Gimbal suspension with vibration damper
OwnerJohn E. Scura, Frank Obregon +1inventors
InventorsJohn E. Scura, Frank Obregon, Lam Tran
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Abstract
A head suspension assembly comprising a visco-elastic coupling between a load beam dimple or protrusion and a suspension flexure to which a slider is rigidly coupled. The damping material is selected for a low static modulus, which reduces mechanical vibration by absorbing kinetic energy and releasing the energy as heat. The gimbaling function of the suspension is not significantly effected by the damping material because the damping effect occurs primarily when there is an undesirable relative velocity (movement with respect to time) between the dimple and the flexure.
Claims16
A head gimbal assembly comprising:
- a protrusion extending from a surface of a support structure,
- a support plate with a first surface and an opposite second surface, the first surface of the support plate tending to exert pressure against the protrusion, and
- a layer of visco-elastic vibration dampening material adhered on the first surface of the support plate between the protrusion and the support plate, and contacting an apex region of the protrusion in a well formed in the visco-elastic vibration dampening material.
A head gimbal assembly comprising:
- a load beam having a distal end and a bottom surface, with a protrusion formed on the bottom surface,
- a flexure, coupled to the load beam, and having a slider support plate with a top side and a bottom side, the top side of the slider support plate tending to exert pressure against the protrusion on the bottom surface of the load beam, and
- a layer of visco-elastic material adhered on the top surface of the slider support plate between the protrusion on the bottom surface of the load beam and the top side of the support plate, and contacting an apex region of the protrusion at a well formed in the visco-elastic material.
A method for reducing the vibration experienced by a read/write head on a hard disk drive actuation assembly, the method steps comprising:
- (a) providing a load beam having a distal end and a bottom surface, with a protrusion formed on the bottom surface,
- (b) providing a flexure, coupled to the load beam, and having a slider support plate with a top side and a bottom side, the top side of the slider support plate tending to exert pressure against the protrusion on the bottom surface of the load beam, and
- (c) adhering a visco-elastic material on the top surface of the slider support plate between the protrusion on the bottom surface of the load beam and the top side of the support plate, and contacting an apex region of the protrusion at a well formed in the visco-elastic material.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.