Head suspension assembly and disk drive

Abstract

To provide a head suspension assembly and a disk device capable of avoiding interference of a heating element part with a simple structure.SOLUTION: According to one embodiment, a head suspension assembly includes a support plate having a proximal end portion, a distal end portion, a lift tab protruding from the distal end portion, and a first opening provided in the distal end portion, a wiring member including an elastically deformable gimbal portion facing the distal end portion of the support plate and provided on the support plate, and a head including a slider mounted on the gimbal portion, a head element provided on the slider, and a laser oscillator provided on the slider and facing the first opening. The support plate includes a first protrusion that is provided on a side of the base end portion with respect to the first opening and abuts on a central portion of the slider via the gimbal portion, and a second protrusion that is provided between the first protrusion and the lift tab and can abut on the gimbal portion.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] An embodiment of the present invention relates to a head suspension assembly and a disk drive including the same. [Background technology]

[0002] As a disk device, for example, a hard disk drive (HDD) comprises multiple magnetic disks rotatably arranged within a housing, multiple magnetic heads that read and write information from and to the magnetic disks, and a head actuator that supports the magnetic heads so that they can move relative to the magnetic disks. The head actuator has multiple head suspension assemblies (sometimes called head gimbal assemblies (HGA)) that support the magnetic heads at their tips. The head suspension assemblies have a support plate and a flexure (wiring member) mounted on the support plate. The flexure has a freely displaceable gimbal portion, on which the magnetic heads are mounted.

[0003] In recent years, thermally assisted magnetic heads have been proposed that apply laser light to a magnetic disk. These magnetic heads have a slider with a built-in head element and a heating element, such as a laser diode unit (LDU), attached to the slider.

[0004] Increasing the number of magnetic disks mounted in an HDD like the one described above requires reducing the thickness of the support plates (suspensions, load beams, etc.) of the head suspension assembly and reducing the distance between the support plates. However, if the distance between the support plates is reduced, there is a risk that the LDUs will interfere with each other when an external impact or other cause the magnetic head and LDU to vibrate in the pitch direction around the dimples on the support plate. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] U.S. Patent No. 11,056,137 [Patent Document 2] U.S. Patent No. 11,854,582 [Patent Document 3] Patent No. 5634440 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] An object of the embodiments of the present invention is to provide a head suspension assembly and a disk drive that can avoid interference with a heating element portion with a simple structure. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] According to an embodiment, a head suspension assembly includes a support plate having a base end, a tip end, a lift tab protruding from the tip end, and a first opening provided in the tip end, and a head including an elastically deformable gimbal portion facing the tip end of the support plate, the head including wiring members provided on the support plate, a slider mounted on the gimbal portion, a head element provided on the slider, and a laser oscillator provided on the slider facing the first opening. The support plate has a first protrusion provided on the base end side with respect to the first opening and abutting against a center portion of the slider via the gimbal portion, and a second protrusion provided between the first protrusion and the lift tab and abutting against the gimbal portion. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a hard disk drive (HDD) according to a first embodiment with a top cover disassembled. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an actuator assembly and a board unit of the HDD. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a lamp of the HDD. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a head suspension assembly of the actuator assembly. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the head suspension assembly. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a plan view of the tip portion of the head suspension assembly. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a plan view of the tip portion of the load beam. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a side view schematically showing the tip of the head suspension assembly, the magnetic head, and a part of the magnetic disk. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a diagram schematically illustrating a state in which two head suspension assemblies are held on a ramp in a non-operating state. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a plan view showing the tip portion of a head suspension assembly of an HDD according to a second embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a plan view of the tip portion of the load beam of the HDD according to the second embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a side view showing a part of the tip of the load beam and the magnetic head in a cutaway view. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a front view schematically showing the tip of the load beam and the magnetic head. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] A disk device according to an embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. The disclosure is merely an example, and appropriate modifications that are easily conceivable by those skilled in the art while maintaining the gist of the invention are naturally included within the scope of the present invention. Furthermore, in order to clarify the explanation, the drawings may show the width, thickness, shape, etc. of each part schematically compared to the actual embodiment, but these are merely examples and do not limit the interpretation of the present invention. Furthermore, in this specification and each drawing, elements similar to those described above with reference to the previous drawings may be designated by the same reference numerals, and detailed descriptions may be omitted as appropriate.

