Abstract: Embodiments of the invention limit a pitch attitude angle of a magnetic head slider during loading without allowing gimbal stiffness of a flexure in an ordinary flying state to be increased. In one embodiment, a limiter formed by part of a flexure is disposed so as to provide a clearance from a lift tab formed by part of a load beam. A limiter clearance, if the clearance between the limiter and the lift tab is so called for convenience sake, must be maintained as a physical clearance when a magnetic head slider is in an ordinary flying state. The lift tab and the limiter are disposed on a side of an air inflow end of the magnetic head slider. The limiter clearance during unloading is thereby made small so as to allow proper and positive unloading operation.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention suppress head jump at the time of application of an impact to provide for an excellent impact resistance performance in a magnetic disk device. In one embodiment, a magnetic disk device comprises a disk that records information, a slider mounting thereon a magnetic head, and an actuator mounting thereon the slider on a tip end side thereof turnably so as to move radially of the disk. The actuator comprises a suspension mounting the slider on a tip end side thereof to give a predetermined load to the slider, and an arm that holds the suspension, the arm being supported to be able to turn. The arm comprises two arm portions juxtaposed in a direction perpendicular to a surface of the disk, and a spacing between the two arm portions on a side of supported portions thereof in the direction perpendicular to the surface of the disk is larger than that on a side of the slider in the direction perpendicular to the surface of the disk.

Abstract: There is provided a magnetic disk drive in which a flying-height fluctuation produced by the operation of a fine actuator is decreased, the reliability is high, and recording density is high. For this purpose, the magnetic disk drive is configured as described below. The magnetic disk drive has a suspension including a base plate connected to a carriage, a load beam fitted with a slider, and a fine actuator which is provided on the base plate and finely moves the load beam. The configuration is such that the shortest track travel time using the fine actuator is larger than the inverse number of the local maximum of a flying-height fluctuation frequency of the suspension by the fine actuator. Also, the configuration is such that the shortest track travel time using the fine actuator is larger than the inverse number of the natural frequency of first torsion mode of the suspension by the fine actuator.

Abstract: A head support mechanism includes a head to write/read information, and a head support member to support the head. The head support member has parts delimiting an opening at a portion thereof in which opposing parts which delimit the opening in a width direction of the head support member are elastically deformable. Protrusions are formed on edges of the opening, and piezoelectric elements are mounted on the protrusions to enable deforming of the head support member in a direction of positioning of the head.

Abstract: There is provided a magnetic disk drive in which a flying-height fluctuation produced by the operation of a fine actuator is decreased, the reliability is high, and recording density is high. For this purpose, the magnetic disk drive is configured as described below. The magnetic disk drive has a suspension including a base plate connected to a carriage, a load beam fitted with a slider, and a fine actuator which is provided on the base plate and finely moves the load beam. The configuration is such that the shortest track travel time using the fine actuator is larger than the inverse number of the local maximum of a flying-height fluctuation frequency of the suspension by the fine actuator. Also, the configuration is such that the shortest track travel time using the fine actuator is larger than the inverse number of the natural frequency of first torsion mode of the suspension by the fine actuator.

Abstract: Due to the raised operating rotation speed, it has become an important technical theme to reduce fluid vibrations caused by high speed air flows passing the wiring extension in a head gimbal assembly in order to raise the positioning accuracy for higher density recording. Embodiments of the present invention provide a spring structure to the wiring extension. In a wiring extension holding section formed on the carriage side, the wiring extension is retained at the center of the groove of the holding section by the repulsive force of spring members. By preventing the wiring extension from being directly subject to high speed air flows generated by a high-speed rotating disk, this structure is intended to suppress vibrations of the wiring extension caused by high-speed air flows passing the wiring extension.

Abstract: A head support mechanism includes a slider equipped with a magnetic head to read/write information from/to a magnetic disk, a load beam to provide the slider with an appropriate load, the load beam being flexible in a direction substantially perpendicular to the disk, and a microactuator mounting portion equipped with a microactuator. A first actuator fixing portion, which connects the microactuator mounting portion to a carriage, and a second actuator fixing portion on the magnetic head side of the microactuator mounting portion, which connects the microactuator mounting portion to the load beam, are coupled by two arm portions of the microactuator mounting portion. The microactuator is mounted on the microactuator mounting portion so that the microactuator does not come into contact with the microactuator mounting portion between the first actuator fixing portion and the second actuator fixing portion.

