Disk drive suspension

Abstract

To provide a CLA (co-located actuator) type suspension capable of stabilizing a stroke of a tongue in a swaying direction.SOLUTION: A suspension 10 has a load beam 11, a flexure 12, and a dimple portion 50. A tongue 25 is formed on a part of the flexure 12. The dimple portion 50 supports the tongue 25 capable of swinging over at least a first position and a second position. The tongue 25 is provided with first pillow portions 70 and 71 for supporting a slider 40 and an adhesive portion 45 for fixing the slider 40. A second pillow portion 80 is provided on the load beam 11 so as to project toward the slider 40. The second pillow portion 80 is in contact with the slider 40 when the tongue 25 is in the first position and leaves from the slider 40 when the tongue 25 moves to the second position.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a suspension for a disk drive, which includes a flexure having a tongue for mounting a slider, and an actuator for moving the tongue in a sway direction. [Background technology]

[0002] Hard disk drives (HDDs) are used in information processing devices such as personal computers. Hard disk drives include a magnetic disk that rotates around a spindle and a carriage that rotates around a pivot shaft. The carriage has an arm that rotates around the pivot shaft using a positioning motor such as a voice coil motor.

[0003] A disk drive suspension (hereinafter referred to as the suspension) is attached to the arm of the carriage. The suspension includes a load beam and a flexure arranged along the load beam. A slider is mounted on a tongue formed near the tip of the flexure. The slider is provided with an element (transducer) for accessing the disk, such as reading or writing data. The load beam, flexure, slider, and other components form a gimbal assembly.

[0004] For example, as described in Patent Document 1, adhesive is typically used to fix the slider to the tongue during the manufacturing process of the gimbal assembly. When fixing the slider to the tongue with adhesive, a protrusion called a pillow is formed on the tongue to stabilize the position of the tongue and the slider. The adhesive hardens while the slider is supported in a predetermined position on the tongue by the pillow.

[0005] To accommodate the increasing recording density of disks, a CLA (co-located actuator) type suspension is known, as described in Patent Document 2, for example. In a CLA type suspension, an actuator is located in the gimbal portion of the flexure. One example of such an actuator is made of a piezoelectric material such as PZT (lead zirconate titanate). The actuator moves the moving portion of the tongue by a small amount in a sway direction. In this specification, the sway direction refers to the width direction of the tip of the suspension.

[0006] In a CLA-type suspension, the actuator moves a slider mounted on a tongue in the sway direction. To this end, the tongue on which the slider is mounted is divided into a first tongue portion and a second tongue portion, which are connected by a hinge portion. For example, the leading side of the slider is movable relative to the first tongue portion, and the trailing side is fixed to the second tongue portion with adhesive. In this specification, the "leading side" refers to the air inflow side that flows between the slider and the disk when the disk rotates. The "trailing side" refers to the air outflow side.

[0007] In the suspension of Patent Document 2, adhesive is supplied to the second tongue during the manufacturing process of the gimbal assembly, and the trailing side portion of the slider is fixed to the second tongue with the adhesive. To stabilize the slider's position during this bonding process, the tongue is provided with multiple bolsters. These bolsters support the slider in a predetermined position on the tongue. The adhesive hardens while a certain amount of force is applied to the slider. The completed suspension is then incorporated into a disk drive for use.

[0008] When a disk drive is in use, the slider element accesses data on the disk's recording surface while the disk is rotating. In a CLA (co-located actuator) type suspension, the actuator located in the gimbal section operates to move the slider slightly in the sway direction in order to accommodate higher-density recording surfaces. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0009] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-149341 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-41394 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0010] The inventors of the present invention have conducted extensive research into the behavior of the tongue in CLA-type suspensions, and have come to the following conclusions: A detailed investigation of the movement stroke of the second tongue in the sway direction relative to the rotating disc revealed that, depending on the suspension, there are cases in which the stroke changes irregularly and significantly.

[0011] The cause of this was thought to be the unstable contact between the slider and the bolster when the slider moved, i.e., the slider coming into contact with and separating from the bolster. The instability of the stroke in the sway direction had an adverse effect on the vibration mode of the CLA-type suspension, which in turn caused the frequency characteristics to become distorted.

