Non-operation shock mitigation for suspension systems

Abstract

A flexure is described herein. The flexure includes a slider tongue having a proximal end and a distal end. The slider tongue includes a leading edge at its proximal end configured to readily contact the underside of a load beam attached to the flexure. The flexure also includes a magnetic read / write head slider attached to the slider tongue at its distal end, at least one PZT microactuator secured to the slider tongue between the proximal and distal ends, and at least one damping device at the leading edge of the slider tongue configured to reduce impulses and stresses on the at least one PZT microactuator during a de-actuation shock event.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of suspensions for hard disk drives. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to the field of suspension devices including damping features for reducing shock damage during inactivity.

Background Art

[0002] Other types of rotating media drives, such as magnetic hard disk drives and optical disk drives, are well known. A typical disk drive unit includes a rotating magnetic disk that contains a pattern of 1s and 0s of a magnetic storage medium that constitutes the data stored on the disk drive. The magnetic disk is driven by a drive motor. The disk drive unit further includes a disk drive suspension to which a magnetic read / write head is attached proximate to the distal end of a load beam. The "proximal" end of the suspension or load beam is the supported end, i.e., the end closest to the base plate that is swaged or otherwise attached to the actuator arm. The "distal" end of the suspension or load beam is the end on the opposite side of the proximal end, i.e., the "distal" end is a cantilevered end.

[0003] The suspension is coupled to an actuator arm, which is coupled to a voice coil motor that moves the suspension in an arc to position the head slider over the correct data track on the data disk. The head slider is supported on a gimbal, which pitches and rolls the slider so that the slider follows the appropriate data track on the disk, allowing for inertial events such as disk vibration, shock, and variations such as unevenness on the disk surface.

Summary of the Invention

Means for Solving the Problems

[0004] A flexure is described herein. The flexure includes a slider tongue having a proximal end and a distal end. The slider tongue has a leading edge at its proximal end that is configured to easily contact the underside of a load beam to which the flexure is attached. The flexure also includes a magnetic read / write head slider attached to the slider tongue at its distal end, at least one actuator fixed to the slider tongue between the proximal and distal ends, and at least one damping device located at the leading edge of the slider tongue, configured to reduce impulses during non-operating shock events and reduce stress on the at least one actuator.

[0005] In some examples of flexures, at least one damping device comprises multiple damping devices, one of which is positioned at each corner of the leading edge, and at least one damping device is positioned between the corners. In some examples of flexures, at least one damping device is made of a base metal material extending from the surface of the slider tongue. In some examples of flexures, at least one damping device includes a viscoelastic material attached to the slider tongue. In some examples of flexures, at least one damping device is curved at the end that contacts the load beam.

[0006] An alternative flexure is described herein. The alternative flexure includes a slider tongue having a proximal end and a distal end. The slider tongue has a leading edge at its proximal end that is configured to readily contact the underside of a load beam to which the flexure is attached. The alternative flexure includes a magnetic read / write head slider attached to the slider tongue at its distal end, at least one actuator fixed to the slider tongue between the proximal and distal ends, and at least one partially etched portion on the leading edge of the slider tongue, configured to reduce impulses during non-operating shock events and reduce stress on the at least one actuator.

[0007] In some examples of alternative flexures, at least one partial etching section comprises multiple partial etching sections, one of which is located at each corner of the leading edge. At least one partial etching section comprises at least one damping device located between the corners.

[0008] A load beam is described herein. The load beam includes a mounting surface configured to receive a flexure, and one or more damping materials positioned so that the slider tongue of the flexure contacts the mounting surface of the load beam during a non-operating impact event.

[0009] In some examples of load beams, damping material is configured to mitigate the impact on the leading edge of the slider tongue. The damping material is made from a viscoelastic material. In some examples of load beams, the damping material is configured to enable a damping effect and absorb the impact energy of the slider tongue during non-operational impact events. In some examples, the load beam also includes one or more partial etching regions, each of which is located within one or more damping materials.

