Abstract: An improved head gimbal assembly for supporting a head in a disc drive assembly. The improved head gimbal assembly including a gimbal spring adapted to support a slider and provide desired flexure characteristics for the slider to pitch and roll while limiting dimple separation. The gimbal spring including spaced struts formed of elongated straight members. The struts are shaped to define a generally increasing spring constant along a substantial length of the struts extending from a distance proximal of extended ends of the struts adapted to support a slider to opposed ends of the struts.

Abstract: A base plate is used to attach the head/gimbal assembly of a disc drive to an actuator arm. The base plate has a boss which fits into an opening in the actuator arm. In one embodiment, one of the inner surface of the opening in the actuator arm and the outer surface of the boss is constructed of polymer, and the other is constructed of metal. The base plate is secured to the actuator arm by swaging the raised portion of the base plate to the opening in the actuator arm. During swaging, the layer of polymer material yields to conform to the metal surface, thereby providing a swage connection with superior holding friction and retention torque. In another embodiment, the boss includes a plurality of raised portions defining a cylinder having a relaxed outer diameter greater than the inner diameter of the opening in the actuator arm.

Abstract: An apparatus comprising a magnetic head suspension assembly (10) comprised of a rectangular portion (12), load beam (14) and flexure (16) fabricated from a silicon structure using the etching techniques of the integrated circuit fabrication industry. The magnetic head suspension assembly (10) has electrical leads (23) to a slider, a pre-amp circuit (25) and a microactuator (27) fabricated directly thereon. A system of providing a loading force passing to slider (50) comprises either a tapered base plate (40) adapted to be held by a horizontally oriented actuator arm or an actuator arm (60) having at least one angled receiving surface (62,64) for attachment to said suspension assembly.

Abstract: A flexure mounting system that facilitates removal of a faulty head/flexure assembly in a disc drive. The flexure mounting system includes an improved mounting plate for head/flexure assemblies in disc drives. The improved mounting plate includes deswaging tabs which extend laterally beyond the width of the actuator head mounting arms to which the mounting plates and attached head/flexure assemblies are mounted. A disassembly tool, configured to operatively engage the deswaging tabs, and a specially featured flex circuit adapted for use with the improved mounting plate are also disclosed.

Abstract: An apparatus comprising a magnetic head suspension assembly (10) comprised of a rectangular portion (12), load beam (14) and flexure (16) fabricated from a silicon structure using the etching techniques of the integrated circuit fabrication industry. Said magnetic head suspension assembly (10) having electrical leads (23) to a slider, a pre-amp circuit (25) and a microactuator (27) fabricated directly thereon. A system of providing a loading force passing to slider (50) comprising either a tapered base plate (40) adapted to be held by a horizontally oriented actuator arm or an actuator arm (60) having at least one angled receiving surface (62,64) for attachment to said suspension assembly.