Oppositely deflected suspension flexure providing increased dimple contact force

A flexure for attachment to a disk drive suspension, said flexure comprising an axially elongated tongue having a first side for supporting a slider away from said suspension, and a tongue-supporting frame comprising a cross-member having a central portion carrying said tongue, a base having in a plane generally parallel with said suspension an attachment locus at which said flexure is attachable to said suspension, and left and right struts connecting said cross-member and base, a dimple between a second side of said tongue and said suspension, said cross-member portion defining a first deflection away from said attachment locus plane to bias said tongue away from said dimple, said struts defining together a second deflection that biases said tongue toward said dimple more than said central portion biases said tongue away from said dimple, whereby contact force between said tongue and said dimple is increased.

A disk drive suspension flexure comprising a tongue for supporting a slider, and a tongue-supporting frame attachable to a suspension providing dimple engagement for said tongue with said suspension, said frame including a first frame portion extending in a first plane for suspension attachment, a second frame portion carrying said tongue, and a third frame portion carrying said second frame portion, said second and third frame portions being oppositely deflected relative to said first portion to provide a net bias on said tongue into said dimple engagement.

A disk drive suspension having a flexure comprising a frame and a tongue adapted for dimple contact, and spaced, separate biasing structures on said frame acting oppositely on said tongue for a net increase in tongue dimple contact force.

A method of manufacturing a disk drive suspension flexure including forming a flexure frame supporting a tongue, and forming separate, spaced and oppositely acting biasing structures in said frame for a net increase in tongue dimple contact force.

A method of forming a disk drive suspension flexure for contact with a suspension dimple, including shaping a spring material into a base for attachment to a suspension, a cross-member having a central portion and a tongue supported by said central portion, and left and right struts supporting said cross-member on said base, deflecting said struts to bias said cross-member and tongue toward said dimple, and deflecting said central portion to bias said cross-member and tongue oppositely from and less than said strut deflections, whereby the net bias on said tongue provides increased contact force at said suspension dimple.

A method of operating a disk drive suspension, including carrying a slider on one side of a tongue carried by a flexure fixed to said suspension, maintaining the other side of said tongue in dimple contact with said suspension, and separately biasing said tongue toward and away from said dimple contact for a net increase in dimple contact force.