Disk Drive Suspension Damper for Vibration Suppression

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional disk drive suspensions with co-located microactuator elements on a gimbal portion experience vibration issues due to coupling of resonance modes from PZT and baseplate excitations, leading to potential adverse effects on the gimbal portion's properties.

Innovation Solution

A disk drive suspension design featuring a load beam, flexure, and gimbal portion with microactuator elements on either side of the slider, incorporating a damper member with a viscoelastic material layer and constrained plate to suppress vibrations, and a convex dimple for supporting the tongue's swinging motion, effectively reducing resonance gain.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If microactuator elements are mounted on a gimbal portion to enable precise positioning, then positioning precision is improved, but vibration of the gimbal portion increases due to resonance mode coupling

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepositioning precisionVSAvoidgimbal vibration

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the harmful vibration from the gimbal portion by introducing a damper member that is coupled to the gimbal but isolated from the microactuator elements. The damper member absorbs and dissipates vibrational energy through viscoelastic material, separating the positioning function from the vibration problem.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The damper member acts as an intermediary element between the gimbal portion and the external environment. It mediates the transmission of vibrational forces by providing a controlled path for energy dissipation through its viscoelastic properties, protecting the gimbal from resonance amplification.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Adaptability or versatility

If the gimbal portion is designed to support microactuator elements and slider, then positioning capability is improved, but the gimbal becomes more susceptible to vibration from baseplate excitation

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepositioning capabilityVSAvoidvibration susceptibility

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The damper member is pre-installed on the gimbal portion to provide cushioning against future vibrational disturbances. The viscoelastic material is positioned in advance to absorb and dampen vibrations before they can amplify through the gimbal structure, protecting the mounted components.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #11Beforehand cushioning (Prior cushioning)

Solution Approach 2:

The damper member utilizes composite construction with viscoelastic material to achieve optimal damping characteristics. This composite approach combines materials with different properties to maximize vibration absorption while maintaining structural integrity and supporting the positioning components.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The proposed design effectively suppresses vibration of the gimbal portion, enhancing the stability and precision of the slider's positioning by reducing resonance gain, thereby improving the overall performance of the disk drive suspension.

Implementation Method 1

a damper member with a viscoelastic material layer and constrained plate to suppress vibrations

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectViscoelasticity: Viscoelasticity

Implementation Method 2

effectively suppresses vibration of the gimbal portion, enhancing the stability and precision of the slider's positioning by reducing resonance gain

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectVibration damping: Damping

Implementation Method 3

The distal end of the suspension can be quickly moved by an infinitesimal distance in a sway direction (or transversely relative to tracks) by applying a voltage to and thereby deforming the microactuator element

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectPiezoelectric effect: Piezoelectric Effect

Data Source

PatentUS9042056B2Disk drive suspension with microactuator elements on respective slider sides and damper member on gimbal portion away from dimple

Publication Date: 2015.05.26 NHK SPRING CO LTD

AI summary

A slider and microactuator elements are disposed on a gimbal portion of a flexure. A tongue of the gimbal portion has a first tongue portion, a second tongue portion, and a hinge portion. A leading-side portion of the slider is movably disposed on the first tongue portion. A trailing-side portion of the slider is secured to the second tongue portion. The hinge portion is formed between the first tongue portion and the second tongue portion. The gimbal portion is provided with a damper member includes a viscoelastic material layer and a constrained plate. The damper member comprises a first damper and a second damper. The hinge portion is exposed between the first damper and the second damper. A dimple on a load beam contacts the hinge portion at a point of contact.