undeflected condition upon passage of its said outer end through said load beam opening, said limiter structure outer end being shaped to engage said load beam opening edge margin in the undeflected condition of said limiter structure outer end responsive to said predetermined travel excursion of said flexure tongue.

A snap-it disk drive suspension comprising a load beam and a flexure, said flexure having a tongue, said flexure tongue being limited to a predetermined travel excursion relative to said load beam by a limiter structure disposed at an angle relative to said flexure, said limiter structure being fixed to said flexure and having a free outer end deflectable between undeflected and deflected conditions, said load beam having an opening arranged to pass said limiter structure outer end through said load beam in its deflected but not its undeflected condition, said load beam opening having a surrounding edge margin, said limiter structure being resilient to return to its said undeflected condition upon passage of its said outer end through said load beam opening, said limiter structure outer end being shaped to overlie said load beam opening edge margin in the undeflected condition of said limiter structure outer end and block greater than said predetermined travel excursion of said flexure tongue.

A snap-fit disk drive suspension comprising axially aligned a load beam and a flexure attached to said load beam, said flexure having a tongue extending in load beam attachment free relation, said flexure tongue being limited to a predetermined travel excursion relative to said load beam by a limiter structure fixed to said flexure tongue and having an inner end and a free outer end deflectable between undeflected and deflected conditions, said load beam having an opening offset from said limiter structure inner end, said load beam opening having a surrounding edge margin, said limiter structure resiliently returning to its said undeflected condition upon passage of its said outer end through said load beam opening, said limiter structure outer end being shaped to pass said load beam opening in the deflected condition of said limiter structure outer end and to engage said load beam edge margin left and right of said load beam opening in the undeflected condition of said limiter structure outer end.

A snap-fit disk drive suspension comprising a load beam and a flexure having a flexure tongue, said flexure tongue having a distal end and a limiter structure generally parallel with the longitudinal axis of said flexure tongue and adapted to be deflectively sprung relative to said flexure tongue responsive to bodily contact with said load beam, said load beam defining an opening offset from said limiter structure distal end and arranged to receive said limiter structure deflectively sprung and to permit return of said distal end to its undeflected condition in flexure tongue travel excursion limiting relation.

A snap-fit disk drive suspension comprising a load beam, a cantilevered flexure tongue, and a limiter structure fixed to said flexure tongue to be generally parallel with the longitudinal axis of said flexure tongue and adapted to be defectively sprung relative to said flexure tongue responsive to bodily contact with said load beam, said load beam defining an opening offset from said limiter structure distal end and arranged to receive said limiter structure deflectively sprung and to permit return of said distal end to its undeflected condition in flexure tongue travel excursion limiting relation, said load beam defining said offset opening relative to distal end fixed limiter structure.

A flexure for a disk drive suspension comprising a frame and a cantilevered tongue having a resilient tab extending at an angle relative to said tongue such that said tab deflects in the direction of said angle when pressed toward said tongue, said tab having a T-shaped free end to snap-fit into an offset opening in an opposing load beam when deflected, and when no longer deflected return to its said angle in tongue travel limiting relation relative to said frame.

A snap-fit disk drive suspension comprising a flexure having a cantilevered tongue adapted to carry a slider and a limiter tab in angled relation to said tongue and an opposing cooperating slot structure defined by said suspension, said limiter tab being offset from said slot and adapted when deflected from its said angled relation by said suspension to snap into said slot in tongue excursion limiting relation without relative axial displacement of said suspension and flexure.

A method of assembling a suspension including juxtaposing a load beam and a flexure tongue, carrying on said flexure tongue a limiter having an outer end and attached at a first slant angle to said flexure tongue to give said limiter a predefined height, forming on said limiter outer end an enlarged head opposed to said load beam, defining a limiter enlarged head, pressing opening in said load beam normally out of registration with said limiter and of a shape in the plane of said load beam to pass said limiter enlarged head, pressing said flexure tongue and said load beam together at a spacing less than said limiter predefined height, deflecting said limiter in passing to said load beam from its said first slant angle to a smaller angle relative to said flexure tongue, passing said limiter enlarged head through said load beam at said load beam opening and returning said limiter to a position to selectively engage said limiter enlarged head with said edge margin of said load beam opening in response to travel of said flexure tongue.