[0012] An object of one embodiment of the present invention is to provide a suspension for a disk drive that can stabilize the stroke in the sway direction of a tongue on which a slider is mounted. [Means for solving the problem]

[0013] In one embodiment, a disk drive suspension includes a load beam, a flexure disposed along the load beam, and a dimple portion. The flexure has a tongue on which a slider is mounted. The dimple portion has a protrusion located between the load beam and the tongue, and supports the tongue in a thickness direction so that the tongue can swing between at least a first position and a second position.

[0014] The tongue has a first surface facing the load beam, a second surface on which the slider is mounted, a first pillow portion for supporting the slider, and an adhesive portion for fixing the slider. A second pillow portion is provided on the load beam. The second pillow portion protrudes toward the slider. The second pillow portion abuts against the slider when the tongue is in the first position and moves away from the slider when the tongue moves to the second position.

[0015] The tongue may have an opening for inserting the second pillow portion. The tongue may have a first tongue portion on which the leading side portion of the slider is movably placed, a second tongue portion to which the trailing side portion of the slider is fixed by the adhesive portion, and a hinge portion connecting the first tongue portion and the second tongue portion. Actuator elements for driving the second tongue portion in the sway direction may be provided on both sides of the tongue.

[0016] The load beam may have a height-regulating protrusion. The height-regulating protrusion regulates the height of the tip of the second pillow portion that protrudes from the second surface of the tongue toward the slider. The height-regulating protrusion may be provided on the tongue. One example of the height-regulating protrusion is a bent portion formed by bending a part of the tongue toward the load beam.

[0017] In another embodiment, a second pillow portion may be provided on the slider, and the second pillow portion may protrude toward the load beam through an opening formed in the tongue. In this embodiment, the second pillow portion abuts against the load beam when the tongue is in the first position and moves away from the load beam when the tongue moves to the second position. [Effects of the Invention]

[0018] The disk drive suspension of the present invention stabilizes the behavior of the tongue on which the slider is mounted, particularly the stroke in the sway direction, and can suppress disturbances in frequency characteristics. In particular, in the case of a CLA (co-located actuator) type suspension, the stroke in the sway direction can be stabilized. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a plan view of a portion of the suspension according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] 2 is a plan view of the flexure of the suspension shown in FIG. 1, seen from the opposite side to FIG. 1. [Figure 3] 2 is a plan view of a portion of the load beam of the suspension shown in FIG. 1; [Figure 4] 2 is a side view of the portion of the suspension shown in FIG. 1 with the tongue in a first position; [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a side view of the portion of the suspension shown in FIG. 1 with the tongue in the second position (loaded). [Figure 6] 6 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the suspension shown in FIG. 1 taken along line F6-F6 in FIG. 1 when the tongue is in a first position. [Figure 7] 6 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the suspension shown in FIG. 1 taken along line F6-F6 in FIG. 1 when the tongue is in a second position. [Figure 8] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing an example of a disk device. [Figure 9]A diagram showing the relationship between Z-height and stroke in the sway direction for multiple suspensions (No. 1 to No. 6). [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing vibration modes of the suspension according to the first embodiment and a conventional suspension. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing a part of a suspension and a slider according to a second embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing a part of a suspension and a slider according to a third embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a plan view of a portion of a suspension according to a fourth embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a plan view of a portion of a suspension according to a fifth embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0020] [First embodiment] A disk drive suspension according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. Fig. 1 is a plan view showing a portion of a CLA (Co-located Actuator) type suspension 10. The suspension 10 includes a load beam 11, a flexure 12 arranged along the load beam 11, and an actuator mounting portion 14 provided on a gimbal portion 13 of the flexure 12. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the flexure 12 as seen from the opposite side to that shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan view of a portion of the load beam 11.