[0010] (First embodiment) As a disk device, a hard disk drive (HDD) according to the first embodiment will be described in detail. FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of an HDD according to a first embodiment, showing the top cover disassembled. As shown in FIG. 1, the HDD includes a rectangular housing 10. The housing 10 has a rectangular box-shaped base 12 with an open top, and a cover (top cover) 14. The base 12 has a rectangular bottom wall 12a and side walls 12b extending along the periphery of the bottom wall 12a, and is integrally molded from aluminum, for example. The cover 14 is formed into a rectangular plate from stainless steel, for example. The cover 14 is fastened to the side walls 12b of the base 12 with a plurality of screws 13, and hermetically closes the top opening of the base 12.

[0011] The housing 10 contains a plurality of magnetic disks 18 (e.g., ten) as disk-shaped recording media, and a spindle motor 19 that supports and rotates the magnetic disks 18. The spindle motor 19 is disposed on the bottom wall 12a. Each magnetic disk 18 has a circular substrate made of a non-magnetic material, such as glass, with a diameter of, for example, 95 mm (3.5 inches), and magnetic recording layers formed on the upper and lower surfaces of the substrate. The magnetic disks 18 are coaxially fitted to the hub of the spindle motor 19 and further clamped by a clamp spring 20. As a result, the ten magnetic disks 18 are supported parallel to each other and approximately parallel to the bottom wall 12a, with a predetermined spacing between them. The multiple magnetic disks 18 are rotated by the spindle motor 19 at a predetermined rotation speed. The number of magnetic disks 18 mounted is not limited to ten, and may be nine or fewer, or eleven or more.

[0012] The housing 10 contains a plurality of magnetic heads 17 that record and reproduce information on the magnetic disks 18, and an actuator assembly 22 that supports the magnetic heads 17 so that they can move relative to the magnetic disks 18. The housing 10 also contains a voice coil motor (VCM) 24 that rotates and positions the actuator assembly 22, a ramp load mechanism 25 that holds the magnetic heads 17 in an unload position spaced apart from the magnetic disks 18 when the magnetic heads 17 move to the outermost periphery of the magnetic disks 18, a substrate unit (FPC unit) 21 on which electronic components such as a conversion connector are mounted, and a spoiler 23. The VCM 24 includes a pair of yokes 37 mounted on the bottom wall 12a and a magnet (not shown) fixed to the yokes 37. The ramp load mechanism 25 includes a ramp 80 that stands upright on the bottom wall 12a. The actuator assembly 22 and the VCM 24 form a head actuator.

[0013] A printed circuit board 27 is screwed to the outer surface of the bottom wall 12a of the base 12. The printed circuit board 27 constitutes a control unit that controls the operation of the spindle motor 19, as well as the operation of the VCM 24 and the magnetic head 17.

[0014] 2 is a perspective view showing the actuator assembly 22 and the board unit 21. As shown in the figure, the actuator assembly 22 includes an actuator block 29 having a through-hole 26, a bearing unit (unit bearing) 28 provided in the through-hole 26, a plurality of (for example, eleven) arms 32 extending from the actuator block 29, a head suspension assembly (sometimes referred to as a head gimbal assembly: HGA) 30 attached to each arm 32, and a magnetic head 17 supported by the head suspension assembly 30. A support shaft (pivot) 31 stands on the bottom wall 12a of the base 12. The actuator block 29 is supported by the bearing unit 28 so as to be rotatable around the support shaft 31.

[0015] In this embodiment, the actuator block 29 and the eleven arms 32 are integrally formed from aluminum or the like. The arms 32 are formed, for example, in the shape of a long, thin plate, and extend from the actuator block 29 in a direction perpendicular to the support shaft 31. The eleven arms 32 are arranged parallel to one another with gaps between them. The actuator assembly 22 has a support frame 33 that extends from the actuator block 29 in the opposite direction to the arm 32. A voice coil 35 that constitutes part of the VCM 24 is supported by the support frame 33. As shown in Fig. 1, the voice coil 35 is located between a pair of yokes 37, and constitutes the VCM 24 together with these yokes 37 and magnets fixed to the yokes.

[0016] 2, the actuator assembly 22 has 20 head suspension assemblies 30, each supporting a magnetic head 17. The multiple head suspension assemblies 30 include up head suspension assemblies that support the magnetic heads 17 facing upward, and down head suspension assemblies that support the magnetic heads 17 facing downward. These up head suspension assemblies and down head suspension assemblies are constructed by arranging head suspension assemblies 30 of the same structure facing upside down. 2, in this embodiment, the down head suspension assembly 30 is attached to the uppermost arm 32, and the up head suspension assembly 30 is attached to the lowermost arm 32. An up head suspension assembly 30 and a down head suspension assembly 30 are attached to each of the nine intermediate arms 32.

