US 6,721,133 B2 · Suspension with separate hinge member for disc drive

Abstract

A suspension for disc drive comprises a base portion, a beam portion formed of the same material as the base portion and made thinner than the base portion by partial etching, and a hinge member connecting the base portion and the beam portion to each other. In manufacturing this suspension, a platelike semi-finished suspension, which integrally includes a base portion, a beam portion, and a connecting portion connecting the base portion and the beam portion to each other, is first manufactured. The thickness of the beam portion of the semi-finished suspension is reduced by partial etching. Thereafter, the base portion and the beam portion are connected by means of the hinge member, and moreover, the connecting portion is separated from the base portion and the beam portion.

Claims2

Dependent claims

A suspension for disc drive, comprising:

a base portion having a thickness;
a beam portion having a thickness, the beam portion being formed of the same material as the base portion, the thickness of the beam portion being thinner than the thickness of the base portion by partial etching;
a hinge member connecting the base portion and the beam portion to each other;
and
a flexure formed as a separate body from the hinge member and the beam portion, the flexure being fixed to the beam portion.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application

09/813,584Filed 21 Mar 2001

Priority

JP 2000-32574125 Oct 2000

Published

US 2002/0048121 A125 Apr 2002

Granted

13 Apr 2004

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification4 codes

G11B 5/4833
Specially adapted for disk drive assemblies, e.g. assembly prior to operation, hard or flexible disk drives: structure of the arm assembly, e.g.…
Y10T 29/49025
Magnetic recording reproducing transducer [e.g., tape head, core, etc.]: making disc drive
G11B
Information storage based on relative movement between record carrier and transducer
Y10T
Technical subjects covered by former us classification

Suspension with separate hinge member for disc drive

Life of this patent

Suspension with separate hinge member for disc drive

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims2