Gimbal strut configuration for high yaw suspension design

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12367899-B2
Application number	US-202318376966-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 5, 2023
Priority date	Oct 20, 2020
Publication date	Jul 22, 2025
Grant date	Jul 22, 2025

Abstract

A trace gimbal is described. The trace gimbal includes outer struts including a front outrigger at a distal end of the trace gimbal and a rear outrigger at a proximal end of the trace gimbal. The front outrigger includes a distal front outrigger and a proximal front outrigger. The rear outrigger includes a distal rear outrigger and a proximal rear outrigger. The trace gimbal also includes a middle strut extending from the distal rear outrigger and adjoining the proximal front outrigger to the rear outrigger. The middle strut extends from a slider tongue adjoining the outer gimbal struts to the slider tongue.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A trace gimbal comprising:
outer struts including a front outrigger at a distal end of the trace gimbal and a rear outrigger at a proximal end of the trace gimbal, the front outrigger includes a distal front outrigger and a proximal front outrigger, the rear outrigger includes a distal rear outrigger and a proximal rear outrigger; and
a middle strut extending from the distal rear outrigger and adjoining the proximal front outrigger to the rear outrigger, wherein the middle strut extends from a slider tongue adjoining the outer struts to the slider tongue, wherein the middle strut comprises a mid-strut portion, an inner strut portion, a first juncture connecting the distal rear outrigger and the proximal front outrigger to the mid-strut portion, and a second juncture bent at an angle and disposed between the mid-strut portion and the inner strut portion, wherein the inner strut portion connects the second juncture to the slider tongue, wherein a width of the second juncture is at least double a width of the mid-strut portion and the front outrigger.

2. The trace gimbal of claim 1 , further comprising at least one microactuator mounted on the slider tongue, wherein the middle strut supports the slider tongue.

3. The trace gimbal of claim 1 , wherein the proximal front outrigger is adjoined to the distal rear outrigger at the first juncture.

4. The trace gimbal of claim 3 , wherein the proximal front outrigger includes a first cross-section, and a second cross-section at the first juncture, wherein the second cross-section is about a same dimension as the first cross-section of the proximal front outrigger.

5. The trace gimbal of claim 4 , wherein the first cross-section and the second cross-section of the proximal front outrigger is between 0.05 mm and 0.10 mm.

6. The trace gimbal of claim 1 , wherein the distal rear outrigger includes a cross-section, wherein the middle strut includes a cross-section, which is about a same dimension as the cross-section of the distal rear outrigger.

7. The trace gimbal of claim 6 , wherein the cross-section of the distal rear outrigger is between 0.10 mm and 0.20 mm.

8. The trace gimbal of claim 1 , wherein the middle strut is adjoined to the slider tongue at the second juncture, a cross-section of the second juncture is between 0.25 mm and 0.4 mm, which is more than two times of cross-sections of the middle strut and front outrigger.

9. The trace gimbal of claim 1 , wherein the front outrigger, the rear outrigger, and the middle strut adjoin at the first juncture, wherein a cross-section of the first juncture is about a same dimension as a cross-section of the middle strut and the front outrigger.

10. The trace gimbal of claim 1 , wherein the front outrigger and the rear outrigger adjoin at a proximal end of the middle strut.

11. A suspension comprising:
a trace gimbal including:
outer struts including a front outrigger at a distal end of the trace gimbal and a rear outrigger at a proximal end of the trace gimbal, the front outrigger includes a distal front outrigger and a proximal front outrigger, the rear outrigger includes a distal rear outrigger and a proximal rear outrigger; and
a middle strut extending from a slider tongue adjoining the outer struts to the slider tongue, wherein the middle strut comprises a mid-strut portion, an inner strut portion, a first juncture connecting the distal rear outrigger and the proximal front outrigger to the mid-strut portion, and a second juncture bent at an angle and disposed between the inner strut portion and the mid-strut portion, wherein the inner strut portion connects the second juncture to the slider tongue, wherein a width of the second juncture is at least double a width of the mid-strut portion and the front outrigger.

12. The suspension of claim 11 , further comprising at least one microactuator mounted on the slider tongue, wherein the middle strut supports the slider tongue.

13. The suspension of claim 11 , wherein the proximal front outrigger is adjoined to the distal rear outrigger at the first juncture.

14. The suspension of claim 13 , wherein the proximal front outrigger includes a first cross-section, and a second cross-section at the first juncture, wherein the second cross-section is a same dimension as the first cross-section of the proximal front outrigger.

15. The suspension of claim 14 , wherein the first cross-section and the second cross-section of the proximal front outrigger is between 0.05 mm and 0.10 mm.

16. The suspension of claim 11 , wherein the distal rear outrigger includes a cross-section, wherein the middle strut includes a cross-section, which is a same dimension as the cross-section of the distal rear outrigger.

17. The suspension of claim 16 , wherein the cross-section of the distal rear outrigger is between 0.10 mm and 0.20 mm.

18. The suspension of claim 11 , wherein the middle strut is adjoined to the slider tongue at the second juncture, the second juncture includes a cross-section at the middle strut, the cross-section of the second juncture is between 0.25 mm and 0.4 mm, which is more than two times of the cross-section of the middle strut and the front outrigger.

19. The suspension of claim 11 , wherein the front outrigger, the rear outrigger, and the middle strut adjoin at the first juncture, which is about a same dimension as cross-sections of the middle strut and the front outrigger.

20. The suspension of claim 11 , wherein the front outrigger and the rear outrigger adjoin at a proximal end of the middle strut.

Assignees

• Magnecomp Corp

Inventors

• Zhang Long
• Ee Kuen Chee
• Glaess David

Classifications

• G11B5/484

  Integrated arm assemblies, e.g. formed by material deposition or by etching from single piece of metal or by lamination of materials forming a single arm/suspension/head unit · CPC title

• G11B5/4826 Primary

  Mounting, aligning or attachment of the transducer head relative to the arm assembly, e.g. slider holding members, gimbals, adhesive (G11B5/484 takes precedence; details of head housings or structures G11B5/10, G11B5/127; adjustment relative to the record carrier G11B5/56) · CPC title