Head Gimbal Load Beam Side Rail Structure to Prevent HGA Interference
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Solution Overview
Problem
The interference between side rails of adjacent head gimbal assemblies (HGAs) due to the inclination of load beams and the decrease in rigidity when the width of the side rails is shortened, leading to potential interference and reduced structural integrity during the unloading process in disk devices like hard disk drives (HDDs).
Innovation Solution
The load beam design includes two side rails with a first plane facing the magnetic disk, a lift tab supported by the ramp at the unload position, and inclined edges such as the third edge extending towards the lift tab to maintain a distance between adjacent HGAs, ensuring the rigidity of the load beam is preserved while preventing interference.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the load beam is inclined to bend the load beams at the unload position, then the lift tabs of adjacent HGAs are brought close to each other, but the side rails of the two HGAs may interfere with each other
Solution Approach 1:
The side rail is designed with a stepped structure having different widths at different positions. The first width at the distal end and the second width at the proximal end create local variations in thickness. This local quality change allows the side rail to maintain sufficient width at the proximal end to prevent interference between adjacent HGAs while accommodating the inclined configuration at the distal end.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the width of the side rail is shortened to prevent interference, then the rigidity of the load beam may decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The side rail employs a stepped structure with different widths at different positions along its length. The proximal portion maintains a larger width to ensure sufficient rigidity and resistance to interference, while the distal portion can be narrower to accommodate the inclined configuration. This local variation in dimensions allows optimization of both interference prevention and structural strength.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of uniformly reducing the width of the side rail throughout its entire length, the design introduces a dimensional variation by creating a stepped structure. This adds a new dimension of design consideration - varying the width along the length of the side rail - which allows the structure to maintain rigidity where needed while preventing interference in other regions.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the side rail width is reduced to prevent interference between adjacent HGAs, then the structural integrity and rigidity of the load beam decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The side rail is designed with a stepped structure that provides different widths at different positions. The proximal end maintains a larger width to ensure structural integrity and resistance to interference, while the distal end can be narrower to prevent interference between adjacent HGAs. This local quality variation resolves the contradiction between maintaining strength and preventing interference.
Data Source
AI summary
According to one embodiment, a head gimbal assembly (HGA) of a disk device includes a load beam. The load beam includes two side rails, a plate between the two side rails, a first plane of the plate, a lift tab protruding from an end of the plate, and a protrusion protruding from the first plane and supporting a slider. An edge of each of the two side rails has a first edge, a second edge extending from the first edge toward the lift tab, and a third edge extending from the second edge to the lift tab while being inclined with respect to the first plane so as to approach the first plane. An end of the slider is at the same position as an end of the third edge or is farther from the lift tab than the end of the third edge.