[0010] A suspension is described herein. The suspension includes a flexure and a load beam. The flexure includes a slider tongue having a proximal end and a distal end. The slider tongue has a leading edge at its proximal end that is configured to easily contact the underside of the load beam to which the flexure is attached. The flexure also includes a magnetic read / write head slider attached to the slider tongue at its distal end, at least one actuator fixed to the slider tongue between the proximal and distal ends, and at least one damping device located at the leading edge of the slider tongue, configured to reduce impulses during non-operating shock events and reduce stress on the at least one actuator. The load beam includes a mounting surface configured to receive the flexure and one or more damping materials positioned so that the slider tongue of the flexure contacts the mounting surface of the load beam during non-operating shock events.

[0011] While several examples are disclosed, further examples of the present disclosure will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description illustrating and explaining exemplary examples of the present disclosure. Therefore, the drawings and detailed description should be considered illustrative and not restrictive.

[0012] To illustrate how the above-mentioned or other advantages and features of this disclosure can be obtained, a more detailed explanation of the principles described above is given by reference to specific examples shown in the accompanying drawings. These drawings are merely illustrative of the embodiments of this disclosure and should not be considered limiting its scope. The principles are described and explained with additional specificities and details using the following drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0013] [Figure 1] This is an isometric view of the top surface of a suspension, as an example of the disclosure. [Figure 2] This is a side view of the suspension shown in Figure 1, which is an example of the disclosure. [Figure 3] Figure 1 is a side view of the suspension, showing the leading edge of the slider tongue that contacts the load beam, according to an example of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] Figure 1 is a side view of the suspension, showing a head slider that contacts a disk drive component (rotating magnetic disk) according to an example of this disclosure. [Figure 5] Figure 1 is a side view of the suspension, illustrating the deformation of the gimbal assembly due to the head slider pitching in the negative direction, as shown in one example of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] Figure 1 is a side view of the suspension, showing the leading edge of the tongue portion that contacts the road beam, according to an example of the present disclosure. [Figure 7] Figure 1 is a side view of the suspension, showing the slider dimples on the slider tongue that contact the load beam, as an example of the present disclosure. [Figure 8]These graphs, based on simulations, show the stresses applied to the PZT microactuator during the interval time events shown in Figures 4 to 7. [Figure 9] This is a top view of a flexure gimbal assembly according to an example of the present disclosure. [Figure 10] This graph shows the stress applied to the PZT microactuator of the suspension in Figure 8, based on simulation results. [Figure 11] This is an isometric top view of a flexure gimbal assembly according to an example of the present disclosure. [Figure 12] This graph shows the stress applied to the PZT microactuator of the suspension in Figure 10, based on simulation results. [Figure 13] This is an isometric top view of a flexure gimbal assembly according to an example of the present disclosure. [Figure 14] This is an isometric view of the bottom of a load beam, as an example of the disclosure. [Figure 15] This is an isometric view of the top surface of a load beam, as an example of the disclosure. [Figure 16] This is an isometric view of the top surface of a load beam, as an example of the disclosure. [Figure 17] This is an isometric view of the top surface of a load beam, as an example of the disclosure. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0014] Figure 1 is an isometric view of the top surface of suspension 100 according to an example of the present disclosure. Suspension 100 includes a load beam 200 and a flexure 300 fixed to the load beam 200 by welding or other methods. Flexure 300 includes a distal gimbal structure 362. The flexure is attached to the base plate near the proximal end of suspension 100. Not all of the components shown in Figure 1 may be required to implement the exemplary inventions disclosed herein, and changes in the arrangement and type of components may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the present disclosure. Further, suspension 100 may include more or fewer components than shown in Figure 1. However, what is shown is sufficient to disclose an exemplary example for implementing the subject invention.