[0021] The load beam 11 is made of a stainless steel plate and extends in the longitudinal direction of the suspension 10. The thickness of the load beam 11 is, for example, 20 to 40 μm, but other thicknesses are also acceptable. The direction indicated by the double-headed arrow X1 in FIG. 1 is the longitudinal direction of the load beam 11, i.e., the longitudinal direction of the suspension 10. The double-headed arrow Y1 in FIG. 1 is the sway direction, i.e., the width direction of the tip of the flexure 12.

[0022] The flexure 12 includes a metal base 20 made of a thin stainless steel plate and a wiring portion 21 arranged along the metal base 20. The thickness of the metal base 20 is, for example, 20 μm (12 to 25 μm). The thickness of the metal base 20 is smaller than the thickness of the load beam 11.

[0023] 1, the metal base 20 is fixed to the load beam 11 by a first weld W1 and a second weld W2. The wiring portion 21 includes an insulating base layer made of an electrically insulating resin such as polyimide, a plurality of conductors formed on the insulating base layer, and a cover layer that covers the conductors.

[0024] A tongue 25 that forms part of the gimbal portion 13 is formed near the tip of the flexure 12. As shown in Fig. 2, the tongue 25 includes a first tongue portion 26, a second tongue portion 27, and a hinge portion 28. The hinge portion 28 is formed between the first tongue portion 26 and the second tongue portion 27. The first tongue portion 26, the second tongue portion 27, and the hinge portion 28 are all part of the metal base 20, and the outlines of each portion are formed by, for example, etching.

[0025] The first tongue portion 26 is elastically supported by the flexure body 34 and the flexure tip portion 34a by first arms 30, 31 and second arms 32, 33 which are formed of part of the metal base 20. The second tongue portion 27 is connected to the first tongue portion 26 via a hinge portion 28. The width of the hinge portion 28 is sufficiently smaller than the widths of the first tongue portion 26 and the second tongue portion 27. The second tongue portion 27 is rotatable relative to the first tongue portion 26 in a sway direction (indicated by a double-headed arrow Y1 in FIG. 1).

[0026] The second tongue portion 27 is supported by the flexure tip portion 34a via limiter members 35 and 36. The limiter members 35 and 36 prevent the tongue 25 from swinging excessively or dimple separation from occurring when, for example, an external impact is applied to the suspension 10.

[0027] The slider 40 is mounted on the tongue 25. A leading side portion 40a of the slider 40 is movably disposed on the first tongue portion 26 of the tongue 25. The leading side portion 40a is movable relative to the first tongue portion 26 in a direction along the surface of the first tongue portion 26. A trailing side portion 40b of the slider 40 is fixed to the second tongue portion 27 with an adhesive.

[0028] In this specification, the "leading side" refers to the side where air flows in between the slider 40 and the disk when the disk rotates. The "trailing side" refers to the side where air flows out. The adhesive for fixing the slider 40 is supplied to an adhesive portion 45 (shown hatched in FIG. 1) provided on the second tongue portion 27.

[0029] A dimple portion 50 is formed between the load beam 11 and the tongue 25. The dimple portion 50 is formed, for example, on the load beam 11. As shown in FIG. 4, the dimple portion 50 has a convex portion 51 that protrudes in a dome shape toward the tongue 25. The dimple portion 50 may also be formed on the tongue 25. In that case, the convex portion 51 of the dimple portion 50 contacts the load beam 11.

[0030] 4, when the tip of the protrusion 51 of the dimple portion 50 is in contact with the tongue 25, the tongue 25 can swing in the thickness direction of the tongue 25 around the dimple portion 50. That is, the tongue 25 can swing relative to the load beam 11 between at least a first position (shown in FIGS. 4 and 6) and a second position (shown in FIGS. 5 and 7). The load beam 11, the flexure 12, the slider 40, etc. constitute a gimbal assembly 55.

[0031] The first position (FIGS. 4 and 6) referred to in this specification is the position of the tongue 25 when the slider 40 is fixed to the tongue 25 during the manufacturing process of the gimbal assembly 55. Note that when the completed suspension 10 is incorporated into a disk drive, the tongue 25 is also in the first position when the tab 56 (shown in FIGS. 1 and 3) at the tip of the load beam 11 rides up onto the standby ramp (during unloading).

