Abstract: A new gimbal for a disk drive head assembly includes a weld plate, a pair of compliant beams, a lateral beam, and a slider supporting surface. The gimbal also encompasses a cross beam that links the pair of compliant beams, thereby enhancing the transverse stiffness of the gimbal. In the preferred embodiment the cross beam is also provided with a cantilever tab to enhance the vertical stiffness of the gimbal. An S-shaped bend may be provided normal to the centerline of the gimbal to offset the plane of the slider supporting surface from the main gimbal. In addition, the gimbal may be provided with a formed edge along the outer length of the lateral beam to reduce the danger of damaged transducer wires. Finally, the gimbal may be combined with a carrier strip that eliminates the need for a large tooling hole within the weld plate of the gimbal.

Abstract: An air bearing slider for supporting a transducer proximate a rotating disc utilizes a raised air bearing surface that interacts with pressurized air to support the slider. The slider includes a slider body that has a leading edge and trailing edge relative to motion of the rotating disc. The air bearing surface has a leading edge portion proximate the leading edge of the slider body that is greater in width than a trailing edge portion positioned proximate and central with respect to the trailing edge of the slider body. The leading edge of the raised air bearing surface extends the entire width of the raised air bearing portion.

Abstract: An air bearing slider for supporting a transducer proximate a rotating disc utilizes a raised air bearing surface that interacts with pressurized air to support the slider. The slider includes a slider body that has a leading edge and trailing edge relative to motion of the rotating disc. The air bearing surface has a leading edge portion proximate the leading edge of the slider body that is greater in width than a trailing edge portion positioned proximate and central with respect to the trailing edge of the slider body. The leading edge of the raised air bearing surface extends the entire width of the raised air bearing portion.

Abstract: A flexure for mounting a head in a hard disc drive. The gimbal of the flexure includes a load point tab which retains the full thickness of the original flexure material for most of its area and further includes a thinned area local to and surrounding a desired location for a load point button. The thinned area is formed out-of-plane from the remainder of the flexure by approximately one-half the material thickness. The size of the thinned area is selected to be such that the thinned area is substantially non-compliant under intended load forces.

Abstract: A one-piece flexure assembly, formed of a single piece of planar material, for mounting a magnetic head in a disc drive, which includes a load point button formed in a desired shape at a desired location by partially etching away that portion of the material surrounding the desired shape and location. In a preferred embodiment, the flexure includes an elongated load beam, a first tab integral with the load beam and including the load point button, a second tab, also integral with the load beam and forming a mounting surface for the head and a pair of laterally placed longitudinally extending partially etched gimbal beams connecting the two tabs.

Abstract: A visual head alignment reference feature for determining the correct alignment of the slider body of a head relative to the load point of the gimbal which forms a portion of a hard disc drive head/flexure assembly. The head alignment reference feature includes laterally and longitudinally extending edges whose lengths define the allowable range of variation in slider placement along the respective axes. In a preferred embodiment, a laterally opposed pair of reference features are located on both lateral sides of the gimbal, enabling skew misalignment of the slider relative to the gimbal to be detected.

Abstract: A process for making a gimbal formed integral with a load beam by through etching a H pattern at the end of the beam to define a pair of tabs connected by a pair of gimbal beams; half etching from the head direction one tab with an defined area masked to form a load button; and half etching the beam from the other direction to provide the proper gimbal stiffness. In practice, the head is glued to the other tab and load is applied through the button.

Abstract: A one-piece flexure assembly, formed of a single piece of planar material, for mounting a magnetic head in a disc drive, which includes a load point button formed in a desired shape at a desired location by partially etching away that portion of the material surrounding the desired shape and location. In a preferred embodiment, the flexure includes an elongated load beam, a first tab integral with the load beam and including the load point button, a second tab, also integral with the load beam and forming a mounting surface for the head and a pair of laterally placed longitudinally extending partially etched gimbal beams connecting the two tabs.

Abstract: A flexure support plate having a pair of half etched legs which insert into slots formed in the sides of an actuators arm. A pair of flexure support plates may be insert into a single slot thereby permitting close disc spacing.

Abstract: In a disc drive head suspension assembly, welding induced stresses and deformation resulting from welding a gimbal to a load beam are reduced. Apertures, preheating or compression are used to relieve residual stresses.

Abstract: A gimbal for supporting a hydrodynamic air bearing slider over recording medium including a gimbal body having generally co-planar side edges meeting at gimbal corners. Tabs positioned at the gimbal corners are bent out of plane with respect to the side edges. Each tab includes an aperture for accepting a corner of the slider. Each tab has a spring tension providing an inward force on the slider to thereby secure the gimbal to the slider.

Abstract: A load beam couples a gimbal to a support arm in a head-gimbal assembly. A resilient section has a first end for attachment to the support arm and a second end. The resilient section also has a plurality of preformed bends between the first and second ends. A substantially rigid section has a first end coupled to the second end of the resilient section and a second end for attachment to the gimbal.

Abstract: A sleeve capture apparatus is provided for use with a load beam. The load beam couples a gimbal to a support arm in a head-gimbal assembly and the sleeve capture apparatus supports a conductor sleeve running from the gimbal to the support arm along the load beam. A first capture member extends from an edge of the load beam and has a sleeve contact surface for contacting the conductor sleeve. A second capture member also extends from the edge of the load beam and has a sleeve contact surface for contacting the conductor sleeve. A third capture member extends from the edge of the load beam and has a sleeve contact surface for contacting the conductor sleeve. The second capture member has its sleeve contact surface displaced from a line defined generally by the sleeve contact surfaces of the first and third capture members. It is displaced by a distance less than the thickness of the conductor sleeve.

Abstract: A flexure for a rotary actuated load arm for use in a data storage system is disclosed. The flexure attaches a slider to the load arm. The slider carries a transducer over a track on a disk. The disclosed flexure has a high enough radial stiffness to prevent the slider from sliding and sticking in a position where the transducer cannot read or write data on the desired track.