[0015] The distal gimbal structure 362 includes a slider tongue 316 to which a magnetic read / write head slider is attached. This is shown in Figures 2 - 7. Flexure 300 may also include a flexible electrical circuit or conductive trace 330. The conductive trace 330 may extend from the proximal end to the distal end of the flexure. The distal gimbal structure 362 including the slider tongue 316 is configured to freely pitch and roll in response to surface irregularities of the data disk when the disk rotates under the head slider. The slider is supported at the dimple position 202 by dimples in the load beam 200 such that a rotational movement of three degrees (pitch, roll, and yaw) is possible. In the exemplary example shown, the distal gimbal structure 362 includes an outer gimbal strut, or simply an outer strut 312. Flexure 300 also includes a bridge strut 314 extending from the outer gimbal strut 312.

[0016] At least one actuator 308, such as a PZT microactuator, is fixed to the flexure 300 such that the actuator 308 spans a gap between the leading edge of the slider tongue portion 316 and the distal end of the slider tongue portion 316. Positive and negative electrical connections can be made from the at least one actuator 308 to the conductive trace 330. When the actuator 308 is actuated, it expands or contracts, thus changing the length of the gap, thereby generating a fine movement of the read / write head attached to the distal end of the slider tongue portion 316.

[0017] FIG. 2 is a side view of a suspension 100 according to an example of the present disclosure. The flexure 300 includes a head slider 320 fixed or attached to the slider tongue portion 316. The head slider 320 is supported on a gimbal, and the gimbal pitches and rolls the head slider 320 so that the head slider 320 follows an appropriate data track on the data disk, allowing inertial events such as vibrations and collisions of the disk, and variations such as unevenness of the disk surface.

[0018] The data disk is susceptible to g-force shock when the drive is not operating. Specifically, two corners of the slider tongue portion 316 located on the leading edge 372 can contact the lower surface of the load beam 200. The leading edge 372 of the slider tongue portion 316 is the proximal edge of the slider tongue portion 316, i.e., the edge closer to the actuator arm to which the suspension 100 is attached.

[0019] One possible failure resulting from contact between one or more parts of the flexure 300 and the load beam 200 is that the actuator receives a force sufficient to cause cracking and / or breakage, leading to complete failure of the actuator and, consequently, partial or complete failure of the disk drive. The amount of impact required to cause this damage and associated failure is at a level that the disk drive is generally designed to withstand only when non-operating and not when operating. Thus, such impact events are generally referred to herein as non-operating or non-operating impact events.

[0020] Figure 3 shows the leading edge 372 in contact with the load beam 200 during a non-operating impact event. Figures 4-7 show other examples of interval-time events of stress applied to one or more actuators positioned on the flexure during a non-operating impact event. Figure 8 is a graph of the stress on the actuators during the interval-time events of Figures 4-7. During a non-operating impact event, the tongue of the flexure may move extremely in the pitch direction, and the leading edge of the tongue may suddenly contact or collide with the load beam, resulting in high stress on one or more actuators.

[0021] Figure 4 shows a head slider 320 in contact with a disk drive component 50. For example, the disk drive component may include a ramp. The maximum stress on the PZT occurs when the head slider 320 first makes contact with the disk drive component 50. Figure 5 shows the deformation of the gimbal assembly due to the head slider 320 pitching in the negative direction toward the disk drive component 50. Actuators positioned on the gimbal assembly are consequently subjected to stress. Figure 6 shows the leading edge 372 of a tongue in contact with a load beam 200, according to an example of the present disclosure. Actuators positioned on the gimbal assembly are subjected to stress due to this contact between the leading edge 372 and the load beam 200. Figure 7 shows a slider dimple 302 of the slider tongue in contact with the load beam 200. Actuators positioned on the gimbal assembly are subjected to stress due to this contact between the slider dimple 302 and the load beam 200.

[0022] This disclosure proposes eliminating such failure mechanisms by reducing contact between the leading edge of the slider tongue and the load beam. Several exemplary inventions are disclosed herein. The proposed structures reduce the force with which the leading edge of the slider tongue strikes the load beam during impact events, particularly during non-operating impact events.