[0017] The head suspension assembly 30 includes a substantially rectangular base plate 36, a load beam 38 formed of a thin, long leaf spring, and a thin, strip-shaped flexure (wiring member) 42. The flexure 42 has a gimbal portion (described later), on which the magnetic head 17 is mounted. The base end of the base plate 36 is fixed to the tip end 32a of the arm 32. The base end of the load beam 38 is fixed to overlap the tip end of the base plate 36. The load beam 38 extends from the base plate 36 and tapers toward the extended end. The load beam 38 generates a spring force (reaction force) that biases the magnetic head 17 toward the surface of the magnetic disk 18. A lift tab 40 protrudes from the tip of the load beam 38. The lift tab 40 is engageable with the ramp 80 described above and, together with the ramp 80, constitutes the ramp load mechanism 25.

[0018] 2, the FPC unit 21 integrally includes a substantially rectangular base portion 21a, a narrow strip-shaped relay portion 21b extending from one side edge of the base portion 21a, and a joint portion 21c provided continuously with the extending end of the relay portion 21b. The base portion 21a, the relay portion 21b, and the joint portion 21c are formed of a flexible printed circuit board (FPC). Electronic components such as a conversion connector and multiple capacitors (not shown) are mounted on the base portion 21a and electrically connected to wiring (not shown).

[0019] The joint 21c is formed in a rectangular shape with a height and width approximately equal to the side surface (mounting surface) of the actuator block 29. The joint 21c is attached to the mounting surface of the actuator block 29 via a backing plate made of aluminum or the like, and is further fixed to the mounting surface with fixing screws 65. A large number of connection pads are provided on the joint 21c. For example, one head IC (head amplifier) ​​59 is mounted on the joint 21c, and this head IC 59 is connected to the connection pads and the base portion 21a via wiring. Furthermore, the joint 21c is provided with a connection pad 53 to which the voice coil 35 is connected.

[0020] The flexure 42 of each head suspension assembly 30 has one end electrically connected to the magnetic head 17, the other end extending to the actuator block 29 along the side edge of the arm 32, and a connection end (tail connection terminal portion) 42c provided at the other end. The connection end 42c is formed in an elongated rectangular shape. A plurality of connection terminals (connection pads) 43 are provided on the connection end 42c. These connection pads 43 are respectively connected to the wiring of the flexure 42. That is, the plurality of wirings of the flexure 42 extend over substantially the entire length of the flexure 42, one end being electrically connected to the magnetic head 17, and the other end being connected to the connection pad 43.

[0021] The connection pads 43 are joined to the connection pads of the joints 21c and are electrically connected to the wiring of the joints 21c, so that the 20 magnetic heads 17 of the actuator assembly 22 are electrically connected to the base portion 21a through the wiring of the flexure 42, the connection ends 42c, the joints 21c of the FPC unit 21, and the relay portions 21b.

[0022] 1, with the actuator assembly 22 installed in the base 12, the support shaft 31 stands upright and is substantially parallel to the spindle of the spindle motor 19. The actuator assembly 22 is rotatably supported around the support shaft 31 and can rotate between an unload position where the magnetic head 17 is unloaded outside the outermost periphery of the magnetic disk 18 and an inner peripheral position where the magnetic head 17 is located on the innermost periphery of the magnetic disk 18. Each magnetic disk 18 is positioned between two head suspension assemblies 30. When the HDD is in operation, the magnetic head 17 supported by the two head suspension assemblies 30 faces the upper and lower surfaces of the magnetic disk 18, respectively.

[0023] FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the lamp and the lamp installation portion of the base 12 of the HDD. 3, the lamp 80 has a lamp body 82 formed in the shape of a rectangular plate, ten guide blocks 84 protruding from one surface of the lamp body 82, and a support bracket 83 protruding from the other surface of the lamp body 82, and is integrally molded from, for example, synthetic resin. In the figure, the height direction of the lamp 80 is the Y direction, the width direction is the X direction, and the thickness direction is the Z direction.

[0024] The guide block 84 has an elongated rectangular parallelepiped shape and extends in the width direction X. The ten guide blocks 84 are lined up at predetermined intervals in the height direction Y, i.e., in the axial direction of the magnetic disk 18. A rectangular recess (notch) 85 is formed in one end of each guide block 84 on the magnetic disk 18 side. The recess 85 is formed across the lamp body 82.

[0025] Each guide block 84 has an upper guide surface (first guide surface) Ga that guides and supports the lift tab 40 of the suspension assembly 30, and a lower guide surface (second guide surface) Gb that guides and supports the lift tab 40 of the suspension assembly 30. The upper guide surface Ga and the lower guide surface Gb face each other and are disposed approximately perpendicular to one surface of the lamp body 82.