[0032] The second position (FIGS. 5 and 7) referred to in this specification is the position of tongue 25 when slider 40 moves above disk 58 after the completed suspension 10 is assembled into a disk drive and the disk drive is in use. That is, in the loaded state where slider 40 moves above disk 58, tongue 25 is in the second position.

[0033] 4 and 6 are a side view and a cross-sectional view, respectively, of a portion of the suspension 10 when the tongue 25 is in a first position. Figures 5 and 7 are a side view and a cross-sectional view, respectively, of a portion of the suspension 10 when the tongue 25 has moved to a second position (loaded state). As shown in Figures 4 to 7, the tongue 25 has a first surface 25a facing the load beam 11 and a second surface 25b opposite the first surface 25a. A slider 40 constituting a magnetic head is mounted on the second surface 25b.

[0034] A plurality of elements capable of converting magnetic signals to electric signals, such as MR elements, are provided at the end of the trailing-side portion 40b of the slider 40. These elements are used to access the disk 58, such as to write or read data. The second tongue 27 is provided with a terminal portion 60 (shown in FIG. 1) that is electrically connected to the elements of the slider 40. The terminal portion 60 is electrically connected to the conductor of the wiring portion 21.

[0035] The actuator mounting portion 14 includes a pair of actuator elements 61, 62. The actuator elements 61, 62 are arranged on both sides of the tongue 25. The actuator elements 61, 62 are made of a piezoelectric material such as PZT (lead zirconate titanate), and serve to rotate the second tongue portion 27 slightly in the sway direction.

[0036] 1, first ends 61a and 62a of actuator elements 61 and 62 are respectively fixed to first tongue portion 26 with an adhesive or the like. Second ends 61b and 62b of actuator elements 61 and 62 are respectively fixed to second tongue portion 27 with an adhesive or the like.

[0037] As shown in FIG. 1 , first pillow portions 70, 71 are formed on the second surface 25b of the tongue 25. Of the first pillow portions 70, 71, the pillow portion 70 that supports the leading side portion 40a of the slider 40 is formed on the first tongue portion 26. The pillow portion 71 that supports the trailing side portion 40b of the slider 40 is formed on the second tongue portion 27. The first pillow portions 70, 71 are made of a resin such as polyimide, and are convex from the second surface 25b of the tongue 25 toward the slider 40. The first pillow portions 70, 71 support the slider 40 at a predetermined position on the tongue 25 in a predetermined orientation.

[0038] The load beam 11 is formed with a second pillow portion 80 and a height-regulating protrusion 81. As shown in Fig. 3, the dimple portion 50, the second pillow portion 80, and the height-regulating protrusion 81 are formed on an imaginary straight line C1 extending in the longitudinal direction of the load beam 11 at the center of the width of the load beam 11. The height-regulating protrusion 81 will be described in detail later.

[0039] 1, 6, and 7, an opening 85 is formed in the first tongue portion 26. The second pillow portion 80 is formed in a position facing the opening 85 and protrudes from the opening 85 toward the slider 40. When the tongue 25 is in the first position (shown in FIGS. 4 and 6), a tip 80a of the second pillow portion 80 abuts against the slider 40.

[0040] In the manufacturing process of the gimbal assembly 55, adhesive is supplied to the adhesive portion 45 (shown in FIG. 1) of the tongue 25. Then, the slider 40 is placed on the second surface 25b of the tongue 25. At this time, the tongue 25 is in the first position (shown in FIGS. 4 and 6). The slider 40 placed on the tongue 25 is supported in a predetermined position on the tongue 25 by the first pillow portions 70, 71.

[0041] As shown in FIGS. 4 and 6, when the tongue 25 is in the first position, the tip 80a of the second pillow portion 80 contacts the leading side portion 40a of the slider 40. The leading side portion 40a of the slider 40 is supported on the load beam 11 by the second pillow portion 80. The height restricting protrusion 81 also contacts the first tongue portion 26. Therefore, the first tongue portion 26 is supported by the load beam 11 via the height restricting protrusion 81. In this way, when the tongue 25 is in the first position, the height H1 (shown in FIG. 7) of the height restricting protrusion 81 is set so that the second pillow portion 80 contacts the slider 40 and the height restricting protrusion 81 contacts the first tongue portion 26.