[0023] Figure 9 is a top view of a flexure gimbal assembly 400 according to an example of the present disclosure. The gimbal assembly 400 includes a slider tongue 416. The slider tongue 416 has an elongated shape with a proximal end and a distal end. A magnetic read / write head slider may be attached to the slider tongue 416 at its distal end. The proximal end of the slider tongue 416 is referred to herein as the leading edge 472. The leading edge 472 of the slider may contact the underside of the load beam, as described above. At least one actuator 408 may be fixed to the slider tongue 416 between its proximal and distal ends. The actuator is configured to straddle the respective gaps in the slider tongue 416 between its proximal and distal ends. Positive and negative or ground electrical connections can be made from the actuator 408 to the conductive trace 430. When actuator 408 is activated, it expands or contracts, thus changing the length of the gap, thereby generating a fine movement of the read / write head attached to the distal end of the slider tongue 416.

[0024] The conductive trace 430 may extend from the proximal end to the distal end of the gimbal assembly 400. The gimbal assembly 400 is configured to allow the slider tongue 416 to freely pitch and roll in response to surface irregularities of the data disk as the disk rotates under the head slider. The gimbal assembly 400 includes an outer gimbal strut 412, or simply an outer strut. The gimbal assembly 400 also includes a bridge strut 414 extending from the outer gimbal strut 412 to allow support for a portion of the conductive trace 430.

[0025] The leading edge 472 of the slider tongue 416 may include at least one damping device 450. The leading edge 472 may include a plurality of damping devices 450, one of which is positioned at each corner of the leading edge 472, and at least one damping device 450 positioned between the corners. The damping devices 450 may be made of a base metal material extending from the surface of the slider tongue 416. Alternatively, the damping devices 450 may include a viscoelastic material fixed to or attached to the slider tongue 416, or any other known damping material. The damping devices 450 are configured to reduce impulses during non-operating impact events (e.g., those shown in Figure 6), and thus reduce the stress on the actuator 408.

[0026] Not all components shown in Figure 9 are required to carry out the exemplary invention disclosed herein, and changes in the arrangement and type of components may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of this disclosure. Furthermore, the suspension 100 may include more or fewer components than those shown in Figure 9. However, what is shown is sufficient to disclose an exemplary example for carrying out the subject invention.

[0027] Figure 10 is a graph showing the stress on the actuator of the suspension in Figure 8, as an example. As shown herein, the damping device 450 reduces the stress on the actuator between the contact point between the leading edge and the load beam. In this case, the actuator stress is smaller than the actuator stress shown in Figure 8.

[0028] Figure 11 is an isometric top view of a gimbal assembly 500 according to an example of the present disclosure. The gimbal assembly 500 includes a slider tongue 516. The slider tongue 516 has an elongated shape with a proximal end and a distal end. A magnetic read / write head slider may be attached to the slider tongue 516 at its distal end. The proximal end of the slider tongue 516 is referred to herein as the leading edge 572. The leading edge 572 of the slider may contact the underside of the load beam, as described above. At least one actuator 508 may be fixed to the slider tongue 516 between the proximal and distal ends. The actuator is configured to straddle the respective gaps in the slider tongue 516, as described herein. Positive and negative electrical connections can be made from the actuator to the conductive trace 530. When actuator 508 is activated, it expands or contracts, thus changing the length of the gap, thereby generating fine movements of the read / write head attached to the distal end of the slider tongue 516.

