Method of manufacturing a load beam to adjust droop angle
AssigneeMagnecomp Corporation
InventorLeroy Dwayne Wielenga
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A load beam having a bent rail, a suspension that includes the load beam, and a related method for manufacturing a load beam. The method includes providing the load beam before the bent rail is formed, and coining the load beam at a location where the bend will occur in the rail.
Claims17
A method for manufacturing a load beam having a rail having a bend therein, the load beam further having an edge region, the method comprising:
- a. before the edge region of the load beam is bent to form the bent rail, coining the load beam at a location where the bend will occur in the rail, said coining being performed by pressing a punch into the load beam, the punch comprising a tip that is configured to press into the load beam and to form an indentation in the edge region of the load beam, the indentation in the load beam lengthening the edge region;
- and
- b. bending the rail to form said bend therein.
A method for manufacturing a load beam having a double-delta configuration, the double-delta configuration including a first region that lies in a first plane and a second region that lies in a second plane, the load beam further having a rail, the rail having a bend therein and also having a rail edge, the method comprising:
- a. using a punch to coin the load beam to form an indentation therein at a location where the bend in the rail edge will occur, the indentation increasing a length of the rail edge;
- b. then bending the rail and;
- c. wherein the first plane is approximately coplanar to the second plane after the rail is bent, and the position of the first plane relative to the second plane is different than it would have been without the indentation.
A method for manufacturing a load beam, comprising:
- securing a flat piece of metal so that the flat piece of metal can be worked, the flat piece of metal including two differently shaped regions thereof;
- lengthening opposite edges of the flat piece of metal by working the metal within an area where the two differently shaped regions meet;
- after the metal has been worked to lengthen the opposite edges, then bending the edges to form stiffening edge rails of the load beam;
- and
- coupling the load beam to a means for coupling the load beam to an actuator arm.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.