[0026] As shown in Fig. 3, the base 12 of the housing 10 has a lamp installation section 51 for installing a lamp 80. The lamp installation section 51 protrudes as a pedestal from the corner between the bottom wall 12a and the side wall 12b of the base 12. The lamp installation section 51 has a flat installation surface 51a. The installation surface 51a is located approximately midway in the height direction of the side wall 12b and extends approximately parallel to the bottom wall 12a.

[0027] The support bracket 83 of the ramp 80 is placed on the installation surface 51a and further fixed to the installation surface 51a with the fixing screws 52. The ramp body 82 is disposed in an upright position almost perpendicular to the bottom wall 12a of the base 12. The guide block 84 is located near the peripheral edge of the corresponding magnetic disk 18.

[0028] With the ramp 80 installed on the ramp installation section 51, the outer circumferential edges of the ten magnetic disks 18 are positioned with gaps in the recesses 85 of the corresponding guide blocks 84. The upper guide surfaces Ga and lower guide surfaces Gb of the ten guide blocks 84 are arranged to match the height of the corresponding suspension assemblies 30. Each guide surface Ga, Gb extends approximately along the radial direction of the magnetic disk 18 to near the outer circumferential edge of the magnetic disk 18, and is arranged on the movement path of the lift tab 40.

[0029] When the HDD is not in operation, when the magnetic head 17 moves away from the outer periphery of the magnetic disk 18 and to a predetermined unload position, the lift tabs 40 of the suspension assembly 30 climb onto the corresponding guide surfaces Ga, Gb of the ramp 80. This keeps the magnetic head 17 at the unload position away from the magnetic disk 18.

[0030] Next, the configuration of the head suspension assembly 30 will be described in detail. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the magnetic head side of the head suspension assembly, and FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the head suspension assembly. As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the head suspension assembly 30 has a suspension 34 that functions as a support plate. The suspension 34 has a rectangular base plate 36 made of a metal plate several hundred microns thick and a long, slender load beam 38 made of a metal plate several tens of microns thick. The base end of the load beam 38 is placed over the tip end of the base plate 36 and is fixed to the base plate 36 by welding at multiple points. The tip end of the load beam 38 forms the tip end of the support plate. A rod-shaped tab (lift tab) 40 protrudes from the tip of the load beam 38.

[0031] 5, the base plate 36 has a circular opening 36a at its base end and an annular protrusion 36b located around the opening 36a. The base plate 36 is fastened to the tip end 32a of the arm 32 by fitting the protrusion 36b into a circular crimping hole (not shown) formed in the crimping seat of the arm 32 and crimping the protrusion 36b. The base end of the base plate 36 may be fixed to the tip end 32a of the arm 32 by laser welding, spot welding, or adhesive bonding.

[0032] 4 and 5, the head suspension assembly 30 includes a thin, strip-shaped flexure (wiring member) 42 for transmitting recording signals, reproducing signals, and drive signals, a pair of piezoelectric elements (e.g., PZT elements) 50 mounted on the flexure 42, and the magnetic head 17. The flexure 42 includes a tip portion 42a disposed on the load beam 38 and the base plate 36, a base portion 42b extending outward from the side edge of the base plate 36 and along the side edge of the arm 32 to the actuator block 29, and a connection end portion 42c (see FIG. 2) provided at the extending end of the base portion 42b. The connection end portion 42c includes a plurality of electrode pads 43. The connection pads 43 are electrically connected via wiring W to connection terminals of the joint portion 21c provided on the actuator block 29.

[0033] 4 and 5, the tip of the flexure 42 forms a gimbal portion 44. The gimbal portion 44 is located on the tip of the load beam 38. The magnetic head 17 is placed on and fixed to the gimbal portion 44, and is supported by the load beam 38 via the gimbal portion 44. A pair of piezoelectric elements 50 serving as drive elements are mounted on the gimbal portion 44 and are arranged on both sides of the magnetic head 17.

[0034] The flexure 42 is a long, narrow laminated plate that includes a base metal sheet 46 such as stainless steel, and a strip-shaped laminated member (flexible printed circuit board: FPC) 48 that is attached or fixed to the metal sheet 46. The laminated member (FPC) 48 includes a base insulating layer, most of which is fixed to the metal sheet 46, a conductive layer (wiring pattern) formed on the base insulating layer, and a cover insulating layer that covers the conductive layer and is laminated on the base insulating layer. For example, copper foil is used as the conductive layer, and the copper foil is patterned to form a plurality of signal wires W, drive wires, connection terminals, and connection pads.