[0029] The conductive trace 530 may extend from the proximal end to the distal end of the gimbal assembly 500. The gimbal assembly 500 is configured to allow the slider tongue 516 to freely pitch and roll in response to surface irregularities of the data disk as the disk rotates under the head slider. The leading edge 572 of the slider tongue 516 may include at least one damping device 550. The leading edge 572 may include a plurality of damping devices 550, one of which is positioned at each corner of the leading edge 572. The damping devices 550 may be curved at the ends that contact the load beam. The damping devices may be made of a base metal material extending from the surface of the slider tongue 516. Alternatively, the damping devices 550 may include a viscoelastic material fixed to or attached to the slider tongue 516, or any other known damping material. The curved shape of the damping device 550 is configured to further reduce impulses during non-operating impact events (e.g., those shown in Figure 6), and thus reduce the stress on the actuator 408.

[0030] Figure 12 is a graph showing the stress on the actuator of the suspension in Figure 10, as an example. As shown herein, the damping device 550 reduces the stress on the actuator 508 between the contact point between the leading edge 572 and the load beam. In this case, the actuator stress is smaller than the actuator stress shown in Figure 8.

[0031] Figure 13 is an isometric top view of a gimbal assembly 600 according to an example of the present disclosure. The gimbal assembly 600 includes a slider tongue 616. The slider tongue 616 has an elongated shape with a proximal end and a distal end. A magnetic read / write head slider may be attached to the slider tongue 616 at its distal end. The proximal end of the slider tongue 616 is referred to herein as the leading edge 672. The leading edge 672 of the slider may contact the underside of the load beam, as described above. When the actuator 608 is actuated, it expands or contracts, thus changing the length of the gap, thereby generating fine movements of the read / write head attached to the distal end of the slider tongue 616.

[0032] The gimbal assembly 600 is configured to allow the slider tongue 616 to freely pitch and roll in response to surface irregularities of the data disk as the disk rotates under the head slider. The leading edge 672 of the slider tongue 616 may include at least one partial etching portion 650. The leading edge 672 may include a plurality of partial etching portions 650, one of which is located at or near each corner of the leading edge 672. The partial etching portions 650 may be spring-like or elastic so that thinner partial etching portions 650 are weaker and further reduce impulses during non-operational impact events (e.g., those shown in Figure 6), and thus reduce the stress on the actuator 608.

[0033] Figure 14 is an isometric view of the bottom of a load beam 700 according to an example of the present disclosure. The load beam 700 has a mounting surface 702 for a flexure including a gimbal assembly. The mounting surface 702 may include two or more damping materials 750. The damping materials 750 are positioned where the slider tongue contacts the mounting surface 702 of the load beam. The damping materials 750 are configured to mitigate the impact on the leading edge of the slider tongue. The damping materials 750 may be made of a viscoelastic material or any other damping material. The damping materials 750 are configured to enable a damping effect and absorb impact energy during non-operating impact events (as shown in Figure 6). The damping materials 750 can reduce the stress on the actuator 608.

[0034] Figure 15 is a bottom view of a load beam 800 according to an example of the present disclosure. The load beam 800 has a mounting surface 802 for a gimbal assembly. The mounting surface 802 may include two or more damping materials 850 arranged in a partially etched region 860. The damping materials 850 and the partially etched region 860 are positioned where the slider tongue contacts the mounting surface 802 of the load beam 800. The damping materials 850 are configured to mitigate the impact on the leading edge of the slider tongue, and the thinner partially etched region 860 is weaker, and the partially etched region 860 may be springy or elastic to further reduce the impulse during non-operating impact events. The damping materials 850 may be made of a viscoelastic material or any other damping material. The damping materials 850 are configured to enable a damping effect and absorb impact energy during non-operating impact events (as shown in Figure 6). The damping materials 850 reduce the stress on the PZT microactuator 808.

[0035] Figure 16 is a bottom view of a load beam 900 according to an example of the present disclosure. The load beam 900 has a mounting surface 902 for a gimbal assembly. The mounting surface 902 includes a partially etched area 960 for forming a recess below the bottom surface of the load beam 900. In some embodiments, the etched area 960 is configured to receive one or more damping devices, as described herein, on the slider tongue within the etched area 960. The etched area 960 is a damping device, as described herein, configured to reduce impact with the slider tongue of the flexure. Forming damping devices on the load beam reduces the size, thickness, and / or area required for the slider tongue. Thus, in some embodiments, damping devices can be used instead of, or in addition to, damping material on the slider tongue.