Abstract: To strengthen a flying lead portion of a long-tail flexible printed circuit (FPC) integrally formed with a flexure, stacked support portions of resin layers on both sides of a flying lead 7 of a long-tail FPC 6 are reinforced with metal frames 14. A fold-back portion 9 of the long-tail FPC 6 is folded back at 90 degrees so that flying lead 7 is disposed parallel with a turning shaft 21 of a carriage 20. The flying lead is then joined to a connection pad 26 on a main FPC board 24 using solder 18.

Abstract: A head support mechanism includes a slider equipped with a magnetic head to read/write information from/to a magnetic disk, a load beam to provide the slider with an appropriate load, the load beam being flexible in a direction substantially perpendicular to the disk, and a microactuator mounting portion equipped with a microactuator. A first actuator fixing portion, which connects the microactuator mounting portion to a carriage, and a second actuator fixing portion on the magnetic head side of the microactuator mounting portion, which connects the microactuator mounting portion to the load beam, are coupled by two arm portions of the microactuator mounting portion. The microactuator is mounted on the microactuator mounting portion so that the microactuator does not come into contact with the microactuator mounting portion between the first actuator fixing portion and the second actuator fixing portion.

Abstract: There is provided a magnetic disk drive in which a flying-height fluctuation produced by the operation of a fine actuator is decreased, the reliability is high, and recording density is high. For this purpose, the magnetic disk drive is configured as described below. The magnetic disk drive has a suspension including a base plate connected to a carriage, a load beam fitted with a slider, and a fine actuator which is provided on the base plate and finely moves the load beam. The configuration is such that the shortest track travel time using the fine actuator is larger than the inverse number of the local maximum of a flying-height fluctuation frequency of the suspension by the fine actuator. Also, the configuration is such that the shortest track travel time using the fine actuator is larger than the inverse number of the natural frequency of first torsion mode of the suspension by the fine actuator.

Abstract: The present invention provides an improved suspension and head assembly. One exemplary suspension comprises an arm configured to be held by a positioning mechanism. A first load beam is coupled to the arm. A first flexure is coupled to the first load beam. The suspension comprises a first load bending portion and a second load bending portion. The head assemblies of the present invention can include a suspension that can carry a first slider and a second slider. The first slider can reproduce information of a medium.

Abstract: To restrain temperature rise by controlling heat radiation from an IC. More specifically, an area of junctioning pads which are in contact with an IC is enlarged to substantially overlap the whole or at least half or more of the area of the IC. Further, the IC is covered with an overcoat which protrudes to other parts of a head supporting mechanism.

Abstract: A magnetic disk apparatus of the present invention is equipped with a microactuator for micro motion using piezoelectric elements in addition to a coarse adjustment actuator such as a voice coil motor or the like, eliminates parts that slide between the microactuator and surrounding members, and alleviates stress on the piezoelectric elements even if an impact is given to the magnetic disk apparatus. Thus, a first actuator fixing portion on a carriage side and a second actuator fixing portion on a magnetic head side of a microactuator mounting portion are coupled with a plurality of flexible coupling portions and coupling portions are placed outside the microactuator in substantially symmetric with respect to a centerline in a longitudinal direction of a suspension.

Abstract: To restrain temperature rise by controlling heat radiation from an IC. More specifically, an area of junctioning pads which are in contact with an IC is enlarged to substantially overlap the whole or at least half or more of the area of the IC. Further, the IC is covered with an overcoat which protrudes to other parts of a head supporting mechanism.

Abstract: A magnetic head suspension for a magnetic memory apparatus includes a load arm having a head arm portion and a carriage arm portion that is thicker than the head arm portion. The load arm may include a first plate as the head arm portion, and a second plate attached to the first plate as the carriage arm portion. A magnetic head slider attaching part is gimbaled to the first plate, and is formed from the material of the first plate. The first plate is provided with a loading bend in an intermediate portion thereof to provide an added pushing force to the magnetic head toward the magnetic disk. A conductor layer is patterned in the underside of the first plate, to transfer signals to and from the head.

Abstract: A flying head slider utilizing a negative pressure according to the invention has a front end, a rear end, and an air bearing surface directed to face a rotating recording medium. The air bearing surface includes a pair of side rails extending on both sides of the air bearing surface from the front end in the longitudinal direction of the slider, a center rail provided at the center of the air bearing surface in the transverse direction and extending from the front end to the rear end in the longitudinal direction of the slider, a cross rail extending in the transverse direction of the slider to connect the pair of side rails and the center rail to each other near the front end, a pair of recesses defined by the pair of side rails, the center rail and the cross rail, communicating grooves for communicating the pair of recesses with the front end, and a head mounted on a rear end surface of the center rail. The pair of side rails, the center rail and the cross rail lie substantially in the same plane.