[0042] That is, when the tongue 25 is in the first position, the height of the tip 80a of the second pillow portion 80 protruding from the second surface 25b of the tongue 25 toward the slider 40 is restricted by the height restricting protrusion 81. Therefore, the position (height) of the tip 80a of the second pillow portion 80 can be made equal to the height of the first pillow portions 70, 71.

[0043] Therefore, when the slider 40 is bonded to the tongue 25, the slider 40 is supported on the tongue 25 by the first pillow portions 70, 71 and the second pillow portion 80, and the slider 40 is supported on the load beam 11 via the second pillow portion 80. Furthermore, the first tongue portion 26 is supported on the load beam 11 via the height-regulating protrusion 81.

[0044] If the second pillow portion 80 were not provided, when the slider 40 was bonded to the tongue 25, the slider 40 would be supported on the tongue 25 only by the first pillow portions 70, 71. In that case, part of the force applied from above the slider 40 may be input via the first pillow portion 70 in a direction that deflects the first tongue portion 26. Such input may cause the contact state between the first pillow portion 70 and the slider 40 to become unstable.

[0045] In contrast, in this embodiment, when the slider 40 is bonded to the tongue 25, the slider 40 is supported by the tongue 25 via the first pillow portions 70, 71, and the leading side portion 40a of the slider 40 is supported by the load beam 11 via the second pillow portion 80. Moreover, the first tongue portion 26 is supported by the load beam 11 via the height-regulating protrusion 81. This prevents a force applied from above the slider 40 from being input in a direction that would deflect the first tongue portion 26, and stabilizes the contact state between the first pillow portion 70 and the slider 40.

[0046] 5 and 7, when the slider 40 moves to a position along the surface of the disk 58 and enters a loaded state, the tongue 25 reaches the second position. When the tongue 25 reaches the second position, the tip 80a of the second pillow portion 80 moves away from the slider 40. Also, the height-regulating protrusion 81 moves away from the first tongue portion 26. In this state, the tongue 25 is supported by the dimple portion 50 so that it can swing, thereby achieving a gimbal function.

[0047] 8 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic example of a hard disk drive (HDD) 100. The disk drive 100 includes a case 101 (only a portion of which is shown), a disk 58 that rotates around a spindle, a carriage 103 that can rotate around a pivot shaft 102, and a positioning motor 104 that drives the carriage 103. The case 101 is sealed with a lid. A suspension 10 is attached to the tip of an arm portion 105 of the carriage 103.

[0048] When the carriage 103 is rotated by the positioning motor 104, the suspension 10 moves in the radial direction of the disk 58, thereby moving the slider 40 to a desired position on the disk 58. As the disk 58 rotates, an air bearing is formed between the slider 40 and the disk 58.

[0049] 1 and other drawings, the actuator elements 61 and 62 are distorted in opposite directions in response to the applied voltage. This causes the second tongue portion 27 to rotate relative to the first tongue portion 26 at the hinge portion 28. This allows the trailing side portion 40b of the slider 40 to be positioned quickly and accurately in the sway direction (indicated by the double-headed arrow Y1 in FIG. 1).

[0050] Figure 9 shows the stroke in the sway direction when the Z height is changed for six CLA (Co-located Actuator) type suspensions (No. 1 to No. 6) equipped with first pillow sections 70, 71. The horizontal axis in Figure 9 represents the Z height. The smaller the Z height, the greater the deflection of the suspension (deflection in the direction indicated by arrow Z in Figure 8, i.e., reaction force).

[0051] Nos. 1 to 3 shown on the upper side of Figure 9 are strokes when the slider 40 is not in contact with the pillow portion 70. Nos. 1 to 3 are strokes when a stable, large stroke is obtained, so there is no particular problem. Nos. 4 to 6 shown on the lower side of Figure 9 are strokes when the slider 40 is in contact with the pillow portion 70. Although the strokes of Nos. 4 to 6 are small, they are stable strokes, so there is no particular problem.