[0036] Figure 17 is a bottom view of a load beam 1000 according to an example of the present disclosure. The load beam 1000 has a mounting surface 1002 for a gimbal assembly. The mounting surface 1002 is configured for one or more damping devices 1060 formed from a base metal material extending from the surface of the load beam 1000. In some embodiments, the metal material extending from the surface of the load beam is formed as one or more tabs. One or more damping devices, such as one or more tabs, are configured to extend beyond the bottom surface of the load beam 1000. The damping devices 1060 are configured to mitigate the impact of the leading edge of the slider tongue on the load beam 1000, thereby reducing impulses during non-operating impact events. The damping devices 1060, alone or together with damping material on the slider tongue, are configured to enable a damping effect and absorb impact energy during non-operating impact events (as shown in Figure 6). Damping devices such as those described herein reduce the stress on the PZT microactuator. Therefore, in some embodiments, a damping device can be used instead of, or in addition to, the damping material on the slider tongue.

[0037] As used herein and in the claims, the terms “generally,” “approximately,” “about,” “substantially,” and “coplanar” allow for some degree of variation from any exact dimensions, measurements, and arrangements, and it will be understood that these terms should be understood within the context of the description and operation of this disclosure.

[0038] It will be further understood that terms such as “top,” “bottom,” “up,” and “down” as used herein and in the claims are convenient terms indicating the spatial relationship of parts relative to one another, rather than any specific spatial or gravitational direction. Therefore, these terms are intended to encompass assemblies of components, regardless of whether the assembly is shown in the drawings and oriented in a particular orientation described herein, or upside down from that orientation, or any other rotational modification has been made.

[0039] All features disclosed in this application, including the claims, abstract, and drawings, and all steps in any disclosed method or process, may be combined in any combination, except for any combination in which at least some of such features and / or steps are mutually exclusive. Each feature disclosed in this application, including the claims, abstract, and drawings, may be replaced by an alternative feature serving the same, equivalent, or similar purpose, unless expressly specified otherwise. Thus, unless expressly specified otherwise, each disclosed feature is merely an example of a comprehensive set of equivalent or similar features.

[0040] It should be understood that the term “example” as used herein should not be construed to mean that only a single example having a single essential element or set of elements is presented. Similarly, it should be understood that the term “this disclosure” encompasses several distinct inventions, each of which may be considered a distinct example. While this disclosure has been described in detail with respect to preferred examples and their drawings, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various adaptations and modifications of this disclosure can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure. Therefore, it should be understood that the detailed description and accompanying drawings described above do not limit the scope of this disclosure, and the scope of this disclosure should be inferred solely from the following claims and their appropriately interpreted legal equivalents.

Claims

1. It is a flexure, A slider tongue having a proximal end and a distal end, wherein the proximal end includes an anterior edge, The device comprises at least one damping device located on the leading edge of the slider tongue, configured to reduce impulses and stresses during non-operating impact events, The at least one damping device comprises a flexure containing a viscoelastic material attached to the slider tongue.

2. The flexure according to claim 1, wherein the at least one damping device comprises a plurality of damping devices, one of which is positioned at each corner of the leading edge, and at least one damping device is positioned between each corner of the leading edge.

3. The flexure according to claim 1, wherein the at least one damping device is made of a base metal material extending from the surface of the slider tongue.

4. The flexure according to claim 1, wherein at least one damping device is curved at its end in the direction toward the proximal end.

5. It is a flexure, A slider tongue having a proximal end and a distal end, wherein the proximal end includes an anterior edge, The magnetic read / write head slider attached to the slider tongue at the distal end, At least one actuator fixed to the slider tongue between the proximal end and the distal end, A flexure comprising at least one partially etched portion on the leading edge of the slider tongue, configured to reduce impulses during non-operating impact events and reduce stress on the at least one actuator.