[0035] At the tip end portion 42a of the flexure 42, a metal sheet 46 is attached to or spot-welded at a plurality of welding points onto the surfaces of the load beam 38 and the base plate 36. In one example, the metal sheet 46 has two welding points B1 welded to the base end of the load beam 38 and one welding point (second welding point) B2 welded to the tip end of the load beam 38.

[0036] In the gimbal portion 44, the thin metal plate 46 integrally includes a substantially rectangular tongue portion (support portion) 44a located at the tip end, a substantially rectangular base end portion 44b located at the base end with a space between the tongue portion 44a, a pair of elastically deformable outriggers 44c connecting the base end portion 44b to the tongue portion 44a and supporting the tongue portion 44a so that it can be displaced, a connecting frame 44d extending from one outrigger 44c around the tip end of the tongue portion 44a to the other outrigger 44c, and a substantially rectangular fixing pad portion (second end portion) 44e extending from the connecting frame 44d and facing the tongue portion 44a. The fixing pad portion 44e is located between the connecting frame 44d and the tongue portion 44a. The base end 44b is attached to the surface of the load beam 38 and spot-welded to the load beam 38 at a welding point B1. The fixing pad portion 44e is spot-welded to the tip of the load beam 38 at a welding point B2. The welding point B2 is located on the central axis C1 of the suspension 34 (see FIG. 6).

[0037] FIG. 6 is a plan view of the tip portion of the head suspension assembly. As shown in FIGS. 4, 5, and 6, the tongue 44a is sized and shaped to accommodate the magnetic head 17, e.g., a substantially rectangular shape. The tongue 44a is positioned such that its central axis in the width direction coincides with the central axis C1 of the suspension 34. The tongue 44a has a rear end portion located on the base end portion 44b side connected to an outrigger 44c. The tongue 44a has a substantially central portion that abuts against a dimple (first protrusion) D1 protruding from the tip end portion of the load beam 38. Elastic deformation of the pair of outriggers 44c and the connecting frame 44d allows the tongue 44a to move in various directions with the dimple D1 as a fulcrum. This allows the tongue 44a and the magnetic head 17 mounted on the tongue 44a to flexibly follow surface variations of the magnetic disk 18 and move in the roll or pitch direction, maintaining a small gap between the surface of the magnetic disk 18 and the magnetic head 17.

[0038] In the gimbal portion 44, the laminated member 48 of the flexure 42 is disposed on the thin metal plate 46 and extends from the base end 44b to above the tongue portion 44a. That is, the laminated member 48 has a base end 48a attached onto the base end 44b, a tip end 48b attached to the tongue portion 44a, and a pair of band-shaped bridge portions 48c extending in a bifurcated manner from the base end 48a to the tip end 48b. The tip end 48b forms a head installation area on which the magnetic head 17 is mounted.

[0039] The tip end 48b is provided with a plurality of connection terminals 54 arranged in the width direction. The tip end 48b is also provided with a plurality of connection pads (electrode pads) 55 for connecting the piezoelectric elements 50. The laminate member 48 has a plurality of signal wires W extending from the connection terminals 54 toward the base end 48a, and a plurality of drive wires W extending from the connection pads 55 toward the base end 48a. These signal wires W and drive wires W extend over substantially the entire length of the laminate member 48 and are connected to the connection pads 43 at the connection end 42c.

[0040] As shown in FIG. 5, a substantially rectangular through-hole 86 is provided in the center of the tip portion 48b, particularly in an area where no signal wiring W is present. A substantially rectangular through-hole 87 is formed in the center of the tongue portion 44a. The through-hole 87 has substantially the same shape and dimensions as the through-hole 86 and is positioned opposite the through-hole 86. Furthermore, a substantially rectangular through-hole (sometimes referred to as a first opening) 88 is formed in the tip portion of the load beam 38. The through-hole 88 has substantially the same dimensions as or larger than the through-hole 87 and is positioned opposite the through-holes 86, 87. As will be described later, laser oscillator elements are inserted into the through-holes 86, 87, 88.

[0041] FIG. 7 is a plan view showing the tip portion of the load beam 38. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 7, the load beam 38 has a dimple (first protrusion) D1, a through hole 88, and a second dimple (second protrusion) D2 at its tip end. The dimple D1 is located on the central axis C1 at a position where it can abut against approximately the center of the magnetic head 17. The through hole 88 is located on the tip end side of the load beam 38, i.e., on the lift tab 40 side, and is located opposite the through hole 87 of the tongue portion 44a, with respect to the dimple D1. The second dimple D2 is located on the tip end side of the load beam 38, i.e., on the lift tab 40 side, with respect to the dimple D1, and is located opposite the tongue portion 44a. In this embodiment, the second dimple D2 is located on the central axis C1 and further on the tip end side of the load beam 38, i.e., on the lift tab 40 side, with respect to the through hole 88. The dimple D1, the through hole 88, and the second dimple D2 are arranged side by side on the central axis C1.

