Load beam limiter tabs for HAMR head slider protection

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12380920-B2
Application number	US-202318131612-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 6, 2023
Priority date	Apr 11, 2022
Publication date	Aug 5, 2025
Grant date	Aug 5, 2025

Abstract

Examples of a load beam are provided. The load beam includes a base portion with an opening at a distal end. The opening is configured to receive a heat assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) head slider extending therethrough. The load beam also includes at least one load beam tab such that the load beam tab is further away from the base portion and a top surface of the HAMR head slider.

First claim

We claim:

1. A load beam comprising;
a base portion with an opening formed therein, and a pair of side rails extending from the base portion, wherein each of the side rails terminates in a distal edge; and
the opening configured to receive a head slider extending through the opening;
wherein each of the distal edges include a tab disposed on each of the distal edges, wherein for each of the distal edges, the distal edge includes a notch, and wherein the tab extends from the notch, each tab comprising a first portion extending upward from the load beam in a first direction and a second portion extending laterally outward from the first portion.

2. The load beam of claim 1 , wherein the head slider is a heat assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) head slider.

3. The load beam of claim 1 wherein the tab extends further away from the base portion than does the head slider when extending through the opening.

4. A suspension comprising:
a load beam comprising a base portion with an opening formed therein, and a pair of side rails extending from the base portion, wherein each of the side rails terminates in a distal edge; and
the opening configured to receive a heat assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) head slider extending through the opening;
wherein each of the distal edges include a tab disposed on each of the distal edges, wherein for each of the distal edges, the distal edge includes a notch, and wherein the tab extends from the notch, each tab comprising a first portion extending upward from the load beam in a first direction and a second portion extending laterally outward from the first portion in a second direction.

5. The suspension of claim 4 , wherein the base portion of the load beam includes a dimple, and wherein the tabs are positioned on the distal edges between the dimple and a distal end of the load beam, and the opening is positioned between the dimple and the distal end of the load beam.

6. The suspension of claim 4 , wherein for each of the distal edges, the tab extends away from the base portion.

7. The suspension of claim 4 , wherein for each of the distal edges, the tab extends over the base portion.

8. The suspension of claim 4 , wherein each of the tabs includes a top surface that is parallel to the base portion of the load beam.

9. The suspension of claim 8 , wherein for each of the distal edges, the top surface of the tab is offset from the distal edge by a distance D 1 .

10. The suspension of claim 8 , wherein for each of the distal edges, the top surface of the tab is disposed further away from the base portion than a top surface of the heat assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) head slider.

11. The suspension of claim 4 , wherein the load beam includes a sag area, and wherein the tabs are positioned between the sag area and a distal end of the load beam.

Assignees

• Magnecomp Corp

Inventors

• Zhang Long
• Ee Kuen Chee
• Glaess David

Classifications

• 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

• G11B2005/0021

  Thermally assisted recording using an auxiliary energy source for heating the recording layer locally to assist the magnetization reversal · CPC title

• G11B5/4833 Primary

  Structure of the arm assembly, e.g. load beams, flexures, parts of the arm adapted for controlling vertical force on the head (G11B5/484 takes precedence) · CPC title