[0052] However, problems arise when the slider 40 sometimes contacts the pillow portion 70 and sometimes does not. In other words, when the slider 40 and the pillow portion 70 are in an unstable contact state, irregular stroke changes occur in the range S1 (shown in FIG. 9) between the large strokes of No. 1 to No. 3 and the small strokes of No. 4 to No. 6. This is undesirable in terms of maintaining the appropriate stroke characteristics of the CLA (Co-located Actuator) type suspension 10.

[0053] In contrast, in the suspension 10 of this embodiment, when the slider 40 is bonded to the tongue 25, the slider 40 is supported on the tongue 25 by the first pillow portions 70, 71, and the slider 40 is supported on the load beam 11 via the second pillow portion 80. This prevents the force applied from the slider 40 from being applied in a direction that would deflect the first tongue portion 26, and prevents the contact between the slider 40 and the first pillow portion 70 from becoming unstable.

[0054] FIG. 10 shows the relationship between frequency and gain when the suspension is vibrated. The solid line L1 in FIG. 10 indicates the vibration mode of a conventional CLA-type suspension. The conventional suspension exhibits significant vibration mode disturbance near 10 kHz, as indicated by arrow A1. The two-dot chain line L2 in FIG. 10 indicates the vibration mode of the suspension 10 of this embodiment. The suspension 10 of this embodiment does not exhibit the conventional vibration mode disturbance near 10 kHz, and a desirable vibration mode is obtained.

[0055] [Second embodiment] 11 is a cross-sectional view showing a portion of a suspension 10A according to the second embodiment. This suspension 10A has a bent portion 110 bent toward the load beam 11 at a portion of the tongue 25, such as the tip of the tongue 25. This bent portion 110 forms a height-regulating protrusion 81A. As shown in FIG. 11, when the tongue 25 is in the first position, the second pillow portion 80 contacts the slider 40, and the height-regulating protrusion 81A contacts the load beam 11.

[0056] When the tongue 25 moves to the second position, the second pillow portion 80 moves away from the slider 40, and the height-regulating protrusion 81A moves away from the load beam 11. As other configurations and functions of the suspension 10A of the second embodiment are common to the suspension 10 of the first embodiment (FIGS. 1 to 10), common components are denoted by common reference numerals and will not be described.

[0057] [Third embodiment] FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view showing a portion of a suspension 10B according to the third embodiment. In this suspension 10B, a second pillow portion 80B is formed on the slider 40. As shown in FIG. 12, when the tongue 25 is in the first position, the second pillow portion 80B contacts the load beam 11. When the tongue 25 moves to the second position, the second pillow portion 80B moves away from the load beam 11. As the suspension 10B according to the third embodiment has other configurations and functions in common with the suspension 10 according to the first embodiment (FIGS. 1 to 10), common components are designated by common reference numerals and will not be described again.

[0058] [Fourth embodiment] 13 is a plan view showing a suspension 10C according to a fourth embodiment. The suspension 10C has a first tongue 26 on which the leading-side portion 40a of the slider 40 is disposed, a second tongue 27 on which the trailing-side portion 40b of the slider 40 is disposed, and a hinge portion 28. The first pillow portion of the suspension 10C includes a leading-side pillow 70a disposed near the hinge portion 28 of the first tongue 26, a trailing-side pillow 71a disposed on the second tongue 27, and a dimple-side pillow 72 disposed at a position corresponding to the dimple portion 50. Other configurations and functions of the suspension 10C according to the fourth embodiment are common to the suspension 10 according to the first embodiment (FIGS. 1 to 10). Therefore, common reference numerals are used to designate common components, and descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0059] [Fifth embodiment] Figure 14 is a plan view showing a suspension 10D according to a fifth embodiment. The first pillow portion of this suspension 10D includes a trailing-side pillow 71a disposed in the second tongue portion 27 and a dimple-side pillow 72 disposed in a position corresponding to the dimple portion 50. No first pillow portion is disposed in the first tongue portion 26. As the suspension 10D according to the fifth embodiment has other configurations and functions in common with the suspension 10C according to the fourth embodiment (Figure 13), common components are designated by common reference numerals and will not be described again.