[0042] FIG. 8 is a side view that schematically shows the gimbal portion 44 of the head suspension assembly, the magnetic head, and part of the magnetic disk. As shown in FIG. 8, the magnetic head 17 has a slider 17a in the shape of a substantially flat rectangular parallelepiped and a head portion 16 provided on the slider 17a. The head portion 16 includes a recording element (write head) 16W and a read element (read head) 16R. The slider 17a has an air bearing surface (ABS) 17b facing the surface of the magnetic disk 18, a back surface 17c opposite the ABS, an outflow end 17d located on the tip end side of the load beam 38, and an inflow end 17e located on the base end side of the load beam 38. The magnetic head 17 is placed on the tongue portion 44a overlapping the tip end 48b with the back surface 17c of the slider 17a facing the tip end 48b, and is fixed to the tongue portion 44a with an adhesive. As shown in FIG. 6, the magnetic head 17 is disposed at a position where its longitudinal central axis is aligned with the central axis C1 of the head suspension assembly 30.

[0043] 5 and 8, the magnetic head 17 has a plurality of connection pads PT provided on the trailing end 17d of the head slider 17a. These connection pads PT are electrically connected to the head portion (recording element, read element, heater, etc.) 16 of the magnetic head 17. As will be described later, each connection pad PT is soldered to a connection terminal 54 of the flexure 42.

[0044] The magnetic head 17 further includes a semiconductor laser, such as a laser diode unit (LDU) 70, which functions as a thermal assist element, a heat generating element, or a laser oscillator, a waveguide 72 that guides the laser beam emitted from the LDU 70 toward the magnetic disk 18, and a near-field optical element 73 that irradiates the laser beam onto the magnetic disk 18.

[0045] The LDU70 is installed on the back surface 17b of the slider 17a. The LDU70 extends in a direction substantially perpendicular to the back surface 17b. Connection pads (not shown) of the LDU70 are soldered to the connection terminals 54 of the flexure 42. With the magnetic head 17 fixed to the tongue portion 44a, the LDU70 is inserted through the through-hole 86 at the tip portion 48b and the through-hole 87 of the tongue portion 44a, and further, the tip portion is inserted through the through-hole 88. The LDU70 and the load beam 38 are formed to have a height or thickness at which a gap L1 occurs between the extending end of the LDU70 and the side edge of the load beam 38 in a direction perpendicular to the back surface 17c of the slider 17a. In one example, the gap L1 is set to about 0.05 mm.

[0046] The waveguide 72 and the near-field optical element 73 are provided inside the slider 17a. The laser beam generated from the LDU70 is input into the waveguide 72, propagated through the waveguide 72 to the near-field optical element 73, and irradiated from the near-field optical element 73 onto the surface of the magnetic disk 18.

[0047] As shown in FIG. 8, according to the present embodiment, the first protrusion and the second protrusion are constituted by hollow dimples D1 and D2 formed by protruding a part of the load beam 38. In one example, the protruding height T1 of the dimple D1 from the surface of the load beam 38 is set to 0.06 mm, and the protruding height T2 of the second dimple D2 from the surface of the load beam 38 is set to 0.03 mm, respectively.

[0048] Note that the protruding height of the dimple is not limited to the above example and can be variously changed. For example, the protruding height T2 of the second dimple D2 can be set lower than T1 and to a height of about 30 - 70% of T1. Further, the protruding height T2 of the second dimple D2 is set to a height such that the tip portion of the LDU70 does not protrude beyond the side edge of the load beam 38 when the magnetic head 17 and the tongue portion 44a vibrate in the pitch direction. That is, the protruding height T2 of the second dimple D2 is set to satisfy the relationship of (T1 - T2) < L1.

[0049] The first protrusions D1 and the second protrusions D2 are not limited to hollow dimples but may be solid protrusions. Furthermore, the first protrusions D1 and the second protrusions D2 are not limited to having a circular cross section but may have other cross-sectional shapes.

[0050] As described above, the dimple D1 abuts against approximately the center of the magnetic head 17 via the tongue 44a. This allows the magnetic head 17 and the tongue 44a to swing in the pitch direction, roll direction, or other directions, with the dimple D1 as a fulcrum. Meanwhile, the second dimple D2 faces the tongue 44a with a gap between them during normal HDD operation.