6. The flexure according to claim 5, wherein the at least one partially etched portion includes a plurality of partially etched portions, one of which is located at each corner of the leading edge.

7. The flexure according to claim 6, wherein the at least one partially etched portion includes at least one damping device positioned between each corner of the leading edge.

8. It is a road beam, A mounting surface configured to receive the flexure described in claim 1, A road beam comprising one or more damping materials located on the road beam for reducing the impact of non-operational impact events in which the flexure collides with the road beam.

9. The load beam according to claim 8, wherein the one or more damping materials are configured to mitigate the impact on the leading edge of the slider tongue of the flexure.

10. The load beam according to claim 8, wherein the one or more damping materials are configured to dampen the impact energy of the slider tongue during non-operating impact events.

11. The load beam according to claim 8, comprising one or more partially etched regions, each of which is located in the one or more attenuating material.

12. It is a flexure, A slider tongue having a proximal end and a distal end, wherein the slider tongue includes a slider tongue having a leading edge at the proximal end, The magnetic read / write head slider attached to the slider tongue at the distal end, At least one actuator fixed to the slider tongue between the proximal end and the distal end, A flexure including at least one damping device located on the leading edge of the slider tongue, configured to reduce impulses during non-operating impact events and reduce stress on at least one actuator, It is a road beam, A mounting surface configured to receive the aforementioned flexure, A suspension comprising a road beam, and a road beam, including one or more damping materials positioned so that the slider tongue of the flexure contacts the mounting surface of the road beam during a non-operating impact event.

13. The suspension according to claim 12, wherein the at least one damping device comprises a plurality of damping devices, one of which is positioned at each corner of the leading edge, and at least one damping device is positioned between each corner of the leading edge.

14. The suspension according to claim 12, wherein the at least one damping device is made of a base metal material extending from the surface of the slider tongue.

15. The suspension according to claim 12, wherein the at least one damping device includes a viscoelastic material attached to the slider tongue.

16. The suspension according to claim 12, wherein at least one damping device is curved at the end that contacts the road beam.

17. The suspension according to claim 12, wherein the one or more damping materials are made from a viscoelastic material.

18. The suspension according to claim 12, comprising one or more partially etched regions, each of which is located in the one or more damping material.

19. It is a road beam, A mounting surface configured to receive a flexure, A road beam comprising one or more damping devices located on the road beam for reducing the impact of non-operational impact events in which the flexure collides with the road beam.

20. The load beam according to claim 19, wherein the one or more damping devices are configured to mitigate the impact on the leading edge of the slider tongue of the flexure.

21. The load beam according to claim 19, wherein the one or more damping devices are configured to dampen the impact energy of the slider tongue during non-operating impact events.

22. The load beam according to claim 19, wherein the attenuation device is one or more etching regions.

23. The load beam according to claim 19, wherein the damping device is formed from a base metal material extending from the load beam.

24. It is a flexure, A slider tongue having a proximal end and a distal end, wherein the slider tongue includes a slider tongue having a leading edge at the proximal end, The magnetic read / write head slider attached to the slider tongue at the distal end, A flexure including at least one actuator fixed to the slider tongue between the proximal and distal ends, It is a road beam, A mounting surface configured to receive the aforementioned flexure, A suspension comprising a road beam and one or more damping devices positioned so that the slider tongue of the flexure contacts the mounting surface of the road beam during a non-operating impact event.

25. The suspension according to claim 24, further comprising at least one damping device located on the leading edge of the slider tongue, configured to reduce impulses during non-operating impact events and to reduce stress on the at least one actuator.

26. The suspension according to claim 24, wherein the damping device is one or more etching regions.

27. The suspension according to claim 24, wherein the damping device is formed from a base metal material extending from the road beam.

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