Two-motor co-located gimbal-based dual stage actuation disk drive suspensions with motor stiffeners

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9613644-B2
Application number	US-201414532479-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 4, 2014
Priority date	May 23, 2013
Publication date	Apr 4, 2017
Grant date	Apr 4, 2017

Abstract

Various embodiments concern a dual stage actuation flexure. The dual stage actuation flexure comprises a flexure having a gimbal. The gimbal comprising a pair of spring arms, a tongue between the spring arms, and a pair of linkages respectively connecting the pair of spring arms to the tongue. The dual stage actuation flexure further comprises a pair of motors mounted on the gimbal and a pair of stiffeners respectively mounted on the motors. The dual stage actuation flexure further comprises a slider mounting. Electrical activation of the motors bends the pair of linkages to move the slider mounting about a tracking axis while the stiffeners limit the degree of bending of the motors during the electrical activation.

First claim

The following is claimed:

1. A dual stage actuation suspension comprising:
a flexure comprising a gimbal, a proximal end, and a distal end, the flexure having a longitudinal axis extending from the proximal end to the distal end, wherein the gimbal comprises a spring metal layer including a pair of spring arms and a tongue, and wherein the tongue is connected to the spring arms by the spring metal layer, and the tongue is located between the spring arms;
a pair of motors mounted on the gimbal, each motor elongated along, and extending parallel with, the longitudinal axis, wherein each motor comprises a proximal end and a distal end, and wherein the proximal ends of the motors are mounted on the spring arms, and the distal ends of the motors are mounted on the tongue;
electrical terminals on the motors;
a stiffener mounted on each motor, each stiffener elongated along, and extending parallel with, the longitudinal axis, and configured to limit bending of the motor to which the stiffener is mounted; and
a slider mounting on the tongue of the gimbal.

2. The suspension of claim 1 , further comprising a pair of struts in the spring metal layer that connect the pair of spring arms to the tongue, wherein electrical activation of the pair of motors bends the struts to move the slider mounting about a tracking axis.

3. The suspension of claim 1 , wherein each stiffener comprises a tab extending from the tongue.

4. The suspension of claim 1 , wherein the stiffeners are stiffer than the portions of the gimbal on which the motors are mounted.

5. The suspension of claim 1 , wherein each stiffener limits the degree of bending of the motor on which the stiffener is mounted during electrical activation of the motor.

6. The suspension of claim 1 , wherein each motor comprises a top side and a bottom side opposite the top side, the bottom sides of the motors face the flexure, and the stiffeners are mounted on the top sides of the motors.

7. The suspension of claim 1 , wherein each stiffener comprises a layer of metal.

8. The suspension of claim 1 , wherein each stiffener comprises a layer of polymer.

9. The suspension of claim 1 , wherein each stiffener is only in contact with an adhesive that bonds the motor to the stiffener.

10. The suspension of claim 1 , wherein the slider mounting and the pair of motors are both located on a first side of the flexure, the first side comprising either a top side or a bottom side of the flexure.

11. The suspension of claim 1 , wherein the slider mounting is located on a first side of the flexure while the pair of motors is located on a second side of the flexure opposite the first side.

12. The suspension of claim 1 , wherein each stiffener entirely covers a side of the motor on which the stiffener is mounted.

13. The suspension of claim 1 , wherein each stiffener does not entirely cover a side of the motor on which the stiffener is mounted.

14. The suspension of claim 1 , further comprising a slider attached to the gimbal at the slider mounting.

15. A dual stage actuation suspension, comprising:
a flexure comprising a gimbal, wherein the gimbal comprises a spring metal layer including a pair of spring arms and a tongue, and wherein the tongue is connected to the spring arms by the spring metal layer, and the tongue is located between the spring arms;
at least one piezoelectric motor mounted on the gimbal, wherein each motor includes an end mounted to one of the spring arms; and
at least one stiffener mounted on the at least one motor, respectively, each stiffener attached to the motor on which it is mounted with an adhesive that is located between the motor and the stiffener, each stiffener only in contact with the adhesive that attaches the motor to the stiffener.

16. The suspension of claim 15 , wherein the flexure has a longitudinal axis extending from a proximal end of the flexure to a distal end of the flexure, and each motor is elongated along the longitudinal axis and orientated parallel with the longitudinal axis, and each stiffener is elongated along the longitudinal axis and orientated parallel with the longitudinal axis.

17. A dual stage actuation suspension comprising:
a flexure comprising a gimbal, wherein the gimbal comprises a spring metal layer including a pair of spring arms and a tongue, and wherein the tongue is connected to the spring arms by the spring metal layer, and the tongue is located between the spring arms;
a pair of motors mounted on the gimbal, each motor comprising a first side having a proximal edge, a distal edge opposite the proximal edge, and two lateral edges opposite each other, wherein each motor includes an end mounted to one of the spring arms;
a pair of stiffeners mounted on the first sides of the pair of motors, respectively, each stiffener extending to the proximal edge, the distal edge, and the two lateral edges of the first side of the motor on which the stiffener is mounted; and
a slider mounting on the tongue of the gimbal.

Assignees

• Hutchinson Technology

Inventors

• Miller Mark A
• Sakamoto Yasushi

Classifications

• G11B5/4873

  the arm comprising piezoelectric or other actuators for adjustment of the arm · 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

• G11B5/596

  for track following on disks {(G11B5/5526, G11B5/5552, G11B5/5565, G11B5/5582 take precedence)} · CPC title

• G11B5/483 Primary

  Piezoelectric devices between head and arm, e.g. for fine adjustment · CPC title

• G11B5/5552

  using fine positioning means for track acquisition separate from the coarse (e.g. track changing) positioning means · CPC title