Slider Support Clamp with Asymmetric Bellows
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional slider supporting apparatuses face challenges in providing a larger spring stroke with long lifetime while avoiding pitch and roll static torque, which can cause the slider to pop out during testing, leading to increased costs and potential damage to HGA suspensions.
Innovation Solution
A slider supporting apparatus with a flexure comprising a tongue, outrigger portions, and a clamp with spring arms and a connection bar that provides a downward component force to the slider, preventing pitch and roll static torque and allowing for sufficient elastic deformation and extended usage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of moving object
If the spring stroke is increased to provide larger movement range, then the usability is improved, but the structure becomes more complex and the lifetime is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The spring mechanism is divided into multiple bellows portions (first bellows portion and second bellows portion) that can independently deform. This segmentation allows the spring stroke to be distributed across multiple segments, reducing the stress on each individual segment and extending the overall lifetime while maintaining a large total stroke.
Solution Approach 2:
The bellows portions are arranged in a planar configuration rather than extending in a single linear direction. This dimensional arrangement allows the spring stroke to be achieved through coordinated deformation of multiple bellows in different directions, reducing the mechanical stress concentration and improving durability while maintaining the required stroke length.
2Force
If the bellows portions are stretched to clamp the slider, then the holding force is improved, but pitch and roll static torque is generated causing the slider to pop out
Solution Approach 1:
The first and second bellows portions are positioned asymmetrically relative to the slider, with the first bellows portion on one side and the second bellows portion on the opposite side. This asymmetric arrangement creates opposing forces that cancel out the pitch and roll torques, allowing strong holding force without generating harmful rotational moments that would cause the slider to pop out.
Solution Approach 2:
The second bellows portion acts as a counterbalance to the first bellows portion, generating opposing forces that neutralize the pitch and roll static torque. This counterbalancing mechanism allows the clamp to exert strong holding force on the slider while preventing the generation of harmful rotational torques.
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 solution achieves a larger spring stroke with a long lifetime, effectively preventing the slider from popping out during testing and reducing costs by ensuring reliable and durable operation.
Implementation Method 1
a pair of bellows portion 203 as springs... Each bellows portion 203 has a top and bottom that are formed by plastic deformation
Implementation Method 2
When the disk drive is on, a spindle motor 102 will rotate the disk 101 at a high speed, and the slider 103 will fly above the disk 101 due to the air pressure drawn by the rotated disk 101
Data Source
AI summary
A slider supporting apparatus of includes a base portion; a flexure supported by the base portion; a contact portion being provided on a leading portion of the flexure for urging a trailing edge of the slider to contact with pads on the trailing edge; a support plate attached beneath a tongue; and a clamp comprising a mounting portion fixed on the support plate, two spring arms downward extended from the mounting portion to pass through a hole of the flexure slantwise, and a connection bar connected with two ends of the spring arms for urging a leading edge of the slider to provide a downward component force to the slider. The apparatus provides a larger spring stroke with long lifetime to reduce cost, and avoid pitch and roll static torque to generate so as to prevent the slider popping out the suspension during slider testing process.