Abstract: A gimbal spring for supporting a slider relative to a disc surface. The gimbal spring includes opposed flexure arms extending from a base of the gimbal spring. The flexure arms are designed to support the slider coupled to the gimbal spring via a mounting tab to pitch and roll relative to the disc surface. The flexure arms are formed of elongated members extending from the base to define a fixed end and an extended end. The flexure arms include an intermediate portion between the fixed end and the extended end having a reduced mass, which is less than the fixed end and extended end. The reduced mass enhances the operation characteristics of the gimbal spring.

Abstract: Method and apparatus is provided for controlling unwanted flow of slider bonding adhesive from the flexure tongue portion to the flexure outrigger portion including roughening the tongue portion surface opposite the slider, enclosing the locus of slider attachment fully or partially with a trough etched into the tongue portion, and increasing the depth of fluid adhesive at the locus to increase the adhesive mass and improve the bonding at the slider.

Abstract: A head support assembly for a disk drive is comprised of a head suspension assembly connected to an actuator arm at one end and supporting a head at the other end, wherein a projection is formed on a flexure closely fixed on a thin-plate load beam, said projection projecting toward a disk surface and having a smooth surface. The projection is formed at a region somewhat close to the head supporting end from the hinge portion of the load beam. When shock is applied to the disk drive, bending occurs around the hinge portion of the load beam. During such bending, the projection having a smooth round surface is caused to contact the disk, whereby the disk surface is prevented from being damaged.

Abstract: A slider attaches to a low profile flexure to form a slider-flexure assembly. The flexure has no out-of-plane bends thereby minimizing slider-flexure assembly height. The slider has a top, a bottom, a leading edge and a trailing edge. The flexure includes a tongue having a proximal end and a distal end. The distal end of the tongue connects to the top of the slider. The proximal end of the tongue overhangs the leading edge of the slider. The flexure includes gimbal beams that diverge from the proximal end of the tongue so that the gimbal beams suspend the slider from beyond the leading edge of the slider, thus eliminating a need for out-of-plane bends in the flexure.