Disk Drive Suspension Limiter via Bent Edge Portions
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional disk drive suspensions experience increased mass and enlarged load beam fabric due to the addition of limiters, which restrict the movement of the tongue portion, leading to excessive movement issues.
Innovation Solution
The disk drive suspension incorporates limiters formed by bending regions along the opposite side edges of the load beam, utilizing existing bent edge portions to restrain the tongue portion without increasing the load beam's mass or fabric size, with apertures and bridge portions to define the limiter contours and maintain stiffness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a limiter is added to suppress excessive movement of the tongue portion, then the tongue portion can be restrained from moving away from the dimple, but the mass of the load beam increases
Solution Approach 1:
The limiter is merged with the bent edge portions of the load beam by forming the arm portion and retainer portion of the limiter through bending of the load beam's edge regions. This integration eliminates the need for separate limiter components, thereby restraining the tongue portion without increasing the overall mass of the load beam assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The bent edge portions of the load beam serve dual functions: maintaining the structural stiffness of the load beam and forming the limiter components (arm portion and retainer portion) that restrain the tongue portion. This multi-functionality allows the same material to fulfill both structural and limiting functions without additional mass.
2Ease of manufacture
If a projection for limiter formation is formed to protrude from a part of the load beam, then the limiter can be formed, but the fabric (metal plate) of the load beam is inevitably enlarged
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of forming the limiter by adding material in the planar dimension (which would enlarge the fabric area), the invention utilizes the thickness dimension of the load beam by bending the edge portions. This dimensional approach allows limiter formation without increasing the fabric area, as the limiter components are created through out-of-plane deformation rather than in-plane material addition.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the geometric parameters of the load beam's edge portions by bending them to form the limiter structure. This parameter change (from flat edge to bent configuration) enables limiter formation while maintaining the original fabric area, as the same material is reconfigured rather than added.
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
This configuration effectively suppresses excessive movement of the tongue portion while maintaining the load beam's mass and reducing its fabric size, ensuring stable operation without compromising stiffness.
Implementation Method 1
a pair of bent edge portions formed by bending regions which extend along opposite side edges of the load beam in a thickness direction of the load beam
Implementation Method 2
the retainer portions of the limiter abut the supported portions of the flexure, whereupon the flexure is restrained from swinging
Implementation Method 3
When the disk rotates, the slider flies slightly above the surface of the disk, and an air bearing is formed between the disk and the slider
Data Source
AI summary
A disk drive suspension is provided with a load beam and a flexure including a tongue portion on which a slider is mounted. A pair of bent edge portions are formed by bending regions which extend along opposite side edges of the load beam in a thickness direction. A pair of limiters are formed on those parts of the load beam where the bent edge portions are provided. The limiters each include an arm portion and a retainer portion. An aperture for defining a contour of each limiter is formed in a region which extends along each side edge of the load beam. Each limiter is bent in a direction opposite to that of each corresponding bent edge portion.