[0051] 9 is a side view showing two head suspension assemblies 30 and a portion of the ramp 80 held in the unload position when the HDD is not in operation. In the unload position, the lift tabs 40 of the head suspension assemblies 30 ride up onto the guide surfaces Ga and Gb of the ramp 80 and are held on the guide surfaces. The back surfaces of the two head suspension assemblies 30 face each other with a small gap between them. 9, if an external shock or the like acts on the HDD, vibrations in the pitch direction PD about the dimple D1 may occur in the magnetic head 17 and the tongue portion 44a. As a result of the vibrations in the pitch direction PD, one LDU 70 is displaced toward the other LDU 70.

[0052] According to the head suspension assembly 30 of the present embodiment, in order to prevent contact and buffering between LDUs, a second dimple D2 is provided on the tip side of the load beam 38 with respect to the dimple D1. The protruding height of the second dimple D2 is set to about 30 to 70% of the protruding height of the dimple D1. According to the above configuration, when the tongue portion 44a and the magnetic head 17 vibrate in the pitch direction PD, the tongue portion 44a abuts against the second dimple D2, suppressing excessive vibration in the pitch direction PD. For example, when the protruding height of the dimple D1 is 0.06 mm and the protruding height of the second dimple D2 is 0.03 mm, the vibration in the pitch direction can be suppressed to about 0.03 mm obtained by subtracting the protruding height of the second dimple D2 of 0.03 mm from the protruding height of the dimple D1 of 0.06 mm. Thereby, the height variation of the LDU 70 due to pitch vibration can be suppressed to about 0.03 mm (<L1), and contact and interference between the LDUs 70 can be prevented.

[0053] According to the head suspension assembly and the HDD configured as described above, it is possible to prevent contact and interference between the LDUs 70 with a simple structure that only provides a second protrusion (second dimple D2) on the suspension (load beam). That is, even when the number of magnetic disks installed is increased and the interval between the head suspension assemblies is decreased, it is possible to avoid interference and collision between the heat generating element portions (laser oscillation portions) and improve the reliability. From the above, according to the first embodiment, it is possible to obtain a head suspension assembly and a disk device that can avoid interference of the heat generating element portion with a simple structure even when the number of magnetic disks is increased.

[0054] Next, a head suspension assembly of an HDD according to another embodiment will be described. In the other embodiments described below, the same reference numerals are given to the same parts as those in the first embodiment described above, and the detailed description thereof is omitted or simplified, and the parts different from the first embodiment will be described in detail.

[0055] (Second Embodiment) FIG. 10 is a plan view showing a tip portion of a head suspension assembly of an HDD according to the second embodiment, and FIG. 11 is a plan view of a tip portion of a load beam of an HDD according to the second embodiment. FIG. 12 is a side view schematically showing a tip portion of the load beam and a magnetic head with a part broken, and FIG. 13 is a front view schematically showing the tip portion of the load beam and the magnetic head.

[0056] As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, according to the second embodiment, the head suspension assembly 30 has a plurality of, for example, two second dimples (second protrusions) D2. The second dimples D2 are provided on the load beam 38. The second dimples D2 are provided on the tip side of the load beam 38, that is, on the side of the lift tab 40, with respect to the dimple D1, and are provided at positions facing the tongue portion 44a. The two second dimples D2 are provided on both sides of the central axis C1 and are spaced apart from the central axis C1. In the present embodiment, the two second dimples D2 are located on both sides in the width direction of the through hole (first opening) 88. The two second dimples D2 are arranged symmetrically with respect to the central axis C1.

[0057] As shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, according to the present embodiment, each of the second protrusions is constituted by a hollow second dimple D2 formed by protruding a part of the load beam 38. The protruding height T2 of the second dimple D2 from the surface of the load beam 38 is lower than the protruding height T1 of the dimple D1, and can be set to a height of about 30 - 70% of T1. Further, the protruding height T2 of the second dimple D2 is set to a height such that the tip portion of the LDU 70 does not protrude beyond the side edge of the load beam 38 when the magnetic head 17 and the tongue portion 44a vibrate in the pitch direction PD. That is, the protruding height T2 is set so as to satisfy the relationship of (T1 - T2) < L1. In one example, the protruding height T1 of the dimple D1 is set to 0.06 mm, the protruding height T2 of the second dimple D2 is set to 0.03 mm, and the interval L1 is set to 0.05 mm, respectively.

[0058] The first protrusion D1 and the second protrusion D2 are not limited to hollow dimples and may be constituted by solid protrusions. Further, the first protrusion D1 and the second protrusion D2 are not limited to a circular cross-section and may have other cross-sectional shapes.