[0060] In implementing the present invention, it goes without saying that various modifications can be made to the components that make up the suspension, including specific aspects such as the shapes and positions of the first pillow section, second pillow section, height-regulating protrusions, etc. Furthermore, the technical concept of the present invention may be applied to suspensions other than the CLA (co-located actuator) type. [Explanation of symbols]

[0061] 10, 10A, 10B, 10C, 10D...suspension, 11...load beam, 12...flexure, 13...gimbal portion, 14...actuator mounting portion, 20...metal base, 25...tang, 25a...first surface, 25b...second surface, 26...first tongue portion, 27...second tongue portion, 28...hinge portion, 40...slider, 40a...leading side portion, 40b...trailing side portion, 45...adhesive portion, 50...dimple portion, 55...gimbal assembly, 58...disk, 61, 62...actuator element, 70, 71...first pillow portion, 70a...leading side pillow, 71a...trailing side pillow, 72...dimple side pillow, 80...second pillow portion, 80a...tip, 81, 81A...height regulating protrusion, 85...opening, 100...disk device.

Claims

1. A load beam; a flexure disposed along the load beam and having a tongue on which a slider is mounted; a dimple portion having a protrusion that is present between the load beam and the tongue and supports the tongue so that the tongue can swing between at least a first position and a second position in a thickness direction of the tongue; A disk drive suspension comprising: The tongue is a first surface facing the load beam; a second surface on which the slider is mounted; a first pillow portion that supports the slider; an adhesive portion for fixing the slider; a second pillow portion provided on the load beam and protruding toward the slider, the second pillow portion abutting against the slider when the tongue is at the first position and moving away from the slider when the tongue moves to the second position.

2. 2. The disk drive suspension according to claim 1, The tongue is A disk drive suspension having an opening for inserting the second pillow portion.

3. 2. The disk drive suspension according to claim 1, The tongue is a first tongue portion on which the leading side portion of the slider is movably mounted; a second tongue portion to which the trailing side portion of the slider is fixed by the adhesive portion; a hinge portion connecting the first tongue portion and the second tongue portion, and The disk drive suspension has actuator elements on both sides of the tongue for driving the second tongue portion in a sway direction.

4. 2. The disk drive suspension according to claim 1, The load beam A disk drive suspension having a height-regulating protrusion that regulates the height of the tip of the second pillow portion that protrudes from the second surface of the tongue toward the slider.

5. 2. The disk drive suspension according to claim 1, The tongue is A disk drive suspension having a height-regulating protrusion that regulates the height of the tip of the second pillow portion that protrudes from the second surface of the tongue toward the slider.

6. 6. The disk drive suspension according to claim 5, The height regulating convex portion is The disk drive suspension comprises a bent portion formed by bending a part of the tongue toward the load beam.

7. 2. The disk drive suspension according to claim 1, The tongue is a first tongue portion on which a leading side portion of the slider is disposed; a second tongue portion on which a trailing side portion of the slider is disposed; a hinge portion connecting the first tongue portion and the second tongue portion, and The first pillow portion is A trailing side pillow disposed in the second tongue portion; a dimple-side pillow arranged at a position corresponding to the dimple portion; A suspension for a disk drive including:

8. A load beam; a flexure disposed along the load beam and having a tongue on which a slider is mounted; a dimple portion having a protrusion that is present between the load beam and the tongue and supports the tongue so that the tongue can swing between at least a first position and a second position in a thickness direction of the tongue; A disk drive suspension comprising: The tongue is a first surface facing the load beam; a second surface on which the slider is mounted; a first pillow portion that supports the slider; an adhesive portion for fixing the slider; a second pillow portion provided on the slider, protruding from an opening formed in the tongue toward the load beam, abutting against the load beam when the tongue is at the first position, and moving away from the load beam when the tongue moves to the second position.

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