[0059] According to the second embodiment of the above configuration, the same operational effects as those of the first embodiment described above can be obtained. That is, according to the above configuration, when the tongue portion 44a and the magnetic head 17 vibrate in the pitch direction PD, the tongue portion 44a abuts against the two second dimples D2, suppressing excessive vibration in the pitch direction PD. For example, when the protrusion height of the dimple D1 is 0.06 mm and the protrusion height of the second dimple D2 is 0.03 mm, the vibration in the pitch direction PD can be suppressed to about 0.03 mm. Thereby, the height variation of the LDU70 due to pitch vibration can be suppressed to about 0.03 mm (<L1), preventing contact and interference between the LDU70s.

[0060] According to the second embodiment, the two second protrusions D2 are provided on both sides of the central axis C1. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 13, when the tongue portion 44a and the magnetic head 17 vibrate in the roll direction RD, one of the second protrusions D2 abuts against the tongue portion 44a, suppressing excessive vibration in the pitch direction RD. Thereby, contact and interference between the LDU70 and the load beam 38 can be avoided, and reliability can be improved. From the above, according to the second embodiment, a head suspension assembly and a disk device capable of avoiding interference of the heating element portion with a simple structure can be obtained.

[0061] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments as they are, and at the implementation stage, the components can be modified and embodied without departing from the gist thereof. Also, various inventions can be formed by appropriately combining a plurality of components disclosed in the above embodiments. For example, some components may be deleted from all the components shown in the embodiments. Further, components from different embodiments may be appropriately combined.

[0062] For example, in the second embodiment, the two second protrusions D2 need only be located on either side of the central axis C1, and do not have to be symmetrical with respect to the central axis C1. Furthermore, the two second protrusions D2 do not need to have the same protrusion height, and may be formed to different protrusion heights. The materials, shapes, dimensions, etc., of the elements constituting the head suspension assembly are not limited to those in the above-described embodiment, and can be modified as needed. [Explanation of symbols]

[0063] 10... housing, 12... base, 17... magnetic head, 17a... head slider, 17c... rear surface, 18... magnetic disk, 19... spindle motor, 22...actuator assembly, 30...head suspension assembly, 36... base plate, 38... load beam, 42... flexure (wiring member), 44... gimbal portion, 44a... tongue portion, 48... laminated member (FPC), 48b... tip portion, 70...laser diode unit (LDU), 72...waveguide, 80...lamp, 86, 87, 88...Through holes, D1...Dimple (first protrusion), D2...Second dimple (second protrusion)

Claims

1. a support plate having a base end, a tip end, a lift tab protruding from the tip end, and a first opening provided in the tip end; a wiring member provided on the support plate, the wiring member including an elastically deformable gimbal portion facing a tip end portion of the support plate; a head including a slider mounted on the gimbal portion, a head element provided on the slider, and a laser oscillator provided on the slider and facing the first opening; the support plate has a first protrusion provided on the base end side with respect to the first opening and abutting against a central portion of the slider via the gimbal portion, and a second protrusion provided between the first protrusion and the lift tab and abutting against the gimbal portion. Head suspension assembly.

2. 2. The head suspension assembly according to claim 1, wherein a protruding height of the second protrusion is smaller than a protruding height of the first protrusion.

3. 3. The head suspension assembly according to claim 2, wherein the first protrusion has a protruding height of 0.06 mm, and the second protrusion has a protruding height of 0.03 mm.

4. 2. The head suspension assembly of claim 1, wherein the support plate has a central axis extending from the base end to the tip end, and the first protrusion, the first opening, and the second protrusion are located on the central axis.

5. the support plate has two second protrusions that are provided between the first protrusion and the lift tab and are capable of contacting the gimbal portion, 2. The head suspension assembly of claim 1, wherein the support plate has a central axis extending from the base end to the tip end, and the two second protrusions are located on either side of the central axis and spaced apart from the central axis.

6. 6. The head suspension assembly according to claim 5, wherein the two second protrusions are provided at positions symmetrical with respect to the central axis.

7. 7. The head suspension assembly according to claim 6, wherein the first opening is provided on the central axis, and the two second protrusions are provided on both sides of the first opening.

8. 6. The head suspension assembly according to claim 5, wherein a protruding height of the second protrusion is smaller than a protruding height of the first protrusion.

9. a disk-shaped recording medium; a head suspension assembly according to claim 1; A disk device comprising:

10. 10. The disk drive according to claim 9, further comprising a ramp for supporting a lift tab of the head suspension assembly.

11. The disk drive according to claim 9 , wherein a protruding height of the second protrusion is lower than a protruding height of the first protrusion.

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